This measure would thank the State Air Resources Board for its exemplary work and tenacity in uncovering the emissions control defeat devices on certain diesel-fueled Volkswagen motor vehicles and would express the Legislature's support for specified future emissions test-related actions by the board.
The California Whistleblower Protection Act requires the State Auditor to administer the act and to investigate and report on improper governmental activities, as defined. The act requires the State Auditor to establish a means of submitting allegations of improper governmental activity, and generally requires the State Auditor to keep confidential every investigation, including all investigative files and work product. The act authorizes the State Auditor to issue a public report of an investigation that has substantiated an improper governmental activity, keeping confidential the identity of the employee or employees involved. The act further authorizes the State Auditor to release any findings or evidence supporting any findings resulting from an investigation whenever the State Auditor determines it necessary to serve the interests of the state. This bill would require a state agency, as defined, that utilizes a whistleblower investigation policy separate from the act to publicly report, in the manner in which the State Auditor is authorized to publicly report, any investigation of a whistleblower complaint that has substantiated improper government activities. The bill would specify that its provisions shall not be deemed to require the disclosure of a public record that is otherwise not required to be disclosed pursuant to any other state law.
Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board administers a water rights program pursuant to which the board grants permits and licenses to appropriate water. Existing law provides procedures for a permittee or licensee to temporarily change the point of diversion, place of use, or purpose of use due to a transfer or exchange of water or water rights, as specified. These temporary transfers are defined as transfers of one year or less. This bill would require the board to develop and implement an expedited 30-day review process for approval of petitions under those provisions to temporarily change the point of diversion, place of use, or purpose of use due to a transfer or exchange of water or water rights if the transfer is for a reoccurring water transfer, as defined, or an environmentally beneficial transfer, as defined. The bill would require the Department of Water Resources to develop a 30-day review process for reoccurring water transfers that utilize facilities of the State Water Project. The bill would repeal its provisions as of January 1, 2022.
Existing law, the Marks-Roos Local Bond Pooling Act of 1985, authorizes joint powers authorities, among other powers, to issue bonds and loan the proceeds to local agencies to finance specified types of projects and programs. This bill would enact the Water Bill Savings Act, which would authorize a joint powers authority to provide funding for a customer of a local agency or its publicly owned utility to acquire, install, or repair a water efficiency improvement on the customer's property served by the local agency or its publicly owned utility. The bill would require the customer to repay the authority through an efficiency charge on the customer's water bill to be established and collected by the local agency or its publicly owned utility on behalf of the authority pursuant to a servicing agreement. The bill would authorize the authority to issue bonds to fund the program. The bill would require the Department of Water Resources to provide ongoing oversight of activities undertaken pursuant to these provisions, including, but not limited to, monitoring an authority's administration of an efficiency improvement financing program, as specified. The bill would also make technical changes.
This measure would encourage the Department of Consumer Affairs and its boards, bureaus, and committees to create policies that promote fairness and equity to guarantee that each licensee pays a fair amount, especially in regard to initial and ongoing license fees.
This measure would recognize 2016 as the 150-year anniversary of public service and protection of state parks by state park rangers and would encourage the Department of Parks and Recreation, the California State Park Rangers Association, and the California State Parks Anniversary Committee to take all appropriate action to celebrate that anniversary.
This measure would encourage motorists to not idle their motor vehicles near places where children congregate.
