(1) The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment, as defined, or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect, unless the project is exempt from the act. CEQA provides for various exemptions from its requirements. Existing law requires cities and counties to prepare, adopt, and amend general plans containing specified elements. This bill would exempt from CEQA any activity or approval, necessary or incidental to, the development, planning, design, site acquisition, subdivision, financing, leasing, construction, operation, or maintenance of a stadium complex and associated development included in the same project or approval together with any accessory roadway, utility, or other infrastructure improvement to that stadium complex and associated development, for which an application for the project or approval was submitted on or before January 31, 2009, to the City of Industry, if specified requirements are met. The bill would require the city to require the stadium complex and associated development to comply with those mitigation measures that are contained in a mitigation monitoring and reporting program that is adopted by the City of Industry in connection with the stadium complex and associated development. Because a lead agency would be required to determine the applicability of the exemption, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill also would exempt from any legal requirement concerning the content of a general plan or consistency with a general plan, and prohibit those requirements from resulting in the invalidation of, the city's approval of, and decisions regarding, specified actions taken with respect to the stadium complex and associated development included in the same project or approval and any accessory improvements to that stadium complex and associated development. The bill additionally would provide that a consistency determination is not required by the city for any decision with respect to those actions. (2) The bill would have retroactive application. (3) 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. (4) The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to declare a fiscal emergency and to call the Legislature into special session for that purpose. The Governor issued a proclamation declaring a fiscal emergency, and calling a special session for this purpose, on December 19, 2008. This bill would state that it addresses the fiscal emergency declared by the Governor by proclamation issued on December 19, 2008, pursuant to the California Constitution.
Sponsored bills
Under existing law, the Department of General Services, except in the case of contracts for professional bond services, is the administering agency of the California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program, which requires state agencies and all other state entities contracting for materials, supplies, equipment, alteration, repair, or improvement to have at least 3% participation goals for disabled veteran business enterprises. Existing law specifies the duties of the Department of General Services and the Department of Veterans Affairs in meeting that requirement, and sets standards for meeting the program's participation goals, as provided. This bill would require an awarding department, upon completion of an awarded contract for which a commitment to achieve a disabled veteran business enterprise goal was made, to require the prime contractor that entered into a subcontract with a disabled veteran business enterprise to certify to the awarding department certain information pertaining to the contract, and that all payments under the contract have been made to the disabled veteran business enterprise. This bill would also require an awarding department to keep that certification on file. This bill would specify that a person or entity that knowingly provides false information is subject to a civil penalty, as specified, and that an action for a civil penalty may be brought by any public prosecutor in the name of the people of the State of California. The bill would authorize a prime contractor, subject to the approval of the Department of General Services, to replace a disabled veteran business enterprise identified by the prime contractor in its bid or offer, as provided, with another disabled veteran business enterprise.
Existing law requires a local agency to adopt a specified updated model ordinance regarding water-efficient landscapes or a water-efficient landscape ordinance that is at least as effective in conserving water as the updated model ordinance. Existing law allows certain water providers to take specified actions regarding water conservation. The Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act provides for the creation and regulation of common interest developments. The act provides that the architectural guidelines of a common interest development shall not prohibit or include conditions that have the effect of prohibiting the use of low water-using plants as a group. This bill would, instead, provide that a provision of any of the governing documents of a common interest development shall be void and unenforceable if it prohibits, or includes conditions that have the effect of prohibiting, the use of low water-using plants as a group, or if it has the effect of prohibiting or restricting compliance with a local water-efficient landscape ordinance or water conservation measure described above.
(1) Under existing law, a vehicle that enters into or upon a vehicular crossing immediately becomes liable for tolls and other charges prescribed by the California Transportation Commission. Under existing law, it is unlawful to refuse to pay, or to evade or attempt to evade the payment of, tolls or other charges on any vehicular crossing, as defined, or toll highway. A violation of those provisions is a crime. This bill would, except as specified, exempt authorized emergency vehicles, as defined, from payment of a toll or charge on a vehicular crossing, toll highway, or high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane and any related fines, under specified conditions, including, but not limited to, when the vehicle is being driven while responding to or returning from an urgent or emergency call, engaged in an urgent or emergency response, or engaging in a fire station coverage assignment directly related to an emergency response. The bill would require, upon information and belief of the toll operator that an authorized emergency vehicle is not in compliance with these provisions, the fire chief, police chief, county sheriff, head of the public agency, or his or her designee, upon the written request of the owner or operator of the toll facility, to provide or otherwise make accessible to the toll operator the dispatch records or log books relevant to the time period when the vehicle was in use on the toll highway or vehicular crossing. By imposing new duties on local entities, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law authorizes the legislative body of any city, defined as a city, county, or city and county, to determine that it would be convenient and advantageous to designate an area within which authorized city officials and free and willing property owners may enter into contractual assessments and make arrangements to finance public improvements to specified lots or parcels or to finance the installation of distributed generation renewable energy sources or energy efficiency improvements that are permanently fixed to real property, as specified. Existing law requires the legislative body to make these determinations by adopting a resolution indicating its intention to do so and requires the resolution to include certain specified information. This bill would expand these provisions to authorize the legislative body of any public agency, as defined, to determine that it would be in the public interest to designate an area within which authorized city officials and free and willing property owners may enter into contractual assessments to finance the installation of water efficiency improvements that are permanently fixed to real property, as specified. The bill would also, with respect to all of its provisions, modify its definitions and require a legislative body to perform additional record keeping duties and provide specified notice to any entity that provides energy or water within the boundaries of the area within which contractual assessments may be entered into. This bill would also require additional specified disclosures for a transfer of real property subject to a contractual assessment. The bill would declare the intent of the Legislature in regard to these provisions. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.
The Donahoe Higher Education Act sets forth, among other things, the missions and functions of California's public and independent segments of higher education and their respective institutions of higher education. Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. A provision of the act requires the California State University to establish model academic standards for high school courses, including career technical courses, for pupils who wish to attend the California State University. The act requires the California State University to recognize the completion of all high school career technical education courses that meet model curriculum standards established by the Superintendent of Public Instruction as satisfying the completion of a general elective course requirement for the purposes of admission to that university, if, by July 1, 2008, the university has not adopted model uniform academic standards for career technical education courses that will satisfy the completion of a general elective course requirement for the purposes of admission to the university. Existing law requires the Superintendent to coordinate the development, on a cyclical basis, of model curriculum standards for a high school career technical course of study. Existing law also requires the Superintendent to develop a career technical curriculum framework based on prescribed criteria. This bill, notwithstanding any other provision of law, on or before January 1, 2014, would require the trustees to develop and implement a procedure for allowing a student to satisfy the completion of a general elective course requirement for the purposes of admission to the university by completing a high school career technical education course that meets either (1) specified criteria that the bill would require the trustees to establish, or (2) model academic standards for high school courses adopted by the California State University pursuant to existing law. The bill would require the university to recognize the completion of all high school career technical education courses that meet model curriculum standards established by the Superintendent as satisfying the completion of a general elective course requirement for the purposes of admission to the university, if, by January 1, 2014, the university has not developed that procedure. The bill would require the trustees to adopt related requirements based on the recommendations and judgment of the Academic Senate of the California State University.
Existing law provides for the establishment and operation of certain state-owned and operated veterans' cemeteries. Existing law authorizes honorably discharged veterans and their spouses and children to be interred at these cemeteries, and provides for a fee to be charged for each spouse or child interred at the cemetery, as specified. This bill would authorize the fee for the interment of the spouses and children of honorably discharged veterans in these cemeteries to be waived if the cemetery administrator determines that the families of the spouses or children do not have sufficient means to pay for the costs of interment, and would require any costs for these interments to be paid from nonstate funds. This bill would require the cemetery administrator to seek reimbursements, as specified, and would authorize the cemetery administrator to solicit private donations, to offset any fees lost as a result of this fee waiver.
(1) Existing law establishes the Pierce's Disease Control Program in the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Pierce's Disease Management Account in the Food and Agriculture Fund. Existing law allows money in this account to be expended as specified to combat Pierce's disease and its vectors. Existing law declares that these provisions shall become inoperative on March 1, 2011. This bill would allow specified money in the account to also be expended for purposes relating to other designated pests and diseases, as provided. The bill would change the date on which the above provisions become inoperative to March 1, 2016. (2) Existing law creates in the Department of Food and Agriculture the Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board, which consists of specified numbers of representatives of producers and processors, as defined, in the grape industry who are appointed by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. Existing law sets forth the powers of the board and provides for an annual assessment to be paid by the processors into the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund for the purposes of, among other things, research and other activities related to the transmittal of the plant killing Pierce's disease bacterium, and its vectors, particularly the glassy-winged sharpshooter. Existing law repeals these provisions on March 1, 2011. This bill would authorize the expenditure of the assessments for purposes relating to other designated pests and diseases, as provided, and would extend the repeal date of these provisions to March 1, 2016, except that this bill would make these provisions inoperative as of March 1, 2011, unless the secretary finds, in a referendum conducted by him or her, or a person designated by him or her, that a favorable vote has been given. The bill would require, no later than April 15, 2010, the secretary to establish a list of those individuals eligible to vote on the continued implementation of these provisions, as specified. The bill would also make a conforming change and other technical changes. (3) Existing law authorizes the Department of Food and Agriculture and the Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board to charge expenditures for administrative purposes, as specified, in an amount not to exceed a total of 7% of the assessments collected pursuant to these provisions. This bill would increase the amount that may be charged for administrative purposes to an amount not to exceed a total of 14% of the assessments collected. Because assessments collected pursuant to these provisions are deposited in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund, which is continuously appropriated, by extending the collection of these assessments and authorizing expenditure for a new purpose, this bill would make an appropriation. (4) Existing law, operative until March 1, 2011, provides that the Secretary of Food and Agriculture shall appoint an advisory task force to advise him or her on the control and management of Pierce's disease. This bill would extend these provisions to March 1, 2016. This bill would authorize the Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board, after consulting with the advisory task force and upon making specified findings, to recommend to the secretary, and would authorize the secretary to determine, that a pest or disease affecting grapes grown in California and crushed for wine, wine vinegar, juice, concentrate, or beverage brandy be designated as an other designated pest or disease, and that money should be expended on research and outreach programs for specified purposes relating to the other designated pest or disease, except as provided. The bill would also make conforming changes.
This measure would recognize the pioneering work of promotores and community health workers in delivering vital and cost-effective health care services in communities throughout California and declare October 2009 as California Promotores Month.
This measure would make various statements regarding the importance of New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) to the California economy and would declare the necessity for the Legislature to utilize its vested powers to keep NUMMI in California.