Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations, as defined. This bill would, until January 1, 2020, prohibit the commission from regulating Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Internet Protocol enabled service (IP enabled service) , as defined, except as required or delegated by federal law or expressly provided otherwise in statute. The bill would prohibit any department, agency, commission, or political subdivision of the state from enacting, adopting, or enforcing any law, rule, regulation, ordinance, standard, order, or other provision having the force or effect of law, that regulates VoIP or other IP enabled service, unless required or delegated by federal law or expressly authorized by statute. The bill would specify certain areas of law that are expressly applicable to VoIP and IP enabled service providers. The bill would provide that its limitations upon the commission's regulation of VoIP and IP enabled services do not affect the commission's existing authority over non-VoIP and other non-IP enabled wireline or wireless service and do not affect the enforcement of any state or federal criminal law or local ordinances of general applicability that apply to the conduct of business, the California Environmental Quality Act, or a local utility user tax, among other things.
Sponsored bills
Existing law prescribes various duties for the Department of General Services in connection with development and maintenance of the park around the State Capitol Building. This bill would authorize the Ronald Reagan Centennial Capitol Foundation, in consultation with the Department of General Services, to plan a statue of Ronald Reagan in the State Capitol Building Annex. The bill would require the Department of General Services and the Ronald Reagan Centennial Capitol Foundation to approve the design and any other aspect of the statue. The bill would require that the planning, construction, and maintenance of the statue be funded with private donations through the Ronald Reagan Centennial Capitol Foundation. The bill would prohibit construction of the statue until the Joint Committee on Rules has approved and adopted the plan for the statue, and the Joint Committee on Rules and the Department of Finance have determined that sufficient private funding is available to construct and maintain the statue.
Existing law regulates the placement of collection boxes and requires specified information, including the name, address, and telephone number of the collection box owner and operator, to be displayed on the front of each collection box. Existing law authorizes a city, county, or city and county to declare a collection box in violation of these provisions a public nuisance. This bill, effective March 1, 2013, would require the written consent of a property owner or the property owner's authorized agent before a collection box may be placed on the property owner's property. If the property owner or property owner's authorized agent rescinds his or her consent, this bill would require the property owner or property owner's authorized agent to provide written notice of the rescission to the collection box owner or operator. This bill would shield an owner of private property or his or her authorized agent, who acts reasonably, from civil liability to a collection box owner or operator for the removal of an unauthorized collection box. This bill would require a property owner or property owner's authorized agent who causes the removal of a collection box to provide written notice of removal to the address displayed on the front of the collection box, unless no address is displayed. This bill would also shield a tow truck operator, who acts reasonably, from civil liability to a collection box owner or operator for the removal of an unauthorized collection box. The bill would provide that a property owner, property owner's authorized agent, or person in lawful possession of private property who causes the removal of a collection box, or otherwise disposes of it, despite valid written consent from the property owner or property owner's authorized agent at the time of removal, is civilly liable to the owner or operator of the collection box for 4 times the amount of the towing and storage charges, or $1,000, whichever is more. This bill would shield a person from civil liability for the removal of a collection box where removal is necessary to comply with local zoning ordinances.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report (EIR) on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA exempts from its requirements specified projects or activities. This bill would, until January 1, 2016, exempt a project or an activity to repair, maintain, or make minor alterations to an existing roadway, as defined, if the project or activity is carried by a city or county to improve public safety meeting specified requirements. CEQA authorizes a local agency, whenever it determines that a project is not subject to CEQA pursuant to designated provisions and the local agency approves or determines to carry out the project, to file a specified notice of that approval or determination with the county clerk of each county in which the project will be located. This bill would require a local agency that makes such a determination and approves and determines to carry out that project, to file a specified notice with the Office of Planning and Research, and with the county clerk in the county in which the project will be located.
This measure would recognize September 2012 as Recovery Month in California, in order to raise awareness of the importance of substance use disorders treatment and to help people living with substance use disorders and their families to receive treatment.
This measure would recognize the 25th anniversary of the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial on November 23, 2013, and encourage all Californians to take part in ceremonies, organized by the California State Council of Vietnam Veterans of America along with assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs and other veterans service organizations. This measure would call upon the state archives to display memorabilia in a special display on the Vietnam War, as provided, the California State Military Museum to prepare and display exhibits on the Vietnam War, as provided, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to add names to the memorial, as provided.
This measure encourages the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California to consider and adopt the American Council on Education credit recommendations to give veterans due credit for their military experience.
This measure would commemorate the 225th anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution on September 17, 2012, and the contributions of historical, educational, and patriotic societies, including, but not limited to, the California Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and the California Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, in promoting the values embodied in the United States Constitution.
This measure would declare December 12, 2012, as California Bullying Prevention Day, and would recognize the need for individuals, schools, communities, businesses, local governments, and the state to take action on behalf of bullying prevention in California.
This measure would proclaim August 15, 2012, as India's Independence Day, and would urge all Californians to join in celebrating India's independence.