Rep. Joe Coto

This measure would memorialize the Congress and the President of the United States to uphold protections of women's equality and to encourage all Americans to participate in the celebration of Women's Equality Day on August 26, 2010, the 90th anniversary of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which gave women the right to vote.

This measure would declare April 2010 as Financial Aid and Literacy Month to raise public awareness about the need for increased financial literacy.

Existing federal law provides for tax-qualified retirement plans and individual retirement accounts or individual retirement annuities by which private citizens may save money for retirement. This bill would create the California Employee Savings Program, which would be operative only upon a specified appropriation in the annual Budget Act or if sufficient funds are made available through a nonprofit or private entity or federal funding, as specified. The program would be administered by the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) , with the intent of promoting greater retirement savings for California private employees in a convenient, low-cost, and portable manner. The bill would require the board, under this program, to offer one or more individual retirement accounts or defined benefit plans, as specified, to eligible employees of participating eligible employers, as defined. The bill would specify that eligible employees of participating employers are not members of PERS. The bill would permit the board, in initiating and administering the program, to, among other things, employ staff and 3rd-party administrators, as necessary, collaborate with various entities in the private sector, recover expenses from contributions or investment returns, as specified, and evaluate and establish the process by which eligible employees who want to contribute a portion of their paycheck to an account offered by the program are able to notify their employers and require the employer to forward the contribution and related information to the program. The bill would require the Employment Development Department to cooperate in this regard. The bill would authorize the Employment Development Department to charge a fee for any administrative costs it incurs by reason of implementing and administering the program. The bill would require the board to make reports to employers on the progress and status of the program. The bill would also require the board to make specified reports to the Legislature, including a report upon determining that all specified conditions necessary to implement the program can be satisfied, a report if it finds that the program is not self-sustaining, and annual reports on the status of the program, as specified. The bill would require PERS, after specified acts have occurred, to request funding through a Budget Act appropriation or from a nonprofit or private entity or from federal funding for the purpose of implementing the program. The bill would require the board to keep program funds and accounts separate from those of PERS and would prohibit the use of funds in PERS, as specified, to initiate, develop, implement, or administer the program. In addition, the bill would require that all expenses and obligations created by the program be funded by its contributions, returns, and assets, except as the Legislature may appropriate funds for this purpose, to be deposited in the California Employee Savings Program Administrative Fund, which this bill would establish as a continuously appropriated fund. The bill would require PERS to obtain the necessary approvals from federal authorities for the program's implementation. The bill would prohibit any claim, tax lien, or other right of setoff from applying to funds or assets of the program, as specified. The bill would indemnify from the General Fund and hold harmless the present, former, and future board members, officers, employees of, and investment managers under contract with, PERS in connection with any decision or action related to the administration of the program. The bill would provide that the program may only be implemented if the board determines that certain conditions are satisfied, and would permit the board to discontinue the program on its determination, as specified. The bill would permit the board to adopt regulations in regard to the program, and would provide that the adoption, amendment, or repeal of a regulation is exempted from the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act. Subject to the availability of funds, as specified, the bill would require the board to report to Legislature regarding the feasibility of creating a defined benefit plan option to be available to employers. The bill would also make a statement of findings.

The Personal Income Tax Law authorizes a credit against the taxes imposed by that law in an amount equal to the lesser of 5% of the purchase price or $10,000 in the case of the purchase of a qualified principal residence on and after March 1, 2009, and before March 1, 2010, but not to exceed an aggregate limitation of $100,000,000 for all credits allowable. Existing law requires a certification that the residence has never been occupied be provided to the Franchise Tax Board within one week of the sale of the qualified principal residence. This bill would limit the credit to taxpayers who purchased a qualified principal residence on and after March 1, 2009, and before July 3, 2009, and on and after the effective date of this bill and before March 1, 2010. This bill would also require the aggregate limitation of credits to be reduced by a specified amount per certification received by the Franchise Tax Board. (2) The bill would appropriate the sum of $44,000 from the General Fund to the Franchise Tax Board, in augmentation of a specified appropriation made in the 2009-10 Budget Act. (3) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

(1) Existing law establishes the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. This bill would establish the California Higher Education Endowment Corporation (CHEEC) in state government. The bill would establish an oversight board to govern the CHEEC and would require that board to appoint the chief executive officer of the CHEEC. The bill would require the CHEEC to annually allocate the moneys in the continuously appropriated California Higher Education Fund, which would be created by the bill, to the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California, as specified. The bill also would authorize the board to invest the moneys in the fund in accordance with prescribed procedures. (2) Existing law imposes various taxes, including taxes on the privilege of engaging in certain activities. The Fee Collection Procedures Law, the violation of which is a crime, provides procedures for the collection of certain fees and surcharges. This bill would impose an oil and gas severance tax upon any producer, except as provided, for the privilege of severing oil or gas from the earth or water in this state for sale, transport, consumption, storage, profit, or use, as provided, at a rate of 12.5% of the gross value of the product. The tax would be administered by the State Board of Equalization and would be collected pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Fee Collection Procedures Law. The bill would require the board to deposit all taxes, penalties, and interest collected pursuant to these provisions in the California Higher Education Fund, as provided. Because this bill would expand application of the Fee Collection Procedures Law, the violation of which is a crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program. (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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. (4) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

This measure would commend the Girl Scouts for 98 years of service and for inspiring millions of girls with the highest ideals of confidence, courage, and character.

This measure would proclaim May 2 through May 8, 2010, as Cinco de Mayo Week, and would urge all Californians to join in celebrating Cinco de Mayo.

This measure would recognize the week of April 18, 2010, through April 24, 2010, as Crime Victims' Rights Week.

Existing law provides for the regulation of insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires administrators who perform certain acts in connection with life or health insurance coverage or annuities to be registered with the Insurance Commissioner and to comply with certain other requirements. This bill would require an administrator providing administrative services for a self-funded dental benefit plan to provide a claimant with a written notice of the claimant's right to an appeal, the appeal process, and certain other information in the case of an adverse benefit determination on a claim, as provided.

This measure would proclaim the month of May to be Women Veterans Recognition Month.