Asm. Gregg Hart

Existing law establishes the Ocean Protection Council in state government to, among other things, establish policies to coordinate the collection, evaluation, and sharing of scientific data related to coastal and ocean resources among agencies. Existing law requires the council to develop and implement a voluntary sustainable seafood promotion program for the state, to consist of specified components, including a competitive grant and loan program for eligible entities, including, but not limited to, fishery groups and associations, for the purpose of assisting California fisheries in qualifying for certification to internationally accepted standards for sustainable seafood. This bill would require the council, on or before January 1, 2026, in coordination and in consultation with various entities, including the State Air Resources Board, to implement a statewide voluntary vessel speed reduction and sustainable shipping program for the California coast in order to reduce air pollution, the risk of fatal vessel strikes on whales, and harmful underwater acoustic impacts. The bill would require the program to expand a certain existing program and would authorize the program to include specified components, including incentives to program participants based on a percentage of distance traveled by a participating vessel at a reduced speed, as provided. The bill would limit application of the program to vessels that are 300 gross tons or greater. The bill would require the council, on or before December 31, 2026, to submit a report to the Legislature regarding the implementation of the program.

Existing law establishes the Agricultural Protection Planning Grant Program within the Department of Conservation, to provide planning grants to improve the protection of agricultural lands and grazing lands, including oak woodlands and grasslands. Existing law provides these planning grants to, among other things, maintain local food supplies and agricultural economies through the protection of agricultural lands. Existing law authorizes certain purposes for which these grants may be made for agricultural protection, including, among others, to develop public-private partnerships for the long-term protection and stewardship of agricultural lands. Existing law prohibits the department from awarding a grant in excess of $500,000 to any applicant and $750,000 if the department determines that the grant application is for collaborative planning activities proposed to include 2 or more adjacent counties, cities, or city and county. This bill would additionally authorize a nonprofit organization to apply to the department for a planning grant to assist in identifying and mapping local food producers, as defined, if the department receives an appropriation from the Legislature for those purposes. The bill would authorize planning grants to be awarded for the purpose of maintaining local food producers through the protection of agricultural lands, as specified. The bill would, among other purposes for which these grants may be made for agricultural protection, authorize the development of public-private partnerships for the long-term protection and stewardship of local food producers, as specified. The bill would also make nonsubstantive changes.

Existing law establishes various grant programs. Existing law, the Grant Information Act of 2018, requires the California State Library to create an internet web portal to provide a centralized location for grant seekers to find state grant opportunities and requires the California State Library to report to the Legislature on the effectiveness of the portal, including, among other things, the utilization rate by state agencies. This bill would impose minimum requirements for the administration of covered grants that meet maximum size and duration requirements and are available to nonprofit organizations, as defined. The bill would require administrators, as defined, to post eligibility, application, and other information for covered grants on their internet website and the above-described grant portal created by the California State Library. The bill would require administrators to provide eligible recipients with the ability to apply for a covered grant online. The bill would require administrators for grant programs totaling $200,000 or more to conduct outreach to nonprofit organizations eligible for covered grants, as specified. The bill would impose minimum requirements on the distribution of grant funds. The bill would impose limitations on specified reporting requirements for covered grant recipients and would prohibit an administrator from requiring a grant recipient to carry insurance coverage limits in excess of the risk associated with the covered grant activity.

Existing law establishes within state government the Office of Planning and Research as the comprehensive state planning agency for long-range planning and research. Existing law, until January 1, 2026, establishes within state government a Governor's Military Council that serves under the direction of the Military Department to advise the Governor on efforts to retain military installations and operations within this state that are necessary for the defense of the nation and to coordinate and focus those efforts. This bill, upon appropriation by the Legislature, would establish the California Defense Community Infrastructure Program, which would require the Office of Planning and Research to grant funds and provide technical assistance to local agencies to assist with matching fund requirements in applications for funds from the federal Defense Community Infrastructure Program. The bill would require the office, in consultation with the Governor's Military Council, to develop guidelines for the program that, where possible, align with the guidelines of the federal program. This bill would require the office to use specified project criteria, define an eligible project, as specified, rank eligible projects, as specified, and award grants based on the available funds. The bill would require the office to give priority to projects located in, or that would provide services to people who live in, a disadvantaged community, as defined.

This measure would declare that the Legislature should pass laws that halt the importation of cobalt or any product using cobalt mined in Africa using child slave labor and encourage the production of cobalt and other critical minerals ethically sourced from within the United States.

Existing law, the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) , an initiative measure, 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 establishes the Department of Cannabis Control within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency to administer the act. Existing law requires the department to establish a track and trace program for reporting the movement of cannabis and cannabis products throughout the distribution chain and requires the program to capture certain information. Existing law requires the program to include an electronic seed to sale software tracking system with data points for the different stages of commercial activity. Existing law requires the department, upon the request of a state or local law enforcement agency, to allow access to or provide information contained within the database to assist law enforcement in their duties and responsibilities pursuant to MAUCRSA. This bill would additionally require the track and trace program, if the sale of cannabis is conducted by delivery, to capture the ZIP Code of the delivery address. The bill would require the department to allow access to or to provide information contained within the electronic database to specified local agencies, including the California Cannabis Authority, created pursuant to a specified joint powers agreement, for the purpose of assisting those agencies in their duties and responsibilities as they relate to local taxation and regulation of cannabis and cannabis products. The bill would also require the department to provide full read access to the electronic database to the California Cannabis Authority or a local public agency composed of multiple public entities with certain demonstrated capabilities for the purpose of assisting that local agency in its duties regarding local taxation and regulation of cannabis and cannabis products as well as for locally relevant research on the local regulation, taxation, and operation of commercial cannabis. The bill would require any software, database, or other information technology system utilized by the department for the issuance, maintenance, or revocation of state licenses to support interoperability with the software of the local agencies allowed to or provided information contained within the electronic database pursuant to the bill's provisions. The bill would require those local agencies to maintain specified data privacy policies. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the California Cannabis Authority.

This measure would recognize July 17, 2023, to July 23, 2023, as Outdoor Worker Appreciation Week.

This measure would declare the month of October 2023 as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month.

This measure would designate the month of November 2023 to be California's Sikh American Awareness and Appreciation Month. The measure would recognize and acknowledge the significant contributions made by Californians of Sikh heritage to our state and would seek to afford all Californians the opportunity to better understand, recognize, and appreciate the rich history and shared principles of Sikh Americans. The measure would condemn all hate crimes and bias incidents against Sikh Americans and would encourage all Sikhs to practice their faith freely and fearlessly.