Rep. Jeff Gorell

This measure would designate a portion of State Highway Route 1 in the County of Ventura as the Seabees Memorial Highway. The measure also would request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing that special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources sufficient to cover the cost, to erect those signs.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Pursuant to its existing authority, the commission issued Electrical Rule 21 establishing operational and metering requirements for a generation facility to be connected to an electrical corporation's distribution system. Existing law relative to private energy producers requires every electric utility, as defined, to develop a standard contract or tariff providing for net energy metering, as defined, and to make this contract or tariff available to eligible customer-generators, as defined, upon request for generation by a renewable electrical generation facility, as defined. The existing definition of an eligible customer-generator requires that the generating facility use a renewable source of energy, as specified, and have a generating capacity of not more than one megawatt. Existing law requires that every electric utility ensure that requests for an interconnection agreement from an eligible customer-generator are processed in a time period not to exceed 30 working days from the date it receives a completed application form from the eligible customer-generator for an interconnection agreement. This bill would require the commission to determine criteria that would allow an independent generation facility, as defined, to apply for interconnection to the utility electric distribution grid under the fast track review process, as defined under Rule 21. Under existing law, a violation of an order, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because a failure of an electric utility to process an interconnection request from an independent generation facility pursuant to Rule 21 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.

Existing sales and use tax laws impose taxes on retailers measured by the gross receipts from the sale of tangible personal property sold at retail in this state, or on the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of tangible personal property purchased from a retailer for storage, use, or other consumption in this state, and provides various exemptions from those taxes. Existing law exempts from those taxes, on and after July 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2022, the gross receipts from the sale of, and the storage, use, or other consumption of, qualified tangible personal property purchased by a qualified person for use primarily in manufacturing, processing, refining, fabricating, or recycling of property; qualified tangible personal property purchased for use by a contractor for specified purposes; and qualified tangible personal property purchased for use by a qualified person to be used primarily in research and development, as provided, and until January 1, 2021, the gross receipts from the sale of, and the storage, use, or other consumption of, qualified tangible personal property purchased by a qualified person for those purposes. This exemption does not apply to tangible personal property purchased during any calendar year that exceeds $200,000,000 of purchases of qualified tangible personal property for which an exemption is claimed by a qualified person. This bill would, from January 1, 2015, until January 1, 2018, impose a $300,000,000 limit, rather than a $200,000,000 limit, on exempt purchases of manufacturing and research and development equipment for use in a new aerospace project, as defined in this bill. The bill would, on January 1, 2017, require the Board of Equalization report to the Legislature on the amount of manufacturing and research and development equipment purchased for use in a new aerospace project since January 1, 2015. The bill would, on January 1, 2017, require the Employment Development Department to report to the Legislature on any increase in aerospace manufacturing employment since January 1, 2015. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

(1) Existing law creates the High-Speed Rail Authority with specified powers and duties relating to the development and implementation of an intercity high-speed train system. Existing law, for any project along the high-speed rail network, authorizes the authority to contract with the Department of Transportation to perform specified project design services, including construction inspection services. This bill would require the authority to require that any employee of the authority, or any employee working for a public or private entity that has contracted with the authority, prior to entering onto any privately owned property, identify himself or herself to the property owner and obtain the consent of the property owner, as specified. (2) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law authorizes the California Veterans' Educational Institute, which is under the management and control of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to provide opportunities for veterans to continue their education. Existing law authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to work with authorized agencies of the United States in providing those opportunities. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to this provision.

Existing law establishes the Department of Veterans Affairs to administer various benefits for veterans. This bill would establish the California Veterans Services and Workforce Development Division within the department to administer veterans assistance programs provided by the state, and to coordinate with other state entities regarding informing veterans of benefits and assistance programs and changes in existing veterans programs or new veterans programs. This bill would on or before July 1, 2015, require the division to administer the programs and services described in the federal Jobs for Veterans State Grant Program, as specified. This bill would require the division to coordinate with the Employment Development Department (EDD) for the transfer of the existing administration of these programs and services from the EDD to the division, including, but not limited to, coordinating the transfer of state civil service employees, records, and appropriated funds related to the administration of these programs. This bill would require the department to utilize its existing resources to pay any costs incurred by the department in implementing the transfer. This bill would also make legislative findings and declarations relating to the need for, and provision of, services for veterans.

(1) Existing law provides that school districts and county offices of education are responsible for the overall development of comprehensive school safety plans for its schools operating kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires the schoolsite council of a school to write and develop a school safety plan relevant to the needs and resources of the particular school, except as specified with regard to a small school district. Existing law requires the school safety plan to include specified strategies and programs that will provide or maintain a high level of school safety. Existing law authorizes a school district or county office of education to elect to not have its schoolsite council develop and write portions of its school safety plan that include tactical responses to criminal incidents, as defined, and instead develop those portions of the school safety plan with law enforcement officials and other specified persons. Existing law requires any vote to approve the tactical response plan to be announced in open session following a closed session. Existing law provides certain protections from disclosure for this tactical response plan. This bill would require a comprehensive school safety plan to include a tactical response plan, and would revise the definition of "tactical responses to criminal incidents" to include a plan to safeguard against incidents that include a firearm, explosive, or other deadly weapon. The bill would require any vote to approve or update the tactical response plan to be announced in open session following a closed session. The bill would prohibit the governing board of a school district or a county office of education from being required to disclose those portions of the tactical response plan that may be kept private. (2) By requiring school districts and county offices of education to perform additional duties in regards to their comprehensive school safety plans, 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, 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, subject to exceptions, prohibits a person required to register as a sex offender from removing or disabling an electronic monitoring device, or permitting another to do so, if the device is a condition of parole. A violation of these provisions requires the parole authority to revoke the person's parole and to require incarceration of the person in a county jail for 180 days. This bill would extend these provisions to a person convicted of a violent felony who is released on parole from the state prison. By increasing the incarceration duties of local jail facilities, 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 generally regulates fertilizing materials, as defined, and provides for the licensure of individuals who manufacture or distribute fertilizing materials. Existing law defines agricultural liming materials for the purpose of regulating fertilizing materials. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes in the definition of agricultural liming materials.

The Personal Income Tax Law provides for various exclusions from gross income. This bill would, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2022, also exclude from gross income the value of any medal given by the International Olympic Committee, and any prize money or honoraria received from the United States Olympic Committee, on account of either the Olympic games or the Paralympic games. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.