Asm. James Gallagher

The Planning and Zoning Law, among other things, requires the legislative body of each county and city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the county or city and of any land outside its boundaries that relates to its planning, and provides for the adoption and administration of zoning laws, ordinances, rules, and regulations by counties and cities. The Subdivision Map Act within the Planning and Zoning Law generally requires local agencies to control and regulate the subdivision of parcels of real property. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the provision establishing the title of the Subdivision Map Act.

Existing law provides for certain personal rights by statute, including the right to protection from bodily restraint or harm, from personal insult, from defamation, and from injury to personal relations. Under this bill, known as the California Parents' Bill of Rights, the state would recognize certain rights, including, among others, the right of a parent or guardian to advise on the moral or religious training of their minor child. The bill would specify that the recognition of those rights does not preclude an employee of a local educational agency, as defined, from acting in the employee's official capacity within the scope of the employee's authority. Existing law provides a parent or guardian of a pupil enrolled in a public school the right to participate in the education of their children, as specified, including, among others, the right to observe their child's classroom within a reasonable period of time following a request therefor. This bill would require a charter school, school district, or county office of education to, among other things, provide parents and guardians with opportunities to participate in schools to improve parent and teacher cooperation in areas including homework, school attendance, and discipline. The bill would also require those local educational agencies to post on their respective internet website specified information, including how to receive information about school choice options offered by the local educational agency. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, 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.

Existing law prescribes certain penalties for the illegal sale or purchase of abalone taken by a person required to be licensed, as specified. Existing law prescribes certain penalties for the illegal take, possession, import, export, sale, purchase, barter, trade, or exchange of a bird, fish, mammal, reptile, amphibian, or part of any of those animals, or the illegal take or possession in the field of more than 3 times the daily bag limit, or the illegal possession of more than 3 times the legal possession limit, of those animals. Existing law prescribes certain penalties for the knowing violation and conviction of certain provisions involving trophy deer, elk, antelope, bighorn sheep, or wild turkey. This bill would prohibit, if the court grants probation to a person punished pursuant to the above provisions, the period of probation from exceeding 3 years. Because this bill would extend the maximum period of probation that may be granted pursuant to these provisions, and thereby would increase the penalty for 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.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report (EIR) on a project that the lead agency proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA establishes a procedure by which a person may seek judicial review of the decision of the lead agency made pursuant to CEQA. This bill would require the Judicial Council to adopt rules of court applicable to actions or proceedings brought to attack, review, set aside, void, or annul the certification or adoption of an environmental impact report for water conveyance or storage projects, as defined, or the granting of project approvals, including any appeals to the court of appeal or the Supreme Court, to be resolved, to the extent feasible, within 270 days of the filing of the certified record of proceedings with the court to an action or proceeding seeking judicial review of the lead agency's action related to those projects. The bill would require the lead agency to prepare the record of proceedings for a water conveyance or storage project, as provided, and to include a specified notice in the draft EIR and final EIR for the water conveyance or storage project. By imposing additional duties on lead agencies, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law allow various credits against the taxes imposed by those laws, including, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2017, and before January 1, 2022, a credit for qualified taxpayers in an amount equal to 15% of the qualified value of fresh fruits or vegetables and specified raw agricultural products or processed foods donated to a food bank. In accordance with specified requirements imposed on bills containing new tax expenditures, existing law requires the Franchise Tax Board to report to the Legislature on or before December 1, 2019, and each December 1 thereafter until January 1, 2021, regarding the utilization of those tax credits and requires specified data to be included in the report. This bill would extend the authorization for those tax credits to a taxable year beginning before January 1, 2027. The bill would extend the requirement of the reports until January 1, 2026. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various professions and vocations by boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs and provides for the denial, suspension, and revocation of licenses for specified conduct. Existing law provides for the regulation of healing arts by various boards. Existing law authorizes boards to impose fines or penalties, as provided. Existing law, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which is administered by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, regulates the application, issuance, and suspension of alcoholic beverage licenses. The act provides the grounds upon which the department may suspend or revoke licenses and impose fines and penalties, as provided. This bill would prohibit the Department of Consumer Affairs, a board within the Department of Consumer Affairs that does not regulate healing arts licensees, and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control from revoking a license or imposing a fine or penalty for failure to comply with any COVID-19 state of emergency orders or COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, unless the board or department can prove that lack of compliance resulted in transmission of COVID-19. The bill would specify that the provisions do not preclude issuance of fines, penalties, or revoking a license for any action that is not related to the issuance of any COVID-19 state of emergency orders or COVID-19 stay-at-home order. The provisions of the bill would remain in effect until either the COVID-19 state of emergency is terminated or all COVID-19 stay-at-home orders are no longer in effect, whichever occurs later, but in no case would the provisions remain in effect after January 1, 2024. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.