This measure would declare the month of June 2024 to be Portuguese Heritage Month and would recognize June 10 as the Day of Portugal and May 20 as the Day of the Azores.
The Political Reform Act of 1974 provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing and activities. Among other things, the act requires specified disclosures in advertisements regarding the source of the advertisement. Existing law requires an online platform that disseminates committees' online platform disclosed advertisements to maintain, and make available for online public inspection, a record of any advertisement disseminated on the online platform by a committee that purchased $500 or more in advertisements during the preceding 12 months, as specified. Existing law establishes the Fair Political Practices Commission that enforces the Political Reform Act of 1974. This bill would enact the Digital Advertisement Transparency and Accountability Act, or DATA Act. The bill would, beginning on the first January 1 that is at least 60 days after the Fair Political Practices Commission certifies a system for accepting and maintaining such reports, require a committee that pays for a digital advertisement, as defined, to appear on an online platform to submit to the commission a copy of the digital advertisement and specified information, including, among other things, the name and identification number of the committee that paid for the advertisement, information relating to the subject of the advertisement, the name of the online platform or platforms on which the digital advertisement was displayed, and the amount paid or agreed to be paid to the online platform for the advertisement. The bill would require the information to be submitted to the commission in accordance with existing deadline for the submission of semiannual statements and preelection statements, if the committee spends $1,000 or more during the period covered by the statement. The bill would require the commission to make information submitted pursuant to this act available in a centralized and publicly accessible online format, as specified. The bill would, upon certification of the above system, eliminate the existing requirement for an online platform that disseminates committees' online platform disclosed advertisements and that receives $50,000 or more from digital advertisement sales during a calendar month to maintain and make accessible for public inspection specified records of advertisements. Instead, the bill would require an online platform to transmit to the commission specified information regarding digital advertisements, and to retain the information for no less than four years for specified purposes. Existing law makes a knowing or willful violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 a misdemeanor. By creating new requirements in that act, 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. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.
Existing law, the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act, requires every state agency directly involved in the furnishing of information or the rendering of services to the public where contact is made with a substantial number of non-English-speaking people to employ a sufficient number of qualified bilingual persons in public contact positions to ensure provision of information and services to the public in the language of the non-English-speaking person, except as specified. This bill would establish the Office of Language Access, within the California Health and Human Services Agency, to ensure individuals with limited English proficiency have meaningful access to government programs and services. This bill would require the Office of Language Access to, among other things, lead the development, monitoring, and periodic updating of every Language Access Plan within the agency and coordinate with language access coordinators throughout the agency to implement each Language Access Plan. The bill would require the Office of Language Access to maintain an internet website containing specified information, including every current Language Action Plan and all corrective action plans. The bill would require the Office of Language Access, commencing November 1, 2026, and every other year thereafter, to submit a report to the Legislature and the relevant policy committees that contains specific information, including challenges encountered while implementing Language Access Plans, lessons learned, best practices, and metrics regarding individuals with limited English proficiency who use agency services. This bill would require the California Health and Human Services Agency to develop a Language Access Plan Guidance Document to support its various departments and offices in the development of their Language Access Plans. The bill would require each department and office within the agency to develop a Language Access Plan, as specified. The bill would require the agency to develop a correction for a department or office that fails to implement and achieve the goals set forth in its Language Access Plan. This bill would also require the agency to submit annual compliance reports to the Office of Language Access regarding the progress made with Language Access Plans and corrective action plans. The bill would require, commencing January 1, 2025, the agency to commence the Language Access Advisory Workgroup, to meet on a prescribed schedule, with specified membership. This bill would require the workgroup to share the progress of the various Language Access Plans, address relevant issues, and obtain community input.
Existing law, the Political Reform Act of 1974, prohibits a public officer from expending, and a candidate from accepting, public moneys for the purpose of seeking elective office. This bill would permit a public officer or candidate to expend or accept public funds, as defined, for the purpose of seeking elective office unless the funds are earmarked by a state or local entity for education, transportation, or public safety. The bill would require candidates to abide by specified expenditure limits and meet strict criteria, as defined, to qualify for public funds, and it also would prohibit public funds from being used to pay legal defense fees or fines. The bill would prohibit a candidate receiving public funds from using those funds to repay personal loans to their campaign at any time. The bill would permit a statute, ordinance, or charter to establish standards to increase the expenditure limits for each qualified, voluntarily participating candidate pursuant to a specified formula. The bill would provide that the Fair Political Practices Commission is not responsible for administering or enforcing a system of public funding of candidates established by a local governmental agency. Existing law prohibits a foreign government or foreign principal, as defined, to make a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure in connection with the qualification or support of, or opposition to, any state or local ballot measure or in connection with the election of a candidate to state or local office. Under existing law, a person who violates this prohibition is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine equal to the amount contributed or expended. This bill would specify that a person who violates the prohibition above is guilty of a misdemeanor and must be fined an amount at least equal to the amount contributed or expended but not exceeding a maximum amount of 3 times the amount contributed or expended. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the act may be amended by a statute that becomes effective upon approval of the voters. This bill would require the Secretary of State to submit the provisions of the bill to the voters for approval at the November 3, 2026, statewide election, as specified.
Existing law, the Political Reform Act of 1974, prohibits a public officer from expending, and a candidate from accepting, public moneys for the purpose of seeking elective office. This bill would permit a public officer or candidate to expend or accept public moneys for the purpose of seeking elective office if the state or a local governmental entity established a dedicated fund for this purpose, as specified. The bill would prohibit the public moneys for this dedicated fund from being taken from public moneys that are earmarked for education, transportation, or public safety. This restriction would not apply to charter cities. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the act may be amended by a statute that becomes effective upon approval of the voters. This bill would require the Secretary of State to submit the provisions of the bill to the voters for approval at the November 5, 2024, general statewide election, as specified.
(1) Existing law establishes various programs to provide assistance to homeless youth, including, among others, homeless youth emergency service pilot projects and the Runaway Youth and Families in Crisis Project. This bill, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, would require the State Department of Social Services to establish the California Success, Opportunity, and Academic Resilience (SOAR) Guaranteed Income Program. The program would award public school pupils who are in grade 12 and are homeless children or youths, as defined, a guaranteed income of $1,000 each month for 4 months from May 1, 2025, to August 1, 2025, inclusive, as provided. The bill would establish the California SOAR Guaranteed Income Fund as the initial depository of all moneys appropriated, donated, or otherwise received for the program, and upon appropriation by the Legislature, would provide moneys in the fund to counties that opt in to the program for distribution to eligible participants. (2) Existing federal law, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, provides grants to states to carry out activities relating to the education of homeless children and youths, as defined, including, among others, providing services and activities to improve the identification of homeless children and youths and to enable them to enroll in and succeed in school. Existing law requires local educational agency liaisons, as defined, to ensure that homeless children and youths are identified by school personnel through outreach and coordination activities, as specified. This bill would require, in counties participating in the California SOAR Guaranteed Income Program, local educational agency liaisons to provide all known eligible participants with program information and enrollment forms, as specified. (3) Existing law, beginning on or after January 1, 2015, in modified conformity with federal income tax law, allows an earned income tax credit, the California Earned Income Tax Credit, against personal income tax. The Personal Income Tax Law also allows, for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2019, a young child tax credit and, for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2022, a foster youth tax credit against the taxes imposed under that law. This bill, for the taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2030, would exclude from gross income, for purposes of the personal income tax, any amount received as an award pursuant to the California SOAR Guaranteed Income Program. The bill, for the taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2030, would additionally provide that the amount awarded is not earned income for purposes of eligibility for the California Earned Income Tax Credit, the young child tax credit, or the foster youth tax credit. (4) Existing law establishes various public social services programs to provide eligible recipients with certain benefits, including, but not limited to, cash assistance under the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, nutrition assistance under the CalFresh program, and health care services under the Medi-Cal program. Under existing law, those programs, among others, are in part federally funded and governed by federal eligibility criteria, including specified income or resource limits. This bill would prohibit any award received by a student through the California SOAR Guaranteed Income Program from being considered income or resources for purposes of determining the student's, or any member of their household's, eligibility for benefits or assistance, or the amount or extent of benefits or assistance, under any state or local means-tested program, including certain public social services programs. The bill would condition implementation of this provision on not conflicting with federal law, or receipt of any necessary federal waivers or exemptions and the availability of any applicable federal financial participation, as specified. This bill would require the State Department of Social Services, in consultation with stakeholders and the Legislature, to identify the CalWORKs, CalFresh, and Medi-Cal programs and any other state program that implements a federal means-tested program and that would require an exemption or waiver. The bill would require a state department or agency that administers a program identified by the State Department of Social Services or by the department or agency itself, to approve an exemption or waiver or to seek one from the federal government. If the state fails to receive the necessary federal exemption or waiver, the bill would authorize the State Department of Social Services to consider alternatives to prevent adverse consequences for California SOAR Guaranteed Income Program participants. (5) This bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2028, except as provided. (6) Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would include the additional information required for a bill authorizing a new tax expenditure.
Existing law provides comprehensive regulation of ticket sellers and makes violations of those provisions a misdemeanor. Existing law imposes various refund requirements on a ticket seller, including a requirement to issue a refund upon request to a ticket purchaser for canceled, postponed, or rescheduled events. Existing law also imposes various disclosure requirements on a ticket seller, including a requirement to disclose to a purchaser the location of the seat represented by the ticket, as specified. This bill would revise and recast those provisions by expanding the definition of a ticket seller to include a primary contractor or platform, as defined, and would instead apply the refund requirement relating to the postponement or rescheduling of an event only to primary contractors. The bill would impose various disclosure requirements on ticket sellers relating to ticket price, including that the ticket seller would be prohibited from advertising, displaying, or offering a price for a ticket that does not include all fees or charges that must be paid in order to purchase the ticket other than taxes or fees imposed by a government on the transaction. The bill would prohibit the resale of tickets that were initially offered at no charge and that were knowingly obtained using software or services that circumvent controls or measures that ensure an equitable ticket buying process for event attendees, and would require a ticket seller to provide printed tickets for a cellular telephone-free event, as defined, at the same price that a mobile or electronic ticket is sold. By expanding the scope of existing provisions regulating ticket sellers and imposing new requirements on ticket sellers and primary contractors, the violation of which would be a 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.
Existing federal law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) , requires each state to establish an American Health Benefit Exchange to facilitate the purchase of qualified health benefit plans by qualified individuals and qualified small employers. Existing state law creates the California Health Benefit Exchange, also known as Covered California, to facilitate the enrollment of qualified individuals and qualified small employers in qualified health plans as required under PPACA. Existing law requires the Exchange to apply for a federal waiver to allow persons otherwise not able to obtain coverage through the Exchange because of their immigration status to obtain coverage from the Exchange. This bill would delete that requirement and would instead require the Exchange, no sooner than January 1, 2026, and upon appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, to administer a program to allow persons otherwise not able to obtain coverage by reason of immigration status to enroll in health insurance coverage in a manner as substantially similar to other Californians as feasible, consistent with federal guidance and given existing federal law and rules. The bill would require the Exchange to undertake outreach, marketing, and other efforts to ensure enrollment, which would begin on October 1, 2027. The bill would also require the Exchange to adopt an annual program design for each coverage year to implement the program, provide appropriate opportunities for stakeholders, including the Legislature, and the public to consult on the design of the program, and report to the Department of Finance and the Legislature on progress toward implementation, as specified. The bill would establish the Covered California for All Fund in the General Fund, to be administered by the Exchange, into which user fees, appropriations, and other funds would be deposited to be used upon appropriation to pay for the administration of the program.
Existing law requires the Secretary of State to establish a statewide system to facilitate removal of duplicate or prior voter registrations to facilitate the reporting of election results and voter and candidate information and to otherwise administer and enhance election administration. Existing law also requires that certain voter registration information be provided to, among others, any person for election, scholarly, journalistic, or political purposes, or for governmental purposes, as determined by the Secretary of State. This bill would allow the Secretary of State to apply for membership with the Electronic Registration Information Center and, if that application is approved, allow the Secretary of State to execute a membership agreement with the Electronic Registration Information Center on behalf of the state. The bill would require the Secretary of State to ensure that any confidential information or data provided by another state remains confidential, and would authorize the Secretary of State to transmit confidential information or data pursuant to that agreement. The bill would prohibit the disclosure of any information or data related to citizenship and certain types of driver's licenses and identification cards, as specified. The bill would also authorize the Secretary of State to adopt regulations necessary to implement these provisions and would require the Secretary of State to receive a certification from the Department of Technology that all proper cybersecurity protections are in place before sending any data or information to the Electronic Registration Information Center.
(1) Existing law establishes various programs, including, among others, the Emergency Housing and Assistance Program and the homeless youth emergency service pilot projects to provide assistance to homeless persons. This bill would, upon appropriation of the Legislature, establish the California Housing Security Program to provide counties with funding to administer a housing subsidy to eligible persons, as specified, to reduce housing insecurity and help Californians meet their basic housing needs. To create the program, the bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development, by January 1, 2026, to establish a 2-year pilot program, as specified, and to issue suggested guidelines to establish the program that include, among other things, criteria for program eligibility. The bill would specify that the subsidy would not be considered income for purposes of determining eligibility or benefits for any other public assistance program, nor would participation in other benefits exclude a person from eligibility for the subsidy. Under the bill, an undocumented person, as specified, who otherwise qualifies for the subsidy would be eligible for the subsidy. The bill would require the department, by January 1, 2026, to also provide each county selected to participate in the pilot program with a specified amount of funding for purposes of administering the housing subsidies. The bill would require, by July 1, 2026, a county participating in the pilot program, in consultation with specified entities, to perform prescribed duties, including reviewing the department's suggested guidelines and developing final guidelines to administer the housing subsidies based on the needs of the county. The bill would require participating counties, by January 1, 2027, to administer housing subsidies through the county and 2 or more grantees that are selected by the county to eligible persons, subject to specified requirements, including that the county is required to consider the final guidelines described above in selecting the grantees. The bill would provide that any resident of a county participating in the pilot program who meets specified eligibility requirements is eligible to apply for housing subsidies from the county or at least one of the selected grantees. Among other things, the bill would require a participating county to enter into a written agreement with the department to use program funds in a manner consistent with the bill's provisions, as specified, and would prohibit the department from providing program funds to a county that refuses or otherwise does not agree to use the funds in that manner. The bill would specify that a county is solely responsible for complying with the bill's provisions. The bill would define various terms for these purposes. (2) Existing law requires the department, on or before December 31 of each year, to submit an annual report to the Governor and both houses of the Legislature on the operations and accomplishments during the previous fiscal year of the housing programs administered by the department, as described, that includes specified information, including the number of individuals and households served and their income levels. The bill would additionally require the department, beginning January 1, 2028, and for the duration of the California Housing Security Program, to include specified programmatic performance metrics for the California Housing Security Program funds within that annual report. (3) This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange.
