Existing law, the California Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, establishes the California Workforce Development Board as the body responsible for assisting the Governor in the development, oversight, and continuous improvement of California's workforce investment system and the alignment of the education and workforce investment systems to the needs of the 21st century economy and workforce. That act requires the establishment of a local workforce development board in each local workforce development area of the state to, among other things, carry out analyses of the economic conditions in the local region. This bill would enact the Removing Barriers to Employment Act, which would establish the Breaking Barriers to Employment Initiative administered by the California Workforce Development Board. The bill would specify that the purpose of the initiative is to create a grant program to provide individuals with barriers to employment the services they need to enter, participate in, and complete broader workforce preparation, training, and education programs aligned with regional labor market needs. The bill would specify that people completing these programs should have the skills and competencies to successfully enter the labor market, retain employment, and earn wages that lead to self-sufficiency and economic security. The bill would require the board to develop criteria for the selection of grant recipients, as specified. The bill also would specify the criteria by which grants are required to be evaluated, the populations that are eligible to be served by grants, and the activities eligible for grant funding. The bill would make the funding of the initiative subject to an appropriation by the Legislature for that purpose and would make implementation of the initiative contingent on the board notifying the Department of Finance that sufficient moneys have been appropriated. The bill would create the Breaking Barriers to Employment Initiative Fund, as specified, in the State Treasury for the purpose of carrying out its provisions.
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Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Existing law establishes, among other funds related to telecommunications, the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) in the State Treasury. Existing law requires the commission to develop, implement, and administer the CASF to encourage deployment of high-quality advanced communications services to all Californians that will promote economic growth, job creation, and the substantial social benefits of advanced information and communications technologies, as provided in specified decisions of the commission and in the CASF statute. Existing law requires the commission to give priority to projects that provide last-mile broadband access to households that are unserved by an existing facility-based broadband provider. Existing law establishes that the goal of the program is, no later than December 31, 2015, to approve funding for infrastructure projects that will provide broadband access to no less than 98% of California households. Existing law authorizes the commission to collect a surcharge for deposit into the CASF not to exceed $315,000,000 in total and authorizes the surcharge until 2020. Existing law establishes 4 accounts, the Broadband Infrastructure Grant Account, the Rural and Urban Regional Broadband Consortia Grant Account, the Broadband Infrastructure and Revolving Loan Account, and the Broadband Public Housing Account, within the CASF and specifies the amount of moneys to be deposited into each account. This bill would revise the goal of the program to provide that its goal is to approve funding by December 31, 2022, for infrastructure projects that will provide broadband access to no less than 98% of California households in each consortia region, as identified by the commission on or before January 1, 2017. The bill would eliminate the Broadband Infrastructure and Revolving Loan Account and would require the transfer of the remaining unencumbered moneys in that account as of January 1, 2018, and the deposit of moneys collected that would be owed to that account into the Broadband Infrastructure Grant Account. The bill would establish within the CASF the Broadband Adoption Account and would require specified amounts of moneys to be deposited into this new account, the Broadband Infrastructure Grant Account, and the Rural and Urban Regional Broadband Consortia Grant Account. The bill repeals the current authorization to collect up to $315,000,000 for deposit in the CASF at a rate of up to $25,000,000 per year through the 2020 calendar year, and instead would authorize the commission to collect $330,000,000 for deposit into the CASF beginning January 1, 2018, and continuing through the 2022 calendar year. The bill would revise the eligibility requirements for projects and project applicants for grants funded from the Broadband Infrastructure Grant Account. The bill would make moneys from the Rural and Urban Regional Broadband Consortia Grant Account available to facilitate the deployment of broadband infrastructure by assisting infrastructure grant applicants in the project development or grant application process. The bill would require recipients of those moneys to conduct an annual audit and to submit to the commission an annual report regarding activities funded by those moneys. The bill would make available moneys in the Broadband Adoption Account to specified entities for digital literacy training, public education, and outreach programs to increase broadband adoption by consumers. Existing law requires the commission to conduct and report to the Legislature, by April 1, 2021, a final financial audit and a final performance audit of the CASF. This bill would require the commission to conduct and report to the Legislature, by April 1, 2020, an interim financial audit and an interim performance audit. The bill would delay the date for the submission of the final audits to April 1, 2023. Existing law requires the commission to annually report specified information relative to the CASF to the Legislature. Existing law repeals these reporting requirements on January 1, 2022. This bill would revise the information specified for inclusion in the report. The bill would repeal these reporting requirements on January 1, 2024. The bill would require the commission to identify unserved areas and delineate the areas in the annual reports. The bill would require the commission to consult regional consortia, stakeholders, and consumers regarding priority areas and cost-effective strategies to achieve the broadband access goal through public workshops conducted at least annually no later than April 30 of each year. 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 a violation of an order or decision of the commission implementing the bill's requirements would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime. 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The Salton Sea Restoration Act requires the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, in consultation and coordination with the Salton Sea Authority, to lead Salton Sea restoration efforts. The act, to the extent that funding is appropriated to the Department of Fish and Wildlife for Salton Sea restoration activities, authorizes the Department of Water Resources, in coordination and under agreement with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, to undertake certain restoration efforts. This bill would specify that any barrier in the Salton Sea within or below a certain elevation would not be considered a dam and would provide that the construction of facilities to separate fresh water from highly saline water for the purposes of implementing restoration activities pursuant to the act shall not be subject to review, approval, inspection, or fees associated with certain laws relating to dams and reservoirs. The bill would state various legislative findings and declarations relating to the Salton Sea, would name the state's comprehensive management plan for the Salton Sea the "John J. Benoit Salton Sea Restoration Plan," and would recognize the State Water Resources Control Board's role in the restoration of the Salton Sea, as specified.
Existing law exempts from certain requirements of the Hazardous Waste Control Law wastes from the extraction, beneficiation, or processing of ores and minerals that are not subject to regulation under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, including spent brine solutions used to produce geothermal energy that meet specified requirements. This bill would exempt spent brine solutions that are byproducts of the treatment of groundwater to meet California drinking water standards from those same requirements if certain conditions are met, including that the spent brine solutions are transferred for dewatering via a closed piping system to lined surface impoundments regulated by the California regional water quality control boards. The bill would require surface impoundments used for the treatment of spent brine solutions to maintain financial assurances consistent with requirements of the Hazardous Waste Control Law.
Under existing law, programs have been established pursuant to bond acts for, among other things, the development and enhancement of state and local parks and recreational facilities. Existing law, the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, approved by the voters as Proposition 1 at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $7,545,000,000 to finance a water quality, supply, and infrastructure improvement program. Existing law, the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006, an initiative measure approved by the voters as Proposition 84 at the November 7, 2006, statewide general election, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $5,388,000,000 for the purposes of financing safe drinking water, water quality and supply, flood control, natural resource protection, and park improvements. Existing law, the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Act of 2002, approved by the voters as Proposition 40 at the March 5, 2002, statewide primary election, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $2,600,000,000, for the purpose of financing a program for the acquisition, development, restoration, protection, rehabilitation, stabilization, reconstruction, preservation, and interpretation of park, coastal, agricultural land, air, and historical resources. This bill would enact the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018, which, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in an amount of $4,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a drought, water, parks, climate, coastal protection, and outdoor access for all program. The bill, upon voter approval, would reallocate $100,000,000 of the unissued bonds authorized for the purposes of Propositions 1, 40, and 84 to finance the purposes of a drought, water, parks, climate, coastal protection, and outdoor access for all program. The bill would provide for the submission of these provisions to the voters at the June 5, 2018, statewide primary direct election. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The Horse Racing Law provides that any unallocated balance from the total revenue received by the Department of Food and Agriculture pursuant to that law, except as specified, is hereby appropriated without regard to fiscal years for allocation by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture for capital outlay to California fairs, including state-designated fairs, for among other things, fair projects involving public health and safety, and projects that are required to protect fair property. That law also provides that a portion of these funds may be allocated to California fairs for general operational support. This bill would, beginning July 1, 2018, require a return filed with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) to report gross receipts for sales and use tax purposes to segregate the gross receipts of the seller and the sales price of the property on a line or a separate form as prescribed by the CDTFA when the place of sale in this state or for use in this state is on or within the real property of a state-designated fair, as defined, or any real property of a state-designated fair that is leased to another party. The bill would require the CDTFA to report the amount of the total gross receipts segregated on the returns filed pursuant to these provisions to the Department of Finance on or before November 1 of each year. The bill would require the CDTFA to estimate the total gross receipts segregated for the 2019–20 fiscal year by January 31, 2019, based on the 3rd quarter of 2018, and would require that an amount equal to 34 of 1% of this estimated amount be included in the Governor's revised budget in May 2019 for allocation to fairs pursuant to the provisions described above. The bill would require the CDTFA to reconcile this first-year estimate with actual return data from the full 2018–19 fiscal year, and to then adjust this figure as appropriate as the amount to be reported to the Department of Finance on November 1, 2019. The bill would require that an amount equal to 34 of 1% of the total amount of gross receipts reported to the Department of Finance be included in the next annual Governor's Budget for the Department of Food and Agriculture for allocation to fairs pursuant to the provisions described above. The bill would require, upon the enactment of the annual Budget Act, that this amount be transferred by the Controller to the Fair and Exposition Fund, which is continuously appropriated, and would allocate these moneys to state-designated fairs for specified fair projects and subject to certain conditions. The bill would require the CDTFA to be paid the actual cost for administering those provisions, as specified. By creating a new source of revenue to be deposited into a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation.
Under existing law, price, fitness, and quality being equal, any body, officer, or other person charged with the purchase, or permitted or authorized to purchase supplies for the use of the state, or of any of its institutions or offices, or for the use of any county or city, is required to always prefer supplies, defined to include produce, that are grown, manufactured, or produced in the state, and is required to next prefer supplies partially manufactured, grown, or produced in the state. This bill would remove produce grown or partially grown in the state from this requirement. The bill would require all California state-owned or state-run institutions, except public universities and colleges and school districts, to purchase agricultural products grown in California when the bid or price of the California-grown agricultural product does not exceed by more than 5% the lowest bid or price for an agricultural product produced outside the state and the quality of the produce is comparable. This bill would also require the institutions, when they solicit or intend to accept a bid or price for agricultural products grown outside the state, to accept the bid or price from a vendor that packs or processes these agricultural products in the state before accepting a bid or price from a vendor that packs or processes these agricultural products outside of the state when specified conditions are met. This bill would require a school district that solicits bids for the purchase of an agricultural product to accept a bid or price for that agricultural product when it is grown in California before accepting a bid or price for an agricultural product that is grown outside the state when the bid or price of the California-grown agricultural product does not exceed the lowest bid or price for an agricultural product produced outside the state and the quality of the produce is comparable.
Existing law creates the California Transportation Commission, with various powers and duties relative to the programming of transportation capital projects and allocation of funds to those projects pursuant to the state transportation improvement program and various other transportation funding programs. Under existing law, the commission consists of 13 members, 9 of whom are to be appointed by the Governor in consultation with the Senate. Existing law requires the Governor, in appointing members, to use every effort to ensure geographic balance of representation. This bill would additionally require the Governor, in appointing members, to use every effort to ensure that the commission has a diverse membership with expertise in transportation issues, taking into consideration factors including, but not limited to, socioeconomic background and professional experience, which may include experience working in, or representing, disadvantaged communities. This bill would require the commission and the State Air Resources Board to hold at least 2 joint meetings per calendar year to coordinate their implementation of transportation policies.
(1) Existing law establishes and imposes on state and local agencies various requirements relating to the acquisition, construction, and renovation of public buildings. This bill would require new construction or renovation of a public building, as specified, that is owned by a state or a local agency, or a portion of a building that is owned by a state or local agency and includes at least one restroom that is open to the public, to provide at least one safe, sanitary, convenient, and publicly accessible baby diaper changing station, as specified. The bill would require each station to be maintained, repaired, and replaced as necessary to ensure safety and ease of use, and to be cleaned with the same frequency as the restroom in which it is located. By imposing a higher level of service on local agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law also requires publicly and privately owned facilities where the public congregates to be equipped with sufficient restrooms to meet the needs of the public at peak hours. This bill would require various facilities, including a theater, sports arena, or library, to install and maintain at least one baby diaper changing station if the facility is open to the public, as specified. (3) The bill would set forth findings and declarations stating that ensuring that safe, sanitary, convenient, and publicly accessible baby diaper changing stations are widely available throughout the state is a matter of statewide concern. (4) 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.
(1) Existing law, with specified exceptions, requires an agency that processes notices of parking violations and notices of delinquent parking violations to proceed under only one of 3 specified options in order to collect an unpaid parking penalty, including filing an itemization of unpaid parking penalties and service fees with the Department of Motor Vehicles for collection with the registration of the vehicle. This bill would instead authorize a processing agency to proceed under one of those 3 specified options. With regard to the option involving an itemization of penalties and fees, the bill would authorize a processing agency, commencing July 1, 2018, to file that itemization only after the issuing agency provides a payment plan option for indigent persons, as specified, the processing agency provides notice of the payment plan and the process related to indigency determination in a specified manner, and the registered owner or lessee fails to enroll in the payment plan within the time specified in the notice or is not eligible for the payment plan, as specified. The bill would authorize a person to demonstrate that he or she is indigent by providing specified information relating to, among other things, his or her income or receipt of benefits under certain social services programs. The bill would require the processing agency to rescind the filing of an itemization of unpaid parking penalties and service fees with the department for an indigent individual, for one time only, if the registered owner or lessee subsequently enrolls in a payment plan, as specified. The bill would make conforming changes to related provisions. This bill would require each California State University and community college district governing board, by August 1, 2018, to adopt a parking citation payment plan, with specified requirements, for individuals with multiple unpaid parking citations. The bill would require a California State University or community college district governing board that does not adopt a parking citation payment plan by the required date to implement specified payment plan provisions as described in the bill. (2) Existing law, with specified exceptions, requires the department to refuse to renew the registration of a vehicle if the registered owner or lessee has been mailed a notice of a delinquent parking violation relating to standing or parking, the processing agency has filed or electronically transmitted to the department an itemization of unpaid parking penalties, and the owner or lessee has not paid the parking penalties, unless he or she pays to the department, at the time of application for renewal, the full amount of all outstanding parking penalties and administrative fees, as shown by records of the department. This bill would add an exception to the requirement to refuse to renew the registration if the itemization of unpaid parking penalties has been rescinded. The bill would also require the department to allow a registered owner or lessee to file a certification that the vehicle will not be operated, moved, or left standing upon a highway if the registered owner or lessee currently owes parking penalties and administrative fees for that vehicle, regardless of whether or not that registered owner or lessee is currently on an active payment plan, as specified. (3) Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to refuse to issue or renew a driver's license if the applicant has been mailed a notice of his or her delinquent parking violation relating to standing or parking, the processing agency has filed or electronically transmitted to the department an itemization of unpaid parking penalties, including administrative fees, and the applicant has not paid the parking penalty and administrative fee, unless the applicant pays to the department, at the time of application, the full amount of all outstanding parking penalties and administrative fees, as shown by records of the department. This bill would repeal that provision and make a conforming change.