Asm. James Gallagher

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. Under existing law, that definition applies unless an explicit provision of law or the context clearly requires a different meaning. Existing law provides punishments for hate crimes that range from misdemeanors with specified penalties to felonies with additional terms of one to 3 years in state prison, depending on the underlying criminal act and other circumstances. Existing law requires, with conditions, the Attorney General to direct local law enforcement agencies to report specified information relative to hate crimes to the Department of Justice. Local law enforcement entities are required by existing law to provide a brochure on hate crimes to victims of these crimes and to the public, and the Department of Fair Employment and Housing is required by existing law to revise those brochures as needed and to provide those brochures to local law enforcement agencies upon request. This bill would add status as a peace officer to the list of actual or perceived characteristics necessary to determine whether a criminal act qualifies as a hate crime. By expanding the scope of an existing crime and by expanding the information that law enforcement agencies report to the Department of Justice and disseminate to crime victims and the public, 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 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 Director of Employment Development to apply for an advance to the Unemployment Fund and accept the responsibility for the repayment of the advance in accordance with the conditions specified in Title XII of the Social Security Act, as amended, to secure the advantages available under the provisions of that title. Existing law authorizes the federal government to make advances to the states from the federal unemployment account in the federal Unemployment Trust Fund and requires repayment of those advances, with interest, as specified. Existing law authorizes the governor of any state to request that funds be transferred from a state account to the federal unemployment account in repayment of part or all of the balance of advances, as specified. This bill would appropriate $19,300,000,000 from the General Fund to the Employment Development Department for the purpose of repaying all advances from the federal unemployment account, as specified.

The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, enacted as an initiative statute by Proposition 47, as approved by the electors at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, made various changes relating to theft and the possession of controlled substances, including by, among other things, generally reducing the penalty for those crimes, including reducing the penalty for possession of concentrated cannabis, establishing a procedure by which individuals convicted of those crimes prior to the passage of the act may petition for resentencing under the act, and creating the crime of shoplifting. The act also requires the Director of Finance to calculate the savings accruing to the state as a result of the implementation of the act and requires the Controller to transfer that sum from the General Fund to the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Fund, which was created by the act. The act specifies the manner of distribution of those funds and the purposes for which they may be used. This bill would repeal the changes and additions made by Proposition 47, except those related to reducing the penalty for possession of concentrated cannabis. Existing law makes it a crime for a caretaker of an elder or a dependent adult, or a person who is not a caretaker and who knows or reasonably should know that the victim is an elder or a dependent adult, to violate specified laws proscribing theft, embezzlement, forgery, fraud, or identity theft with respect to the property or personal identifying information of that elder or dependent adult. Existing law makes a violation of those provisions punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony when the moneys, labor, goods, services, or real or personal property taken or obtained is of a value exceeding $950. This bill would reduce the value threshold for a violation of those provisions to be punishable as a felony from $950 to $400. Existing law defines grand theft as the wrongful taking of money, labor, or property of a value exceeding $950, except as specified. Existing law also makes it grand theft where the money, labor, or real or personal property is taken by a servant, agent, or employee from their principal or employer and aggregates $950 or more in any consecutive 12-month period. This bill would reduce the value threshold for committing grand theft under those provisions from $950 to $400. This bill would provide that it would become effective only upon approval of the voters, and would provide for the submission of this measure to the voters for approval at the next statewide general election.

Existing law prohibits an intermodal marine equipment provider or intermodal marine terminal operator, as defined, from imposing per diem, detention, or demurrage charges on an intermodal motor carrier relative to transactions involving cargo shipped by intermodal transport under certain circumstances, including when an intermodal marine terminal decides to divert equipment without 48 hours' notice. This bill would also prohibit an intermodal marine container provider from imposing those charges, extended dwell charges, or commencing or continuing free time, as defined, on a motor carrier, as defined, beneficial cargo owner, or other intermediary relative to transactions involving cargo shipped by intermodal transport under certain circumstances. The bill would instead specify that those circumstances include when the intermodal marine container provider decides to divert equipment from the original interchange location without notice, as described above, and also include when the motor carrier documents an unsuccessful attempt to make an appointment for either a loaded or empty container transaction, as specified. The bill would also specify that those circumstances include when a return or delivery of an intermodal container is delayed because a booked vessel's receiving date changes, and when the obstacle to the cargo retrieval or return of equipment are within the scope of responsibility of the carrier or their agent and beyond the control of the invoices or contracting party. Existing law also prohibits an intermodal marine equipment provider from terminating, suspending, or restricting equipment interchange rights of a motor carrier for specified reasons and from charging back, deducting, or offsetting per diem charges or certain other charges from the motor carrier's freight bill. This bill would also prohibit an intermodal marine container provider from commencing or continuing free time if cargo is unavailable for retrieval and timely notice of cargo availability has not been provided. Existing law defines "intermodal marine terminal" to mean a marine terminal location or facility that engages in discharging or receiving equipment owned, operated, or controlled by an equipment provider. This bill would define "intermodal marine container provider" to mean the entity authorizing delivery or receipt of physical possession of the container with a motor carrier, beneficial cargo owner, or other intermediary. The bill would also define "satellite facility" to mean an intermodal yard, that is not a marine terminal, within the same local commercial territory that supports operations of an intermodal marine container provider or intermodal marine terminal, and would require any provisions related to acts at intermodal marine terminals to also be applied to acts at satellite facilities. This bill would specify that where these provisions are addressed by future federal law or regulation, and the federal law or regulation permits states to exceed the requirements set forth in the federal law or regulation, the more stringent provision shall govern.

(1) The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law, in conformity with federal income tax law, generally defines "gross income" as income from whatever source derived, except as specifically excluded, and provides various exclusions from gross income. Until January 1, 2028, this bill would provide an exclusion from gross income for any qualified taxpayer, as defined, for amounts received for costs and losses associated with one or more specified fires from a settlement, as provided. (2) Existing law establishes the continuously appropriated Tax Relief and Refund Account and provides that payments required to be made to taxpayers or other persons from the Personal Income Tax Fund are to be paid from that account. This bill would authorize the refund of overpayments of tax as a result of the above-described exclusion, in prior tax years, payable out of the Tax Relief and Refund Account. By authorizing new payments from a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation. (3) Existing law requires that any bill introduced on or after January 1, 2020, that would authorize certain tax expenditures, as defined, or tax exemptions contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax expenditure or exemption will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. (4) This bill would apply its provisions to taxable years beginning before, on, and after the effective date of this bill. The bill would make legislative findings and declarations regarding the public purpose served by this bill. (5) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law finds and declares that all individuals with exceptional needs have a right to participate in free appropriate public education and special educational instruction and services for these persons are needed in order to ensure the right to an appropriate educational opportunity to meet their unique needs. Existing law provides that it is the intent of the Legislature that education programs are provided under an approved local plan for special education, as provided. Existing law further provides that it is the intent of the Legislature that appropriate qualified staff are employed, consistent with credential requirements, to fulfill the responsibilities of the local plan. Existing law establishes in state government the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and requires it to adopt standards for the issuance of teaching credentials, as provided. This bill would require the commission, on or before January 1, 2024, to revise its administrative services credential standards and performance expectations to include and strengthen preparation for inclusion, with a focus on, among other things, universal design for learning (UDL) , as defined. The bill would require administrator preparation programs to ensure faculty are prepared in, among other things, UDL. Contingent upon an appropriation, the bill would require the State Department of Education, in consultation with the commission, on or before March 31, 2024, to develop and disseminate joint guidance clarifying the ways in which inclusive classrooms and placements may be staffed under current law, as provided. The bill would require the department, in consultation with the commission, on or before March 31, 2024, to submit a report to the Legislature on recommendations for statutory or regulatory changes necessary to eliminate barriers to the staffing of inclusive placements. Existing law establishes in state government the Instructional Quality Commission to study courses of study in the schools and make recommendations to the State Board of Education regarding the adoption of minimum standards for courses of study, as provided. This bill would require the department, on or before June 30, 2023, to train members of the commission on the principles and strategies of UDL. The bill would require the commission to assess the extent to which instructional materials submitted for state adoption use UDL principles and strategies.