Asm. Nora Campos

(1) Existing law expresses legislative findings and declarations that it is in the interest of the state and of the people thereof for the state to aid school districts in finding cost-effective methods of conserving energy in school buildings maintained by the school districts. This bill would appropriate $20,000,000 to the State Department of Education for allocation to school districts for purposes of energy efficiency projects. The bill would provide that a school district is eligible for those funds only if it has received specified funding and does at least one of 4 specified things in connection with those energy efficiency projects, including, partners with an institution of higher education for purposes of providing energy efficiency project-based learning opportunities for pupils enrolled in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, leverages private investment, utilizes state-approved apprenticeship programs and ensures access to those programs for qualified veterans who were discharged after September 11, 2001, or incorporates the reclamation and conservation of water into certain projects, as specified. (2) Funds appropriated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.

This measure would declare the month of April 2016 as the Month of the Military Child.

This measure would declare the week of March 7, 2016, through March 13, 2016, as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week.

Existing law provides that the Department of Transportation has full possession and control over the highways of the state and is responsible for preparing the state highway operation and protection program for the expenditure of transportation funds for major capital improvements that are necessary to preserve and protect the state highway system. Existing law requires the department to submit a draft 5-year interregional transportation improvement program that consists of, among other things, projects to improve state highways. Existing law also creates the California Transportation Commission, with specified powers and duties relative to the programming of transportation capital improvement projects and the allocation of state transportation funds for state transportation improvement projects. Existing law requires the department, in consultation with the commission, to prepare an asset management plan to guide selection of projects for the state highway operation and protection program consistent with any applicable state and federal requirements. Existing law requires the commission, in connection with the asset management plan, to adopt targets and performance measures reflecting state transportation goals and objectives. This bill would require the department to increase the annual number of complete street projects undertaken by the department by 20% over the 2016 baseline by the year 2020 and increase accessibility for low-income and disadvantaged communities by increasing multimodal transportation proximity to employment, jobs, housing, and recreation areas. The bill would establish department goals to reduce by 10% based on the 2016 baseline the number of transit, pedestrian, and bicyclist fatalities, and reduce by 15% statewide per capita the vehicle miles traveled by the year 2020, and to increase travel by nonautomobile modes of travel, as specified. This bill would require the draft 5-year interregional transportation program to include projects to implement complete streets, as defined, and the state highway operation and protection program to include capital improvements relative to multiuse, including complete streets. The bill would require the department to hold at least one public hearing in each of its districts on state highway operation and protection program projects and would require the hearing to be accessible by public transit, held at times that are convenient for disadvantaged community residents, and upon request, provide translation services. The bill would require the commission, no later than July 1, 2017, in connection with the asset management plan, to also adopt targets and performance measures that reflect state transportation goals and objectives that, among other things, improve mobility, access, and safety for nonmotorized users in disadvantaged communities by requiring not less than 35% of state highway operation and protection program projects be located in urban and rural disadvantaged communities. The bill would also require that funds in the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund be programmed for specified safety improvements that would reduce fatalities and the number and severity of injuries to pedestrians.

This measure would proclaim the month of March 2016 as Grand Jury Awareness Month in California, recognize those who volunteer in a grand jury, and encourage all Californians to learn about its role in the judicial system.