 The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including certain credits that are allowed in modified conformity to credits allowed by federal income tax laws. Federal income tax laws allow a refundable earned income tax credit for certain low-income individuals who have earned income and who meet certain other requirements. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2016, and before January 1, 2021, in modified conformity with federal income tax laws, would provide for an earned income credit to an eligible individual that is equal to unspecified percentages of the earned income tax credit allowed by federal law that would only be allowed in those taxable years in which an appropriation is made by the Legislature. The bill and would provide that in those years in which an appropriation is made by the Legislature, the credit would be refundable, as provided. The bill would also make findings and declarations.
Sponsored bills
Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state, and provides for the establishment of school districts and other local educational agencies to operate these schools and provide instruction to pupils. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, among his or her other duties, to serve as the chief executive officer of the State Department of Education. Existing law makes a one-time appropriation from the General Fund to the Superintendent to apportion to a designated county office of education or designated county offices of education for the purposes of providing technical assistance and encouraging and assisting in the development of schoolwide, data-driven systems of learning and behavioral supports to meet the needs of California's diverse learners. This bill, until January 1, 2020, would require the designated county office of education or county offices of education in the above-mentioned appropriation, in conjunction with the State Board of Education and a steering committee that the bill would require the department to establish, to establish a 3-year pilot program to encourage inclusive practices that integrate mental health, special education, and school climate interventions following a multitiered framework in school districts that apply to participate, as specified. The bill would require the designated county office of education or designated county offices of education to select schools where at least 60% of the student body is eligible for a free or reduced-price meal program and whose applications provide evidence of a plan to serve their pupils with a combination of school funds and mental health funds and detail a model approach that targets the behavioral, emotional, and academic needs of pupils with multitiered and integrated mental health, special education, and school climate interventions. The bill, in accordance with the above-mentioned appropriation, would require the designated county office of education or county offices of education to provide startup and evaluation funding to each school participating in the pilot program, and would require the department, in accordance with a comprehensive evaluation plan developed by the steering committee, to assess the impact of the pilot program and disseminate best practices. The bill would require the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission to revise its guidelines and regulations regarding prevention and early intervention programs in K–12 schools, as specified.
Existing law authorizes a state agency to apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to sponsor a specialized license plate program, and requires the DMV to issue those license plates if the agency receives 7,500 applications within a 12-month period, among other requirements. Existing law requires those license plates to have a design or contain a message that publicizes or promotes the state agency, or the official policy, mission, or work of the state agency. Existing law requires the DMV to charge certain additional fees for specialized license plates and deposit those fees in the Specialized License Plate Fund for allocation to the sponsoring agency, as specified. This bill would require the Department of Parks and Recreation to apply to the DMV to sponsor a license plate program for the issuance of license plates bearing the officially licensed logo, emblem, or trademark provided by a California professional sports franchise, upon entering into a memorandum of understanding with the franchise to participate in the program. The bill would authorize the department to increase the additional fees for the issuance, renewal, or transfer of the specialized license plate for each specialized license plate program sponsored pursuant to these provisions, and would require the revenue generated from the license plates to be deposited, as specified, into the California State Parks Account created by the bill in the Specialized License Plate Fund, for use, upon appropriation by the Legislature to the California State Parks Office of Grants and Local Services, for funding local parks and recreation grant programs, and into the California Professional Sports Franchise Nonprofit Organization Account created by the bill in the Specialized License Plate Fund, for use, upon appropriation by the Legislature to the nonprofit organization identified in the memorandum of understanding, for funding charitable purposes of the nonprofit organization.
(1) Under existing law, a person between the ages of 6 and 18 years who is not exempted by law is subject to compulsory full-time education. Existing law excludes a child under 6 years of age from the public schools, subject to specified exceptions. Existing law requires a school district maintaining a kindergarten to admit a child who will have his or her 5th birthday on or before certain specified dates during that school year. Existing law also requires a child who will have his or her 6th birthday on or before specified dates to be admitted to the first grade of an elementary school. This bill, beginning with the 2017–18 school year, would require a child to have completed one year of kindergarten before he or she may be admitted to the first grade, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires each person, firm, association, partnership, or corporation offering or conducting private school instruction at the elementary or high school level to, between the first and 15th day of October of each year, file with the Superintendent of Public Instruction an affidavit or statement, under penalty of perjury, by the owner or other administrator setting forth specified information. This bill would specify that private school instruction at the elementary level includes kindergarten. The bill also would make nonsubstantive changes to these provisions. (3) 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 commemorate the centennial of the founding of Locke, California, would recognize and honor Locke, California, as the last remaining Chinatown in North America, and would urge all Californians to learn about the important history of Locke, California, and its inhabitants.
Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, with the approval of the State Board of Education, to develop a high school exit examination in English language arts and mathematics in accordance with state academic content standards. Existing law requires, commencing with the 2003–04 school year and each school year thereafter, each pupil completing grade 12 to successfully pass the high school exit examination as a condition of receiving a diploma of graduation or a condition of graduation from high school. This bill would provide that the high school exit examination shall not be required as a condition of receiving a diploma of graduation or a condition of graduation from high school for a pupil completing grade 12 in 2015 and who has met all other high school graduation requirements. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
This measure would congratulate the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls on the celebration of its 50th anniversary, and recognize and commend the commission for its various contributions and accomplishments.
This measure would urge the Congress of the United States to support H.R. 167, the federal Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, in order to provide a long-term, stable source of funding for federal agencies to conduct the necessary fuels management on national forest lands, while retaining resources to suppress catastrophic wildfires.
This measure would urge the Congress of the United States to enact legislation allowing immigrants to serve in the military if they are eligible under the President's Executive Order for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or Executive Order for Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents.
Existing law specifies the powers and duties of the Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and the Bay Area Toll Authority with respect to the collection and expenditure of toll revenue from the 7 state-owned toll bridges within the geographic jurisdiction of the commission, including the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. This bill would require the department, immediately, or as soon as practically feasible, but no later than September 30, 2015, to implement an operational improvement project that temporarily restores the third eastbound lane on State Highway Route 580 from the beginning of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge in the County of Marin to Marine Street in the County of Contra Costa to automobile traffic and that temporarily converts a specified portion of an existing one-way bicycle lane along the north side of State Highway Route 580 in the County of Contra Costa into a bidirectional bicycle and pedestrian lane. The bill would require the department to keep the temporary lanes in place until the department has completed a specified project relating to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge or until construction activity for that project necessitates removal of the temporary lanes. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.