Existing law authorizes certain joint powers authorities, upon application by a local agency that owns and operates a publicly owned utility, defined to mean certain utilities furnishing water service to not less than 25,000 customers, to issue rate reduction bonds to finance utility projects, as defined, subject to certain requirements. Under existing law, these rate reduction bonds are secured by a pledge of utility project property, and the joint powers authority issuing the bonds may impose on, and collect from, customers of the publicly owned utility a utility project charge to finance the bonds, as provided. Existing law requires the California Pollution Control Financing Authority, among other things, to review each issuance of rate reduction bonds issued under these provisions and to submit an annual report to the Legislature containing specified information on its activities under these provisions for the preceding year. Existing law, after December 31, 2020, prohibits a joint powers authority from issuing rate reduction bonds under these provisions and no longer requires the California Pollution Control Financing Authority to submit an annual report to the Legislature. This bill would expand the definition of a publicly owned utility for these purposes to include certain utilities furnishing wastewater service to not less than 25,000 customers and would authorize an authority to issue rate reduction bonds to finance or refinance water or wastewater utility projects, as specified. The bill would extend the requirement that the California Pollution Control Financing Authority submit an annual report to the Legislature indefinitely and the authority to issue rate reduction bonds under these provisions until December 31, 2026. The bill would eliminate specified duties of the California Pollution Control Financing Authority if the determinations of the local agency applying for financing or refinancing of a utility project are subject to review by a ratepayer advocate or similar entity.
Sponsored bills
Existing law provides for the payment of unemployment compensation benefits to eligible persons who are unemployed through no fault of their own. Unemployment compensation benefits are paid from the Unemployment Fund, which is continuously appropriated for this purpose. Existing law defines "employment," for purposes of determining eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits, to mean service, including service in interstate commerce, performed by an employee for wages under any contract of hire, written or oral, express or implied. Existing law provides that employment includes an individual's entire service, performed within, or both within and without this state, if the service is either (1) localized in the state, or (2) not localized in the state, some of the service is performed in the state and one of 2 requirements are met, including that the base of operations or place from which such service is directed or controlled is not in any state in which some part of the service is performed but the individual's residence is in this state. The bill would provide, for purposes of determining employment of a motion picture production worker when the service is not localized in the state but some of the service is performed in the state, that the worker's entire service qualifies as employment if their residence is in the state. Existing law provides that as individual's service is localized in a state for purposes of unemployment compensation benefits as described above, if the service is either performed entirely within the state or performed within and outside the state and the service outside the state is incidental to the service performed within the state. Existing law further provides that service is incidental for these purposes if it is temporary or transitory in nature, or only consists of isolated transactions. The bill would provide that service performed by a motion picture production worker outside the state will be considered temporary or transitory for the purposes described above if the worker is a resident of the state, is hired and dispatched from the state, and intends to return to the state to seek reemployment at the conclusion of the assignment outside the state. The bill would also provide legislative findings and declarations in support of these provisions. Because this bill would expand the number of persons who are eligible for benefits from the Unemployment Fund, which is a continuously appropriated fund, it would make an appropriation.
This measure would declare August 2019 as Valley Fever Awareness Month.
This measure would endorse activities in public schools that instruct pupils in upholding and sustaining American democracy, encourage, in the strongest terms, California schools to pursue certain recognized designations that reflect specified ethos and values, and encourage publicly elected officials to conduct themselves in ways that strengthen civic engagement and participation in civil society.
Existing law requires legal counsel to be appointed to represent low-income parties in civil matters involving critical issues affecting basic human needs in specified courts. Existing law requires the Judicial Council to develop one or more pilot projects in selected courts to receive grants to, among other things, provide legal counsel to low-income persons who require legal services in civil matters involving housing-related matters, domestic violence and civil harassment restraining orders, probate conservatorships, guardianships of the person, elder abuse, or actions by a parent to obtain sole legal or physical custody of a child. Existing law places the highest priority for funding on proposals to provide counsel in child custody cases, particularly when one side is represented and the other is not, and requires up to 20% of available funds to be directed to projects regarding civil matters involving actions by a parent to obtain sole legal or physical custody of a child. This bill would instead require the Judicial Council to develop and provide grants for programs in selected courts that provide legal counsel to low-income persons in matters involving child custody, when the parent is seeking to obtain any level of legal or physical custody, and would require that up to 20% of the available funds be directed at civil matters involving an action under the Family Code, as specified. The bill also would place the highest priority for funding on proposals to provide counsel in child custody cases, irrespective of whether one side is represented and the other is not. The bill would also authorize the Judicial Council to accept donations from public or private entities for the purposes of providing grants. Existing law requires the Judicial Council to conduct a study to demonstrate the effectiveness and continued need for the pilot program and to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature on or before January 31, 2016. This bill would require the Judicial Council to conduct the study and report its findings and recommendations for the programs every 5 years, commencing June 1, 2020. Existing law provides for the assessment of fees for various court services, including, among others, issuing an abstract of judgment and issuing an order of sale. Existing law requires an amount equivalent to $10 of each fee collected to be used by the Judicial Council to implement and administer the civil representation pilot program described above. This bill would increase the amount assessed for the above services by $15, and would require those funds to be used by the Judicial Council to implement and administer the civil representation programs, thereby imposing a tax. This bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of 23 of the membership of each house of the Legislature.
This measure would formally apologize for California's past complicity in enabling and furthering the practice of slavery and would urge the United States Congress and the President of the United States to enact House Resolution 40 to study the legacy of slavery and provide recommendations on redress for descendants of enslaved persons.
This measure would mark December 17, 2019, as the 76th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act to honor the contributions of all immigrants and refugees in our communities. The measure would also declare the opposition of the Legislature to executive orders and a presidential proclamation signed by President Trump relating to immigration, call upon the President to revoke those orders and that proclamation, condemn the expansion of deportations being undertaken under the current presidential administration, stand in firm opposition to the President's proposal for construction of a wall along the southern border with Mexico, and reaffirm that the state is open and welcoming to immigrants and refugees who are integral to life in our state.
This measure would encourage the United States Congress to adopt climate policies, including those that might be adopted under the Green New Deal, that build upon California's programs that have reduced greenhouse gas emissions while improving air and water quality, create new green jobs, and improve disadvantaged communities and that just climate actions offer the nation an opportunity to achieve community-mindful policies that California has successfully adopted while growing its economy.
Existing law establishes the California Earthquake Authority, administered by the Insurance Commissioner, and authorizes the authority to transact insurance in this state as necessary to, among other things, create and maintain, in collaboration or jointly with subdivisions and programs of local, state, and federal governments and with other national programs, programs and activities that mitigate seismic risks, for the benefit of homeowners and other property owners. Existing law recognizes the existence of the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP) , a joint powers authority created in 2012 by agreement between the California Earthquake Authority and the Office of Emergency Services. Existing law requires the CRMP to implement a grant program, known as the Earthquake Brace and Bolt program, to award grants to qualifying owners of single-family residential structures that meet specified requirements, including that the structures are located in high-risk earthquake areas. This bill would require the CRMP, in administering the Earthquake Brace and Bolt program, to provide outreach to low-income households to increase awareness of the Earthquake Brace and Bolt program in communities where the program is offered. The bill would require the CRMP to set aside at least 10% of the funds available each year for the Earthquake Brace and Bolt program to provide supplemental grants to homeowners of low-income households who were selected to receive grants pursuant to the program. Under the bill, the supplemental grant would be awarded on a first-come-first-served basis and would be in an amount as necessary to provide the homeowner with 90% percent of the retrofit costs remaining after payment of the grant awarded pursuant to the Earthquake Brace and Bolt program.