Asm. Mike Gatto

This measure would recognize Nowrūz, the Persian New Year celebration.

This measure would recognize the month of April 2016 as Citrus Strong Month for the purpose of celebrating California's vibrant citrus industry and the benefits it provides to the state's environment, economy, and people, and to affirm that California is citrus strong.

Existing law establishes certain criteria that must be met by a manufacturer of an autonomous vehicle, as defined, in order for an eligible driver, as specified, to operate the autonomous vehicle for testing purposes on public roads. Existing law requires the driver to be seated in the driver's seat, monitoring the safe operation of the autonomous vehicle, and capable of taking over immediate manual control of the autonomous vehicle in the event of an autonomous technology failure or other emergency. Existing law requires, as part of an application by the manufacturer to the Department of Motor Vehicles, a certification that the autonomous vehicle allows the operator, as defined, to take control in multiple manners, including, without limitation, through the use of the brake, the accelerator pedal, or the steering wheel, as specified, and a certification that the autonomous vehicle's autonomous technology meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Existing law provides that federal regulations promulgated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shall supersede these provisions when found to be in conflict with any other state law or regulation. This bill would authorize, notwithstanding the above requirements, the operation of an autonomous vehicle without a driver in the vehicle or an autonomous vehicle not equipped with a brake pedal, accelerator pedal, or steering wheel on public roads for testing and operation purposes if all other requirements of the above provisions are met and the operator of the autonomous vehicle is capable of taking immediate control of the vehicle in the event of an autonomous technology failure or other emergency. The bill would require the department to adopt conforming regulations no later than July 1, 2018. The bill would require the department to submit a report on the results of the testing and operation of these autonomous vehicles to the Legislature, as specified.

This bill would proclaim the week of April 3, 2016, to April 9, 2016, inclusive, as Adult Education Week, and would honor the teachers, administrators, classified staff, and students of adult education programs statewide for their efforts, persistence, and accomplishments.

This measure would designate the month of April 2016 as Autism Awareness Month and would encourage residents to show support for autism awareness by lighting their homes, businesses, schools, and places of worship with blue light bulbs.

This measure would designate a specified portion of Interstate 5 in the County of Los Angeles as the Vin Scully Highway. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering the cost, to erect those signs.

This measure would commemorate March 30, 2016, as the 85th anniversary of the historic ruling in the case of Roberto Alvarez v. Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove School District, which invalidated that district's attempt to restrict its pupils of Mexican heritage to an inferior, segregated educational experience.

This measure would proclaim February 29, 2016, as Rare Disease Day in California and would provide for the recognition of Rare Disease Day in California in subsequent years, as specified.

Under existing law, a tenant of real property, for a term less than life, or the executor or administrator of his or her estate, is guilty of unlawful detainer when he or she continues in possession of the property, in person or by subtenant, without the permission of his or her landlord, or the successor in estate of his or her landlord, after default in the payment of rent pursuant to the lease or agreement under which the property is held, as specified. If the defendant appears in an unlawful detainer action, existing law requires that the trial of the proceeding be held not later than the 20th day following the date that the request to set the time of the trial is made. If the trial is not held within that time, existing law requires the court, upon finding that there is a reasonable probability that the plaintiff will prevail, to determine the amount of damages, if any, to be suffered by the plaintiff by reason of the extension, and to issue an order requiring the defendant to pay that amount to the court as the rent would otherwise become due and payable for so long as the defendant remains in possession pending the termination of the action. This bill would, in an unlawful detainer action described above, require a defendant who is represented by an attorney to deliver rent funds, as defined, to his or her attorney each month after the summons and complaint have been filed, as specified, until the plaintiff regains possession of the property or the court enters judgment in favor of the defendant. The bill would also require the defendant's attorney to deposit the rent funds into a trust account and to send a letter confirming receipt of the rent funds to the plaintiff or plaintiff's counsel within 4 days of receipt of the rent funds. The bill would further require the defendant's attorney to release the rent funds as directed by the court or pursuant to a written agreement between the parties.