Asm. Laura Friedman

Existing law, to protect public health and water quality, regulates a broad range of consumer products and processes, including water softeners, water treatment devices, and backflow prevention devices, among others. Existing law, the California Safe Drinking Water Act, requires the State Water Resources Control Board to administer provisions relating to the regulation of drinking water to protect public health. Existing law requires the state board, on or before July 1, 2020, to adopt a definition of microplastics in drinking water, as provided. Existing law requires the Ocean Protection Council, to the extent funds are available, to adopt and implement a Statewide Microplastics Strategy related to microplastic materials that pose an emerging concern for ocean health, as provided. This bill would require the Department of General Services, in coordination with the California Environmental Protection Agency and as soon as feasible, to implement a pilot program for one year to assess the efficacy of microfiber filtration systems in removing microfiber from waste washwater from state-owned laundry facilities. The bill would require the department to monitor the presence of microfiber in waste washwater from 10 state-owned laundry facilities chosen to participate in the pilot program. The bill would require the department, by January 1, 2023, to submit a report to the Legislature on the results of the pilot program. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2027.

Existing law requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control to adopt regulations to establish a process to identify and prioritize those chemicals or chemical ingredients in consumer products that may be considered as being a chemical of concern. Existing law requires the department to adopt regulations to establish a process for evaluating chemicals of concern in consumer products and their potential alternatives, to determine how best to limit exposure or reduce the level of hazard posed by a chemical of concern. Existing law requires the department to establish a Green Ribbon Science Panel to, among other things, advise the department in the adoption of those regulations. This bill would repeal the above provisions and would make conforming changes.

Existing law creates the right to receive sunlight, which is referred to as a solar easement, and defines it to mean the right of receiving sunlight across real property of another for any solar energy system. Existing law defines a "solar energy system" for this purpose to include a structural design feature of a building, including a design feature whose primary purpose is to provide for the collection, storage, and distribution of solar energy for electricity generation, space heating or cooling, or for water heating. This bill would specify that a design feature, for the purpose described above, includes elevated solar structures, including carport and shade structures that support solar collectors or other solar energy devices. Existing law prescribes and limits permit fees that a city or county may charge for a residential and commercial solar energy system and establishes definitions for this purpose. This bill would define "commercial permit fee" to mean the sum of all charges levied by a city, county, city and county, or charter city in connection with the application for a commercial solar energy system. The bill would also specify that a "residential permit fee" is with reference to a residential solar energy system.

Existing law creates the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) within the Transportation Agency. Existing law provides various duties of Caltrans, including, among others, coordinating and assisting, upon request of the various public and private transportation entities in strengthening their development and operation of balanced integrated mass transportation, highway, aviation, maritime, railroad, and other transportation facilities and services in support of statewide and regional goals. This bill would require, beginning June 1, 2022, and every 6 months thereafter, Caltrans to convene a committee of external design experts to advise on revisions to the Highway Design Manual. Existing law establishes the California Traffic Safety Program, which consists of a comprehensive plan in conformity with the laws of this state to reduce traffic accidents and deaths, injuries, and property damage resulting from accidents. Existing law requires the program to include provisions to improve driver performance, including, driver education, driver testing to determine proficiency to operate motor vehicles, and driver examinations and licensing, and provisions to improve bicyclist and pedestrian education and performance. This bill would require the California Traffic Safety Program to include a traffic safety monitoring program that identifies and addresses locations with pedestrian- and bicyclist-related crashes, upon appropriation of state funds for this purpose. Existing law establishes various speed limits and prohibits a person from driving with a greater speed than those limits. Existing law prohibits a peace officer or other person from using a speed trap in arresting, or participating in the arrest of, any person for any alleged violation of the Vehicle Code, and prohibits the use of a speed trap in securing evidence as to the speed of any vehicle for the purpose of an arrest or prosecution under the Vehicle Code. Existing law defines the term "speed trap," for these purposes, among other things, to include a particular section of a highway with a prima facie speed limit that is provided by the Vehicle Code or by local ordinance, if that prima facie speed limit is not justified by an engineering and traffic survey conducted within a specified number of years of the alleged violation, and enforcement of the speed limit involves the use of radar or any other electronic device. This bill would extend the period of time a prima facie speed limit may be justified by an engineering and traffic survey, as specified, if a registered engineer evaluates the section of the highway and finds that there has been an increase in traffic-related crashes.

The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the tax imposed by that law. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax credit to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax credit will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would allow credits against the tax imposed by the Personal Income Tax Law for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2021, and before January 1, 2026, to a qualified taxpayer for qualified costs relating to qualified home hardening, as defined, and for qualified costs relating to qualified vegetation management, as defined, in specified amounts, not to exceed an aggregate amount of $500,000,000 per taxable year. This bill would authorize a qualified taxpayer to reserve a credit for qualified costs relating to qualified home hardening or qualified vegetation management prior to incurring those costs, as specified. The bill would require a qualified taxpayer that reserved a credit to submit a copy of the receipts showing the total qualified costs incurred and a certification by the qualified taxpayer, signed under penalty of perjury, that the qualified taxpayer incurred the qualified costs claimed, as specified. By requiring qualified taxpayers to submit a certification under penalty of perjury, the bill would expand the crime of perjury and impose a state-mandated local program. The bill also would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new income tax credit and would require the Legislative Analyst's Office to prepare a written report regarding the credits, as provided. 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. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

This measure would proclaim January 23, 2020, as Maternal Health Awareness Day, to draw attention to the efforts that have improved maternal health in California and to highlight the need for continued improvement of maternal health for all women.

Existing law makes legislative findings and declarations regarding drought planning for small water suppliers and rural communities, and requires the Department of Water Resources, in consultation with the State Water Resources Control Board and other relevant state and local agencies and stakeholders, to use available data to identify, no later than January 1, 2020, small water suppliers and rural communities that may be at risk of drought and water shortage vulnerability and notify counties and groundwater sustainability agencies of those suppliers or communities. Existing law requires the department, in consultation with the state board, to propose to the Governor and the Legislature, by January 1, 2020, recommendations and guidance relating to the development and implementation of countywide drought and water shortage contingency plans to address the planning needs of small water suppliers and rural communities, as provided. This bill would repeal these provisions.