Rep. Greg Wallis

Under existing law, a warranty issued by the warrantor of a vehicle protection product constitutes an express warranty and does not constitute automobile insurance if the warrantor complies with various requirements, including that the warranty is in writing and provides, among other things, that the benefits are limited to the difference between the actual cash value of the stolen vehicle and the vehicle's replacement cost, temporary vehicle rental expenses, reimbursement for insurance policy deductible, and registration fees and taxes on a replacement vehicle or a fixed amount for those benefits, and that the benefit is payable upon the theft of the vehicle. Existing law defines a vehicle protection product for these purposes to mean a vehicle protection device, system, or service that is installed on, or applied to, a vehicle, is designed to deter the theft of the vehicle, and includes a written warranty that provides specified incidental costs if the product fails to deter the theft of the vehicle. Existing law requires, except as specified, a dealer or person holding a retail seller's permit who sells new or used vehicles equipped with a catalytic converter to permanently mark the catalytic converter with the vehicle identification number of the vehicle to which it is attached. This bill would expand the definition of a vehicle protection product to include a physical device, system, or service designed to prevent the unauthorized removal of a vehicle's catalytic converter, and would limit the warranty benefit for this vehicle protection product to the actual cash value and replacement cost of the catalytic converter, temporary vehicle rental expenses, and reimbursement for the insurance policy deductible. The bill would require the benefit to be payable upon the theft of the catalytic converter from the vehicle, as specified. The bill would also require a seller to disclose a specified notice if this vehicle protection product is a body part marking product designed to permanently mark the catalytic converter.

Existing law establishes the California State Library, which includes the California Research Bureau, under the control of an executive known as the "State Librarian." Existing law authorizes the California State Library to serve as the central reference and research library for the departments of state government and to, among other things, maintain adequate legislative reference and research library services for the Legislature. Existing law declares as legislative policy that all of the territory of the state shall be included within a community college district, except that territory located within a county where the county residents accounted for fewer than 350 units of average daily attendance in the state's community colleges during the preceding fiscal year, and that territory located within such a county may be included within a community college district pursuant to prescribed procedures. This bill instead would declare as legislative policy that all of the territory of the state shall be included within a community college district or otherwise provided with equivalent opportunities for residents to participate in both in-person and online community college programs and courses. This bill would require the California Research Bureau to conduct a study and prepare a report evaluating the provision of community college services and opportunities to residents of the underserved Counties of Amador, Alpine, Mariposa, Modoc, and Sierra that are not fully included within the territory of a community college district, and would require the report to include policy recommendations regarding how the state can ensure that residents of those 5 counties have opportunities to participate in both in-person and online community college programs and courses equivalent to those of similarly sized communities that are fully included within the territory of a community college district, as provided. To assist with and inform the development of the report and recommendations, the bill would require the California Research bureau to convene and consult a working group that includes specified voluntary representatives, and would authorize the bureau to request and receive information from specified entities. The bill would require the California Research bureau to submit the report and recommendations to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, the Senate Committee on Education, and the Governor on or before December 31, 2027. The bill would repeal these provisions as of January 1, 2032. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Amador, Alpine, Mariposa, Modoc, and Sierra.

Existing law requires school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to provide emergency epinephrine auto-injectors to school nurses or trained volunteer personnel, and authorizes school nurses and trained personnel to use epinephrine auto-injectors to provide emergency medical aid to persons suffering, or reasonably believed to be suffering, from an anaphylactic reaction, as provided. Existing law requires school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to, among other things, store those emergency epinephrine auto-injectors in an accessible location upon need for emergency use and include that location in specified annual notices. Existing law authorizes a pupil to carry and self-administer prescription auto-injectable epinephrine if the school district receives specified written statements from a physician and surgeon or a physician assistant, and from the parent, foster parent, or guardian of the pupil, as specified. This bill would replace all references to epinephrine auto-injectors or auto-injectable epinephrine in the above-described provisions with references instead to epinephrine delivery systems, as defined, and would require school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to instead provide at least one type of United States Food and Drug Administration-approved epinephrine delivery system, as specified. To the extent the bill would impose additional duties on local educational agencies, 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 the statutory provisions noted above. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law makes it a crime to possess, cultivate, and administer specified controlled substances, including psilocybin and psilocyn. Existing law makes it a crime for a person to rent, lease, or make available for use any building or room for the purpose of storing or distributing any controlled substance. This bill would, until January 1, 2031, request the University of California to establish local pilots in up to 5 counties to allow for the research and development of psilocybin services for veterans and former first responders as part of the Veterans and Former First Responders Research Pilot Program ("Pilot Program") . The bill would require these university partners, overseeing each Pilot Program to be responsible for protocol design, institutional review board approvals, training of psilocybin facilitators, data collection, and reporting. The bill would require each local pilot to partner with licensed health care and licensed community-based providers that provide services and care to the target population. The bill would require psilocybin to be provided by or under the supervision of a practitioner who has experience in providing or overseeing psilocybin or other psychedelic therapy services. The bill would require that each person being considered for the Pilot Program meet specified criteria, including that they are 21 years of age or older and have been given specified assessments. This bill would request the University of California to report specified information about the Pilot Program to the Legislature, the Secretary of California Health and Human Services, and the Governor by January 15, 2030. The bill would establish the Veterans and Former First Responders Research Pilot Special Fund and would continuously appropriate the fund to the University of California for the purposes of these provisions. The bill would request the University of California to apply for and accept grants, donations, and federal funding for the purposes of the Pilot Program, and would require those moneys to be deposited in the fund.

Existing law requires a pupil to complete designated coursework while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school. The coursework requirements include, among others, the completion of one course in visual or performing arts, foreign language, or career technical education. Existing law eliminates the authorization for career technical education to count toward that graduation requirement on July 1, 2027, or upon the occurrence of a specified event relating to career technical education requirements of the University of California and the California State University, whichever occurs earlier, as specified. This bill, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, would delete the above-described authorization and instead would indefinitely require, commencing with pupils graduating in the 2031–32 school year, the completion of a separate, stand-alone one-semester course in career technical education, that is prohibited from being combined with any other course, as a high school graduation requirement. The bill, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, would require school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools with pupil in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, to, commencing with the 2028–29 school year, offer a separate, stand-alone one-semester course in career technical education, that is prohibited from being combined with any other course. To the extent that the bill imposes new duties on school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools, 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 the statutory provisions noted above.

The Personal Income Tax Law, in conformity with federal income tax law, generally defines "gross income" as income from whatever source derived, except as specifically excluded, and provides various exclusions from gross income. Existing law, known as the Golden State Scholarshare Trust Act, establishes the Golden State Scholarshare College Savings Trust (Scholarshare trust) , under the administration of the Scholarshare Investment Board, to provide financial aid for postsecondary education costs of participating students. Existing state and federal law generally includes in gross income distributions from a qualified tuition program, as defined to include the Scholarshare trust, except as provided. Existing federal law, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, excludes from gross income, for federal income tax purposes, distributions from a qualified tuition program that are made after December 31, 2023, and are paid in a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer to a Roth IRA, as described. This bill would exempt from gross income distribution made from a long-term qualified tuition program during the taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2030, that are paid in a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer to a Roth IRA, and would conform state tax law to those changes relating to federal law, as described above. Existing law requires a bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the taxes imposed by that law. This bill would allow a credit against those taxes for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and before January 1, 2031, in an amount equal to the amount paid or incurred, not to exceed $250, during the taxable year for the purchase and installation of a security surveillance system at the taxpayer's principal dwelling or housing unit located in the state. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure, as defined, to include tax credits, 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 include findings and reporting requirements in compliance with this requirement. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law allow various credits against the taxes imposed by those laws. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2030, would allow a credit against those taxes to a qualified taxpayer, as defined, for retail theft prevention measures, as specified. The bill would limit the credit allowed to a taxpayer to no more than $10,000 per taxable year. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill also would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

The California Constitution provides that all property is taxable, and requires that it be assessed at the same percentage of fair market value, unless otherwise provided by the California Constitution or federal law. The California Constitution and existing property tax law provide various exemptions from taxation, including, among others, a disabled veterans' exemption and a veterans' organization exemption. This bill would exempt from taxation, property owned by, and that constitutes the principal place of residence of, a veteran, the veteran's spouse, or the veteran and the veteran's spouse jointly, if the veteran is 100% disabled. The bill would provide an unmarried surviving spouse a property exemption in the same amount that they would have been entitled to if the veteran was alive and if certain conditions are met. The bill would require certain documentation to be provided to the county assessor to receive the exemption and would prohibit any other real property tax exemption from being granted to the claimant if receiving the exemption provided by the provisions of this bill. The bill would make these exemptions applicable for property tax lien dates occurring on or after January 1, 2025, but occurring before January 1, 2035. By imposing additional duties on local tax officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would state that it is the intent of the Legislature to apply those requirements to the bill and would set forth specified information relating to those requirements. 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 the statutory provisions noted above. Existing law requires the state to reimburse local agencies annually for certain property tax revenues lost as a result of any exemption or classification of property for purposes of ad valorem property taxation. This bill would provide that, notwithstanding those provisions, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse local agencies for property tax revenues lost by them pursuant to the bill. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law requires, upon an Indian tribe's request, the State Department of Social Services to enter into an agreement with a tribe, consortium of tribes, or tribal organization regarding the care and custody of Indian children and jurisdiction over Indian child custody proceedings, and requires the department to negotiate in good faith with the Indian tribe, organization, or consortium in the state that requests development of an agreement with the state to administer all or part of the programs under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act on behalf of the Indian children who are under the authority of the tribe, organization, or consortium. Existing law makes an Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal consortium that is a party to an agreement eligible to receive allocations of child welfare services funds, in accordance with the agreement. Existing federal law, the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018, among other things, provides states with an option to use federal funds under Title IV of the federal Social Security Act to provide mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services and in-home parent skill-based programs to a child who is a candidate for foster care or a child in foster care who is a pregnant or parenting foster youth, as specified. Existing law establishes the Family First Prevention Services program, and requires the department to have oversight of the program. Existing law authorizes a county or Indian tribe, consortium of tribes, or tribal organization that has entered into the above-described agreement with the state that elects to provide prevention services to provide those services for certain individuals for a certain period. This bill would provide that agreements between the department and a tribe, consortium of tribes, or tribal organization regarding the care and custody of Indian children and jurisdiction over Indian child custody proceedings include agreements that prevent entry into foster care, and would authorize such an agreement to be made for the sole purpose of the administration of prevention programs under the Family First Prevention Services program. The bill would also, subject to an appropriation for these purposes, require the department to provide funding to tribes, tribal organizations, or tribal consortiums to support the cost of independent legal representation provided by an attorney for a child and the child's parent, guardian, and Indian custodian pursuant to an agreement under the above-described provisions. The bill would require the department, by March 31, 2026, and in consultation with Indian tribes, to develop a cost allocation plan to allow specified funds to support the costs of independent legal representation.