Under existing law, a state agency for which an appropriation is made is generally required to submit to the Department of Finance for approval a complete and detailed budget setting forth all proposed expenditures and estimated revenues for the ensuing fiscal year. Existing law authorizes the department to require certain state agencies to produce financial and statistical reports, as specified. This bill would require the Department of Finance, on or before January 1, 2026, to compile a list of all state agencies and to split the list into 15 sections with each section equally distributing state agencies across the legislative budget subcommittees, as specified. The bill would require the department, on January 1, 2027, to publish on its internet website the full list of state agencies, as described above. The bill would require the department, on January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, to publish a list of which section of state agencies is required to develop its budget using a zero-based budgeting method, as defined. The bill, commencing January 1, 2027, would require each state agency, as specified, to develop its budget based on a zero-based budgeting method for review during the budget process, as prescribed. In developing its budget based on a zero-based budgeting method, the bill would require, among other things, representatives from each state agency to work with the department to submit a report, as specified, to the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, the Assembly Committee on Budget, and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
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Existing law requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife to issue lifetime hunting licenses and lifetime sport fishing licenses, and grants certain lifetime privileges to holders of those licenses, upon the one-time payment of specified fees. This bill would require, upon application to the department, lifetime hunting licenses and lifetime sport fishing licenses to be issued at no cost to Gold Star Family members who meet certain eligibility requirements.
Existing law sets forth in the Health and Safety Code various provisions relating to health and safety subjects. Existing law defines certain terms for purposes of the code, including "subdivision," defined to mean a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to that definition.
Existing law regulates the construction and operation of dams and exempts certain structures for these purposes. Existing law requires the owner of such exempt structures to employ a registered civil engineer to supervise the structure, as prescribed. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the above provision.
Existing law finds and declares that voluntary water transfers between water users can result in a more efficient use of water, benefiting both the buyer and the seller. Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources to implement the various state laws that pertain to water transfers and to prepare a water transfer guide that includes, among other things, a review of existing and appropriate state and federal laws that pertain to water transfers, water markets, or water rights. This bill would require, on or before January 1, 2025, the Legislative Analyst, in collaboration with the Department of Water Resources, the State Water Resources Control Board, and other state agencies, as described, to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report analyzing the water market, including background information regarding the sale of water and water rights, trends in the water market, barriers to entering the water market or effectively trading in the market, and proposals for improving the regulatory framework to make the water market more market friendly and to encourage growth.
Under existing law, the Geologic Energy Management Division in the Department of Conservation regulates the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of oil and gas wells in the state. The State Oil and Gas Supervisor supervises the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of wells and the operation, maintenance, and removal or abandonment of tanks and facilities related to oil and gas production within an oil and gas field regarding safety and environmental damage. If a parcel of land contains one acre or more and the hydrocarbons to be developed are too heavy or viscous to produce by normal means, existing law authorizes the supervisor to approve proposals to drill wells at whatever locations the supervisor deems advisable for the purpose of the proper development of these hydrocarbons by the application of pressure, heat, or other means for the reduction of oil viscosity. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that authorization.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires, among other things, a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it 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 prohibits an action or proceeding from being brought in a court to challenge the approval of a project by a public agency unless the alleged grounds for noncompliance are presented to the public agency orally or in writing by a person during the public comment period provided by CEQA or before the close of the public hearing on the project before the issuance of the notice of determination. This bill would require the alleged grounds for noncompliance with CEQA presented to the public agency in writing be presented at least 10 days before the public hearing on the project before the issuance of the notice of determination. The bill would prohibit the inclusion of written comments presented to the public agency after that time period in the record of proceedings and would prohibit those documents from serving as basis on which an action or proceeding may be brought.
Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to initiate and carry on any program, activity, or to act in any manner that is not in conflict with or inconsistent with, or preempted by, any law and that is not in conflict with the purposes for which school districts are established. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that provision.
The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the taxes imposed by that law. That law, in modified conformity to federal income tax law, authorizes a credit for household and dependent care expenses necessary for gainful employment, as provided. This bill would allow a credit against those taxes for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2030, in an amount equal to childcare costs, as defined, paid or incurred by the qualified taxpayer in this state. The bill would limit the total credit for each taxable year, as specified. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure, as defined, to include tax credits, to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax credit will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would include findings and reporting requirements in compliance with this requirement. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.