Rep. Jay Obernolte

The Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act of 2016 (AUMA) , an initiative measure approved as Proposition 64 at the November 8, 2016, statewide general election, authorizes a person who obtains a state license under AUMA to engage in commercial adult-use cannabis activity pursuant to that license and applicable local ordinances. The Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) , among other things, consolidates the licensure and regulation of commercial medicinal and adult-use cannabis activities. MAUCRSA generally divides responsibility for the state licensure and regulation of commercial cannabis activity among the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the State Department of Public Health. MAUCRSA requires those licensing authorities to establish a scale of application, licensing, and renewal fees based upon the cost of enforcing MAUCRSA and upon the size of the business of the licensee or applicant, as specified. Under existing administrative law, the licensing authorities have adopted regulations setting application fees and annual license fees that vary depending on license category as well as the size of the business for certain annual license fees. This bill would remove the requirement that the licensing authorities charge a renewal fee, and would prohibit licensing authorities from setting application and license fees that exceed certain specified amounts that are consistent with regulations adopted as of May 17, 2019. AUMA authorizes the Legislature to amend the act to further the purposes and intent of the act with a 23 vote of the membership of both houses of the Legislature. This bill would declare that its provisions further specified purposes and intent of AUMA.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix just and reasonable rates and charges for public utilities. Existing law requires the commission to exercise its regulatory authority to maintain the California High-Cost Fund-A program, until January 1, 2023, to provide universal service rate support to small independent telephone corporations, as defined, in furtherance of the state's universal service commitment to the continued affordability and widespread availability of safe, reliable, high-quality communications services in rural areas of the state. This bill would authorize a small independent telephone corporation to initiate a rate case through either an advice letter or application. If a rate case is initiated by an advice letter, the bill would require that the case be processed according to the commission's rules governing advice letters. If a rate case is initiated by application, the bill would require that the case be processed according to the commission's rules governing formal proceedings. The bill would authorize the commission, following review of a rate case advice letter, to require that it be resubmitted as an application, if the commission adopts a resolution within 120 days that includes specified factual findings.

Existing law establishes conditions under which a premarital agreement is not enforceable, including when the party against whom enforcement is sought proves that party did not execute the agreement voluntarily. Existing law, effective January 1, 2002, deems that a premarital agreement was not executed voluntarily unless the court finds, among other things, that the party against whom enforcement is sought (1) was represented by independent legal counsel at the time of signing the agreement or was advised to seek legal counsel and waived representation and (2) had at least 7 days between being first presented with the agreement and being advised to seek counsel and the time the agreement was signed. This bill would require the advisement to seek independent legal counsel described above to be made at least 7 days before the final agreement is signed. The bill would state that this provision is declaratory of existing law. The bill would also provide, with respect to premarital agreements executed on or after January 1, 2020, that the agreement may not be deemed voluntary unless the party against whom enforcement is sought had at least 7 days between being first presented with the final agreement and signing the agreement, regardless of whether the party is represented by legal counsel.

This measure would recognize June 12, 2019, as the 121st Anniversary of Philippine Independence and would call upon the people of the state to observe the month of June with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities.

This measure would urge the United States Congress and the President of the United States to permit states to extend burial and memorial benefits to Hmong veterans at state veterans cemeteries.