Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to establish a regulatory proceeding to develop and implement a comprehensive program to achieve greater energy savings in California's existing residential and nonresidential building stock, and authorizes the commission to include in the program a broad range of energy assessments, building benchmarking, energy rating, cost-effective energy efficiency improvements, public and private sector energy efficiency financing options, public outreach and education efforts, and green workforce training. Existing law requires the commission to periodically update the program criteria and adopt any revision that, in its judgment, is necessary to improve or refine program requirements after receiving public input and, at least once every 3 years, to adopt an update to the program in furtherance of achieving a cumulative doubling of statewide energy efficiency savings in electricity and natural gas final end uses of retail customers by January 1, 2030. This bill would require the commission to adopt an update to the program at least once every 5 years instead of every 3 years.
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Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation and regional transportation agencies, as defined, to enter into comprehensive development lease agreements with public and private entities, or consortia of those entities, for certain transportation projects that may charge certain users of those projects tolls and user fees, subject to various terms and requirements. Existing law prohibits lease agreements under these provisions on or after January 1, 2017. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to reestablish the authority under state law to engage in public-private partnerships for projects on the state highway system with appropriate public interest and safety protections.
Existing law provides that every person who violates a provision of law relating to pesticides, or any regulation issued pursuant thereto, is guilty of a misdemeanor. In lieu of seeking prosecution for a misdemeanor, existing law authorizes the Director of Pesticide Regulation to prosecute a violation civilly, as specified. In lieu of a civil prosecution by the director, existing law authorizes the county agricultural commissioner to levy a civil penalty against a person violating specified provisions of law relating to pest control operations, pesticides, pesticides and worker safety, use of restricted materials, use of an unregistered pesticide, carbon monoxide pest control devices, structural pest control devices, or regulations adopted pursuant to these provisions. This bill would provide that, if the director determines that violations of those specified provisions have been committed in multiple jurisdictions, involve a priority investigation involving human or environmental health effects, as defined, or are not appropriate to be enforced by a county agricultural commissioner for specified reasons, the director may levy a civil penalty of up to $25,000 for each violation in accordance with specified procedural and other requirements, or may refer any of those violations to the proper enforcement agency, including the district attorney of the county in which the violations occurred or the Attorney General. The bill would apply only to violations that occur on or after January 1, 2019. The bill would also make conforming changes.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, as defined. Existing law establishes a specified energy metering program that is available to an eligible fuel cell customer-generator, as defined. A fuel cell electrical generating facility is eligible for the program if it has a capacity of not more than 5 megawatts. Existing law requires that an electrical corporation file with the commission a standard tariff providing for this energy metering for eligible fuel cell customer-generators and make the tariff available to eligible fuel cell customer-generators upon request, on a first-come-first-served basis, until the total cumulative rated generating capacity of the eligible fuel cell electrical generating facilities receiving service pursuant to the tariff reaches a specified level. Existing law provides that a fuel cell electrical generating facility is not eligible for the tariff unless it commences operation on or before December 31, 2021. This bill would change "eligible fuel cell electrical generating facility" to "eligible electrical generating facility" and would additionally make eligible a facility that electromechanically converts fuel to electricity for purposes of the above-described energy metering program. The bill would make conforming and nonsubstantive changes. Under existing law, a violation of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the program that is expanded under the provisions of this bill would be implemented through a decision or order of the commission, a violation of these provisions would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the application of a crime. 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 measure would recognize August 6, 2017, as the 52nd anniversary of the signing of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.
(1) Under existing law, a vote by mail voter must sign the vote by mail ballot envelope. This envelope contains, among other information, a declaration under penalty of perjury that the voter resides within the precinct in which he or she is voting and is the person whose name appears on the envelope. If an elections official determines that a voter has failed to sign this identification envelope, the elections official is prohibited from rejecting the vote by mail ballot if the voter signs the identification envelope at the election official's office before 5 p.m. on the eighth day after the election or the voter completes and submits an unsigned ballot statement, as specified. Existing law requires certain instructions to accompany the unsigned ballot statement, including the instruction that a voter may submit his or her completed unsigned ballot statement by facsimile transmission to the local elections official instead of mailing or delivering the completed unsigned ballot statement to the local elections official. Existing law requires an elections official to include the unsigned ballot statement and instructions on his or her Internet Web site, and to provide the election official's mailing address and facsimile transmission number on that site. This bill would require the unsigned ballot statement to be signed under penalty of perjury, and it would also include in that statement a representation that the voter is a resident of the precinct in which he or she voted and is the person whose name appears on the vote by mail ballot envelope. This bill would authorize a voter to submit his or her completed unsigned ballot statement to the local elections official by email by requiring that the instructions accompanying unsigned ballot statements inform a voter that a completed unsigned ballot statement can be submitted by email. The bill would also require the local elections official to include his or her email address on the Internet Web page containing the unsigned ballot statement and instructions. By requiring local election officials to take additional actions related to unsigned ballot statements, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. By requiring the unsigned ballot statement to be signed under penalty of perjury, this bill would also create a new crime. (2) Existing law requires an elections official, immediately upon the close of the polls, to conduct a semifinal official canvass by tabulating vote by mail and precinct ballots and compiling the results. No later than the Thursday following the election, existing law requires the elections official to conduct an official canvass of the ballots cast in an election, including counting any valid vote by mail and provisional ballots that were not included in the semifinal official canvass. Existing law requires an elections official, during the official canvass of an election in which a voting system is used, to conduct a public manual tally of the ballots tabulated by the voting system, including vote by mail ballots, cast in 1% of the precincts chosen at random, as specified. This bill would specify that the 1% manual tally is a tally of the ballots canvassed in the semifinal official canvass and does not include provisional ballots. 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation and any person maintaining any utility facility, as defined, to enter into a contract providing for or apportioning the obligations and costs to be borne by each party as to specified removals or relocations of utility facilities. This bill would include within the definition of "utility facilities" for these purposes any pole, poleline, pipe, pipeline, conduit, cable, aqueduct, or other structure or appurtenance used to provide cable service or video service, as defined in the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006. The Improvement Act of 1911 authorizes the initiation of special assessment proceedings for the conversion of overhead electric and communication facilities to underground locations upon either the filing of a petition or a determination by the local legislative body that the city or a public utility has voluntarily agreed to pay over 50% of all costs of conversion, excluding costs of users' connections to underground electric or communication facilities. Existing law authorizes an agreement entered into as part of those proceedings to allocate duties between a city and an electricity or communication provider regarding, among other things, the planning and specifications of, and contributions of labor, materials, and money to, the conversion of those electric and communication facilities to underground locations. This bill would additionally make these provisions applicable to cable television facilities and cable operators. Because this bill would create new duties for local entities, it 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, 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 the statutory provisions noted above.
(1) Existing law creates the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) as a regional agency in the 9-county San Francisco Bay area with comprehensive regional transportation planning and other related responsibilities. Existing law creates the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) as a separate entity governed by the same governing board as MTC and makes BATA responsible for the programming, administration, and allocation of toll revenues from the state-owned toll bridges in the San Francisco Bay area. Existing law authorizes BATA to increase the toll rates for certain purposes, including to meet its bond obligations, provide funding for certain costs associated with the bay area state-owned toll bridges, including for the seismic retrofit of those bridges, and provide funding to meet the requirements of certain voter-approved regional measures. Existing law provided for submission of 2 regional measures to the voters of 7 bay area counties in 1988 and 2004 relative to specified increases in bridge auto tolls on the bay area state-owned toll bridges, subject to approval by a majority of the voters. This bill would require the City and County of San Francisco and the other 8 counties in the San Francisco Bay area to conduct a special election, to be known as Regional Measure 3, on a proposed increase in the amount of the toll rate charged on the state-owned toll bridges in that area to be used for specified projects and programs. The bill would require BATA to select the amount of the proposed increase, not to exceed $3, to be placed on the ballot for voter approval. If approved by the voters, the bill would authorize BATA, beginning 6 months after the election approving the toll increase, to phase in the toll increase over a period of time and to adjust the toll increase for inflation after the toll increase is phased in completely. The bill would specify that, except for the inflation adjustment, providing funding to meet the requirements of voter approved regional measures, and as otherwise specified in statute, the toll increase adopted pursuant to the results of this election may not be changed without the statutory authorization of the Legislature. By requiring this election, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require BATA to reimburse from toll revenues, as specified, the counties and the City and County of San Francisco for the cost of submitting the measure to the voters. This bill would require BATA to establish an independent oversight committee within 6 months of the effective date of the Regional Measure 3 toll increase with a specified membership, to ensure the toll revenues generated by the toll increase are expended consistent with a specified expenditure plan. The bill would require BATA to submit an annual report to the Legislature on the status of the projects and programs funded by the toll increase. (2) Existing law authorizes BATA to vary the toll structure on each of the bay area state-owned toll bridges and to provide discounts for vehicles classified by BATA as high-occupancy vehicles. This bill would additionally authorize BATA to provide discounts for vehicles that pay for tolls electronically or through other non-cash methods and to charge differential rates based on the chosen method. This bill, with respect to the Regional Measure 3 toll increase, would require BATA to provide a 50% discount on the amount of that toll increase on the 2nd bridge crossing for those commuters using a two-axle vehicle, who pay tolls electronically or through other noncash methods and who cross 2 bridges during commute hours, as specified. Existing law, if BATA establishes high-occupancy vehicle lane fee discounts or access for vehicles classified by BATA as high-occupancy vehicles for any bridge, requires BATA to collaborate with the Department of Transportation to reach agreement on how the occupancy requirements shall apply on each segment of highway that connects with that bridge. This bill would instead require BATA to establish those occupancy requirements in consultation with the department. (3) Existing law establishes the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) , governed by a board of directors, with specified powers and duties relative to the construction and operation of a rapid transit system. This bill would create the Independent Office of the BART Inspector General within BART. The bill would provide for the board of directors to nominate 3 persons to the Governor and for the Governor to appoint one of those nominees to serve as the Inspector General for a 4-year term. The bill would require the Inspector General to be removed from office by the board of directors, subject to the approval of the Governor, under certain circumstances. The bill would specify the duties and responsibilities of the Inspector General and would require the Inspector General to submit an annual report to the board of directors and the Legislature. The bill would provide for the office to receive $1,000,000 from an allocation of bridge toll revenue from BATA and, in the second and subsequent years of operation of the office, would authorize BATA to increase that amount, as specified. The bill would make these provisions operative upon an affirmative vote to increase tolls on the bay area state-owned toll bridges pursuant to Regional Measure 3 or related provisions. (4) Existing law authorizes the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) to conduct, administer, and operate a value pricing high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane program on 2 corridors included in the high-occupancy vehicle lane system in Santa Clara County. Existing law authorizes a HOT lane established as part of this program on State Highway Route 101 to extend into the County of San Mateo as far as the high-occupancy lane in the County of San Mateo existed as of January 1, 2011, subject to agreement of the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County. This bill would delete the authorization for a HOT lane to extend into the specified portion of San Mateo County as part of a value pricing program established on 2 corridors in Santa Clara County. The bill would instead authorize VTA to specifically conduct, administer, and operate a value pricing high-occupancy toll lane program on State Highway Route 101 in San Mateo County in coordination with the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, as prescribed. (5) 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 the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law establishes a statewide system of courts with a superior court of one or more judges in each county. Existing law authorizes the Judicial Council to prescribe the methods, means, and standards for electronic collection of data related to court administration, practice, and procedure. This bill would require the Judicial Council, if certain funding is provided, to report to the Legislature, on or before June 1, 2020, on a study of veterans and veterans treatment courts that includes a statewide assessment, as specified, of veterans treatment courts currently in operation and a survey of counties that do not operate veterans treatment courts that identifies barriers to program implementation and assesses the need for veterans treatment courts in those counties. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2021.