Asm. Jim Frazier

Existing law requires various state agencies to administer programs relating to water supply, water quality, and flood management in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The bill would prohibit the construction of a peripheral canal, as defined, unless expressly authorized by an initiative voted on by the voters of California on or after January 1, 2017, and would require the Legislative Analyst's Office to complete a prescribed economic feasibility analysis prior to a vote authorizing the construction of a peripheral canal.

Existing law, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act of 2009, establishes the Delta Stewardship Council and requires the council to develop, adopt, and commence implementation of a comprehensive management plan for the Delta, known as the Delta Plan. The Delta Plan is required to further the coequal goals of providing a more reliable water supply and protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Delta ecosystem. The act requires the council to consider the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) for inclusion in the Delta Plan and requires the incorporation of the BDCP into the Delta Plan if the BDCP meets certain requirements. This bill would add a definition of the California Water Fix to the act. This bill would eliminate certain provisions applicable to the BDCP and would revise other provisions to instead refer to a new Delta water conveyance project for the purpose of exporting water. This bill would require new Delta water conveyance infrastructure to be considered as interdependent parts of a system and to be operated in a way that maximizes benefits for each of the coequal goals. The act requires a state or local public agency that proposes to undertake a covered action that will occur within the boundaries of the Delta or the Suisun Marsh to prepare, and submit to the council, a specified written certification of consistency with the Delta Plan prior to taking those actions. The act defines the term "covered action" to mean a plan, program, or project, as prescribed. This bill would delete certain exclusions relating to the BDCP from the definition of a covered action. This bill would prohibit any certification of consistency for a new Delta water conveyance project unless specified requirements are met. Under the act, until the State Water Resources Control Board issues an order approving a change in the point of diversion of the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project from the southern Delta to a certain point on the Sacramento River the Department of Water Resources is prohibited from commencing construction of any diversion, conveyance, or other facility necessary to divert and convey water pursuant to the change in point of diversion. This bill would apply the above prohibition to a new point of diversion as well as a change in the point of diversion. This bill would prohibit the board from granting final approval of the requested change in or new point of diversion until the board has completed its update of a specified water quality control plan. The act prohibits construction of a new Delta conveyance facility from being initiated until the persons or entities that contract to receive water from the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project or a joint powers authority representing those entities have made arrangements or entered into contracts to pay for certain costs required for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the facility and full mitigation of property tax or assessments levied for land use in the construction, location, mitigation, or operation of the facility. This bill would instead prohibit the construction until legally binding financial agreements or contracts are signed by each of the state and federal water contractors that will receive water supplies that commit them to pay for the costs required for the federal Central Valley Project, State Water Project, and any new Delta water conveyance facility, as specified, and full mitigation of property tax or assessments levied for land use in the construction, location, mitigation, operation, or maintenance of the facility.

Existing law, the Brady-Jared Teen Driver Safety Act of 1997, establishes a provisional licensing program and generally requires that a driver's license issued to a person at least 16 years of age but under 18 years of age be issued pursuant to that provisional licensing program. During the first 12 months after issuance of a provisional license, existing law prohibits the licensee from driving between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. and transporting passengers who are under 20 years of age, unless he or she is accompanied and supervised by a licensed driver, as specified, or a licensed or certified driving instructor. Existing law provides limited exceptions to these restrictions under which a licensee is authorized to drive under specified circumstances, including a school or school-authorized activity or an employment necessity, and requires the licensee to keep certain supporting documentation in his or her possession. A violation of these provisions is punishable as an infraction. This bill would expand the scope of the provisional licensing program by extending the applicable age range for the program from 16 to under 18 years of age to 16 to under 21 years of age. By expanding the scope of the provisional licensing program, the violation of which constitutes an infraction, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would authorize a licensee who is 18, 19, or 20 years of age to keep in his or her possession a copy of his or her class schedule or work schedule as documentation to satisfy the exceptions for a school or school-authorized activity and employment necessity, respectively, and would provide that a signed statement by a parent or legal guardian is not required if reasonable transportation facilities are inadequate and the operation of a vehicle by a licensee who is 18, 19, or 20 years of age is necessary to transport the licensee or the licensee's immediate family member. The bill would make other technical and conforming changes. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Existing law makes it an infraction punishable by a maximum $3,000 fine, and a minimum $1000 fine, for a person to abandon a vessel upon a public waterway or public or private property without the express or implied consent of the owner or person in lawful possession or control of the property, except for the urgent and immediate concern for the safety of those aboard the vessel. Existing law requires 80% of those fines imposed and collected to be deposited in the Abandoned Watercraft Abatement Fund, and used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for grants to local agencies for, among other purposes, removal as a public nuisance of abandoned vessels. Existing law prohibits the grants from being used for abatement, removal, storage, or disposal of commercial vessels. This bill would delete that prohibition and thereby authorize grants to be used for abatement, removal, storage, or disposal of commercial vessels.

This measure would declare the month of April 2016 as Financial Aid and Literacy Month, with the theme of "Prosperity Through Education," to raise public awareness about the continuing need for increased financial literacy.

This measure would recognize May 2016 as National Mental Health Awareness Month in California to enhance public awareness of mental illness.

This measure would recognize Nowrūz, the Persian New Year celebration.

This measure would recognize the month of April 2016 as Citrus Strong Month for the purpose of celebrating California's vibrant citrus industry and the benefits it provides to the state's environment, economy, and people, and to affirm that California is citrus strong.