Under existing law, disabled veterans, as defined, are authorized to display distinguishing license plates that qualify them for specified parking privileges. Existing law also authorizes them to display specified placards in lieu of the distinguishing license plates. Existing law exempts a disabled veteran from the payment of vehicle registration fees, as specified. Existing law defines disabled veteran for these purposes as, among other things, a person who, as a result of injury or disease suffered while on active service with the Armed Forces of the United States, has a disability that has been rated at 100% by the Department of Veterans Affairs or the military service from which the veteran was discharged, due to a diagnosed disease or disorder that substantially impairs or interferes with mobility. This bill would reduce the disability rating required to meet that definition to 70%.
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Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the primary state agency for the administration of state-authorized student financial aid programs available to students attending all segments of postsecondary education. This bill would require the commission to, upon appropriation by the Legislature, establish an educational loan repayment program for first responders serving in disadvantaged communities, as specified. The bill would require applicants for the program to be active first responders within the state who have served for a minimum of 5 years within a disadvantaged community. The bill would require an applicant to provide proof of full-time employment and for the applicant's supervisor, manager, or business owner to attest, under penalty of perjury, that the applicant is in good standing with the respective agency for which they serve. By expanding the crime of perjury, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. The bill would create the Disadvantaged Communities Account for First Responders Fund, and authorize the commission to accept donations for the purposes of the program and deposit them in the fund. The bill would require the commission to monitor the program for fraud and to annually report to the Legislature on the program, as specified. 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, the California Safe Drinking Water Act, requires the State Water Resources Control Board to adopt primary drinking water standards for contaminants in drinking water. Existing law requires the state board to consider specified criteria when it adopts a primary drinking water standard, including the technological and economic feasibility of compliance. This bill would require the state board to take specified actions if the state board adopts a primary drinking water standard with a compliance period for which public water systems are given a designated period of time to comply with the primary drinking water standard without being held in violation of the primary drinking water standard. Specifically, the bill would require the state board to determine which public water system may not be able to comply with the primary drinking water standard without receiving financial assistance and develop a compliance plan, including a financial plan to assist that public water system in complying with the primary drinking water standard. The bill would also require the state board, if a public water system is in violation of the primary drinking water standard after the compliance period, to take into consideration whether or not the public water system implemented the compliance plan.
Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue a driver's license to an applicant when the department determines that the applicant is lawfully entitled to a license. Existing law allows an in-person applicant for a driver's license or identification card to request the word "VETERAN" be printed on the face of the driver's license or identification card, subject to certain requirements, including, among others, verification of veteran status, as specified, and payment of a $5 fee, which the department is authorized to increase by regulation, in an amount not to exceed $15, as specified. This bill would allow an applicant for a driver's license or identification card, who served for another country in military operations that supported the United States during the Vietnam War and later became a naturalized citizen, to request a "NON-US VIETNAM VETERAN" designation on their driver's license or identification card, subject to certain requirements, including verification of military service for a foreign country during the Vietnam War and payment of a $5 fee, which the department is authorized to increase by regulation, in an amount not to exceed $15, as specified. This bill would authorize the department to consult with the Department of Veterans Affairs to determine the proof necessary to verify an applicant's veteran status.
Existing law requires all contracts for the acquisition of information technology goods and services related to information technology projects, as defined, to be made by or under the supervision of the Department of Technology, which also has the final authority in the determination of information technology procurement policy. This bill would require the Department of Technology to maximize, to the extent practicable, use of modular contracting for large-scale information technology acquisitions, as defined. The bill would require, to the maximum extent practicable, a contract for an increment of an information technology acquisition using modular contracting to be awarded within 180 days after the solicitation is issued, and would require an increment of an information technology acquisition to be delivered within 18 months after the solicitation resulting in award of the contract was issued. The bill would require the department to develop a process for overseeing large-scale information technology acquisitions using modular contracting, as specified.
Existing law establishes the CalRecycle Greenhouse Gas Reduction Revolving Loan Program, administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, to provide loans to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases by promoting in-state development of infrastructure or other projects to reduce organic waste or process organic and other recyclable materials into new value-added products. This bill would create a 5-year woody biomass rural county collection and disposal pilot program, to be administered by the department. The bill would require the department, pursuant to the program, to award funding to participating counties with a total population of less than 250,000 for the purpose of conducting community collection days on which individuals could dispose of woody biomass and other source-separated biomass free of charge. The bill would require a county awarded funding under the program to contract with a local compost facility, mulch production facility, or biomass conversion facility to collect and to process or convert the biomass in a way that results in less greenhouse gas emitted than if the biomass had been disposed of. The bill would require the department to report specified program information to the Legislature after the conclusion of the program.
Existing law establishes various programs to provide assistance to homeless persons, including, among others, the Emergency Housing and Assistance Program and homeless youth emergency service pilot projects. Existing law also establishes the California Interagency Council on Homelessness to oversee the implementation of Housing First guidelines and regulations, and, among other things, identify resources, benefits, and services that can be accessed to prevent and end homelessness in California. This bill would require the California Health and Human Services Agency to convene a working group that includes representatives from all departments and agencies that currently receive funding relating to services for homeless individuals. The bill would require the working group to determine the best approach to creating a Department of Homelessness Prevention, Outreach, and Support and to submit its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2024. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2024.
Existing law defines the crime of human trafficking and imposes a penalty of at least 5, 8, or 12 years in state prison and a fine of not more than $500,000. This bill would prohibit plea bargaining in a case in which the indictment or information charges the crime of human trafficking and it is alleged that the victim is a minor, unless there is insufficient evidence to prove the people's case, or testimony of a material witness cannot be obtained, or a reduction or dismissal would not result in a substantial change in sentence. By increasing 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.
Existing property tax law, pursuant to the authorization of the California Constitution, provides a disabled veteran's property tax exemption for the principal place of residence of a veteran, the veteran's spouse, or the veteran and veteran's spouse jointly, and the unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran, as provided, if the veteran is blind in both eyes, has lost the use of 2 or more limbs, or is totally disabled as a result of injury or disease incurred in military service, or if the veteran has, as a result of a service-connected injury or disease, died while on active duty in military service. Existing law exempts that part of the full value of the residence that does not exceed $100,000, or $150,000 if the household income of the claimant does not exceed $40,000, as adjusted for inflation, as specified. This bill, for property tax lien dates occurring on or after January 1, 2023, would additionally provide a partial exemption for property owned by, and that constitutes the principal place of residence of, a veteran who is partially disabled, as defined, or the veteran's spouse or the veteran and the veteran's spouse jointly, under these provisions. The bill would require that the amount of partial exemption provided be the percentage of the full amount of exemption, as described above, equivalent to the partially disabled veteran's disability rating percentage by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or the military service from which the veteran was discharged, as applicable. By adding to the duties of local tax officials in administering the disabled veterans' property tax exemption, 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, 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 requires the state to reimburse local agencies annually for certain property tax revenues lost as a result of any exemption or classification of property for purposes of ad valorem property taxation. This bill would provide that, notwithstanding those provisions, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse local agencies for property tax revenues lost by them pursuant to the bill. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Existing law authorizes air pollution control districts and air quality management districts to establish, by regulation, a permit system to require that before any person builds, erects, alters, replaces, operates, or uses any article, machine, equipment, or other contrivance which may cause the issuance of air contaminants, the person obtain a permit from the district. Existing law requires air pollution control and air quality management districts, except county districts with a population of less than 250,000, to establish, by regulation, a program to provide for the expedited review of permits. A person who violates these requirements, or any rules, regulation, permit, or order of a district is guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would, except as provided, require air pollution control and air quality management districts to establish a mobile fueling on-demand tank vehicle permit program for mobile fueling on-demand tank vehicle operations, as defined. The bill would require that a mobile fueling on-demand tank vehicle permit program provide, among other things, a consistent permitting process for an operation that requires more than one permit and an expedited permit review and fee schedule. By placing additional duties upon air pollution control and air quality management districts, and expanding the scope of existing crimes, 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 specified reasons.