Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, as defined. Existing law authorizes a local government, as defined, to receive a bill credit, as defined, to be applied to a designated benefiting account for electricity exported to the electrical grid by an eligible renewable generating facility, as defined, and requires the commission to adopt a rate tariff for the benefiting account. Existing law establishes the responsibilities of the affected electrical corporation to which the facility is interconnected. An eligible renewable generating facility for the purposes of these provisions is limited to a facility that has a generating capacity of no more than one megawatt. These provisions are known as the Local Government Renewable Energy Self-Generation Program. This bill would expand the definition of an eligible renewable generating facility for the purposes of the program to include a facility that has a generating capacity of no more than 5 megawatts. The bill would prohibit an electrical corporation from being required to compensate a local government for electricity generated from a facility in excess of the bill credits applied to the designated benefiting account. The bill would prohibit a local government renewable generation facility participating in the program from being eligible for any other tariff or program that requires an electrical corporation to purchase generation from that facility while participating in the program. The bill would exempt an electrical corporation with 60,000 or fewer customer accounts from the program.
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Existing law requires the California State University and each community college district, and requests the University of California, with respect to each campus in their respective jurisdictions that administers a priority enrollment system, to grant priority for registration for enrollment to any member or former member of the Armed Forces of the United States, as defined, for any academic term attended at one of these institutions within 2 years of leaving active duty. This bill, until January 1, 2017, would require the California State University and each community college district, and requests the University of California, with respect to each campus in their respective jurisdictions that administers a priority enrollment system, to grant priority for registration for enrollment to foster youth or former foster youth, as defined. By revising requirements relating to student eligibility for priority registration at community college districts, 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, 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 regulates the form and content of the ballot pamphlet submitted to voters prior to each statewide election, and requires the Legislative Analyst to prepare for the ballot pamphlet an analysis of each statewide measure, including a fiscal analysis of each measure showing the amount of any increase or decrease in revenue or cost to state or local government. Existing law requires the title and summary of a measure that appears on the ballot to be amended to contain a summary of the Legislative Analyst's estimate of the net state and local government fiscal impact. This bill would, for state bond measures that are submitted to the voters for their approval or rejection, require the summary of the Legislative Analyst's estimate of the net state and local government fiscal impact to include an explanatory table of the information in the summary. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 9086 of the Elections Code and Section 88002 of the Government Code, proposed by SB 334, to be operative only if SB 334 and this bill are both enacted, both bills become effective on or before January 1, 2012, and this bill is enacted last. This bill would also incorporate additional changes to Section 9087 of the Elections Code and Section 88003 of the Government Code, proposed by AB 1021, to be operative only if AB 1021 and this bill are both enacted, both bills become effective on or before January 1, 2012, and this bill is enacted last.
Existing laws governing the taxation of insurers, the Personal Income Tax Law, and the Corporation Tax Law, authorize, until January 1, 2012, a credit in an amount equal to 20% of a qualified investment, as defined, made into a community development financial institution, as defined, but not to exceed, in the aggregate amount under all those laws, $10,000,000 per year. The bill would extend the operation of the credits until January 1, 2017, would eliminate specified limitations on the aggregate certified investments, and would eliminate certain requirements regarding certificates issued to taxpayers. The bill would, until December 1, 2015, authorize the Insurance Commissioner to establish a California Organized Investment Network Advisory Board, as specified, to advise the California Organized Investment Network on the best methods of increasing insurance investments while providing fair returns to investors and social benefits to underserved communities, increase the level and number of contacts among executives in the insurance industry, and recommend programmatic guidelines to the California Organized Investment Network program. The bill would also authorize the California Organized Investment Network, in allocating qualified investment credits, when certain conditions are met, to prioritize applications for those credits, as specified.
Existing law creates the High-Speed Rail Authority with specified powers and duties relative to development and implementation of a high-speed train system. The authority is composed of 9 members, including 5 members appointed by the Governor. Members of the authority are subject to the Political Reform Act of 1974. This bill would prohibit a member, employee, or consultant of the authority from being the recipient of any gift, as defined, in a specified provision of the act. The bill would prohibit a construction company, engineering firm, consultant, legal firm, or any other company, vendor, or business entity with a contract or seeking a contract with the authority, or subcontractor of any of the foregoing, or owner, employee, or any member of their immediate families of any of these companies, firms, vendors, entities, or subcontractors, from making any gift to a member, employee, or consultant of the authority, or to any member of their immediate families. The bill would authorize the authority itself to receive gifts, and to transfer those gifts as specified, with the written approval of the Department of Finance. This bill, with certain exceptions, would prohibit a member, employee, or consultant of the authority from appearing before the authority on behalf of, or in any way representing before the authority, any individual or private or public entity for 3 years after termination of the employment or contract relationship with the authority. The bill would provide that these provisions shall become operative under a different section of the Public Utilities Code if AB 145 and this bill both are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2012, as specified. Existing law provides that the authority may accept grants, fees, and allocations from various sources, including the state, the federal government, foreign governments, and private sources. This bill would delete the reference to foreign governments. The bill would provide that this provision shall not become operative if AB 145 is enacted and becomes effective on or before January 1, 2012, as specified.
Existing law establishes the California Building Standards Commission and sets forth the qualifications for members appointed to the commission. This bill would require that at least one member of the commission be a person who is experienced and knowledgeable in sustainable building, design, construction, and operation.
Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which health care services are provided to qualified low-income recipients. Existing law also creates the Healthy Families Program, administered by the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB) , to arrange for the provision of health care services to children less than 19 years of age who meet certain eligibility requirements. Existing law, the County Health Initiative Matching Fund, establishes a fund that is administered by MRMIB in collaboration with the department to accept intergovernmental transfers to be used to increase the state's ability to use federal funds for programs to improve and expand access to health care. Under existing law, a county, a county agency, a local initiative, or a county organized health system that will provide an intergovernmental transfer may apply to MRMIB for funding to provide health care coverage to eligible children whose family income is at or below 300% of the federal poverty level or eligible adults whose family income does not exceed 200% of the federal poverty level. Existing law requires that persons receiving this coverage be ineligible for the Healthy Families Program and no share of cost Medi-Cal coverage. This bill would allow a county, a county agency, a local initiative, or a county organized health system that will provide an intergovernmental transfer to apply to MRMIB for funding to provide health care coverage to eligible children whose family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, as specified, and would require persons receiving this coverage be ineligible for no share of cost Medi-Cal coverage and either ineligible for the Healthy Families Program or unable to enroll in the program as a result of specified enrollment policies due to insufficient funds. The bill would specify that implementation of these provisions is conditioned on MRMIB obtaining necessary federal approval thereof.
(1) Existing law requires that a base fee of $3 be paid by an applicant for a certified copy of a fetal death or death record and requires that a base fee of $3 be paid by a public agency or private adoption agency applicant, and a base fee of $9 be paid by any other applicant, for a certified copy of a birth certificate. Existing law authorizes the fee to be adjusted pursuant to a specified method, not to exceed the total increased cost of the program or service provided. This bill would raise each of those base fees by $9, as prescribed. This bill would remove the authorization to adjust the fee pursuant to that specified method, and commencing January 1, 2014, would require the fee to be adjusted pursuant to that specified method. The bill would declare that the increased fee would more accurately reflect the true cost of providing those documents. (2) Existing law requires the parent of any minor, or other person who is liable for the support of that minor, on whose behalf a petition is filed to make the minor a ward of the court as provided, when the minor is represented by appointed counsel, to be assessed a registration fee not to exceed $25 at the time legal services are provided, as long as the person is financially able to pay. This bill would raise that fee to $50. (3) This bill would make conforming changes and delete obsolete provisions.
Existing law generally provides for programming and allocation of state and federal transportation capital improvement program funds pursuant to the state transportation improvement program process administered by the California Transportation Commission. Existing law provides for allocation of certain other transportation capital improvement funds outside the state transportation improvement program process, including federal regional surface transportation improvement program funds, state bond funds, funds set aside for state highway rehabilitation under the state highway operation and protection program, and funds from various other sources. Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation, with the approval of the Director of Finance, to make loans from the State Highway Account of certain federal transportation economic stimulus funds to advance bond-funded projects pursuant to the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006, as specified. This bill would enact similar provisions authorizing the department, until September 30, 2015, to make loans from the State Highway Account of other specified federal transportation funds to fund bond-funded projects pursuant to the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006, if the department has determined the loans will not impact the funding of other programs or projects, as specified, and only under circumstances in which federal funds might otherwise be lost, as specified. The bill would appropriate those federal transportation funds in the State Highway Account for these purposes and would require those funds to be obligated to fund the bond-funded projects, as specified. The bill would require the loans to be repaid to the State Highway Account within 3 years from the proceeds of bonds sold pursuant to the bond act and would provide for the appropriation of those repaid funds to the department for use on projects in the state highway operation and protection program or the local assistance program, as specified. The bill would require the department to report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee each year that federal transportation funds are loaned pursuant to these provisions.
Existing law authorizes a county public guardian or conservator to take temporary possession or control of real and personal property of a person in the county who requires a guardian or conservator, as specified, if the property is subject to loss, injury, waste, or misappropriation. Existing law authorizes a public guardian to issue a written certification for purposes of taking possession or control of property in this regard, which may be recorded and which is effective for 15 days after the date of issuance. Existing law requires a financial institution or other person, without inquiring into the truth of the written certification and without court order being issued, to provide the public guardian information concerning property held in the sole name of the proposed ward or conservatee and to surrender to the public guardian property of the proposed ward or conservatee that is subject to loss, injury, waste, or misappropriation. Existing law immunizes the financial institution or other person from any liability for any act or omission of the public guardian with respect to the property. This bill would authorize a public guardian or public conservator, if he or she intends to apply for appointment as the guardian or conservator of a person domiciled in the county, to restrain the transfer, encumbrance, or disposal of real or personal property held in a trust for that person, if certain requirements are met, except as specified. The bill would prescribe a certification form in this regard, which may be recorded in the case of real property, and which may be provided to a financial institution. The bill would require a financial institution that receives the certification to provide information to the public guardian or public conservator and to restrain the transfer, encumbrance, or disposal of the property at issue without the necessity of inquiring into the truth of the certification and without court order or letters being issued. The bill would also extend to 30 days the period that the written certification issued for purposes of taking possession or control of property is effective.