Existing law, the California Finance Lenders Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of finance lenders and brokers by the Commissioner of Corporations and makes a willful violation of its provisions a crime. Existing law regulates the charges a licensee may impose or receive on loans it makes and authorizes a licensee to contract for and receive specified alternative charges and administrative and delinquency fees. This bill, until January 1, 2015, would establish the Pilot Program for Affordable Credit-Building Opportunities for the purpose of increasing the availability of credit-building opportunities to underbanked individuals seeking low-dollar-value loans. The bill would require licensees to file an application with, and pay a fee to, the commissioner to participate in the program. The bill would authorize a licensee approved by the commissioner to participate in the program to impose specified alternative interest rates and charges, including an administrative fee and delinquency fees, on loans of at least $250 and less than $2,500, subject to certain requirements. This bill would also authorize licensees in the program to use the services of finders, defined as entities who, at the finder's physical location for business, bring licensees and prospective borrowers together for the purpose of negotiating loan contracts at the finder's location, subject to a written agreement meeting specified requirements. The bill would establish the services a finder is authorized and required to perform, and would require a finder to comply with the laws applicable to the licensee relative to information security. The bill would require a licensee to notify the commissioner within 15 days of entering into a contract with a finder, would require a licensee to pay an annual finder registration fee to the commissioner, and would require a licensee to submit an annual report to the commissioner on the licensee's relationship and business arrangements with a finder, as specified. The bill would authorize the commissioner to examine the operations of a licensee and a finder to ensure that the activities of the licensee and the finder are in compliance with these provisions. The bill would make a licensee that uses a finder responsible for a violation of these provisions by a finder or a finder's employee, and would authorize the commissioner to impose administrative penalties against a finder for a violation of these provisions. The bill would authorize the commissioner, upon a violation of these provisions, to disqualify a finder from performing services, bar a finder from performing services at one or more specific locations of the finder, terminate a written agreement between a licensee and a finder, and, under specified circumstances, prohibit the use of the finder by all licensees. This bill would require the commissioner to examine the performance of each licensee in the program at least once every 24 months, and would require the costs of examination to be paid by the licensee to the commissioner, as specified. The bill would also require the commissioner to conduct a random sample survey of borrowers under the program. The bill would require the commissioner to report to specified legislative committees, by January 1, 2014, summarizing utilization of the Pilot Program for Affordable Credit-Building Opportunities, as specified. Existing law prohibits a licensed finance lender or broker from using advertising copy after its use has been disapproved by the commissioner and the licensee is notified in writing of the disapproval. Existing law authorizes the commissioner to require a licensee to maintain a file of all advertising copy for a period of 90 days from the date of its use. This bill would authorize the commissioner to direct any licensee to submit advertising copy for review by the commissioner prior to its use. The bill would authorize the commissioner to require a licensee to maintain a file of all advertising copy for a period of 2 years from the date of its use. Because a willful violation of these provisions would be 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Sponsored bills
(1) The Donahoe Higher Education Act sets forth, among other things, the missions and functions of California's public and independent segments of higher education, and their respective institutions of higher education. Provisions of the act apply to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by appropriate resolution, act to make a provision applicable. Existing law requires that a person, other than a nonimmigrant alien, as defined, who has attended high school in California for 3 or more years, who has graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalent thereof, who has registered at or attends an accredited institution of higher education in California not earlier than the fall semester or quarter of the 2001–02 academic year, and who, if he or she is an alien without lawful immigration status, has filed a prescribed affidavit, is exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the California Community Colleges and the California State University. This bill would amend the Donahoe Higher Education Act to provide that persons who are exempt from paying nonresident tuition under the above provision, or who meet equivalent requirements adopted by the regents, are eligible to apply for, and participate in, any student financial aid program administered by the State of California to the full extent permitted by federal law. This bill would require the Student Aid Commission to establish procedures and forms that enable those persons who are exempt from paying nonresident tuition under the above provision to apply for, and participate in, all student financial aid programs administered by the State of California to the full extent permitted by federal law. This bill would prohibit persons who are exempt from paying nonresident tuition under the provision described above from being eligible for Competitive Cal Grant A and B Awards unless specified conditions are met. The bill would make these provisions operative as of July 1, 2011. (2) Existing federal law requires that a state may provide that an alien who is not lawfully present in the United States is eligible for any state or local public benefit for which that alien would otherwise be ineligible under a specified federal law only through enactment of a state law that affirmatively provides for that eligibility. This bill would find and declare that the amendments to the Donahoe Higher Education Act described above are state laws within the meaning of this federal provision. (3) This bill would provide that it would become operative only if SB 1460 of the 2009–10 Regular Session is enacted and becomes effective on or before January 1, 2011.
Existing statutory law, in counties that agree to be subject to these provisions pursuant to a resolution adopted by the board of supervisors, provides that when it appears to the court, or upon request of the prosecutor or counsel, that a minor who is alleged to come within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court as a person who is or may be found to be a ward of the juvenile court may have a serious mental disorder, is seriously emotionally disturbed, or has a developmental disability, the court may order that the minor be referred for evaluation by a licensed mental health professional. Existing court rules provide that if the court finds that there is reason to doubt that a child who is the subject of a petition to declare the child a ward of the juvenile court is capable of understanding the proceedings or of cooperating with the child's attorney, the court is required to stay the proceedings and conduct a hearing regarding the child's competence. If the court believes that a child who comes within that description is mentally disabled or may be mentally ill, the court may stay the proceedings and order that the child be taken to a facility for an evaluation, as specified. This bill would authorize, during the pendency of any juvenile proceeding, the minor's counsel or the court to express a doubt as to the minor's competency. The bill would provide that a minor is incompetent to proceed if he or she lacks sufficient present ability to consult with counsel and assist in preparing his or her defense with a reasonable degree of rational understanding, or lacks a rational as well as factual understanding, of the nature of the charges or proceedings against him or her. The bill would require proceedings to be suspended if the court finds substantial evidence raises a doubt as to the minor's competency. The bill would require the court to appoint an expert, as specified, to evaluate whether the minor suffers from a mental disorder, developmental disability, or developmental immaturity, or other condition and, if so, whether the condition impairs the minor's competency. The bill would require the Judicial Council to develop and adopt rules to implement these requirements. The bill would require that, if the minor is found to be incompetent by a preponderance of the evidence, all proceedings remain suspended to determine whether there is a substantial probability that the minor will attain competency in the foreseeable future or the court no longer retains jurisdiction.
Existing law designates certain locations as safe-surrender sites for the safe surrender of newborn children who are 72 hours of age or younger. This bill would require a designating entity to consult with the governing body of a city, if the site is within city limits, and with representatives of the applicable fire department and child welfare agency, as specified. The bill would permit a local fire agency, upon the approval of the appropriate local governing body of the agency, to designate a safe-surrender site. The bill would specify certain circumstances in which a safe-surrender site and its personnel have no liability for a surrendered child. By imposing new duties on local officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would, on or before January 1, 2013, and on or before January 1 of each subsequent year, contingent on certain conditions, require the department to report to the Legislature specified information pursuant to the act. 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.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requires the State Air Resources Board to adopt regulations to require the reporting and verification of emissions of greenhouse gases and to monitor and enforce compliance with the reporting and verification program, and requires the state board to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020. The act requires the state board to adopt rules and regulations in an open public process to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective greenhouse gas emission reductions. The act authorizes the state board to include the use of market-based compliance mechanisms. The act authorizes the state board to adopt a schedule of fees to be paid by the sources of greenhouse gas emissions regulated pursuant to the act, and requires the revenues collected pursuant to that fee to be deposited into the Air Pollution Control Fund and be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes of carrying out the act. This bill would establish the California Climate Change Community Benefits Fund, and would require a minimum of 10% of revenues generated for the state each year from the state sale of compliance instruments for market-based compliance mechanisms pursuant to the act, other than revenues collected for administrative purposes, to be deposited into that fund. The moneys in the fund would be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, in the most impacted and disadvantaged communities, as defined, to fund programs or projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions or mitigate direct health, or environmental, impacts of climate change through competitive grants, loans, or other funding mechanisms. The Secretary for Environmental Protection would be required to administer moneys appropriated from the fund and would be required to establish criteria and procedures, and meet other requirements in connection with implementation, as provided.
Existing law establishes restitution centers for inmates to provide a means for those sentenced to prison to be able to pay their victims' financial restitution, as specified. This bill would revise what is included by the term "restitution" for these purposes, and provide that inmates who commit crimes involving a direct victim shall receive priority placement in restitution centers. Existing law provides criteria for eligibility for placement in a restitution center, including, in part, that a defendant is eligible for placement in a restitution center if he or she has not served a prison term within the 5 years prior to the present conviction, does not have a criminal history of a conviction for the sale of drugs or for a crime involving violence or sex, and did not receive a sentence of more than 36 months. This bill revises those criteria to provide, among other criteria, that a defendant is eligible for placement in a restitution center if he or she does not have a criminal history of a conviction for the sale of drugs within the last 5 years, or for an offense requiring registration as a sex offender, or for a serious or violent felony, and the defendant did not receive a sentence of more than 60 months for the current offense or offenses. The bill would also state findings and declarations by the Legislature pertaining to restitution centers and inmates.
Existing law establishes the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. These segments include the California State University, the campuses of which are administered by the Trustees of the California State University, the University of California, which is administered by the Regents of the University of California, and the California Community Colleges, which are administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to provide instruction to students at community college campuses. Existing law, known as the Donahoe Higher Education Act, authorizes the community colleges to grant associate in arts and associate in science degrees. The act also requires the regents, the trustees, and the board of governors to have as a fundamental policy the maintenance of a healthy and expanded program to increase the number of transfer students from community colleges. This bill would enact the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act, which, commencing with the 2011–12 academic year, would require a student that receives an associate degree for transfer to be deemed eligible for transfer into a California State University baccalaureate program when the student meets prescribed requirements. The bill would condition a community college district's receipt of state apportionment funds on its development and granting of associate degrees for transfer, unless each of the state's community college districts waives reimbursement for specified state-mandated costs of implementing the bill in accordance with a prescribed procedure. This bill would prohibit a community college district from imposing any requirements, in addition to these requirements, for a student to be eligible for the associate degree for transfer, and would prohibit remedial noncollegiate level coursework from being counted towards the units required for the associate degree for transfer. This bill would require the California State University to guarantee admission with junior status to any community college student who meets the requirements for the associate degree for transfer. This bill would not guarantee a student admission for specified majors or campuses, but would require the California State University to grant a student priority admission to his or her local California State University campus and to a program or major that is similar to his or her community college major or area of emphasis, as determined by the California State University campus to which the student is admitted. This bill would authorize the California State University to require a transferring student to take additional coursework at the California State University in specified circumstances, and would prohibit the California State University from requiring a transferring student to repeat courses that are similar to those taken at the community college that counted towards the units required for the associate degree for transfer. This bill would also require the Legislative Analyst's Office to review and report to specified legislative committees and subcommittees, within a prescribed time period, on specified outcomes and recommendations related to this act. By requiring a community college district to grant the associate degree for transfer in exchange for receipt of state apportionment funds, 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, 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.
Existing law, the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law, prescribes various quality, reporting, and labeling standards for bottled water and private water sources and limits the levels of certain contaminants that may be contained in those water products. Violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to perform various duties under these provisions. This bill would require each applicant for a license as a water-bottling plant or a private water source to provide to the department specified information and would require the department to annually compile a listing of this information and make it available to the public, as provided. The bill would also make specified findings and declarations. Because this bill would create a new crime, it imposes 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.
The Moore Universal Telephone Service Act established the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS) program in order to provide low-income households with access to affordable basic residential telephone service. This bill would replace the definition of "residential" in the Moore Universal Telephone Service Act with a definition of "household" and would make conforming changes. Existing law requires that a lifeline telephone service subscriber be provided with one single party line at his or her principal place of residence. This bill would instead require that a lifeline telephone service subscriber be provided with one lifeline subscription, as defined by the commission, at his or her principal place of residence. Existing law makes any public utility, as defined, and any corporation other than a public utility, that violates the Public Utilities Act, or that fails to comply with any part of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission, guilty of a crime. Because the provisions of this bill are within the act and require action by the commission to implement its requirements, a violation of these provisions would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the definition of a 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.
The federal Communications Act of 1934, as amended by the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, establishes a program of cooperative federalism for the regulation of telecommunications to attain the goal of local competition, while implementing specific, predictable, and sufficient federal and state mechanisms to preserve and advance universal service, consistent with certain universal service principles. The act authorizes an incumbent local exchange carrier, as defined, to file a forbearance petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to require the FCC to forbear from applying any regulation or any provision of the act to a telecommunications carrier, as defined, or telecommunications service, as defined, in any or some of its or their geographic markets, if the FCC makes certain determinations. Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations, as defined. This bill would provide that if an incumbent local exchange carrier files a forbearance petition with the FCC requesting that the FCC forbear from enforcing that carrier's duty to provide to any requesting telecommunications carrier nondiscriminatory access to network elements on an unbundled basis at any technically feasible point on rates, terms, and conditions that are just, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory, within any metropolitan statistical area located in the state, the PUC would be required to participate in that forbearance proceeding by filing comments on the petition, providing data on competition in the metropolitan statistical area that is the subject of the petition, and taking any other action that advances the state's policies promoting competition in telecommunications markets. The bill would require the PUC to develop a sample data request for collecting data on competition in any California metropolitan statistical area, and would require all providers of voice communications services, as specified, to provide all data and other information relevant to the forbearance petition requested by the PUC. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the PUC is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill are within the act and certain of the bill's provisions require action by the PUC to implement, a violation of these provisions 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.