Existing law requires the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, on or before September 1, 2011, to adopt emergency regulations to establish a fire prevention fee in an amount not to exceed $150 to be charged on each structure on a parcel that is within a state responsibility area, as defined, and requires that the fire prevention fee be adjusted annually using prescribed methods. Existing law requires the State Board of Equalization to collect the fire prevention fees, as prescribed, commencing with the 2011–12 fiscal year. Existing law establishes the State Responsibility Area Fire Prevention Fund and prohibits the collection of fire prevention fees if, commencing with the 2012–13 fiscal year, there are sufficient amounts of moneys in the fund to finance specified fire prevention activities for a fiscal year. Existing law requires that the fire prevention fees collected, except as provided, be deposited into the fund and be made available, to the board and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for certain specified fire protection activities that benefit the owners of structures in state responsibility areas who are required to pay the fee. Existing law further requires the board, on and after January 1, 2013, to submit an annual written report to the Legislature on specified topics. This bill would repeal the above provisions relating to the fire prevention fees.
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(1) Existing law requires the custodian of records within a county child welfare agency, within 5 business days of learning that a child fatality has occurred in the county and that there is a reasonable suspicion that the fatality was caused by abuse or neglect, to release upon request specified records, subject to the redaction of certain identifying personal information, of child abuse or neglect that results in the death of a child. Existing law requires each county welfare agency or department to notify the State Department of Social Services, as provided, of all child fatalities that occurred within its jurisdiction that were the result of child abuse or neglect. This bill would require each county child welfare agency, within 60 calendar days of determining that abuse or neglect led to a child's death in the county, as described, to review the child's death and prepare a written report containing specified information. The bill would require the county child welfare agency to submit this report to the State Department of Social Services within 10 business days of its completion. By increasing the duties of local agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to annually issue a report identifying the child fatalities and any systemic issues or patterns revealed by the notices submitted by county welfare services departments or agencies and other relevant information. This bill, commencing January 1, 2013, would require this report to include additional information provided to the department pursuant to the above-described reports prepared by county child welfare agencies. (3) 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 establishes the public elementary and secondary schools and the system of public community colleges in this state, and provides for a system for their funding. Provisions of the California Constitution require that a minimum amount of aggregate funding, calculated as specified, be allocated to school districts and community college districts. Pursuant to existing statutes, school district, community college districts, and other local educational agencies receive a portion of their funding through apportionments of state funds made in accordance with payment schedules. This measure would require that the total amount due for allocation to school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and community college districts pursuant to the constitutional minimum funding requirement described above for a fiscal year, as estimated at the time of enactment of the annual Budget Act for that fiscal year, be apportioned pursuant to statute during that fiscal year, unless that minimum funding requirement is suspended for that fiscal year pursuant to an existing constitutional provision authorizing that suspension. The measure would require this estimate to be set forth in the Budget Bill passed by the Legislature. By requiring payment of the full amount of this estimate unless the minimum funding obligation is suspended as referenced above, this measure could increase the amount of the constitutional minimum funding obligation in any year that estimate exceeds the otherwise applicable obligation. The measure would require apportionments of state aid to school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and community college districts to be made no later than the times specified by the statutory payment schedule that was in effect during the 2000–01 fiscal year, except that the Legislature may require by statute that these apportionments be made earlier in the fiscal year.
This measure would designate May 2012 as Foster Care Month in California.
This measure would designate the week of April 15 to 21, 2012, as "National Multicultural Cancer Awareness Week," and would encourage the promotion of policies and programs that seek to reduce cancer disparities and improve cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and followup care for all Californians.
Existing law requires that a specified amount of motor vehicle license fees deposited to the credit of the Motor Vehicle License Fee Account in the Transportation Tax Fund be allocated by the Controller, as specified, to the Local Law Enforcement Services Account in the Local Revenue Fund 2011, for allocation to cities, counties, and cities and counties. This bill would instead require, on and after July 1, 2012, that those revenues be distributed first to each city that was incorporated from an unincorporated territory after August 5, 2004, in an amount determined pursuant to a specified formula, second to each city that was incorporated before August 5, 2004, in an amount determined pursuant to a specified formula, and third to the Local Law Enforcement Services Account in the Local Revenue Fund 2011, for allocation to cities, counties, and cities and counties. By authorizing within the Motor Vehicle License Fee Account in the Transportation Tax Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, to be used for a new purpose, the bill would make an appropriation. Existing law requires the Legislature to determine and appropriate annually an amount for the use of the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Franchise Tax Board for the enforcement of the Vehicle License Fee Law. This bill would not allow that amount to be appropriated from the Motor Vehicle License Fee Account in the Transportation Tax Fund.
The State Government Strategic Planning and Performance and Review Act requires each state agency, department, office, and commission for which strategic planning efforts are recommended to develop a strategic plan, as specified, that identifies, among other things, the steps being taken to develop performance measures to implement a performance budgeting system or a performance review. The act also requires that these entities report to the Governor and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee by April 1 of each year on the steps being taken to develop and adopt a strategic plan. Existing law sets forth specified procedures for the preparation, submission, and implementation of the Governor's reorganization plans. This bill would enact the Bureaucracy Realignment and Closure Act of 2013. It would establish the Bureaucracy Realignment and Closure Commission in state government with a specified membership. Beginning on January 1, 2013, the Controller, the Director of Finance, the Legislative Analyst, the Legislative Counsel, and the Milton Marks "Little Hoover" Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy would be required to develop recommendations for the closure or realignment of state bureaucracies for consideration by the commission. It would require the commission to independently evaluate the recommendations, conduct 3 public hearings, and, by January 1, 2014, have at least one member of the commission visit each state bureaucracy considered for realignment or closure. This bill would require the commission, before July 16, 2014, to submit a report of its final recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature that establishes a list of state bureaucracies that are proposed to be realigned or abolished. It would require the Governor, upon approval of the list of recommendations, to prepare the list as a reorganization plan and to submit the plan to the Legislature under the provisions relating to the Governor's reorganization plans. This bill would repeal the act on June 30, 2015.
This measure would designate the second full week in April as California Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
This measure would proclaim May 6, 2012, to May 12, 2012, inclusive, to be California Charter Schools Week, and would state that the Legislature joins the California Charter Schools Association in congratulating charter schools for the accomplishments and contributions they have made to public education.
(1) Existing law prohibits the operator of a limousine for hire or authorized emergency vehicle or the operator of a taxicab, from operating the limousine for hire, authorized emergency vehicle, or taxicab unless the operator and any passengers 8 years of age or older in the front seat are properly restrained by a safety belt. This bill would instead prohibit the operator of a limosine for hire or authorized emergency vehicle or the operator of a taxicab, from operating the limosine for hire, authorized emergency vehicle, or taxicab unless the operator and any passengers 6 years of age or over or weighing 60 pounds or more in the front seat are properly restrained by a safety belt. Existing law prohibits a parent, legal guardian, or driver from transporting on a highway in a motor vehicle, as defined, a child or ward who is under 8 years of age without properly securing that child in an appropriate child passenger restraint system meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards, except as provided. Existing law provides a similar prohibition for transporting a child 6 years of age or older, but less than 16 years of age, which requires the child to be properly secured with either a child passenger restraint system or safety belt, meeting the applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards. This bill would instead prohibit a parent, legal guardian, or driver from transporting on a highway in a motor vehicle a child or ward who is under 6 years of age or who weighs less than 60 pounds without properly securing that child in a rear seat in a child passenger restraint system that meets specified federal standards. The bill would apply the requirements of the latter prohibition, which permits certain children to be secured in either the child passenger restraint system or a safety belt, to a child who is less than 6 years of age and who weighs 60 pounds or more. Existing law authorizes a law enforcement officer reasonably suspecting a violation of those child passenger restraint laws to stop a vehicle transporting a child appearing to the officer to be within the age range of under 8 years of age. This bill would instead authorize a law enforcement officer reasonably suspecting a violation of those requirements to stop a vehicle transporting a child appearing to the officer to be within a specified age or weight range of under 6 years of age or less than 60 pounds. Existing law permits a court to exempt from the above-described child passenger restraint system requirements any class of child by age, weight, or size if it is determined that the use of a child passenger restraint system would be impracticable by reason of physical unfitness, medical condition, or size, subject to certain exemptions, and specifies that a child or ward under 8 years of age who is 4 feet 9 inches in height or taller may be properly restrained by a safety belt rather than a child passenger restraint system. Existing law permits a child or ward 8 years of age or older to ride properly secured in an appropriate child passenger restraint system meeting federal standards in the front seat of a motor vehicle, in specified circumstances. This bill would delete those provisions permitting a child or ward under 8 years of age who is 4 feet 9 inches in height to be properly restrained by a safety belt rather than a child passenger restraint system. The bill would instead permit a child or ward six years of age or less than 60 pounds to ride properly secured in an appropriate child passenger restraints system meeting federal standards in the front seat of a motor vehicle, in specified circumstances. Existing law requires a public or private hospital, clinic, or birthing center, at the time of discharge of a child, to provide and discuss information on the current law requiring child passenger restraint systems, safety belts, and the transportation of children in rear seats to the parents or person to whom the child is released if the child is under 8 years of age. This bill would instead require a public or private hospital, clinic, or birthing center, at the time of the discharge of a child to provide and discuss information on the current law requiring child passenger restraint systems to the parents or person to whom the child is released if the child is under 6 years of age or weighs less than 60 pounds. Existing law requires every car rental agency in California to inform each of its customers of a specified child safety restraint law by posting, in a place conspicuous to the public in each established place of business of the agency, a notice that meets specified requirements, including certain language to be included in the notice, with regard to the application of those child safety restraint laws to children under 8 years of age. This bill would revise the language that would be required to be included in the notice to specify that California law requires that children who are under 6 years of age or who weigh less than 60 pounds be transported in the rear seat of a vehicle in a child restraint system. Because a violation of the vehicle law constitutes a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated program by changing the scope of an existing crime. (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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.