The California Ocean Protection Act establishes the Ocean Protection Council and requires the council, among other things, to coordinate activities of state agencies that are related to the protection and conservation of coastal waters and ocean ecosystems, and to establish policies to coordinate the collection and sharing of scientific data related to coastal and ocean resources among agencies. The act creates the California Ocean Protection Trust Fund in the State Treasury and authorizes moneys deposited in the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to be expended by the council for projects and activities authorized by the council consistent with the purposes of the act. This bill would require the council, in consultation with the State Coastal Conservancy and other relevant entities, to establish and administer the Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Reduction Program for the purposes of achieving specified goals. The bill would authorize moneys in the trust fund to be expended for grants or loans for projects or activities that further public purposes consistent with the Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Reduction Program.
Sponsored bills
Existing law prohibits an employer, whether a public agency or private individual or corporation, from asking an applicant for employment to disclose, or from utilizing as a factor in determining any condition of employment, information concerning an arrest or detention that did not result in a conviction, or information concerning a referral or participation in, any pretrial or posttrial diversion program, except as specified. Existing law also prohibits an employer, as specified, from asking an applicant to disclose, or from utilizing as a factor in determining any condition of employment, information concerning a conviction that has been judicially dismissed or ordered sealed, except in specified circumstances. Existing law specifies that these provisions do not prohibit an employer at a health facility, as defined, from asking an applicant for a specific type of employment about arrests for certain crimes. Existing law makes it a crime to intentionally violate these provisions. This bill would also prohibit an employer from asking an applicant for employment to disclose, or from utilizing as a factor in determining any condition of employment, information concerning or related to an arrest, detention, processing, diversion, supervision, adjudication, or court disposition that occurred while the person was subject to the process and jurisdiction of juvenile court law. The bill, for the purposes of the prohibitions and exceptions described above, would provide that "conviction" excludes an adjudication by a juvenile court or any other court order or action taken with respect to a person who is under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court law, and would make related and conforming changes. The bill would prohibit an employer at a health facility from inquiring into specific events that occurred while the applicant was subject to juvenile court law, with a certain exception, and from inquiring into information concerning or related to an applicant's juvenile offense history that has been sealed by the juvenile court. The bill would require an employer at a health facility seeking disclosure of juvenile offense history under that exception to provide the applicant with a list describing offenses for which disclosure is sought. Because this bill would modify the scope of a crime, it 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 provides legislative findings and declarations that the purpose of imprisonment for crime is punishment and that the elimination of disparity and the provision of uniformity of sentences can best be achieved by determinate sentences fixed by statute in proportion to the seriousness of the offense, as specified. Existing law further provides that, notwithstanding those provisions, the Legislature finds and declares that programs should be available for inmates, including, but not limited to, educational programs, that are designed to prepare nonviolent felony offenders for successful reentry into the community. Existing law encourages the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to give priority enrollment in programs to promote successful return to the community to inmates with short remaining terms of commitment, as specified. This bill would instead make legislative findings and declarations that the purpose of sentencing is public safety achieved through punishment, rehabilitation, and restorative justice. The bill would amend the above legislative findings and declarations to remove the provision relating to determinate sentences and to state that educational, rehabilitative, and restorative justice programs should be available, as specified, and would encourage the department to allow all eligible inmates the opportunity to enroll in programs that promote successful return to the community. This bill would also direct the department to establish a mission statement consistent with the principles described in the legislative findings and declarations. Under existing law, most felonies are punishable by a triad of terms of incarceration in the state prison, comprised of low, middle, and upper lengths of terms. Until January 1, 2017, the choice of the appropriate term that is to best serve the interests of justice rests within the sound discretion of the court. On and after January 1, 2017, existing law requires the court to impose the middle term, unless there are circumstances in aggravation or mitigation of the crime. This bill would extend to January 1, 2022, the authority of the court to, in its sound discretion, impose the appropriate term that best serves the interests of justice. The bill would, on and after January 1, 2022, require the court to impose the middle term, unless there are circumstances in aggravation or mitigation of the crime. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 1170 of the Penal Code, proposed by SB 1084, that would become operative only if this bill and SB 1084 are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2017, and this bill is chaptered last.
Existing law, the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, prohibits a person from introducing into interstate commerce any new drug unless the drug has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) . Existing law requires the sponsor of a new drug to submit to the FDA an investigational new drug application and to then conduct a series of clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of the drug in human populations and submit the results to the FDA in a new drug application. Existing law, the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law, regulates the packaging, labeling, and advertising of drugs and devices and is administered by the State Department of Public Health. A violation of that law is a crime. The Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law prohibits, among other things, the sale, delivery, or giving away of a new drug or new device unless either the department has approved a new drug or device application for that new drug or new device and that approval has not been withdrawn, terminated, or suspended or the drug or device has been approved pursuant to specified provisions of federal law, including the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The Medical Practice Act provides for the licensure and regulation of physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California and requires the board to take action against a licensee who is charged with unprofessional conduct. The Osteopathic Act provides for the licensure and regulation of osteopathic physicians and surgeons by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California and requires the board to enforce the Medical Practice Act with respect to its licensees. This bill would permit a manufacturer of an investigational drug, biological product, or device to make the product available to eligible patients with an immediately life-threatening disease or condition, as specified. The bill would authorize, but not require, a health benefit plan, as defined, to provide coverage for any investigational drug, biological product, or device made available pursuant to these provisions. The bill would prohibit the Medical Board of California and the Osteopathic Medical Board of California from taking any disciplinary action against the license of a physician based on the physician's recommendation to an eligible patient regarding, or prescription for, or treatment with, an investigational drug, biological product, or device if the recommendation or prescription is consistent with protocol approved by the physician's institutional review board or an accredited institutional review board, and would require the institutional review board to biannually report specified information to the State Department of Public Health, among others. The bill would prohibit a state agency from altering any recommendation made to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding a health care provider's certification to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid program based solely on the recommendation from an individual health care provider that a patient have access to an investigational drug, biological product, or device.
The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including certain credits that are allowed in modified conformity to credits allowed by federal income tax laws. Federal income tax laws allow a refundable earned income tax credit for certain low-income individuals who have earned income from specified sources and who meet certain other requirements. The Personal Income Tax Law, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2015, in modified conformity with federal income tax laws, allows an earned income credit against personal income tax, and a payment from the Tax Relief and Refund Account for an allowable credit in excess of tax liability, to an eligible individual in an amount determined in accordance with federal law as applicable for federal income tax purposes for the taxable year, multiplied by the earned income tax credit adjustment factor, as specified. Existing law creates the Tax Relief and Refund Account, which is continuously appropriated, and provides that required payments to be made to taxpayers or other persons from the Personal Income Tax Fund are to be paid from that account, including amounts allowable as an earned income credit in excess of any tax liability. The Personal Income Tax Law provides that the amount of the credit is calculated as a percentage of the eligible individual's earned income and is phased out above a specified amount as income increases. Under existing law, the credit percentage and the phaseout percentage is based on the number of qualifying children of the eligible individual. Existing law provides, in modified conformity with federal income tax law, in the case of an eligible individual with 3 or more qualifying children, for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2016, the credit percentage and phaseout percentage is 45%, and for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2016, the credit percentage and phaseout percentage is the same as for an eligible individual with 2 or more children, which is 40%. This bill, for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2016, would instead provide that, in the case of an eligible individual with 3 or more qualifying children, the credit percentage and phaseout percentage is 45%, thereby increasing the credit percentage and the phaseout percentage for those eligible individuals for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2016. By increasing the allowable credit amount, this bill would authorize new payments from the Tax Relief and Refund Account for additional amounts in excess of personal income tax liabilities, thereby making an appropriation.
Existing law generally regulates the transfer and registration of motor vehicles. Existing federal law requires a motor vehicle manufacturer to notify the owner or purchaser of a motor vehicle when the manufacturer determines that the vehicle contains a safety-related defect or when the manufacturer is ordered by the federal Secretary of Transportation to notify vehicle owners and purchasers that a vehicle has a safety-related defect. Existing federal law also prohibits a motor vehicle dealer from selling a vehicle if it has been notified of a safety-related defect by the manufacturer, except as specified. A violation of the Vehicle Code is a crime. This bill would enact the Consumer Automotive Recall Safety Act, which would prohibit a dealer or rental car company, as defined, with a motor vehicle fleet of 34 or fewer loaner or rental vehicles from loaning, renting, or offering for loan or rent a vehicle subject to a manufacturer's recall after receiving a notice of the recall, as specified, until the vehicle has been repaired, except as specified. The act would also require the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to include a specified recall disclosure statement with each vehicle registration renewal notice. By creating new prohibitions, the violation of which would be a crime under existing law, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires a vehicle franchisor to properly fulfill every warranty agreement made by it and adequately and fairly compensate each of its franchisees for labor and parts used to fulfill that warranty when the franchisee has fulfilled warranty obligations of diagnostics, repair, and servicing. This bill would specify that the warranty obligations include all costs directly associated with the disposal of hazardous materials that are associated with a recall repair. The bill would provide, for purposes of the above-described warranty obligations, that a warranty includes a recall conducted pursuant to federal motor vehicle safety laws. The bill would state that this provision is declaratory of existing law. Existing law authorizes the DMV to suspend or revoke the license issued to a dealer, transporter, manufacturer, manufacturer branch, remanufacturer, remanufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch upon determining that the person to whom the licensed was issued has, among other things, violated provisions relating to issuance of licenses and certificates to manufacturers, transporters, and dealers. This bill would also authorize the DMV to suspend or revoke the license issued to the above-mentioned persons upon determining that the person has violated any provision of the Consumer Automotive Recall Safety Act. The bill would state findings and declarations of the Legislature relative to vehicle recalls. 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 proscribes the crime of human trafficking, as defined. A person who causes, induces, or persuades, or attempts to cause, induce, or persuade, a person who is a minor at the time of commission of the offense to engage in a commercial sex act, with the intent to effect or maintain a violation of any of specified sex offenses, is guilty of human trafficking. Existing law also proscribes the crime of prostitution. Existing law authorizes or requires, as specified, the probation officer of a county to exercise various duties with respect to a minor who has been found to be within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court on the ground that he or she has violated a law or statute, or that he or she has suffered, or there is a substantial risk that he or she will suffer, abuse or neglect. Existing law establishes the Board of State and Community Corrections to provide statewide leadership, coordination, and technical assistance to promote effective state and local efforts and partnerships in California's adult and juvenile criminal justice system. This bill would, only until January 1, 2022, require the Board of State and Community Corrections to establish a pilot project in up to 4 counties that elect to participate in the pilot project and would authorize the Counties of Sacramento, San Diego, San Joaquin, and Santa Clara to elect to participate in the pilot project. The bill would authorize each participating county to determine whether that county's probation department or child welfare agency, or both, would create and operate a program funded by the pilot project. The bill would require a program funded by the pilot project to provide services to youth within that county's jurisdiction that address the need for services relating to the commercial sexual exploitation of youth. The bill would state that the purpose of the pilot project is to test a service model that would produce improved outcomes for youth victims of human trafficking. The bill would also require a county that elects to participate in the pilot project and establishes a program pursuant to these provisions to conduct at least one evaluation of the program's impact and effectiveness and to submit that evaluation to the board. The bill would provide that the pilot project established pursuant to these provisions would be funded contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act. The bill would provide that funds appropriated for these purposes shall be administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections.
(1) Existing law provides for the early implementation, by counties and foster family agencies, of the resource family approval process, which is a unified, family friendly, and child-centered approval process that replaces the multiple processes for licensing foster family homes, approving relatives and nonrelative extended family members as foster care providers, and approving adoptive families. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to implement the resource family approval process in all counties and with all foster family agencies by January 1, 2017. This bill would also specify that the resource family approval process replaces certification of foster homes by foster family agencies and the approval of guardians. The bill would make conforming statutory changes related to the statewide implementation of the resource family approval process, including prohibiting the department and counties from accepting applications to license foster family homes, and prohibiting foster family agencies from accepting applications to certify foster homes, on and after January 1, 2017. The bill would also make specified changes relating to resource families including by, among others, requiring the department to develop a basic rate that ensures that a child placed in a licensed foster family home, a certified family home, or with a resource family approved by a county or foster family agency is eligible for the same basic rate, and would revise certain aspects of the resource family approval process, including by, among other things, requiring counties and foster family agencies to conduct annual, announced inspections of resource family homes and to inspect resource family homes as often as necessary to ensure the quality of care provided; authorizing counties to grant, deny, or rescind criminal records exemptions; and making it a misdemeanor to willfully and knowingly, with the intent to deceive, make a false statement or fail to disclose a material fact in a resource family application. By imposing additional duties on counties, by creating a new crime, and by expanding the duties of foster family agencies, for which the failure to comply is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law, the California Community Care Facilities Act, provides for the licensure of short-term residential treatment centers, which are residential facilities licensed by the State Department of Social Services and operated by any public agency or private organization that provides short-term, specialized, and intensive treatment, and 24-hour care and supervision to children. The act also provides for the licensure of foster family agencies, which are organizations engaged in the recruiting, certifying, and training of, and providing professional support to, foster parents, or in finding homes and other places for placement of children for temporary or permanent care who require that level of care. A violation of the act is a crime. This bill would instead identify "short-term residential treatment centers" as "short-term residential therapeutic programs" and would provide that they are facilities operated by a public agency or private organization and licensed by the department that provide an integrated program of specialized and intensive care and supervision, services and supports, treatment, and short-term, 24-hour care and supervision to children. The bill would make various changes relating to the licensing and operation of short-term residential therapeutic programs and foster family agencies, including by, among other things, requiring the department to establish rates for short-term residential therapeutic programs and foster family agencies that include an interim rate, provisional rate, and probationary rate, and providing for the implementation of those rates; specifying that a foster family agency licensed before January 1, 2017, has until December 31, 2018, to obtain accreditation, and that a foster family agency licensed on or after January 1, 2017, or a short-term residential therapeutic program has up to 24 months from the date of licensure to obtain accreditation; and requiring a private short-term residential therapeutic program to be organized and operated on a nonprofit basis. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) Existing federal law, the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, among other provisions, establishes a permanent placement option for older children as an alternative to long-term foster care, referred to in the act as "another planned permanent living arrangement" (APPLA) . Existing law declares the intent of the Legislature to conform state law to the federal act, as specified. Existing law generally provides a minor 16 years of age and older with another planned permanent living arrangement, as prescribed. This bill would make conforming changes by deleting references to long-term foster care and instead providing for placement in another planned permanent living arrangement. (4) This bill would require the State Department of Social Services and the State Department of Health Care Services to adopt regulations to implement its provisions, and to implement certain other provisions of existing law. The bill would authorize those departments to implement the provisions of this bill by all-county letter or similar written instructions until regulations are adopted. The bill would make other changes related to foster care and the placement of foster children. (5) This bill would incorporate additional changes made by AB 741, AB 1001, AB 1067, AB 1688, AB 1702, AB 1762, AB 1838, AB 1849, AB 2005, AB 2231, AB 2537, SB 524, and SB 1336 that would become operative only if this bill is chaptered last. (6) 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 specified reasons.
Existing law, the California Coastal Act of 1976, establishes the California Coastal Commission and prescribes the membership and functions and duties of the commission. Existing law provides that the commission consists of 15 members. This bill would require one of the members of the commission appointed by the Governor to reside in, and work directly with, communities in the state that are disproportionately burdened by, and vulnerable to, high levels of pollution and issues of environmental justice, as defined. The bill would require that the Governor appoint a member who meets these qualifications to a vacant position from the appointments available no later than the fourth appointment available after January 1, 2017. Existing law requires any person, as defined, wishing to perform or undertake any development, as defined, in the coastal zone to obtain a permit, except as provided. Existing law prescribes a process for the certification of local coastal programs in the state and requires, after certification of the local coastal program, a coastal development permit to be issued if the issuing agency, or the commission on appeal, finds that the proposed development is in conformity with the certified local coastal program. This bill would authorize the issuing agency, or the commission on appeal, to consider environmental justice, as defined, or the equitable distribution of environmental benefits in communities throughout the state, when acting on a coastal development permit.
The Child Care and Development Services Act has a purpose of providing a comprehensive, coordinated, and cost-effective system of child care and development services for children from infancy to 13 years of age and their parents, including a full range of supervision, health, and support services through full- and part-time programs. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop standards for the implementation of quality child care programs. Existing law authorizes the County of Alameda, as a pilot project, to develop an individualized county child care subsidy plan, as provided. This bill would authorize, until January 1, 2022, the County of Santa Clara to develop and implement an individualized county child care subsidy plan, as specified. The bill would require the plan to be submitted to the local planning council and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors for approval, as specified. The bill would require the Early Education and Support Division of the State Department of Education to review and approve or disapprove the plan and any subsequent modifications to the plan. The bill would require the County of Santa Clara to annually prepare and submit to the Legislature, the State Department of Social Services, and the State Department of Education a report that contains specified information relating to the success of the county's plan. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Santa Clara.