Existing law provides for the protection, enhancement, and restoration of rivers in this state. Existing law establishes the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy for the purpose of, among others, providing for the public's enjoyment and enhancement of recreational and education experiences on public lands in the San Gabriel Watershed and Lower Los Angeles River. This bill would require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to appoint, in consultation with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to the extent the board wishes to consult, a local working group to develop a revitalization plan for the Lower Los Angeles River watershed, called the Lower Los Angeles River Working Group. The bill would require the secretary to consider requests from local agency representatives to participate in the working group and would authorize the working group to include specified representatives. The bill would require, by March 1, 2017, the working group to develop, through watershed-based planning methods, a revitalization plan that addresses the unique and diverse needs of the Lower Los Angeles River, that is consistent with, enhances, and is authorized to be incorporated into the County of Los Angeles's Master Plan, and that includes watershed education programs. The bill would require the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy to provide any necessary staffing to assist the working group. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Lower Los Angeles River.
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Existing law requires the county assessor to consider, when valuing real property for property taxation purposes, the effect of any enforceable restrictions to which the use of the land may be subjected. Under existing law these restrictions include, but are not limited to, zoning, recorded contracts with governmental agencies, and various other restrictions imposed by governments. Existing property tax law establishes a welfare exemption under which property is exempt from taxation if, among other things, that property is used exclusively for religious, hospital, scientific, or charitable purposes and is owned and operated by an entity, as provided, that is itself organized and operated for those purposes. Under existing property tax law, the welfare exemption applies to property that is owned and operated by a nonprofit corporation, otherwise qualifying for the welfare exemption, that is organized and operated for the purpose of building and rehabilitating single-family or multifamily residences for sale, as provided, at cost to low-income families. This bill would require the county assessor to consider, when valuing real property for property taxation purposes, a recorded contract with a nonprofit corporation that meets prescribed requirements, including requirements that the nonprofit corporation has received a welfare exemption for properties intended to be sold to low-income families who participate in a special no-interest loan program, and that the contract includes a restriction on the use of the land for at least 30 years to owner-occupied housing available at affordable housing cost. By changing the manner in which county assessors assess property for property taxation purposes, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would incorporate amendments to Section 402.1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code proposed by AB 1251, to be operative only if AB 1251 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2016, and this bill is chaptered last. 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 these statutory provisions.
Existing law establishes various plans and programs intended to preserve, protect, and rehabilitate lands adjacent to rivers in the state. Existing law provides that a conservation easement, as defined, is an interest in real property voluntarily created and freely transferable for specified purposes and provides for the creation and transfer of conservation easements. Existing law authorizes certain tax exempt nonprofit organizations, state or local governmental entities, and California Native American tribes to acquire and hold conservation easements if those entities meet specified criteria. This bill would enact the Greenway Development and Sustainment Act and would apply to greenway easements certain creation and transfer provisions similar to those of conservation easements. The bill would define greenway as a pedestrian and bicycle, nonmotorized vehicle transportation, and recreational travel corridor that meets specified requirements. The bill would also include greenways in the definition of "open-space land" for local planning purposes. The California Constitution provides that, unless otherwise provided in the Constitution or by federal law, all property in the state is taxable and is assessed at its fair market value. Existing law requires the county assessor to consider, when valuing real property for property taxation purposes, the effect of any enforceable restrictions, including recorded conservation easements, to which the use of the land may be subjected. This bill would provide that a recorded greenway easement constitutes an enforceable restriction for purposes of these tax provisions. By changing the manner in which county assessors assess property for property taxation purposes, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would make findings with regard to the development of a greenway along the Los Angeles River and its tributaries. This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 402.1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, proposed by AB 668, to be operative only if AB 668 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2016, and this bill is chaptered last. 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 these statutory provisions.
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act contains various provisions regulating the application for, the issuance of, the suspension of, and the conditions imposed upon, alcoholic beverage licenses by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Existing law provides for various annual fees for the issuance of alcoholic beverage licenses, depending upon the type of license issued. This bill, the Craft Distillers Act of 2015, would authorize the department to issue a craft distiller's license to manufacture distilled spirits, subject to specified conditions, including that the licensee manufacture no more than 100,000 gallons of distilled spirits per fiscal year, excluding brandy the craft distiller manufactures or has manufactured for them. The bill would allow the craft distiller's licensee to sell distilled spirits to specified consumers, to own interests in on-sale retail licenses, and to sell beer, wines, brandies, and distilled spirits to consumers for consumption on the premises of a bona fide eating place, as provided. The bill would impose an original fee and an annual renewal fee for the license, which would be deposited in the Alcohol Beverage Control Fund. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act authorizes a licensed distilled spirits manufacturer to conduct tastings of distilled spirits produced or bottled by, or produced or bottled for, the licensee, on the licensed premises, under specified conditions, including that tasting not be given in the form of a cocktail or mixed drink. This bill would extend that authorization to a licensed craft distiller and would revise the tasting conditions by allowing a tasting to be given in the form of a cocktail or mixed drink. Existing law prohibits a distilled spirits manufacturer's or distilled spirits manufacturer's agent's license from being held by a person that holds any ownership or interest in any distilled spirits wholesaler's, rectifier's, or retailer's license, as specified. This bill would additionally prohibit a distilled spirits manufacturer's or distilled spirits manufacturer's agent's license from being held by a person that holds any ownership or interest in a craft distiller's license.
Existing law establishes a procedure for the state to pay claims against the state. This bill would appropriate funds for the payment of specific claims against the state and require any appropriated funds in excess of the amount required to pay those claims to revert to the fund or account from which the funds were appropriated, as specified. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law requires, until January 1, 2020, the Director of Employment Development to permit the use of specified information in his or her possession by the Department of Finance to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report that identifies all employers in California that employ 50 or more employees who receive benefits from the Medi-Cal program. Existing law requires the Department of Finance to transmit to the Legislature and post on the department's Web site a report that lists the 500 employers in the state with the most number of employees enrolled in the Medi-Cal program, as specified, and defines an employer for this purpose as an individual or organization that employs 100 or more Medi-Cal beneficiaries who meet certain criteria. This bill would revise the requirement applicable to the Director of Employment Development to permit the use of specified information by the Department of Finance to prepare and submit a report that identifies all employers in California that employ 100 or more employees who receive Medi-Cal benefits. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
This measure would proclaim April 12 through April 19, 2015, as California Holocaust Memorial Week and would urge Californians to observe these days of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust in an appropriate manner.
This measure would establish the California Task Force on Family Caregiving, to meet, if a nonstate organization agrees to provide administrative support to the task force, to examine issues relative to the challenges faced by family caregivers and opportunities to improve caregiver support, review the current network and the services and supports available to caregivers, and make policy recommendations to the Legislature. The task force would be required to submit an interim report to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2017, and a final report no later than July 1, 2018.
This measure would encourage citizens, businesses, groups, organizations, and public institutions to observe and participate in coastal protection activities, and proclaim September 19, 2015, as the 31st annual Coastal Cleanup Day.
This measure would call upon the President of the United States to encourage the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services to adopt policies to repeal the current and upcoming discriminatory donor suitability policies of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding blood donations by men who have had sex with another man and, instead, direct the FDA to develop science-based policies such as criteria based on risky behavior in lieu of sexual orientation.