Asm. Joe Patterson

Existing law establishes the Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) for the purpose of benefiting children residing in foster homes by providing the stability and security of permanent homes. Under existing law, a child is eligible for AAP benefits if they meet, among other requirements, an age requirement wherein the child is (1) under 18 years of age, (2) under 21 years of age with a mental or physical handicap, or (3) under 21 years of age, has attained 16 years of age before the adoption assistance agreement became effective, and one or more of specified conditions are met. This bill would expand that 3rd category of the age requirement for AAP benefits by removing the requirement that the child has attained 16 years of age before the adoption assistance agreement became effective, and by increasing the eligible age to under 26 years of age. The bill would also require a county to include an application for extension of benefits when notifying adoptive parents of a child under 21 years of age of the expiration of benefits due to age. By expanding eligibility of a county-administered program, thereby imposing duties on counties, 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 defines "disabled veteran" for purposes of the Vehicle Code as, among other things, a person who, as a result of injury or disease suffered while on active service with the Armed Forces of the United States, has a disability that has been rated at 100% by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Existing law also defines a "disabled veteran" as a veteran who is unable to move without the aid of an assistant device. This bill would instead define a disabled veteran as a veteran who cannot walk without the use of an assistant device. The bill would expand the definition of "disabled veteran" to include a veteran who cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest, a veteran who is severely limited in the ability to walk because of an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition, or a veteran who has visual acuity of 20/200 or less, among other conditions, as specified.

The Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973 prohibits a person from conducting timber operations unless a timber harvesting plan prepared by a registered professional forester has been submitted to, and approved by, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Existing law defines "timber operations" for purposes of the act. The act provides that any person who willfully violates any provision of the act or rule or regulation of the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection is guilty of a misdemeanor. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. This bill would expand the definition of "timber operations" to include the maintenance of timberlands through fuels reduction paid in part or in whole with public funds. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. The bill would provide that timber operations for the maintenance of timberland, paid in part or in whole with public funds, may, as an alternative to obtaining an approved timber harvesting plan, comply with the requirements of CEQA. 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 authorizes school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to provide emergency naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist to school nurses or voluntary trained personnel, and authorizes those nurses and voluntary trained personnel to use naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist to provide emergency medical aid to persons suffering, or reasonably believed to be suffering, from an opioid overdose, as provided. This bill would require each individual public school operated by a school district, county office of education, or charter school that has elected to make a school nurse or trained personnel available at the school pursuant to those provisions to maintain at least 2 units of naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist for purposes of those authorizations.

Existing law makes it a crime to solicit or encourage a minor to commit specified crimes relating to controlled substances, to hire or employ a minor to transport or sell controlled substances, or to sell or give controlled substances to minors and imposes a punishment of imprisonment for a period of 3, 6, or 9 years. Existing law makes a person who is 18 years of age or older who violates these provisions with respect to heroin, cocaine, or cocaine base on the grounds of, or within certain locations, such as a church, synagogue, or a public swimming pool, among others, or on the grounds of, or within 1,000 feet of, public or private schools, as specified, subject to punishment with an additional enhancement in the state prison of one or 2 years. This bill would make the above-described enhancement applicable to offenses involving fentanyl if the person had knowledge that the specific controlled substance involved was fentanyl. By increasing the penalties for a crime, this bill would create 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 for the civil commitment of a person who is determined to be a sexually violent predator. Existing law establishes a procedure by which a person committed as a sexually violent predator may petition for conditional release and requires the court, if it makes a specified determination, to place the person on conditional release. Existing law generally requires that a person released on conditional release pursuant to these provisions be placed in the person's county of domicile prior to their incarceration unless extraordinary circumstances exist requiring placement outside the county, as specified. Existing law requires the department to convene a committee consisting of the counsel for the committed individual, the sheriff or the chief of police of the locality for placement, and the county counsel and the district attorney of the county of domicile, or their designees, to provide assistance and consultation to the department in locating and securing housing. This bill would require that a meeting of the above-described committee be conducted with each individual present and occur only in the county of domicile with a representative of the department personally present. The bill would prohibit the department from attending remotely.

Existing law makes theft a crime, and distinguishes between grand theft and petty theft. Existing law makes the theft of money, labor, or property petty theft punishable as a misdemeanor, whenever the value of the property taken does not exceed $950. Under existing law, if the value of the property taken exceeds $950, the theft is grand theft, punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony. Existing law makes a first conviction for petty theft involving merchandise taken from a merchant's premises punishable by a mandatory fine and as a misdemeanor. This bill would require the Department of Justice to determine the number of misdemeanor convictions for a crime of theft for which the property was taken from a retail establishment during the Governor's declared state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to report that information to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2026.

Existing federal law, the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, creates the Crime Victims Fund and authorizes federal financial assistance to states for the purpose of supporting eligible crime victim assistance programs. Existing law creates various programs under the Office of Emergency Services related to crime prevention and education, including, among other things, programs concerning family violence prevention and domestic violence prevention. This bill would require the office to allocate funds, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to fill the gap in the federal Victims of Crime Act funding and to prioritize continuity and stability of crime victim services if the federal grant funding that is awarded to the office is 10% or more lower than the amount awarded in the prior year. The bill would require the office to regularly consult, collaborate with, and consider the recommendations regarding allocation of funding from the Victims of Crime Act Steering Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates October 2024 as Menopause Awareness Month in California to highlight the health and societal impacts of menopause on women. It acknowledges that millions of women face symptoms that can affect their daily lives and work, noting that women of color are at higher risk for complications like premature menopause and heart disease. The resolution encourages the state to provide better health information and services to support women's well-being before, during, and after this transition. While the text outlines these goals, the bill itself is a formal recognition rather than a law that creates new funding or mandates specific programs.

The Personal Income Tax Law, in modified conformity with federal income tax laws, generally defines "gross income" as income from whatever source derived, except as specifically excluded, and provides various exclusions from gross income for purposes of computing tax liability. This bill, on and after January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2030, would exclude from gross income any amount accruing to a first-time homeownership savings account, as defined, whose beneficiary is a qualified taxpayer. The bill would also, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2030, exclude from gross income any amount withdrawn from a first-time homeownership savings account that is used to pay for qualified homeownership savings expenses of a qualified taxpayer who established the account. The bill would define a first-time homeownership savings account as an account with a financial institution that is designated as a first-time homeownership savings account by the person establishing the account that meets specified requirements. 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.