Asm. Ash Kalra

Existing law establishes the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection within the Natural Resources Agency. Existing law vests the department with specified responsibilities, including providing fire protection, fire prevention, pest control, and forest and range protection and enhancement implements and apparatus as necessary. Existing law, the California Urban Forestry Act of 1978, has as a stated purpose the promotion of the use of urban forest resources for purposes of increasing integrated projects with multiple benefits in urban communities. This bill would establish the California Pocket Forest Initiative, administered by the department in conjunction with the act. Upon an appropriation by the Legislature, the bill would authorize the department to provide grants to cities, counties, districts, nonprofit organizations, and public schools to establish pocket forests on public lands, as provided. The bill would require the department to prioritize disadvantaged communities and communities that lack publicly accessible green space for these grants. The bill would require the department to partner with one or more academic institutions to test, and submit a report on or before January 1, 2029, to the Legislature that evaluates, the applicability and effectiveness of the Miyawaki method, as defined, to restore degraded lands and reforest urban areas in multiple regions throughout California. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2030.

Existing law establishes the California Emergency Solutions and Housing Program, under the administration of the Department of Housing and Community Development and requires the department to, among other things, provide rental assistance and housing relocation and stabilization services to ensure housing affordability to people who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness. This bill would require the department, subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, to develop and administer a program to award grants to qualified homeless shelters and qualified domestic violence shelters, as described, for the provision of shelter, food, and basic veterinary services for pets owned by people experiencing homelessness or escaping domestic violence. The bill would authorize the department to use up to 5% of the funds appropriated in the annual Budget Act for those purposes for its costs in administering the program.

Under existing law, a person who deprives or violates the personal liberty of another with the intent to obtain forced labor or services, or for the purpose of prostitution or sexual exploitation, is guilty of the crime of human trafficking and subject to imprisonment. This bill would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, establish the California Multidisciplinary Alliance to Stop Trafficking Act (California MAST) to review collaborative models between governmental and nongovernmental organizations for protecting victims and survivors of trafficking, among other related duties. The task force would be comprised of specified state officials or their designees and specified individuals who have expertise in human trafficking or providing services to victims of human trafficking, as specified. The bill would require the task force to hold its first meeting no later than July 1, 2023, and would require the task force to meet at least 4 times. The bill would require the task force to report its findings and recommendations to the Office of Emergency Services, the Governor, the Attorney General, and the Legislature by January 1, 2025. The bill would make related findings and declarations. The bill would repeal these provisions on July 1, 2025.

This measure would recognize that the Antelope Valley will henceforth be affectionately and acceptably referred to by the State of California as the Aerospace Valley.

This measure would proclaim the week of August 1, 2022, to August 7, 2022, inclusive, as California HPV Vaccine Week in order to increase awareness of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as a cancer prevention tool and to promote the vaccination of all adolescents who are 9 to 13 years of age, inclusive, throughout California. The measure would urge all health providers and community members to get California adolescents caught up on all routine vaccinations, especially the cancer-preventing HPV vaccine.

This measure would designate the month of October 2022 as California Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month. The measure would also recognize and acknowledge the significant contributions made by Californians of Hindu heritage to the state and seek to increase awareness and understanding of the Hindu American community.

This measure would recognize September 20, 2022, and every year on that date thereafter, as California Surfing Day to celebrate the California surfing lifestyle, would commend all those who honor the history, culture, and future of surfing, as well as the sport of surfing and the protection of our beach and ocean environments, would express support for future surfers and encourage potential surfing Olympians to work diligently, and would encourage all Californians to enjoy California Surfing Day.