Asm. Evan Low

This measure would designate the interchange at State Highway Route 405 and State Route 39 in the County of Orange at Beach Boulevard as the "Surf City USA" interchange. The measure would request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.

This measure would designate the portion of Interstate 5 between the Pico-Lyons Overcrossing and the McBean Parkway Overcrossing in the City of Santa Clarita as the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Hagop "Jake" Kuredjian Memorial Highway. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources sufficient to cover the cost, to erect those signs.

This measure would designate the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road, at postmile R19.584, and French Camp Road, at postmile R22.508, in the City of Stockton as the Master Sergeant Richard Pittman Memorial Highway. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources to cover that cost, to erect those signs.

(1) The California Constitution provides that all property is taxable, and requires that it be assessed at the same percentage of fair market value, unless otherwise provided by the California Constitution or federal law. The California Constitution and existing property tax law provide various exemptions from taxation, including, among others, a disabled veterans' exemption. Under existing law, the disabled veterans' exemption exempts from taxation that part of the full value of property that constitutes the principal place of residence of a veteran, that is owned by the veteran, the veteran's spouse, or the veteran and their spouse jointly, that does not exceed $100,000, or $150,000 in the case of an eligible veteran whose household income does not exceed $40,000, which amounts are subject to annual adjustment for inflation, as provided. This bill, in lieu of the disabled veterans' exemption described above, would exempt from taxation that part of the full value of the residence that does not exceed $863,790, as provided, property owned by, and that constitutes the principal place of residence of, a veteran, the veteran's spouse, or the veteran and the veteran's spouse jointly, if the veteran is 100% disabled. The bill would provide an unmarried surviving spouse a property exemption in the same amount that they would have been entitled to if the veteran was alive and if certain conditions are met. The bill would require certain documentation to be provided to the county assessor to receive the exemption and would prohibit any other real property tax exemption from being granted to the claimant if receiving the exemption provided by the provisions of this bill. The bill would make these exemptions applicable for property tax lien dates occurring on or after January 1, 2025, but occurring before January 1, 2035. (2) Existing property tax law, in accordance with the California Constitution, provides for a welfare exemption for property used exclusively for religious, hospital, scientific, or charitable purposes and that is owned or operated by certain types of nonprofit entities, if certain qualifying criteria are met. This bill would provide, for property tax lien dates occurring on or after January 1, 2025, that property is exempt from taxation and is within the welfare exemption if that property is owned and operated by a religious, hospital, scientific, or charitable fund, foundation, limited liability company, or corporation meeting specified requirements and if the property is used exclusively for housing and related facilities for law enforcement officers or firefighters. (3) Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would state that it is the intent of the Legislature to apply those requirements to the disabled veteran's exemption added by the bill and would set forth specified information relating to those requirements. (4) By imposing additional duties on local tax officials, 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 the statutory provisions noted above. (5) Existing law requires the state to reimburse local agencies annually for certain property tax revenues lost as a result of any exemption or classification of property for purposes of ad valorem property taxation. This bill would provide that, notwithstanding those provisions, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse local agencies for property tax revenues lost by them pursuant to the bill. (6) This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law defines "hate crime" as a criminal act committed, in whole or in part, because of actual or perceived characteristics of the victim, including, among other things, race, religion, disability, and sexual orientation. Existing law requires the bias motivation to be a cause in fact of the offense, whether or not other causes also exist. This bill would specify that discriminatory selection of a victim because of a protected characteristic is a type of bias motivation for purposes of determining whether the crime was committed, in whole or in part, because of the protected characteristic. By expanding the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires law enforcement to adopt a hate crimes policy, by July 1, 2024, that includes information on bias motivation. For this purpose, existing law defines "bias motivation" to include, among other things, hatred, discriminatory selection of victims, animosity, or resentment. This bill would remove the requirement that law enforcement adopt a policy that includes information on discriminatory selection of victims. 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 allows a search warrant to be issued upon probable cause, supported by affidavit, naming or describing the person to be searched or searched for, and particularly describing the property, thing, or things and the place to be searched. Existing law also specifies the grounds upon which a search warrant may be issued, including, among other grounds, when the property or things to be seized constitute evidence showing that a felony has been committed. This bill would authorize a search warrant to be issued on the grounds that the property or things to be seized consists of evidence that tends to show that certain misdemeanor hate crimes, as defined, have occurred or are occurring.

This measure would proclaim March 23, 2024, as California Women in STEM Day.