Existing law specifies the number of judges of the superior court for each county, and allocates additional judgeships to the various counties in accordance with uniform standards for factually determining additional need in each county, as approved by the Judicial Council, and other specified criteria. Existing law requires the Judicial Council to report biennially to the Legislature and the Governor on the factually determined need for new judgeships in each superior court, using that uniform criteria. This bill would require the Judicial Council, upon the availability of funding, to allocate 12 additional judges each fiscal year to those counties in which the current judicial position allocations are disproportionate to the Judicial Council's recommendation of assessed judicial need.
Sponsored bills
Existing law establishes the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is responsible for administering various programs and services for the benefit of veterans. This bill would require, by January 1, 2015, the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a transition assistance program for veterans who have discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard of any state within the previous 18 months, as specified.
Existing law provides for the licensure, registration, and regulation of clinical laboratories and various clinical laboratory personnel by the State Department of Public Health. Existing law prescribes various fees applicable to clinical laboratories and laboratory personnel, and requires the deposit of those fees in the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Fund. Existing law authorizes the department to collect application fees, annual renewal fees, and fees associated with enforcements, and to establish the fees for licensing examinations and for medical laboratory technician licenses. This bill would authorize the department to charge appropriate license fees whenever it determines that a new category of licensure is necessary. This bill would also make a technical, nonsubstantive change to these provisions.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes these districts to provide instruction at community college campuses. Existing law requires that 50% of each district's current expense of education, as defined, be expended for payment of salaries of classroom instructors, as defined. Existing law requires the governing board of each district to provide for an internal audit in accordance with regulations of the board of governors. This bill would define "salaries of classroom instructors," commencing with the 2014–15 fiscal year, to include, by reference to the Budget and Accounting Manual for California Community Colleges, academic salaries, as defined, including the salaries of counselors; instructional aide salaries, as defined; and the health and welfare benefits paid to specified personnel. The bill would also authorize the board of governors, commencing with the 2014–15 fiscal year, to establish a committee to review the auditing procedures in order to ensure compliance with the requirement that 50% of each district's current expense of education be paid for the salaries of classroom instructors.
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various healing arts professions and vocations by boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law requires boards within the department to adopt rules and regulations to provide for methods of evaluating education, training, and experience obtained in the armed services, if applicable to the requirements of the business, occupation, or profession regulated, and to specify how this education, training, and experience may be used to meet the licensure requirements for the particular business, occupation, or profession regulated. Existing law, the Nursing Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of registered nurses by the Board of Registered Nursing. Existing law requires applicants for licensure as a registered nurse to meet certain educational requirements, to have completed specified courses of instruction, and to not be subject to denial of licensure under specified circumstances. Existing law authorizes applicants who have served on active duty in the medical corps in the United States Armed Forces to submit a record of specified training to the board for evaluation in order to satisfy the courses of instruction requirement. Under existing law, if the applicant satisfies the other general licensure requirements and if the board determines that his or her education establishes competency to practice registered nursing, the applicant shall be granted a license upon passing a certain examination. This bill would provide that this act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Combat to Care Act and would make various legislative findings and declarations, including that California recognizes that military service members gain skill and experience while serving the country that, upon discharge, can be translated to the civilian world. The bill would require the Board of Registered Nursing, by regulation and in conjunction with the Military Department, to identify the Armed Forces education, training, or experience that is equivalent or transferable to the curriculum required for licensure by the board. The bill would require the board, after evaluating a military applicant's education, training, or experience, to provide the applicant with a list of the coursework, if any, he or she must still complete to be eligible for licensure and to grant the applicant, if he or she meets specified criteria, a license upon passing the standard examination. The bill would require the board to attempt to contact military service members who may meet the bill's criteria and would authorize the board to enter into an agreement with the federal government in that regard. The bill would require the board to maintain records of applicants, as specified.
Existing law requires an official court reporter fee of $30 to be charged for each proceeding lasting less than one hour. Existing law requires the charge of an official court reporter fee, in addition to any other fee required in civil actions or cases, for each proceeding lasting more than one hour, in an amount equal to the actual cost of providing that service per 12 day of services to the parties, on a pro rata basis, for the services of an official court reporter on the first and each succeeding judicial day those services are provided, as specified. Existing law further requires the Judicial Council to adopt specified rules to, among other things, ensure the availability of an official court reporter, or in the absence of an official court reporter, authorize a party to arrange for the presence of a certified shorthand reporter, as specified. This bill would further require the Judicial Council to adopt rules to ensure that a party arranging for a certified shorthand reporter notifies the other parties of that fact, and that attempts to share costs for the certified shorthand reporter are made to provide better access to justice for all parties involved in the proceeding.
Pursuant to the Enterprise Zone Act, a governing body that had designated a targeted employment area was also authorized to request, by a specified date, a redesignation of the targeted employment area using more current census data, subject to specified criteria. This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to these provisions.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as a part of the state's public school system and as one of the state's segments of public postsecondary education. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change in the provision that specifies that the California Community Colleges are postsecondary schools that are part of the public school system of the state.
(1) The Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act excludes coroners and deputy coroners from the application of the act. This bill would include coroners and deputy coroners within the application of the act, thereby creating a state-mandated local program by imposing new duties on local agencies to follow the requirements of the act with respect to these persons. (2) 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 these statutory provisions.
(1) Existing law imposes specified requirements on manufacturers of motor vehicles sold or leased in this state. A violation of the Vehicle Code is a crime. This bill would enact the California Motor Vehicle Emergency Contact Locator Act of 2013 and would define the term "VIN# ECON database" as the national law enforcement vehicle identification number emergency contact locator database that may be established by this state, in conjunction with other states and law enforcement agencies. This bill would require a motor vehicle manufacturer of a new motor vehicle sold or leased in this state on or after January 2, 2014, with a 2014 model year or later to provide a means by which a purchaser or lessee of a new motor vehicle can voluntarily designate at the original retail point of sale an emergency contact to be stored in the VIN# ECON database. The bill would require the emergency contact information to be made available electronically only to authorized law enforcement and would require law enforcement personnel, when practicable, to expeditiously notify the registered owner's emergency contact, if a vehicle occupant is rendered unable to communicate due to physical injury, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program by imposing new duties upon local agencies. The bill would also require a manufacturer of a new motor vehicle sold or leased in this state to establish a public awareness campaign, including listing access to the VIN# ECON database as a standard equipment specification on the new vehicle original window sticker. Since a violation of the bill's requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) 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.