Existing law requires publishers and manufacturers of printed instructional material for use at public postsecondary educational institutions to provide the material, upon request, in an electronic format that is compatible with commonly used braille translation and speech synthesis software, when those materials are to be used by a student whose disability prevents him or her from using standard instructional materials and other requirements are met. Existing law also requires publishers and manufacturers to provide computer files or other electronic versions of nonprinted instructional materials, defined to include materials that require the availability of electronic equipment in order to be utilized, when technology is available to convert those nonprinted materials to a format that is compatible with braille translation or speech synthesis software. This bill would require publishers, as defined, to provide a captioned format of instructional materials, as defined, or an electronic format of those materials and a license to create a captioned format of the materials, upon request by a public postsecondary educational institution, and would authorize the public postsecondary educational institution to create a captioned format, subject to prescribed conditions, if the publisher provides a license to create the captioned format or fails to respond to a request for a captioned format. The bill would prescribe various requirements with respect to use and distribution of captioned formats of instructional materials by public postsecondary educational institutions that choose to participate in the request process. The bill would also make conforming changes.
Sponsored bills
Existing law establishes the State Department of Social Services and sets forth its various powers and duties, including, but not limited to, its licensure and regulation of community care facilities, including, but not limited to, residential care facilities for the elderly. Existing law provides for the regulation by the department of continuing care contracts and providers of continuing care and requires providers to submit an annual report of their financial condition. Existing law requires the report to include, among other things, a disclosure of funds accumulated for identified projects or purposes, and any funds maintained or designated for specific contingencies. Violation of certain of these provisions is a crime. This bill would require that the report also disclose funds that are expended for identified projects or purposes. The bill would also specify that the disclosure requirement includes, but is not limited to, projects designated to meet the needs of the continuing care retirement community as permitted by a provider's nonprofit status. This bill would require a disclosure made by a nonprofit provider to state how the project or purpose is consistent with the provider's tax-exempt status. The bill would also require a disclosure made by a for-profit provider to identify amounts accumulated for specific projects or purposes and amounts maintained for contingencies. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this 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.
(1) The Santa Clara Valley Water District Act establishes the Santa Clara Valley Water District and specifies its powers and purposes relating to water supply and flood management. The act requires the board of the district, until January 1, 2010, to consist of 2 directors who are appointed and 5 directors who are elected in accordance with specified procedures. The act requires the board of directors, on and after January 1, 2010, to consist of 5 directors who are elected in accordance with specified procedures. This bill would repeal certain provisions of the act relating to the board of the district. The bill would revise the composition of the board of the district by requiring the board to transition to an all-elected board that, on and after noon on December 3, 2010, consists of 7 directors who are elected pursuant to specified requirements. The board also would be required to adopt a resolution establishing the boundaries of the 7 electoral districts. By imposing requirements on the district, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) The act requires the board of the district, on or before June 15 of each year, to meet at the time and place designated by published notice, at which meeting any member of the public may appear to be heard regarding any item in the proposed budget. This bill would require the board to review its financial reserves and its reserve management policy at this meeting. The bill would require the directors who serve on the board to comply with various requirements relating to the activities of persons who lobby the district, contract bidding, severance pay, travel reimbursement, and other matters. The bill would require the district to make available to the public specified reports prepared by district staff for the board. These requirements on the district would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) The act authorizes the district to impose special taxes at minimum rates according to land use category and size. The act authorizes the district to provide an exemption from these taxes for residential parcels owned and occupied by one or more taxpayers who are at least 65 years of age and meet a specified total household income limit. This bill would extend the exemption to an otherwise qualified taxpayer who qualifies as totally disabled under the federal Social Security Act. (4) 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 requires the Department of Finance, the Controller, the Treasurer, and the Department of General Services to collaboratively develop, implement, utilize, maintain, and operate the Financial Information System for California (FISCal) as a single integrated financial management system that encompasses the management of resources and dollars in the areas of budgeting, accounting, procurement, cash management, financial management, financial reporting, cost accounting, asset management, project accounting, grant management, and human resources management. Existing law requires the Office of the Financial Information System, upon its establishment, to implement the FISCal system, in a specified manner, with Wave One consisting of certain departments. Existing law authorizes the State Public Works Board to issue debt to pay for the development and implementation of the FISCal system, declares the intent of the Legislature to use General Fund appropriations for the cost of the FISCal system, and continuously appropriates funds and subaccounts to pay for the system's development, implementation, operation, and maintenance. This bill would require the FISCal system to additionally include a state budget transparency component that allows the public to access nonconfidential General Fund and federal fund expenditure data, such as the amount of an expenditure and a brief description of its purpose, using an Internet Web site. The bill would define "General Fund and federal fund expenditures" as expenditures or transfers of funds in excess of $5,000, but would not include transfers between 2 state departments or agencies or payments of federal or state assistance to any individual recipient. The bill would make an appropriation by requiring the expenditure of continuously appropriated funds for this new purpose.
(1) The Real Estate Law provides for the licensure and regulation of real estate brokers and salespersons by the Real Estate Commissioner. Existing law authorizes the commissioner to suspend or revoke the license of a real estate licensee or corporation, or to deny the issuance of a license to an applicant or corporation, for specified violations. This bill would further authorize the commissioner to suspend or revoke those licenses, or to deny issuance of those licenses, upon a violation of specified federal lending laws or regulations or upon the violation or failure to comply with specified provisions of state law relating to mortgages. (2) Existing law imposes certain limitations and prohibitions on licensed persons, as defined, with respect to the making of a covered loan, defined as a consumer loan in which the original principal balance of the loan does not exceed the most current conforming loan limit for a single-family first mortgage loan established by the Federal National Mortgage Association in the case of a mortgage or deed of trust, and as specified. Existing law does not regulate or define the term "higher-priced mortgage loan." This bill would establish "higher-priced mortgage loans," as defined, as a new category of regulated loans. The bill would, among other things, limit prepayment penalties and prohibit provisions for negative amortization. The bill would prohibit a licensed person, as defined, from making false, deceptive, or misleading statements or representations in connection with higher-priced mortgage loans. The bill would also, among other things, prohibit a mortgage broker, as defined, who arranges higher-priced mortgage loans with prepayment penalties from receiving a compensation that exceeds certain amounts. The bill would provide that a violation of the provisions regulating higher-priced mortgage loans by a licensed person is also a violation of the person's licensing law. The bill would authorize a licensing agency or the Attorney General to enforce the provisions regulating higher-priced mortgage loans. The bill would authorize civil penalties in an amount up to $10,000 against a licensed person who willfully and knowingly violates the provisions regulating higher-priced mortgage loans, and would nullify prepayment penalties or yield spread premiums that violate these provisions. The bill would also establish specified duties for mortgage brokers performing mortgage brokerage services for higher-priced mortgage loans. The bill's provisions would apply to higher-priced mortgage loans originated on or after July 1, 2010. (3) Existing law imposes certain limitations and prohibitions on specified licensees, including commercial banks, credit unions, finance lenders, and residential mortgage lenders, with respect to the making of consumer loans. This bill would provide that a violation of specified federal lending laws or regulations by those licensees is also a violation of the licensing law of the licensee. The bill would also provide that a mortgage broker, as defined, providing mortgage brokerage services, as defined, to a borrower is the fiduciary of the borrower, and any violation of the broker's fiduciary duties is a violation of the mortgage broker's licensing law and specified civil penalty and liability provisions. The bill would further provide that this fiduciary duty includes a requirement that the mortgage broker place the economic interest of the borrower ahead of his or her own economic interest. (4) Because a violation of the bill's provisions by certain licensees may be punished as crimes under the licensing law of the licensees, 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.
(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law establishes a program under which retail suppliers of electricity disclose accurate, reliable, and simple to understand information on the sources of energy that are used to provide electric services. This bill would define the term "unspecified sources of power" for purposes of the above-described disclosure requirements to mean electricity generated that is not traceable to specific generation sources by any auditable contract trail or equivalent that provides commercial verification that the electricity source claimed has been sold once, and only once, to a retail consumer. The bill would additionally define the term "retail supplier." The bill would also enumerate specific fuel types and energy sources that are required to be disclosed by the retail supplier as a percentage of annual sales. Further, this bill would change reporting requirements from quarterly to annually and amend other details regarding disclosures and eliminate certain reporting requirements. (2) Under existing law, the governing board of a local publicly owned electric utility, as defined, is responsible for implementing and enforcing a renewables portfolio standard for the utility that recognizes the intent of the Legislature to encourage renewable resources, while taking into consideration the effect of the standard on rates, reliability, and financial resources and the goal of environmental improvement. Existing law requires the governing board of a local publicly owned electric utility to report certain information relative to renewable energy resources to its customers. This bill would provide that compliance by a local publicly owned electric utility with the program under which retail suppliers of electricity disclose accurate, reliable, and simple to understand information on the sources of energy that are used to provide electric service, is compliance with the renewables portfolio standard reporting requirements.
Existing law, the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006, authorizes the issuance of $19.925 billion of general obligation bonds for specified purposes. Existing law requires the deposit of $1 billion of the bond proceeds in the Transit System Safety, Security, and Disaster Response Account to be used, upon appropriation, for capital projects that provide increased protection against a security and safety threat, and for capital expenditures to increase the capacity of transit operators to develop disaster response transportation systems that can move people, goods, and emergency personnel and equipment in the aftermath of a disaster impairing that movement. Existing law requires the allocation of 25% of these funds for capital expenditures to regional public waterborne transit agencies authorized to operate a regional public water transit system, as specified, and requires the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) to administer a grant application and award program for transit agencies eligible to receive the funds. Existing law requires Cal EMA to select eligible projects to receive those grants by February 1 of each fiscal year in which funds are appropriated for that purpose. This bill would additionally require Cal EMA, by February 1 of each fiscal year, in which funds are appropriated for that purpose, to provide the Controller with a list of projects and the sponsoring agencies eligible to receive an allocation. The bill would require the Controller, upon receipt of this information, to commence any necessary actions to allocate funds to those agencies, as specified.
(1) Existing law requires the Department of General Services to make available a report on contracting activity containing specified information, as provided. This bill would expand the reporting requirements of the Department of General Services in the years 2011 and 2012, to include any errors reported to the Department of General Services, as specified. (2) Existing law governs contracting between state agencies and private contractors, and sets forth requirements for the procurement of materials, supplies, equipment, and services, and the acquisition of information technology goods and services by state agencies. Under existing law, it is unlawful for any person engaged in business with this state to sell or use any article or product as a "loss leader," as defined. This bill would require a statement of this latter provision to be specified in a solicitation for a state contract for goods, a request for proposal for a contract for services that involves the furnishing of equipment, materials, or supplies and a request for proposal for a state contract for the acquisition of information technology goods and services. This bill would require an awarding agency, on and after March 31, 2010, and until December 31, 2011, if this statement is not contained in a solicitation or request for proposal, to report this error to the Department of General Services. This bill would require the Department of General Services to post in the State Contracting Manual instructions for including this statement in all affected contracts. This bill would provide that this statement shall be deemed to part of a solicitation or request for proposal even if the statement is inadvertently omitted from the solicitation or request for proposal. (3) Existing law encourages state agencies that enter into contracts to establish goals to facilitate the participation of small businesses and disabled veteran business enterprises. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.
This measure would recognize the pioneering work of promotores and community health workers in delivering vital and cost-effective health care services in communities throughout California and declare October 2009 as California Promotores Month.
This measure would make various statements regarding the importance of New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) to the California economy and would declare the necessity for the Legislature to utilize its vested powers to keep NUMMI in California.