Asm. Jimmy Gomez

This measure would respectfully urge the recognition that the trial and conviction of the 50 African American sailors of the United States Navy for mutiny in connection with their service at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in Concord, California, during World War II was wrongfully pursued because of racial prejudice and would respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to publicly exonerate those 50 African American sailors of the United States Navy in order to further aid in healing the racial divide that continues to exist in the United States.

This measure would request the Congress of the United States to support and build a central Veterans Affairs Hospital in Orange County.

This bill would urge the Congress and the President of the United States to rename any federal buildings, parks, roadways, or other federally owned property that bear the names of elected or military leaders of the Confederate States of America.

Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the State Air Resources Board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available upon appropriation by the Legislature. Existing law continuously appropriates 20% of the annual proceeds of the fund to the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program, administered by the Strategic Growth Council, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through projects that implement land use, housing, transportation, and agricultural land preservation practices to support infill and compact development and that support other related and coordinated public policy objectives. Existing law requires the council to develop guidelines and selection criteria for the program. This bill would require the Strategic Growth Council to consider revisions to the guidelines and selection criteria with respect to affordable housing projects that qualify under the program's rural innovation project area, as specified, and to provide a written explanation to the Legislature by March 1, 2017, if the council determines that it will not make the revisions.

Existing law, as part of the hazardous waste control law, requires a facility handling hazardous waste to obtain a hazardous waste facilities permit from the Department of Toxic Substances Control. Existing law requires the department to impose certain conditions on each hazardous waste facilities permit and authorizes the department to impose other conditions on a hazardous waste facilities permit, as specified. A violation of the hazardous waste control law is a crime. This bill would require the department, within 90 days of receiving a renewal application for a hazardous waste facilities permit, to hold a public meeting for specified purposes in or near the community in which the hazardous waste facility is located. Existing law prohibits the department from issuing or renewing a permit to operate a hazardous waste facility unless the owner or operator of the facility establishes and maintains financial assurances. This bill would require the department to review the financial assurances required to operate a hazardous waste facility at least once every 5 years. If the department's review finds the financial assurances for a facility to be inadequate, the bill would require the department to notify the owner or operator of the facility and would require the owner or operator to update and adopt adequate financial assurances within 90 days. Because a violation of the bill's requirements would be a crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

The California Constitution, when a vacancy occurs in the Legislature, requires the Governor to immediately call an election to fill the vacancy. This measure would instead require the Governor to fill a vacancy in either house of the Legislature by making an appointment within 60 days of the date of the vacancy from a list of 3 names selected by certain entities. The persons nominated by the entities would be required to have, at the time nominated and during the 12-month period immediately preceding, the same political party preference as the vacating Member had when he or she was last elected to the Legislature. The California Constitution requires the Legislature to enact laws prohibiting a Member of the Legislature from lobbying, for compensation, as governed by the Political Reform Act of 1974, before the Legislature for 12 months after leaving office. This measure would, in addition, prohibit a Member of the Legislature who vacates his or her seat before the expiration of the term of office for other than personal medical reasons from lobbying, for compensation, before the Legislature until 12 months have passed from the date his or her term of office would have expired.

This act would declare June 10, 2016, as Portugal Day to celebrate Portuguese national heritage.