Asm. Marc Berman

Existing law requires, by July 1, 2017, and every 3 years thereafter, the Natural Resources Agency to update, as prescribed, the state's climate adaptation strategy, known as the Safeguarding California Plan. Existing law establishes the Office of Planning and Research in state government in the Governor's office. Existing law establishes the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program to be administered by the office to coordinate regional and local efforts with state climate adaptation strategies to adapt to the impacts of climate change, as prescribed. This bill would authorize eligible entities, as defined, to establish and participate in a regional climate network, as defined. The bill would require the office, through the program, to encourage the inclusion of eligible entities with land use planning and hazard mitigation planning authority into regional climate networks. The bill would authorize a regional climate network to engage in activities to address climate change, as specified. This bill would require a regional climate network to develop a regional climate adaptation and resilience action plan and to submit the plan to the office for review, comments, and certification, as described. The bill would require, on or before January 1, 2023, the office, through the program, to develop and publish on its internet website guidelines on how eligible entities may establish regional climate networks and how governing boards may be established within regional climate networks. The bill would also require, on or before July 1, 2023, the office, through the program, in collaboration with the Office of Emergency Services, to develop and publish on its internet website guidelines, as prescribed, establishing standards and required content for a regional climate adaptation and resilience action plan, including certain information, analyses, and contents to be included in a plan and certain considerations and procedures for a regional climate network when preparing a plan. This bill would require the office, through the program, to provide technical assistance to regions seeking to establish a regional climate network and to regional climate networks in developing regional climate adaptation and resilience action plans. The bill would require, on or before January 1, 2025, the office, in consultation with the Office of Emergency Services, to make recommendations to certain policy and budget committees of the Legislature related to regional adaptation and resilience on expanding state support for the work of regional climate networks, as prescribed, and the potential sources of financial assistance and options for distributing state funds to support the creation and implementation of regional climate adaptation and resilience action plans and to support technical assistance and capacity building to engage vulnerable communities and under-resourced communities in the development of the plans.

Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services, after setting aside state administrative funds, to allocate federal funds for refugee social services programs to eligible counties and, in certain circumstances, to nonprofit organizations. Existing law requires a county administering refugee social services to designate an agency that is responsible for developing and implementing a plan for the refugee social services. Existing law requires the plan to provide services to refugees that lead to their successful self-sufficiency and social integration. This bill would establish the Enhanced Services Program for Asylees to provide resettlement services for persons granted political asylum to live in the state by the United States Attorney General. The bill would authorize an agency that has been designated by a county to implement social services for refugees, as described above, to provide social services for persons granted asylum. The bill would require the program to provide culturally specific and responsive case management services, as specified, for persons newly granted asylum for up to 90 days. The bill would require the program to aim to have similar reintegration success rates for persons granted asylum as for refugees receiving social services. The bill would require an agency providing services under the program to notify the department each time a person applies for services and would require the department to provide funding to the agency for services for that person at the time the person is admitted to the program. Under the bill, the program would be implemented only to the extent that funds are appropriated for the program in the Budget Act of 2021.

This measure would commemorate the 50th anniversary of the federal Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. The measure would additionally urge the federal administration to immediately declare a moratorium on all further wild horse and burro roundups, to establish management of these animals informed by independent science and the American public, and to restore a thriving ecological balance to California wild horse and burro areas and territories.

This measure would proclaim June 4, 2021, as National Gun Violence Awareness Day.

Existing law requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of Motor Vehicles to ensure that all eligible inmates released from state prison have valid identification cards. Existing law also establishes requirements for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for persons in state prison who are exonerated, including transitional services and financial support, as specified. Existing law establishes an $8 fee for a replacement identification card issued to an eligible inmate upon release from a state or federal correctional facility or a county jail, as specified. This bill would require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to make all reasonable efforts to ensure that all inmates released from state prison are released with a valid California identification card or a duplicate or renewal driver's license, unless an inmate willfully chooses to not obtain a California identification card or driver's license. The bill would require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where a valid California identification card or driver's license is not obtained before release, to provide the inmate with a photo prison identification card. The bill would require, among other things, that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation obtain Department of Motor Vehicles-approved cameras, determine the documentation inmates require for California identification cards and driver's licenses and provide inmates with the opportunity and means to obtain those documents, provide inmates with the opportunity and means to work with the Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain a California identification card or driver's license, and to make licensing examinations available to inmates. The bill would require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to prepare an annual report for the Legislature regarding this program that includes information about the number of inmates assisted, the number of facilities providing services, and impediments to program implementation. This bill would extend the $8 fee to an original or duplicate identification card as well as to an original, duplicate, or renewal driver's license issued to an inmate upon release, as specified. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to the law pertaining to exonerated persons.

Existing property tax law requires the county tax collector to collect all property taxes and provides for the payment of taxes on the secured roll in 2 installments, which are due and payable on November 1 and February 1, respectively. Under existing property tax law, the first installment becomes delinquent if unpaid on December 10, and the 2nd installment becomes delinquent on April 10, at which point a delinquent penalty of 10% attaches to the applicable installment. Existing property tax law authorizes a county auditor or tax collector to cancel any penalty, costs, or other charges resulting from tax delinquency if the auditor or tax collector finds, among other reasons, that the failure to make a timely payment is due to reasonable cause and circumstances beyond the taxpayer's control and occurred notwithstanding the exercise of ordinary care in the absence of willful neglect, as provided. This bill would additionally authorize the auditor or the tax collector to cancel any penalty, costs, or other charges resulting from tax delinquency upon a finding that failure to make a timely payment is due to a documented hardship, as determined by the tax collector, arising from a shelter-in-place order, as defined, if the principal payment for the proper amount of tax due is paid no later than June 30 of the fiscal year in which the payment first became delinquent. By increasing the duties of local agencies, 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, 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

This measure would recognize June 19, 2021, as Juneteenth and would urge the people of California to join in celebrating Juneteenth as a day to honor and reflect on the significant role that African Americans have played in the history of the United States and how they have enriched society through their steadfast commitment to promoting unity and equality.