Existing law provides that the cost of seizing, caring for, and treating any animal seized pursuant to specified provisions regarding the failure to care for animals shall constitute a lien on the animal and that the animal shall not be returned to its owner until the charges are paid. Existing law provides that no animal properly seized pursuant to these provisions shall be returned to its owner until, in the determination of the seizing agency or hearing officer, the animal is physically fit, or the owner can demonstrate that he or she can and will provide the necessary care. This bill would additionally apply these provisions to animals seized pursuant to a search warrant. Existing law establishes various other crimes regarding cruelty to animals and the failure to care for animals. This bill would provide that any person who has been convicted of certain of these crimes, and who within a specified period after conviction, owns, possesses, maintains, has custody of, resides with, or cares for any animal, is guilty of a public offense punishable by a $1,000 fine. The bill would provide that the court may reduce the duration of, or, in the case of livestock owners and in the interest of justice, exempt a defendant from, these restrictions under specified circumstances. By creating a new crime and by increasing the duties of local humane officers, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would incorporate changes made by AB 1279 to become operative if both this bill and AB 1279 are enacted and become operative. 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.
Sponsored bills
Existing law imposes various requirements upon dog owners in rabies areas designated by the State Public Health Officer. Any person who violates these requirements is guilty of an infraction, punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000. Violation of these requirements also results in impounding of the dog by the local jurisdiction. Among the requirements imposed under existing law is that a dog 4 months of age or older must be vaccinated against rabies. This bill would exempt from the vaccination requirement a dog whose life would be endangered due to disease or other considerations that a veterinarian can verify and document if the dog received the vaccine, as determined by a licensed veterinarian on an annual basis. The bill would also require a dog that is exempt from the vaccination requirement to be confined to the premises of the owner, keeper, or harborer and would require, if the dog is off the premises of the owner, keeper, or harborer, the dog to be on a leash not to exceed 6 feet in length and to be under the direct physical control of an adult. Existing law authorizes a city, city and county, or county to provide, by ordinance, for the issuance of a license for a dog that has attained the age of 4 months or older and has been vaccinated against rabies. Under existing law, the license period shall not extend beyond the remaining period of validity for the current rabies vaccination. This bill would prohibit, in the event that a dog is exempted from the vaccination requirement, the license period from extending beyond one year. By imposing a higher level of service upon local agencies and by changing the definition of 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 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.
(1) Existing law requires the Department of Transportation, after consultation with local agencies and public hearings, to adopt rules and regulations prescribing uniform standards and specifications for all official traffic control devices and setting of speed limits. Existing law makes it a crime for a driver to fail to obey a sign or signal, defined as regulatory in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (Manual) , or a Department of Transportation-approved supplement to that manual. This bill would require the Department of Transportation to revise the Manual, as it read on January 1, 2012, to require the department or a local authority to round speed limits to within 5 miles per hour of the 85th-percentile speed of free-flowing traffic. The bill would allow, in cases in which the speed limit needs to be rounded up to the nearest 5 miles per hour increment of the 85th-percentile speed, the department or a local authority to decide to instead round down the speed limit to the lower 5 miles per hour increment, but then the department or a local authority would be prohibited from reducing the speed limit any further for any reason. (2) This bill would incorporate changes to Section 21400 of the Vehicle Code proposed by both this bill and AB 345, which would become operative only if both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2012, and this bill is chaptered last.
Existing income tax laws allow individual taxpayers to contribute amounts in excess of their tax liability for the support of specified funds. This bill would allow a taxpayer to designate on a tax return that a specified amount in excess of his or her tax liability be transferred to the Municipal Shelter Spay-Neuter Fund, which would be created by this bill. However, the bill would provide that a voluntary contribution designation for this fund may not be added on the tax return until another voluntary contribution designation is removed from the return. This bill would provide that all money contributed to the fund pursuant to these provisions, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be allocated to the Franchise Tax Board and the Controller for reimbursement of costs, as provided, and to the Department of Food and Agriculture for distribution of grants to eligible municipal shelters on a first-come-first-served basis, as specified, for the purposes of providing low cost or free spay-neuter services and for administrative costs. This bill would require eligible municipal shelters, as defined, in order to receive a grant, to file an application with the Department of Food and Agriculture, as specified. This bill would provide that these voluntary contribution provisions are repealed on either January 1 of the 5th taxable year following the taxable year the fund first appears on the personal income tax return, or on January 1 of an earlier calendar year, if the Franchise Tax Board estimates that the annual contribution amount will be less than $250,000, or an adjusted amount for subsequent taxable years. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations regarding the importance of informing taxpayers that they may make voluntary contributions to certain funds or programs on state income tax returns, and would state the intent of the Legislature to encourage all persons who prepare state income tax returns to inform their clients in writing, prior to the completion of any state income tax return, that they may make a contribution to any voluntary contribution checkoff on the state income tax return.
Existing law authorizes school districts to provide specified medical services in connection with athletic events that are under the jurisdiction of, or sponsored or controlled by, school districts. These services include medical or hospital insurance for pupils injured while participating in athletic activities and ambulance service for pupils, instructors, spectators, and other individuals in attendance at athletic activities. This bill would require a school district that elects to offer athletic programs to immediately remove from a school-sponsored athletic activity for the remainder of the day an athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury during that activity. The bill would prohibit the return of the athlete to that activity until he or she is evaluated by, and receives written clearance from, a licensed health care provider, as specified. The bill would require, on a yearly basis, a concussion and head injury information sheet to be signed and returned by the athlete and the athlete's parent or guardian before the athlete's initiating practice or competition. These provisions would not apply to an athlete engaged in an athletic activity during the regular schoolday or as part of a physical education course, as specified.
Existing law authorizes the State Auditor to establish a high-risk government agency audit program for the purpose of identifying, auditing, and issuing reports on any agency of the state that the State Auditor identifies as being at high risk for the potential of waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement or that has major challenges associated with its economy, efficiency, or effectiveness. This bill would, subject to specified conditions, authorize the State Auditor to establish a high-risk local government agency audit program to identify, audit, and issue reports on any local government agency, including any city, county, or special district, or any publicly created entity that the State Auditor identifies as being at high risk for the potential of waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement or that has major challenges associated with its economy, efficiency, or effectiveness. The bill would also authorize the State Auditor to consult with the Controller, Attorney General, and other state agencies in identifying local government agencies that are at high risk.
Under the State Contract Act, the erection, construction, alteration, repair, or improvement of any state structure, building, road, or other state improvement of any kind that will exceed a specified amount, is accomplished by awarding a contract to the lowest responsible bidder. Similar provisions exist for local agency contract projects. This bill would authorize the County of Los Angeles or the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communication System Authority to solicit proposals and enter into agreements with private entities for the delivery of a regional interoperable communications system and all related infrastructure to be used by public safety agencies and emergency responders located in the County of Los Angeles, as specified. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Los Angeles. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law requires every person who manufactures an optical disc, as defined, for commercial purposes to permanently mark the manufactured optical disc with an identification mark or a unique identifying code, as specified. Existing law sets forth various definitions for purposes of these provisions. Existing law makes a manufacturer that violates these provisions guilty of a crime punishable by specified fines. Existing law also makes a person that engages in specified prohibited acts in violation of these provisions guilty of a crime punishable by specified fines or imprisonment. This bill would recast the definitions applicable to these provisions. The bill would prohibit a person who manufactures optical discs for commercial purposes from possessing, owning, controlling, or operating manufacturing equipment or any optical disc mold unless it has been adapted to apply the appropriate identification mark or unique identifying code. The bill would prohibit a person who manufactures optical discs for commercial purposes from making, possessing, or adapting any optical disc mold for the purpose of applying a forged, false, or deceptive identification mark or identifying code. The bill would authorize law enforcement officers to perform inspections, as specified, at commercial optical disc manufacturing facilities during regular business hours without a warrant for the purpose of verifying compliance with these provisions and would authorize law enforcement officers, in performing these investigations, to seize any optical disc or production part manufactured in violation of these provisions. The bill would require a person manufacturing optical discs for commercial purposes to maintain specified records. The bill would also increase the fines applicable to a manufacturer or person that violates the provisions regulating manufactured optical discs. Because a violation of the bill's provisions by a person who manufactures optical discs would be a crime, 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 a specified reason.
This measure would urge the United States government to consider the California jobs and economic stimulus provided by the California floriculture industry when advancing free trade agreements, specifically with Colombia.
This measure would proclaim February 28, 2011, as Rare Disease Day.