Asm. Ash Kalra

This measure would urge the Congress and the President of the United States to rename any federal buildings, parks, roadways, highway markers, landmarks, or other federally owned property, such as United States military bases, that bear the names of elected or military leaders of the Confederate States of America and would urge the Congress that statues or busts of elected or military leaders of the Confederate States of America in the United States Capitol be removed and placed in museums where they can be viewed in proper historic context.

(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, while local publicly owned electric utilities, as defined, are under the direction of their governing boards. The California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program requires the PUC to establish a renewables portfolio standard requiring all retail sellers, as defined, to procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources, as defined, so that the total kilowatthours of those products sold to their retail end-use customers achieve 25% of retail sales by December 31, 2016, 33% by December 31, 2020, 40% by December 31, 2024, 45% by December 31, 2027, and 50% by December 31, 2030. The program additionally requires each local publicly owned electric utility, as defined, to procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources to achieve the procurement requirements established by the program. The Legislature has found and declared that its intent in implementing the program is to attain, among other targets for sale of eligible renewable resources, the target of 50% of total retail sales of electricity by December 31, 2030. This bill would revise the above-described legislative findings and declarations to state that the goal of the program is to achieve that 50% renewable resources target by December 31, 2026, and to achieve a 60% target by December 31, 2030. The bill would require that retail sellers and local publicly owned electric utilities procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources so that the total kilowatthours of those products sold to their retail end-use customers achieve 44% of retail sales by December 31, 2024, 52% by December 31, 2027, and 60% by December 31, 2030. Under existing law, a local publicly owned electric utility is not required to procure more than a specified minimum quantity of eligible renewable energy resources under the program if it receives more than 50% of its retail sales from hydroelectric generation, as specified. This bill would revise those provisions, limit the applicability of this exception to large hydroelectric generation, and reduce that threshold to 40%. (2) Existing law establishes the California Environmental Protection Agency, establishes the State Air Resources Board within the agency as the entity with responsibility for control of emissions from motor vehicles, and designates the state board as the air pollution control agency for all purposes set forth in federal law. The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 establishes the state board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. The Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) and requires it to conduct an ongoing assessment of the opportunities and constraints presented by all forms of energy, to encourage the balanced use of all sources of energy to meet the state's needs, and to seek to avoid possible undesirable consequences of reliance on a single source of energy. This bill would state that it is the policy of the state that eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources supply 100% of retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers and 100% of electricity procured to serve all state agencies by December 31, 2045. The bill would require that the achievement of this policy for California not increase carbon emissions elsewhere in the western grid and that the achievement not allow resource shuffling. The bill would require the PUC and the Energy Commission, in consultation with the state board, to take steps to ensure that a transition to a zero-carbon electric system for the State of California does not cause or contribute to greenhouse gas emissions increases elsewhere in the western grid. The bill would require the PUC, Energy Commission, state board, and all other state agencies to incorporate that policy into all relevant planning. The bill would require the PUC, Energy Commission, state board, and all other state agencies to ensure actions taken in furtherance of these purposes achieve specified objectives. The bill would require the PUC, Energy Commission, and state board to utilize programs authorized under existing statutes to achieve that policy and, as part of a public process, issue a joint report to the Legislature by January 1, 2021, and every 4 years thereafter, that includes specified information relating to the implementation of the policy. (3) Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the PUC is a crime. Because certain of the provisions of this bill would be a part of the act and because a violation of an order or decision of the PUC implementing its requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. By expanding the requirements placed upon a local publicly owned electric utility, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for specified reasons.

This measure would encourage Californians to include more healthy plant-based foods in their diet.

This measure would express the support of the Legislature for the 23 Asilomar AI Principles as guiding values for the development of artificial intelligence and of related public policy.

Existing law allows taxpayers, until January 1, 2020, to designate on his or her personal income tax return that a specified amount in excess of his or her personal income tax liability be contributed to the California Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Research Fund, which is subject to appropriation by the Legislature, to be allocated to the Franchise Tax Board, the Controller, and the appropriate state department as established by the Secretary of California Health and Human Services in consultation with the California Department of Aging, and any others that the secretary deems appropriate to be expended for Alzheimer's disease research. Existing law requires that when establishing or extending the operation of these voluntary tax contribution funds the words "voluntary tax contribution" be included in the name of the fund, that the administering agency comply with specified Internet Web site reporting requirements, that the fund provisions remain in effect only until January 1 of the 7th calendar year following the first appearance of the voluntary tax contribution on the personal income tax return, that the required calendar year minimum contribution amount for the fund to continue appearing on the return is $250,000, and that the contributions be continuously appropriated from the fund to the administering entity. This bill would rename the fund as the California Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Research Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund and would instead require the funds to be allocated to the State Department of Public Health to support eligible programs awarded grants under selection criteria established by the State Department of Public Health Alzheimer's Disease Program. The bill would also conform with the above-mentioned requirements by extending the operation of the provisions of the California Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Research Fund to January 1, 2025, renaming the fund, continuously appropriating the fund to the Franchise Tax Board, the Controller, and the State Department of Public Health for purposes of carrying out these provisions, and requiring the State Department of Public Health to comply with those Internet Web site reporting requirements. By continuously appropriating the funds described above, the bill would make an appropriation.

This measure would proclaim the week of September 9, 2018, through September 15, 2018, as Suicide Prevention Week in California.

This measure would recognize the month of October 2018 as Filipino American History Month and the 431st anniversary of the first presence of Filipinos in the continental United States.

This measure would proclaim November 2018 as Epilepsy Awareness Month and call for a recommitment to increasing awareness and understanding of those living with epilepsy.

This measure would urge President Trump, United States Attorney General Sessions, the United States Department of Justice, the United States Department of Homeland Security, and all other relevant federal departments to immediately cease the implementation of the "zero tolerance" federal immigration policy and to not propose any additional inhumane immigration policies in the future. The measure would further call for compassion and decency for all individuals, families, and children who arrive at our borders seeking a better life.

This measure would urge pet owners in the state to take specified actions to prevent harm to pets caused by fire, prepare for fire emergencies at home, and take precautions to ensure the safe location, rescue, care, and medical treatment of all pets in the event of a wildfire in or around a pet owner's home.