Asm. Richard Gordon

This measure would declare February 6, 2014, as Ronald Reagan Day.

This measure would recognize the month of February 2014 as American Heart Month in California and recognize February 7, 2014, as Wear Red Day in California.

This measure would declare that President Abraham Lincoln be honored on February 12, 2014, the anniversary of his birthday.

This measure would declare February 19, 2014, as a Day of Remembrance in order to increase public awareness of the events surrounding the internment of Americans of Japanese ancestry during World War II.

Existing law provides for the establishment and operations of cities, counties, cities and counties, districts, and other local government agencies, the composition of their governing bodies, and the payment of governing body members for attending meetings and performing other duties, and prescribes conflicts of interest. Existing law requires that all local agency officials, as specified, receive ethics training. This bill would require a local agency official, in local agency service as of January 1, 2014, or thereafter, except for an official whose term of office ends before January 1, 2015, to receive training in financial management if the local agency provides any type of compensation, salary, or stipend to, or reimburses the expenses of, a member of a legislative body. The bill would require the Treasurer's office and the Controller's office, in consultation with other state agencies, associations, and outside experts, to work together to develop standardized criteria that sufficiently meet specified requirements. The bill would require curricula developed by any entity to meet criteria put forth by the Treasurer's office and the Controller's office. The bill would declare that the edification of local government officials in financial management is a matter of statewide concern, thus making it applicable to charter cities, charter counties, and charter cities and counties. Because the bill would impose new duties on local governments, 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 these statutory provisions.

Existing law identifies the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a "toll bridge" and provides that the bridge and the approaches to it are a primary state highway. Existing law requires the Department of Transportation to permanently maintain and operate the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a primary state highway in such a manner that the physical condition and operating efficiency thereof are of the highest character. Existing law establishes the Bay Area Toll Authority and assigns to it responsibility for the administration of all toll revenues from state-owned toll bridges. Existing law provides that the power or duty of the authority to fix the rates of toll for the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge or the power and duty of the department to collect the tolls so fixed by the authority for the use of the bridge are not affected by any law providing that state highways are to be free highways. This bill would establish the East Span, San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Safety Review Task Force in state government and require the Legislative Analyst to provide administrative support for the task force as necessary for the completion of its duties. The task force would consist of 7 members designated by the Legislative Analyst. The members of the task force would be deemed officers of the state, serve a term of one year, and receive compensation, as specified, and reimbursement for reasonable expenses. The bill would appropriate $149,000 from the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund to the Legislative Analyst for purposes of paying for the compensation and expense reimbursement of the task force members. The bill would require the Bay Area Toll Authority to reimburse the State Highway Account for all funds expended for purposes of the task force. The task force would be required to assess the anticipated seismic structural performance of the East Span, as defined, of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge by conducting a series of specified reviews. The task force would be required to submit a final written report to the Legislature and the Governor that includes the results of its assessment, as specified. This bill would provide that the task force is subject to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act. This bill would provide that the records of the task force are subject to disclosure in accordance with the California Public Records Act. This bill would make these provisions, except for the provisions regarding the defense and indemnity of task force members described below, inoperative on July 1, 2014, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2015. This bill would require the Department of Transportation to defend and indemnify a member of the task force pursuant to specified provisions of the Government Claims Act in the event that the member invokes the protections provided in those provisions. The bill would require the Bay Area Toll Authority to reimburse the department for costs and judgments incurred pursuant to this requirement. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.