Existing law establishes the state flag and the state's emblems, including, among other things, the poppy as the official state flower, the California redwood as the official state tree, and the California gray whale as the official state marine mammal. This bill would establish the banana slug (Ariolimax) as the official state slug.
(1) Existing law authorizes the agricultural commissioner of a county to adopt regulations applicable in the county that are supplemental to those of the Director of Pesticide Regulation that govern the conduct of pest control operations and records and reports of those operations. Existing law authorizes the commissioner to adopt regulations on the agricultural use of any pesticide for agricultural production within 14 mile of a school with respect to the timing, notification, and method of application. Existing regulations restrict specified applications of pesticides made for the production of an agricultural commodity within 14 mile of a schoolsite. This bill would require the Department of Pesticide Regulation to require a separate site identification number for the portion of an agricultural field that lies within 14 mile of a schoolsite. The bill would also require the department, for permit applications for agricultural use of pesticides designated as restricted materials, notices of intent for use of a pesticide designated as a restricted material, and pesticide use reporting forms and procedures, as they pertain to an agricultural field of which any portion lies within 14 mile of a schoolsite, to require reporting on the specific method, or the specific anticipated method, of applying the pesticide, as applicable, and certain information relating to the dates and times of the pesticide application, as applicable, as specified. The bill would require the director, in evaluating a county's pesticide use enforcement program, to evaluate the county's effectiveness in enforcing specified laws and regulations regarding applying pesticides near schoolsites. The bill would require the director, on or before December 31, 2026, to expand the scope of specified related regulations to also apply to private schools serving pupils in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, with an enrollment of 6 or more pupils. The bill would require the department and the county agricultural commissioners to use private school directory information and maps available on the internet website of the State Department of Education to determine the location of private schools serving pupils in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, with an enrollment of 6 or more pupils. The bill would exempt a school conducted in a person's residence from these provisions. (2) Existing law, unless a different penalty is expressly provided, makes a violation of the Food and Agricultural Code a crime. By expanding the duties of county agricultural commissioners, and by expanding the scope of 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 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 requires the State Oil and Gas Supervisor to supervise the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of wells and the operation, maintenance, and removal or abandonment of tanks and facilities attendant to oil and gas production, so as to prevent damage to life, health, property, and natural resources, as provided; to permit owners and operators of wells to utilize all known methods and practices to increase the ultimate recovery of hydrocarbons; and to perform the supervisor's duties in a manner that encourages the wise development of oil and gas resources to best meet oil and gas needs in this state. Existing California Supreme Court case law holds that these provisions preempt certain local ordinances that ban certain oil production methods, as provided. Existing law provides that the laws relating to oil and gas regulation apply to any land or well situated within the boundaries of an incorporated city in which the drilling of oil wells is now or may hereafter be prohibited, as provided. Existing law requires the operator of a well to file a written notice of intention to commence drilling with, and prohibits any drilling until approval is given by, the supervisor or district deputy. Existing law authorizes the supervisor to require other pertinent information to supplement the notice. Existing law requires an operator proposing to perform a well stimulation treatment to apply to the supervisor or district deputy for a permit to perform the well stimulation treatment and imposes other requirements and conditions on the use of well stimulation treatments. This bill would authorize a local entity, as defined, by ordinance, to limit or prohibit oil and gas operations or development in its jurisdiction, as provided, notwithstanding any other law or any notice of intention, supplemental notice, well stimulation treatment permit, or similar authorization issued by the supervisor or district deputy. The bill would authorize these limitations or prohibitions to include, but not be limited to, limitations or prohibitions related to the methods and locations of oil and gas operations or development. If a local entity limits or prohibits oil and gas operations or development of an owner or operator, the bill would require that owner or operator to comply with existing rules related to plugging and abandoning wells, decommissioning attendant production facilities, and related measures, as provided. This bill would state that its provisions are severable.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. Existing law, with certain exceptions, prohibits a public utility from changing any rate, except upon a showing before the commission and a finding by the commission that the new rate is justified. With certain exceptions, whenever an electrical corporation or gas corporation files an application to change any rate for the services or commodities furnished by it, existing law requires the corporation to furnish to its affected customers a notice of its application to the commission for approval of the new rate. This bill would require an electrical corporation's or gas corporation's application requesting authorization for or recovery of capital expenditures to include, if the commission determines these estimates are required, its best estimate of the application's impact on its annual revenue requirement for each year that the capital expenditures described in the application are expected to remain in the application's rate base if the application is approved or conditionally approved and the net present value of those impacts. The bill would require the commission to determine in a scoping ruling or other ruling whether an application from an electrical corporation or gas corporation requesting authorization for or recovery of capital expenditures requires these estimates. The bill would further require the commission to require the electrical corporation or gas corporation to provide supporting workpapers and calculations for these estimates. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the above-described requirements would be a part of the act, and because a violation of a commission action implementing the above-described requirements would be a crime, 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.
Existing law requires that a weapon acquired by a specified governmental entity under specified circumstances, including as part of a "gun-buyback" program, be destroyed. This bill would require a law enforcement agency that contracts with a third party for the destruction of firearms or weapons to ensure that the contract for those services prohibits the sale of any parts of, or attachments to, the firearm or other weapon, as specified. The bill would also exempt from the destruction requirement, any firearm obtained through a "gun-buyback" program that is donated to a historical society, museum, or institutional collection, as specified. By requiring a higher level of service for local agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 18005 of the Penal Code proposed by SB 1019 and AB 2739 to be operative only if this bill and either one or both of those bills are enacted and this bill is enacted last. 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.
The California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) grants to a consumer various rights with respect to personal information, as defined, that is collected by a business, as defined, including the right to opt out of the selling or sharing of personal information about the consumer to third parties. Additionally, the CCPA prohibits a business from selling or sharing the personal information of a consumer if the business has actual knowledge that the consumer is less than 16 years of age, unless the consumer, in the case of a consumer at least 13 years of age and less than 16 years of age, or the consumer's parent or guardian, in the case of consumers who are less than 13 years of age, has affirmatively authorized the sale or sharing of the consumer's personal information. The Student Online Personal Information Protection Act (SOPIPA) prohibits an operator of an internet website, online service, online application, or mobile application with actual knowledge that the site, service, or application is used primarily for K–12 school purposes and was designed and marketed for K–12 school purposes from knowingly engaging in certain activities with respect to the operator's site, service, or application, including selling a student's information, including covered information, as defined, or using information, including persistent unique identifiers, created or gathered by the operator's site, service, or application, to amass a profile about a K–12 student except in furtherance of K–12 school purposes. This bill would prohibit a national assessment provider, as defined, from knowingly doing certain things with respect to its administration of, or publishing or distributing the scores with respect to, a standardized test, including selling personal information provided by an individual, or the individual's parent or legal guardian, to a national assessment provider for the purposes of administering, or publishing or distributing the scores with respect to, a standardized test, except as prescribed. The bill would define "standardized test" to mean a test administered in California at the expense of the test subject that is, among other things, not a test administered for K–12 purposes, as described above.
Existing law requires the board of supervisors of each county, following each decennial federal census, and using that census as a basis, to adjust the boundaries of any or all of the supervisorial districts of the county so that the districts are as nearly equal in population as possible and comply with applicable federal law, and specifies the procedures the board of supervisors must follow in adjusting those boundaries. Existing law establishes redistricting commissions in certain counties, and charges them with adjusting the supervisorial district boundaries for those counties. This bill would establish the Citizens Redistricting Commission in the County of San Luis Obispo, which would be charged with adjusting the boundary lines of the districts of the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Luis Obispo in accordance with specified criteria. The commission would consist of 11 members who meet specified qualifications. The bill would require each commission member to attend all public hearings and meetings of the commission to the greatest extent practicable, and would create specified procedures by which the commission may remove a member for substantial neglect of duty, gross misconduct of office, inability to discharge the duties of the office, or if it is later discovered that the commission member did not meet the required qualifications at the time of appointment or no longer meets those qualifications while serving on the commission. The bill would provide that if the commission is unable to act because it does not have 7 voting members to constitute a quorum, then the county elections official must fill the vacancies to bring the commission to 7 voting members, as specified. By increasing the duties on local officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of San Luis Obispo. 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.
The California Endangered Species Act prohibits the taking of an endangered, threatened, or candidate species, except as specified. Under the act, the Department of Fish and Wildlife (department) may authorize the take of listed species by certain entities through permits or memorandums of understanding for specified purposes. Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to identify areas in the state as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones based on consistent statewide criteria and based on the severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in those areas. Existing law requires a local agency to designate, by ordinance, moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones in its jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving recommendations from the State Fire Marshal, as provided. This bill would authorize a city, county, city and county, special district, or other local agency to submit to the department a wildfire preparedness plan to conduct wildfire preparedness activities on land designated as a fire hazard severity zone, as defined, that minimizes impacts to wildlife and habitat for candidate, threatened, and endangered species. The bill would require the wildfire preparedness plan to include, among other things, a brief description of the planned wildfire preparedness activities, the approximate dates for the activities, and a description of the candidate, endangered, and threatened species within the plan area. The bill would require the department, if sufficient information is included in the wildfire preparedness plan for the department to determine if an incidental take permit is required, to notify the local agency within 90 days of receipt of the wildfire preparedness plan if an incidental take permit or other permit is needed, or if there are other considerations, exemptions, or streamlined pathways that the wildfire preparedness activities qualify for, including, but not limited to, the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection's California Vegetation Treatment Program. The bill would require the department to provide the local agency, in its notification, with guidance that includes, among other things, a description of the candidate, endangered, and threatened species within the plan area and measures to avoid, minimize, and fully mitigate the take of the candidate, threatened, and endangered species, as provided. The bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2025, to make a standard wildfire preparedness plan submission form publicly available on its internet website. The bill also would require the department, commencing January 1, 2026, to annually post on its internet website a summary of the wildfire preparedness plans submitted and include specified information in that summary.
Existing law prohibits a store, as defined, from providing a single-use carryout bag to a customer at the point of sale, with specified exceptions, including an exemption for bags used to contain unwrapped food. Existing law defines a "single-use carryout bag" as a bag made of plastic, paper, or other material that is provided by a store to a customer at the point of sale and that is not a recycled paper bag or a reusable grocery bag that meets specified requirements, including that the bag be made by a certified reusable grocery bag producer and meets specified requirements with regard to the bag's durability, material, labeling, heavy metal content, and, with regard to reusable grocery bags made from plastic film, recycled material content. Existing law prohibits a producer of reusable grocery bags made from plastic film from selling or distributing those bags unless the producer is certified by a third-party certification entity, and provides proof of that certification and a certification fee to the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, as specified. Existing law also prohibits a store from selling or distributing a recycled paper bag at the point of sale unless the store makes that bag available for purchase for not less than $0.10. Existing law defines "recycled paper bag," in part, as a paper carryout bag that contains a minimum of 40% postconsumer recycled materials, except as provided, and meets other requirements. Existing law allows a retail establishment to voluntarily comply with these requirements, if the retail establishment provides the department with irrevocable notice. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2026, revise and recast those provisions to, among other things, recast the definition of a "single-use carryout bag" to a "carryout bag," and would revise the definition to mean a bag made of plastic, paper, or other material that is provided by a store to a customer at the point of sale for the purpose of carrying purchased goods and that is not a recycled paper bag. The bill would create a carryout bag exception to include a bag provided to a customer before the customer reaches the point of sale, that is designed to protect a purchased item from damaging or contaminating other purchased items in a checkout bag, or to contain an unwrapped food item, as specified. The bill would revise the definition of "recycled paper bag" to require it be made from a minimum of 50% postconsumer recycled materials on and after January 1, 2028, without exception. The bill would also prohibit a store from providing, distributing, or selling a carryout bag to a customer at the point of sale, except as provided. The bill would also repeal the provisions relating to standards for and the certification of reusable grocery bags, and would repeal a provision relating to certain obsolete at-store recycling program requirements. The bill would make related legislative findings and declarations and would make related conforming changes.
Existing law establishes the Voluntary Offshore Wind and Coastal Resources Protection Program, which is administered by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission for the purpose of supporting state activities that complement and are in furtherance of federal laws related to the development of offshore wind facilities. Existing law creates, and continuously appropriates moneys in, the Voluntary Offshore Wind and Coastal Resources Protection Fund for purposes of the program and the Private Donations Account, which is created in the fund. Existing law authorizes the commission to accept federal and private sector moneys for purposes of the program and requires the private sector moneys to be deposited into the donations account and the federal moneys to be deposited into the fund. Existing law requires the commission to post a report on its internet website, within 30 days of receiving a donation, about specified information regarding each donation received. Existing law authorizes the commission to allocate moneys in the fund or donations account for specified purposes, including workforce development grants. This bill would additionally authorize the commission to allocate moneys in the fund or donations account for capacity funding activities and grants within local communities and tribal communities to engage in the process of offshore wind energy development. By expanding the purposes for which continuously appropriated moneys may be allocated, the bill would make an appropriation. This bill would create the Offshore Wind Community Capacity Funding Grant Account in the fund, and would continuously appropriate the moneys in this account to the commission to fund capacity funding activities and award capacity funding grants, thereby making an appropriation, as specified. The bill would require an offshore wind entity, as defined, to provide financial assistance to fund those activities and grants for the 3-year period after the offshore wind entity executes an offshore wind lease, as provided. The bill would make that financial assistance subject to the reporting requirement described above. The bill would authorize the commission to use up to 5% of the total amount deposited into the grant account, if needed, to administer the grant account. The bill would require the commission to annually prepare and submit a report, on or before March 1 of each year, to the Legislature on the implementation and effectiveness of those activities and grants. The bill would require the commission to develop guidelines, as provided, for the use of those moneys, and would require the guidelines to be subject to review and revision every 3 years. 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.
