Existing law establishes the California Coastal Commission in the Natural Resources Agency and designates the commission as the state coastal zone planning and management agency for all purposes. Existing law prohibits a commission member or an interested person, as defined, from conducting an ex parte communication unless the commission member fully discloses and makes public that communication within 7 days after the communication or, if the communication occurs within 7 days of the next commission hearing, to the commission on the record of the proceeding at that hearing. This bill would require a commission member to fully disclose in writing 24 hours before a commission hearing any ex parte communication conducted within 7 days of the commission hearing relating to a matter that will be discussed at the hearing, and would prohibit a commission member or an interested person from conducting such an ex parte communication within 24 hours before the commission hearing. The Political Reform Act of 1974 provides for the regulation of the lobbying industry, including defining the term "lobbyist" and regulating the conduct of lobbyists. Among its provisions, the act prohibits lobbyists from engaging in certain activities, including accepting or agreeing to accept any payment in any way contingent upon the defeat, enactment, or outcome of any proposed legislative or administrative action. Under the act, a lobbyist is, among others, an individual whose principal duties as an employee are to communicate with, among others, any agency official for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action. For these purposes, "administrative action" is defined as the proposal, drafting, development, consideration, amendment, enactment, or defeat by a state agency of any rule, regulation, or other action in any ratemaking or quasi-legislative proceeding and "agency official" is defined as any member, officer, employee, or consultant of any state agency who participates in any administrative action in other than a ministerial capacity. This bill would revise the definition of "administrative action" to include, with regard to proceedings before the California Coastal Commission, specified actions relating to the review, approval, and appeal of certain permit actions and coastal plans and programs. The bill would, however, exclude from these provisions relating to lobbyists an employee of a local government agency seeking, within the scope of his or her employment, to influence quasi-judicial decisions of the commission. The bill would also, for purposes of those matters before the California Coastal Commission, limit the definition of "agency official" to a member of the commission. Existing law makes a knowing and willful violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 a misdemeanor and subjects offenders to criminal penalties. This bill would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding those crimes. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes with a 23 vote of each house and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act. 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.
Sponsored bills
This measure would recognize and commend the Maritime Museum of San Diego for its continuing dedication to preserving, interpreting, and teaching the rich maritime history of California while upholding a worldwide reputation for excellence with regard to the restoration, maintenance, and operation of historic vessels, particularly the San Salvador replica.
The Construction-Related Accessibility Standards Compliance Act establishes standards for making new construction and existing facilities accessible to persons with disabilities, including inspections by private persons or building inspectors who are certified access specialists (CASps) , and provides for construction-related accessibility claims for violations of those standards. That act requires a local agency, commencing January 1, 2014, to employ or retain a sufficient number of building inspectors who are CASps to conduct permitting and plan check services to review for compliance with state construction-related accessibility standards by a place of public accommodation with respect to new construction. The act requires, if a local agency employs or retains 2 or more CASps, that at least one-half of the CASps be building inspectors who are CASps. This bill would require, commencing January 1, 2021, that all building inspectors employed or retained by a local agency who conduct permitting and plan check services to review for compliance with state construction-related accessibility standards by a place of public accommodation with respect to new construction or renovations, including, but not limited to, projects relating to tenant improvements that may impact access, be CASps. The bill would also require all new employees employed or retained by a local agency on or after January 1, 2018, and who will conduct permitting and plan check services to review for compliance with state construction-related accessibility standards by a place of public accommodation, to be CASps within 36 months of their initial date of employment. By adding to the duties of a local entity, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires the State Architect to establish a program for voluntary certification by the state of any person who meets specified criteria as a CASp with respect to access to buildings for persons with disabilities and to determine minimum criteria for certification. This bill would require the State Architect, on or before January 1, 2018, to commence testing and certification of building inspectors as CASps, as specified. Until December 31, 2018, existing law requires any applicant for a local business license or equivalent instrument or permit, or renewal of a local business license or equivalent instrument or permit, to pay an additional state fee of $1 for that license, instrument, or permit. Under existing law, the city, county, or city and county that collected the fee retains 70% of the fee, and the remaining 30% of the fee is deposited into the Disability Access and Education Revolving Fund, a continuously appropriated fund. This bill, from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2019, would increase that state fee to $4 and would require any applicant for a building permit in a city, county, or city and county that does not issue business licenses or an equivalent instrument or permit to pay an additional fee of $4 for that building permit. Beginning January 1, 2020, those fees would be reduced to $1. The bill, from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2019, would increase the percentage of the fee retained by a local agency to 90% and the remaining 10% would be deposited into the Disability Access and Education Revolving Fund. Beginning January 1, 2020, those percentages would revert to 70% and 30%, respectively. By increasing revenue to a continuously appropriated fund, increasing the fee, extending the period of time during which the fee will be collected, and imposing an additional fee, this bill would make an appropriation. The bill would make an appropriation by authorizing local government entities to retain an increased percentage of the increased fee. The bill would require that the moneys retained by a local agency be placed in a special fund established by the local agency, to be known as the "CASp Certification and Training Fund." The bill would require that fees collected in a CASp Certification and Training Fund be used for increased certified access specialist training and certification in the local jurisdiction, thereby making an appropriation by expanding the purposes for which the retained fee moneys are required to be spent. 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
This measure would urge the United States Department of Transportation, Department of Energy, and the Office of Management and Budget to expedite the rulemaking and implementation processes for federal safety regulations governing the transport by rail of flammable and combustible liquids, including crude oil, and would also urge the President and the Congress of the United States to pass specified federal legislation mandating public safety measures regulating the transport by rail of those liquids.
Existing law creates the California Transportation Commission, with various duties and responsibilities relative to the programming and allocation of funds for transportation capital projects. This bill would, except as specified, prohibit the commission from programming or allocating any state funds for new bulk coal terminal projects, as defined. The bill would require terminal project grantees to annually report to the commission that the project is not being used to handle, store, or transport coal in bulk.
This measure would proclaim April 12, 2016, as Equal Pay Day in recognition of the need to eliminate the gender gap in earnings by women and to promote policies to ensure equal pay for all.
This measure would encourage teaching sun safety practices to children to enable them to identify the importance of sun safety, practice strategies to protect against the harmful effects of the sun, and understand why and how to stay safe from overexposure to the sun.
This measure would recognize the month of June 2016 as Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, would recognize June 21, 2016, as The Longest Day in California, and would urge all residents to wear purple on this day to help spread global awareness of the Alzheimer's Association's vision of imagining a world without Alzheimer's disease.
This measure would recognize the year of 2016 as the 50th anniversary of California's community-based developmental services system, and would reaffirm the commitment of the Legislature to support this system. This measure would declare the importance of ensuring a sustainable system that protects the rights of individuals with developmental disabilities.