Asm. Frank Bigelow

Existing law specifies that a public entity or a public employee shall not be liable for an injury caused by the plan or design of a construction of, or an improvement to, public property in specified cases. Existing law allows public entities to establish bicycle lanes on public roads. This bill would provide that a public entity or an employee of a public entity acting within his or her official capacity is not be liable for an injury caused to a person riding a bicycle while traveling on a roadway, if the public entity has provided a bike lane on that roadway.

Existing law permits, and with respect to certain sex offenders requires, the use of electronic monitoring by county probation departments and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to electronically monitor the whereabouts of persons on postrelease community supervision and parole, respectively. Under existing law, a person on postrelease community supervision parole, or mandatory supervision who fails to comply with the rules or conditions for the use of electronic monitoring as a supervision tool may be found to have violated the terms of his or her postrelease community supervision parole, or mandatory supervision, respectively, and may be required to serve a term of imprisonment in the county jail. This bill would provide that unauthorized removal, as specified, of an electronic, global positioning system (GPS) , or other monitoring device affixed as a condition of postrelease community supervision parole, or mandatory supervision is an offense punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year, or in the state prison for 16 months, 2 years, or 3 years. This bill would also provide that a person on postrelease community supervision parole, or mandatory supervision who is ordered pursuant to a revocation hearing to serve a term of imprisonment, incarceration, or confinement for violating the conditions of release, when the violation was based on the removal or disabling of an electronic, GPS, or other monitoring device affixed as a condition of release, and the person has not been prosecuted for that conduct, shall serve that term in the state prison. This bill would also make related, conforming changes. By creating a new 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 law provides, upon being served with a summons and complaint asserting a construction-related accessibility claim, that specified defendants may file a request for a court stay and early evaluation conference in the proceedings, as specified. This bill would permit a local government, as defined, to file a request for a court stay and early evaluation conference pursuant to this provision.

Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments to be reduced by 1% or 5%, and provider payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 1%, for dates of service on and after March 1, 2009, and until June 1, 2011. Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments and payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 10% for dates of service on and after June 1, 2011. This bill would instead, subject to federal approval, require that this payment reduction not apply to skilled nursing facilities that are a distinct part of a general acute care hospital for dates of service on or after June 1, 2011. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law requires the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, on or before September 1, 2011, to adopt emergency regulations to establish a fire prevention fee in an amount not to exceed $150 to be charged on each habitable structure on a parcel that is within a state responsibility area, as defined, and requires that the fire prevention fee be adjusted annually using prescribed methods. Existing law requires the State Board of Equalization to collect the fire prevention fees, as prescribed, commencing with the 2011–12 fiscal year. Existing law establishes the State Responsibility Area Fire Prevention Fund and prohibits the collection of fire prevention fees if, commencing with the 2012–13 fiscal year, there are sufficient amounts of moneys in the fund to finance specified fire prevention activities for a fiscal year. Existing law requires that the fire prevention fees collected, except as provided, be deposited into the fund and be made available to the board and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for certain specified fire prevention activities that benefit the owners of structures in state responsibility areas who are required to pay the fee. Existing law further requires the board, on and after January 1, 2013, to submit an annual written report to the Legislature on specified topics. This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to repeal the state responsibility area fire prevention fees imposed by the above provisions.

Existing law establishes a variety of offenses relating to cruelty to animals. Existing law generally provides that a person that violates certain animal at-large provisions is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction is required to be punished by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000, by imprisonment of not less than 10 days nor more than 1 year, or by both the fine and imprisonment, as prescribed. This bill would require any person, with certain exceptions, who willfully or knowingly documents evidence of animal cruelty to provide a copy of the documentary evidence obtained to local law enforcement within 120 hours of documentation, and would make a violation of this requirement an infraction punishable by a fine of $250. The bill would provide that a person shall not be civilly or criminally liable for providing documentary evidence of suspected animal cruelty as required by the bill, or for providing a law enforcement agency with information about the person or employer suspected of animal cruelty. The bill would define animal cruelty for its purposes as any act involving an animal, as defined, or poultry, as defined, described in prescribed criminal offenses. The bill would enact other related provisions. Because a violation of the requirement to provide a copy of documentary evidence of animal cruelty to local law enforcement, as prescribed, would be an infraction, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime. 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.