(1) Existing law establishes the Safe Drinking Water Account to be available to the State Water Resources Control Board, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the purpose of providing funds necessary to administer the California Safe Drinking Water Act. This bill would expand the use of available funds in the account to be used by the state board, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to include the administration of the Water Shutoff Protection Act. The bill would, subject to the availability of funding, require the state board to make funds available for providing training statewide to community water systems with between 15 and 200 service connections to assist in compliance with the Water Shutoff Protection Act. (2) Existing law, the Water Shutoff Protection Act, prohibits an urban and community water system, defined as a public water system that supplies water to more than 200 service connections, from discontinuing residential service for nonpayment, as specified, and requires specified procedures before it can discontinue residential service for nonpayment. Existing law defines a community water system as a public water system that serves at least 15 service connections used by yearlong residents or regularly serves at least 25 yearlong residents of the area served by the system. Existing law requires an urban and community water system to have a written policy on discontinuation of residential service for nonpayment available in English, other designated languages, and any other language spoken by at least 10% of the people residing in its service area. This bill would expand the scope of the Water Shutoff Protection Act by requiring that it instead apply to a covered water system, defined to include specified water systems and suppliers, including a community water system. The bill would require a community water system, that is not otherwise required to comply, to comply with the act's provisions on and after August 1, 2024. The bill would instead apply the above-described language requirements for the written policy of discontinuation of residential service for nonpayment to a covered water system that serves 200 or more service connections. The bill would require a covered water system that serves fewer than 200 service connections to have a written policy on disconnection of residential service for nonpayment available in English, any language spoken by at least 10% of the people residing in its service area, and, upon request of a customer, other designated languages. The bill would authorize, as part of the act, the Attorney General, at the request of the board or upon the Attorney General's own motion, to bring an action in state court to restore to any person in interest any money or property, real or personal, that may have been acquired by any method, act, or practice prohibited by the act. The bill would make related changes.
Sponsored bills
Existing law requires a constitutional amendment submitted to the people by the Legislature to appear on the ballot of the first statewide election occurring at least 131 days after the adoption of the proposal. The Legislature adopted Senate Constitutional Amendment 2 (SCA 2) of the 2021–22 Regular Session, which, if approved by the voters, would repeal provisions of the California Constitution that prohibit the development, construction, or acquisition of a low-rent housing project, as defined, by any state public body unless the project is approved by a majority of the qualified electors in the jurisdiction in which the project is proposed. The Legislature adopted Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5 (ACA 5) of the 2023–24 Regular Session, which, if approved by the voters, would repeal a provision of the California Constitution that provides that only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California and would instead provide that the right to marry is a fundamental right. Pursuant to the existing law described above, SCA 2 and ACA 5 are scheduled to appear on the ballot at the March 5, 2024, statewide primary election. Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1 (ACA 1) of the 2023–24 Regular Session, if approved by the voters, would amend and add provisions of the California Constitution to do both of the following for specified purposes relating to real property: (1) create an additional exception to the 1% limit on the ad valorem tax rate on real property that would authorize a local jurisdiction to levy an ad valorem tax to service bonded indebtedness incurred, if the proposition proposing that tax is approved by 55% of the voters in that local jurisdiction; and (2) authorize a local jurisdiction to impose, extend, or increase a sales and use tax, if the proposition proposing that tax is approved by 55% of the voters in that local jurisdiction. ACA 1, if approved by the voters, would also amend the California Constitution to prohibit a special district from incurring any indebtedness or liability exceeding any applicable statutory limit, as prescribed by the statutes governing the special district. Pursuant to the existing law described above, if adopted by the Legislature, ACA 1 would appear on the ballot at the March 5, 2024, statewide primary election. This bill would call a special election to be consolidated with the statewide general election scheduled for November 5, 2024, and would require the submission of SCA 2 and ACA 5 to the voters at that election. The bill would also require the submission of ACA 1 to the voters at that election if ACA 1 is adopted by the Legislature. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an act calling an election.
Existing law establishes various holidays in this state, including Lunar New Year. Existing law requires community colleges to close on specified holidays, including February 12, known as "Lincoln Day," and the third Monday in February, known as "Washington Day." Existing law entitles certain community college employees to be given time off with pay for specified holidays, including for Lincoln Day and Washington Day. This bill would authorize the governing board of a community college district, pursuant to a memorandum of understanding, to replace closing on Lincoln Day or Washington Day with the date corresponding with the second new moon following the winter solstice, or the third new moon following the winter solstice should an intercalary month intervene, known as "Lunar New Year." The bill would require that certain community college employees, in lieu of a paid holiday for Lincoln Day or Washington Day, receive a paid holiday for the Lunar New Year if the governing board of the community college replaces closing on Lincoln Day or Washington Day with closing on Lunar New Year.
Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health, subject to an appropriation in the Budget Act of 2016, to award funding to local health departments, local governmental agencies, or on a competitive basis to other organizations, as specified, to support or establish programs that provide naloxone or another opioid antagonist to first responders and at-risk opioid users through programs that serve at-risk drug users. Existing law exempts from civil liability a person who, in good faith and not for compensation, renders emergency medical or nonmedical care or assistance at the scene of an emergency other than an act or omission constituting gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct, as provided. This bill would require each stadium, concert venue, and amusement park to maintain unexpired doses of naloxone hydrochloride or any other opioid antagonist on its premises at all times, and to ensure that at least 2 employees are aware of the location of the naloxone hydrochloride or other opioid antagonist. The bill would exempt from civil or criminal liability a person who, in good faith, administers naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist by nasal spray or auto-injector on the premises of a stadium, concert venue, or amusement park, other than an act or omission constituting gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct, except as specified. The bill would exempt from civil or criminal liability a stadium, concert venue, or amusement park, or its employees, or an entity that owns, occupies, or operates a stadium, concert venue, or amusement park, or its employees, for the administration of naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist, or the failure to administer naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist, on the premises of the stadium, concert venue, or amusement park, as provided.
The California Constitution authorizes the Legislature to permit private, nonprofit organizations to conduct raffles as a funding mechanism to support beneficial and charitable works, if, among other conditions, at least 90% of the gross receipts from the raffle go directly to beneficial or charitable purposes in California. The California Constitution further authorizes the Legislature to amend the percentage of gross receipts required to be dedicated to beneficial or charitable purposes by a statute passed by a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature. Existing statutory law implements those provisions and requires the Department of Justice to administer and enforce those provisions. Existing statutory law, until January 1, 2024, authorizes a major league sports raffle at a home game conducted by an eligible organization, as defined, for the purpose of directly supporting specified beneficial or charitable purposes in California, or financially supporting another private, nonprofit, eligible organization, as defined, that performs those purposes if, among other requirements, 50% of the gross receipts generated from the sale of raffle tickets are used to benefit or provide support for beneficial or charitable purposes, as defined, the other 50% is paid to the winner, and the winners of the prizes are determined by a manual draw, as specified. This bill would permanently extend the operation of those provisions beyond January 1, 2024. By extending the operation of provisions that revise the percentage of gross receipts required to go to beneficial or charitable purposes pursuant to the California Constitution, this bill would require a 23 vote of each house.
Under existing law, specified county officers are required to be elected by the voters in that county. Existing law generally requires the election to select county officers to be held with a statewide primary election, but if no candidate for a county office receives a majority of the votes cast for that office at the primary election, the 2 candidates who received the most votes advance to the ensuing statewide general election. This bill would authorize the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Clara to adopt, and a voter of that county to propose by initiative, an ordinance to elect county officers by ranked choice voting, as specified. The bill would authorize the county, in accordance with such an ordinance, to hold a ranked choice voting election at the statewide primary election at which the election otherwise would be held in accordance with existing law, the first statewide general election following that statewide primary election, or a combination thereof, and to use ranked choice voting in special elections to fill vacancies in county offices, as specified. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Santa Clara.
Existing law, the Stop Tobacco Access to Kids Enforcement (STAKE) Act, prohibits a person from selling or otherwise furnishing tobacco products, as defined, to a person under 21 years of age. Under existing law, violations of the act are punishable by civil penalties, as specified, and primary enforcement of the act is the responsibility of the State Department of Public Health. Existing law prohibits a tobacco retailer, or any of the tobacco retailer's agents or employees, from selling, offering for sale, or possessing with the intent to sell or offer for sale, a flavored tobacco product or a tobacco product flavor enhancer, as those terms are defined, except as specified. Under existing law, a violation of this prohibition is punishable as an infraction. This bill would provide for the enforcement of these provisions in a manner similar to the STAKE Act, and, instead of an infraction, make the provisions of the flavored tobacco ban punishable by civil penalties in the same manner as the STAKE Act, as specified.
Existing law authorizes the Secretary of State to appoint and commission notaries public in the number the Secretary of State deems necessary for the public convenience. Existing law requires a notary public to keep one active sequential journal at a time of all official acts performed as a notary public. Existing law authorizes notaries public to act as notaries in any part of the state and prescribes the manner and method of notarizations. Existing law establishes various requirements to ensure the security of notary seals and imposes a civil penalty for a violation of those provisions. This bill would give effect to a notarial act performed in another state, under the authority and within the jurisdiction of a federally recognized Indian tribe, under federal law, or under the authority and within the jurisdiction of a foreign state, as if it were performed by a notarial officer of this state, if specified conditions are met. This bill would authorize a notary public or an applicant for appointment as a notary public to apply for registration with the secretary to be a notary public authorized to perform online notarizations by submitting an application that meets certain requirements. The bill would also require an entity to register with the Secretary of State as an online notarization platform or depository before providing an online notarization system or depository, as defined, to an online notary public. The bill would require a representative of an online notarization platform to certify compliance with applicable laws under penalty of perjury. The bill also creates a civil cause of action against an online notarization platform or depository for a violation of those laws. The bill would require the Secretary of State to develop an application for registration and establish rules to implement the bill. This bill would authorize the Secretary of State to charge an applicant a fee for an application for registration in an amount necessary to administer the bill's provisions related to online notarizations. The bill would authorize an online notary public to perform notarial acts and online notarizations by means of audio-video communication. The bill would specify that any state law requirement that a principal, as defined, appear before or in the presence of the notary public shall be satisfied by appearing by means of audio-video communication before a notary public authorized to perform online notarization in compliance with specified requirements. The bill would establish various requirements applicable to an online notary public, including requiring an online notary public to record each online notarial act performed by the notary public in one tangible sequential journal and one or more secure electronic journals, as specified, requiring an electronic notarial certificate to be in a specified form that is required to be signed under penalty of perjury, and requiring an online notary public to take all necessary measures to disable the electronic affixation of the notary public's electronic signature or seal upon termination of a commission, as specified. The bill would require a manufacturer or vendor of the notary public's electronic seal to apply to the Secretary of State to be assigned an identification number, as specified. This bill would establish various requirements applicable to an online notarization platform, including prohibiting an online notarization platform or depository from accessing, using, sharing, selling, disclosing, producing, providing, releasing, transferring, disseminating, or otherwise communicating the contents of an online notarial act, with specified exceptions. The bill would also make other conforming changes. The bill would impose requirements for ensuring the security of an electronic signature or electronic seal and would make a violation of those provisions subject to civil penalties. The bill would make a violation of those provisions grounds for refusal or revocation of a commission as a notary public. This bill would specify that a business, as defined, commencing on January 1, 2025, consents to the jurisdiction of the courts of California for transactions related to an individual for whom a remote online notarial act is performed who has represented to the business that they are located in California. For these transactions, the bill would require a business to comply with specified requirements, including creating an encrypted electronic journal entry for each remote online notarial act and an audio-video recording of the audio-video communication of each remote online notarial act facilitated by the business. The bill would also create a civil cause of action against a business for a violation of those laws. This bill would make it a misdemeanor for any person who, without authorization, knowingly obtains, conceals, damages, or destroys the certificate, disk, coding, card, program, software, or hardware enabling an online notary public to affix an official electronic signature or seal. The bill would make it a misdemeanor for an online notary public to willfully fail or refuse to either retain the electronic journal for 10 years after the performance of the last notarial act chronicled in the electronic journal or deliver all notarial records and papers to the Secretary of State within 30 days of when the online notary public resigns, is disqualified, is removed from office, or allows the online notary public's registration to expire. By creating new crimes, and by expanding the scope of the existing crime of perjury, 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 establishes the California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) Grant Program, administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections, to award competitive grants for the purpose of violence intervention and prevention. Existing law imposes various taxes, including taxes on the privilege of engaging in certain activities. The Fee Collection Procedures Law, the violation of which is a crime, provides procedures for the collection of certain fees and surcharges. This bill, the Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act, would, commencing July 1, 2024, impose an excise tax in the amount of 11% of the gross receipts from the retail sale in this state of a firearm, firearm precursor part, and ammunition, as specified. The tax would be collected by the state pursuant to the Fee Collection Procedures Law. The bill would require that the revenues collected be deposited in the Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Fund, which the bill would establish in the State Treasury. The bill would require the moneys received in the fund to be used to fund various gun violence prevention, education, research, response, and investigation programs, as specified. The bill would require the Director of Finance to transfer, as a loan, $2,400,000 from the General Fund to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to implement these provisions, as specified. The bill would require each licensed firearms dealer, firearms manufacturer, and ammunition vendor to register with the department for a certificate, as specified. The bill would also provide procedures for the issuance, revocation, and reinstatement of a permit. This bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of 23 of the membership of each house of the Legislature. Because this bill would expand the scope of the Fee Collection Procedures Law, the violation of which is 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 defines the term "serious felony" for various purposes, including, among others, enhancing the punishment for felonies pursuant to existing sentencing provisions commonly known as the Three Strikes Law. This bill would include human trafficking of a minor within the definition of a serious felony for all purposes, including for purposes of the Three Strikes Law, except as specified. By expanding the scope of an enhancement, 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.