Asm. Buffy Wicks

(1) Existing law, the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act, until October 1, 2025, establishes procedural requirements and limitations on evictions for nonpayment of rent due to COVID-19 rental debt, as defined. The act, among other things, requires that a notice that demands payment of COVID-19 rental debt served pursuant to specified law be modified, as provided. The act requires that a notice that demands payment of rent that came due during the transition time period, as defined, comply with certain requirements, including that the notice include certain text which varies depending on the date that the notice is served. This bill would require notices described above that are served on or after April 1, 2022, and before July 1, 2022, to include certain text. The act subjects an ordinance, resolution, regulation, or administrative action adopted by a city, county, or city and county in response to the COVID–19 pandemic to protect tenants from eviction to certain limitations. The act provides that any extension, expansion, renewal, reenactment, or new adoption of a measure by the specified local authorities, which occurs between August 19, 2020, and March 31, 2022, has no effect before April 1, 2022. The act also imposes requirements and limitations on any provision described above that is in effect on August 19, 2020, and that allows a tenant a specified period of time in which to repay COVID-19 rental debt. If such a provision required the repayment period to commence on or before May 1, 2022, the act provides that an extension of that date shall have no effect, and if such a provision required the repayment period to commence after May 1, 2022, or conditioned commencement of repayment on the termination of a state of emergency, the act deems the repayment period to begin on May 1, 2022. The act prohibits such a provision from extending the period of time to repay COVID-19 rental debt beyond the period that was in effect on August 19, 2020, and in no case beyond May 31, 2023. This bill would instead provide that any extension, expansion, renewal, reenactment, or new adoption of a measure by the specified local authorities, that occurs between August 19, 2020, and June 30, 2022, has no effect before July 1, 2022, and would make a conforming change. The bill would extend the date for which the requirements and limitations described above relating to COVID-19 rental debt repayment periods are determined to August 1, 2022. The bill would prohibit any provision by the specified local authorities permitting a tenant to repay COVID-19 rental debt beyond August 31, 2023. (2) Existing law, the COVID-19 Rental Housing Recovery Act, among other things, on or after October 1, 2021, and before March 31, 2022, places certain restrictions on unlawful detainer actions pertaining to residential real property and based, in whole or in part, on nonpayment of rental debt that accumulated due to COVID-19 hardship. The act requires that a notice for a residential rental property that demands payment of COVID-19 recovery period rental debt served pursuant to specified law be modified, as provided, including to include certain text. This bill would require the modifications to a notice that is described above to be made only for notices served before April 1 2022, and would specify new modifications for notices served on or after April 1, 2022, and before July 1, 2022. The act prohibits a court from issuing a summons on a complaint unless the plaintiff also files, for tenancies initially established before October 1, 2021, a statement, under penalty of perjury, as specified, verifying certain information related to applications for government rental assistance to cover the rental debt demanded from the defendants in the case. Existing law prohibits a judgment or default judgment from being issued in favor of the plaintiff unless the court finds that the plaintiff completed an application to the pertinent government rental assistance program to cover the rental debt demanded in the complaint and the application was denied, as specified. This bill would extend the application of these provisions to June 30, 2022. The bill would require, prior to the court issuing a summons under these provisions, a plaintiff to file a statement, under penalty of perjury, that a determination is not pending on an application, filed prior to April 1, 2022, for government rental assistance to cover any part of the rental debt demanded from the defendants in the case. The bill would allow, in an action filed on or after April 1, 2022, and before July 1, 2022, a judgment or default judgment to be issued in favor of the plaintiff if the court finds that a determination is not pending on an application, filed prior to April 1, 2022, for government rental assistance to cover any part of the rental debt demanded from the defendants in the case. By expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state and authorizes local educational agencies throughout the state to operate schools and provide instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires local education agencies and other entities that maintain a section on employee interactions with pupils in their employee code of conduct to provide a written copy of that section to each parent or guardian at the beginning of each school year, as provided, and to post that section on each of its schools', and its own, internet website, as specified. Existing law prohibits local educational agencies from entering into an agreement that would prevent a mandatory report of egregious misconduct, as defined, to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing or any other state or federal agency, and requires local educational agencies that made a report of an employee's egregious misconduct to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to disclose that fact to another local educational agency considering an application for employment from the employee, upon inquiry. Existing law prohibits local educational agencies from expunging from an employee's personnel file, or entering into an agreement that would authorize expunging from an employee's personnel file, credible complaints of, substantiated investigations into, or discipline for, egregious misconduct. This bill would, on or after January 1, 2023, prohibit school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools, and their officers and employees, from entering into, or extending or renewing, confidentiality agreements, as defined, with an employee under investigation for complaints of misconduct related to harassment or assault of a pupil, or who has had complaints of misconduct related to harassment or assault of a pupil substantiated against them by an investigation. The bill would also prohibit those local educational agencies and their officers and employees from favorably recommending, or otherwise facilitating or promoting, the employment of those persons with another local educational agency.

This measure would recognize February 2022 as Black History Month, urge all citizens to join in celebrating the accomplishments of African Americans during Black History Month, and encourage the people of California to recognize the many talents of African Americans and the achievements and contributions they make to their communities to create equity and equality for education, economics, and social justice. The measure would also recognize the significance in protecting citizens' right to vote and remedying racial discrimination in voting.

This measure would proclaim February 24, 2022, as Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day.

This measure would recognize the week of February 20, 2022, to February 26, 2022, as Engineers Week.

This measure would commemorate the 50th anniversary of the University of California Student Association as a contributor to the accessibility, affordability, and quality of postsecondary education, and as an influential voice of University of California students. The measure would recognize the continued need to protect and expand student representation by recognizing February 11, 2022, as "Student Representation Day."

This resolution would recognize February 4, 2022, as Sri Lankan Independence Day, and urge all Californians to join in celebrating Sri Lanka's independence.

This measure would declare February 4, 2022, as Wear Read Day in California and would declare February 2022 as American Heart Month.

This measure would proclaim the week of March 7, 2022, to March 13, 2022, inclusive, as Women in Construction Week.