This measure would declare the week of January 7 to January 13, 2018, as California Fitness Week and would encourage Californians to enrich their lives through proper nutrition and exercise.
This measure would proclaim January 13, 2018, as Korean American Day.
This measure would honor the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
This measure would designate the month of January 2018 as Gang Awareness and Prevention Month in the State of California and would encourage cities and constituents across the state to observe the month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to prevent future gang activity and honor those who lost their lives due to gang activity.
Existing law, the California Finance Lenders Law, prohibits acting as a finance lender without a license from the Commissioner of Business Oversight and defines a "finance lender" as a person in the business of making consumer or commercial loans. Existing law defines a "consumer loan" as a loan, secured or unsecured, the proceeds of which are to be used primarily for person, family, or household purposes. Under these provisions, a licensee is generally prohibited from taking a deed of trust, mortgage, or lien upon real property as security for a consumer loan unless the loan is for a bona fide principal amount of $5,000 or more. Existing law provides that this provision, among others that contain a regulatory ceiling provision, only applies to a loan for a bona fide principal amount, as specified, if the amount and purpose of that loan is not used to evade regulation under the California Finance Lenders Law. Existing law prescribes principles to be applied to determine that amount and purpose, including prohibiting amounts paid for specified types of credit insurance from being used to calculate whether a loan exceeds the bona fide principal amount. This bill would remove the prohibition described above, and would thereby authorize payments for those types of credit insurance to be used to calculate whether a loan exceeds the bona fide principal amount under provisions of the California Finance Lenders Law that include a regulatory ceiling provision. Existing law, in certain instances, prescribes the maximum rate of the charges that may be received for making a consumer loan in relation to the amount of the loan. Existing law generally defines "charges" for this purpose broadly to include aggregate interest, fees, bonuses, commissions, and other costs charged, subject to certain exception, including fees paid to participate in an open-end credit program. A willful violation of the California Finance Lenders Law is a crime. This bill would eliminate fees paid to participate in an open-end credit program and specified forms of credit insurance from the exceptions provided for the definition of charges, as described above, thereby bringing these fees within the definition of charges. Existing law prescribes limits on the rate of charges that may be received for consumer loans with a bona fide principal amount of less than $2,500. This bill would prescribe a limit on the rate of charges that may be received for consumer loans with a bona fide principal amount of $2,500 or more, but not exceeding $10,000, of 2% per month of the unpaid principal balance. The bill would also apply these provisions to specified open-end loans. The bill would make conforming changes. Existing law authorizes a licensee to make open-end loans, as defined, to consumers subject to certain requirements, and excepts from these provisions open-end credit programs primarily for the purpose of purchasing or leasing licensee goods or services. Existing law prescribes limits on charges for open-end loans made by a licensee who is subject to these provisions. Existing law applies these limits to an open-end loan of a bona fide principal amount of less than $5,000. The bill would expand the application of prescribed limits on charges for open-end loans with a bona fide principal amount of less than $5,000 to open-end loans of a bona fide principal amount of up to $10,000. By expanding the definition of 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 law, the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, establishes a program for the licensing and regulation of medical cannabis. Existing law, the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act of 2016, added by an initiative statute at the November 8, 2016, statewide general election, authorizes the possession and use of marijuana by persons 21 years of age and over and provides for the licensure and regulation of certain commercial nonmedical marijuana activities. This bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office to evaluate the existing framework of medicinal cannabis and nonmedical marijuana. The bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office, in consultation with stakeholders, to report to the Legislature by June 1, 2018, on whether additional changes are necessary to help alleviate the unlawful commercial distribution and transportation of medical cannabis and nonmedical marijuana.
The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the taxes imposed by that law. This bill, for each taxable year beginning and or after January 1, 2018, and before January 1, 2023, would allow a credit against those taxes in an amount equal to 50% of the amount paid or incurred by a family caregiver during the taxable year for eligible expenses, as defined, not to exceed $1,000. The bill would limit the aggregate amount of these credits to be allocated in each calendar year to $50,000,000. The bill would require the Franchise Tax Board to allocate and certify these tax credits to taxpayers on a first-come-first-served basis. The bill would make these provisions operative on the effective date of any budget measure specifically appropriating funds to the Franchise Tax Board for its costs to administer these provisions. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
The California Farmland Conservancy Program Act requires the Department of Conservation to implement and administer a program to provide grants for the acquisition by specified applicants of agricultural conservation easements, as defined. The act allows an agricultural conservation easement to provide for the construction and use of structures necessary for agricultural production and marketing, additional residences for immediate family members of the landowner, and necessary housing for seasonal or full-time employees of the agricultural operation. Existing law establishes the Agricultural Protection Planning Grant Program administered by the department to provide planning grants to improve the protection of agricultural lands and grazing lands, including oak woodlands and grasslands. Existing law authorizes the Wildlife Conservation Board to expend moneys for the acquisition of conservation easements to protect rangeland, grazing lands, and grasslands. This bill would require the department to develop the Vibrant Landscape Program to assist eligible applicants in the development and implementation of county and regional plans to, among other things, integrate the conservation and management of natural and working lands with other sectors to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and achieve other public and environmental benefits. The bill would require the department, in collaboration with the Strategic Growth Council and the State Air Resources Board, to develop guidelines and criteria for the program. The bill would establish the Vibrant Landscape Program Fund in the State Treasury and would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, authorize the department to expend moneys in the fund to implement the program.
