Asm. Jessica Caloza

Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and sets forth its powers and duties, including updating and revising the California Statewide Housing Plan, as provided. Existing law establishes the Office of Emergency Services (OES) , which is responsible for the state's emergency and disaster response services for natural, technological, or human-induced disasters and emergencies, including responsibility for activities necessary to prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of emergencies and disasters on people and property. This bill would require HCD to convene a state-led County of Los Angeles disaster housing task force, as specified, for the purpose of coordinating and streamlining efforts between HCD, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, OES, and local governments to rebuild housing in communities impacted by the wildfires that began on January 7, 2025, in the County of Los Angeles. The bill would require the task force to appoint a state disaster housing coordinator to accelerate the delivery of resources to communities impacted by the wildfires, and report to the Legislature on the status of rebuilding housing in communities impacted by the wildfires on April 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, as specified. The bill would repeal these provisions on June 30, 2028. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Los Angeles and Ventura. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law vests the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission with the power to certify locations on which an electrical transmission line or thermal powerplant is constructed, or is proposed to be constructed, except as provided. Existing law authorizes the commission to exempt from certification a thermal powerplant with a generating capacity of up to 100 megawatts, and modifications to existing generating facilities that do not add capacity in excess of 100 megawatts if the commission finds that no substantial adverse impact on the environment or energy resources will result from the construction or operation of the proposed facility or from the modifications. This bill would require any biological resources data submitted to the commission in an application for certification or small powerplant exemption pursuant to the above-described provisions to be made publicly available on the commission's docket as part of the certification proceeding unless the Department of Fish and Wildlife makes a written determination that the data to be made public includes specified location data, the disclosure of which would pose a significant risk to individuals of the species. The bill would require the department, if it makes that determination, to include in the written determination an assessment of the maximum amount of the specified data that can be released without posing a risk to the species. The bill would require the department to provide its written determination to the commission and would require the commission to make the data, in accordance with the determination, available to the public on the commission's docket. Existing law, until June 30, 2029, authorizes a person proposing an eligible facility, including a solar photovoltaic or terrestrial wind electrical generating powerplant with a generating capacity of 50 megawatts or more, to submit an application with the commission for certification of the site and related facility. This bill would apply the same public availability requirements described above to biological resources data submitted to the commission as part of an application for certification of an eligible facility.

Existing law designates all parks, public campgrounds, monument sites, landmark sites, and sites of historical interest established or acquired by the state, or that are under its control, as the state park system, except as specified. Under existing law, the Department of Parks and Recreation controls the state park system, which is made up of units. This bill would require the Director of Parks and Recreation to establish an Accessibility Advisory Committee that consists of the Chief of the Accessibility Division for the department and additional members appointed by the director, as provided. The bill would require the committee to serve in an advisory capacity to the director and make recommendations for improving the accessibility of units of the state park system for individuals with disabilities. The bill would require the committee to evaluate disability accessibility models and provisions, review services, programs, and activities provided by the department, and provide recommendations on general plans for the department, as provided. The bill would authorize the director to implement the committee's recommendations as the director deems appropriate.

Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act's requirements a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law sets forth specified coverage requirements for plan contracts and insurance policies, and limits the copayment, coinsurance, deductible, and other cost sharing that may be imposed for specified health care services. This bill would require a large group health care service plan contract or large group health insurance policy, except a specialized health care service plan contract or health insurance policy, that is issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, to include coverage for one portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifier for an enrollee or insured who is pregnant or diagnosed with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease if the enrollee or insured is residing in or displaced from a county where a local or state emergency has been declared due to wildfires and the HEPA purifier is prescribed by the enrollee's or insured's health care provider. The bill would prohibit the cost of the HEPA purifier from exceeding $500, adjusted for inflation, as specified. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law establishes the Office of Small Business Advocate (OSBA) within the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, also known as GO-Biz, to advocate for causes of small business and to provide small businesses with the information they need to survive in the marketplace. This bill, upon appropriation by the Legislature, would require OSBA to allocate 90% of the moneys appropriated to the Small Business Recovery Fund, which would be created within the State Treasury, for purposes of a small business recovery grant program to provide competitive grants to small businesses, as defined, that are directly impacted by a state of emergency proclaimed by the Governor or other specified emergencies. The bill would require the funds to be used for, among other things, to support recovery and rebuilding efforts, and would require a grantee to match the amount of the grant awarded. The bill would require OSBA to award grants in amounts that range from $2,500 to $100,000, inclusive. This bill would require OSBA to allocate 5% of the moneys appropriated to the fund to the Small Business Technical Assistance Program administered by GO-Biz, for grants to small business technical assistance centers that provide direct service to disaster-affected areas, and 5% to the Capital Infusion Program administered by GO-Biz, to support increased demand for capital-related technical assistance in disaster areas. This bill would require the Director of the Office of Small Business Advocate to prepare and submit a report to the Legislature on the results of grant funds awarded for each state of emergency proclaimed by the Governor, as provided. This bill would repeal the Small Business Recovery Fund Act on January 1, 2032.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes January as National Human Trafficking Awareness Month in California to raise public awareness about human trafficking. The resolution recognizes the severity of human trafficking as a felony crime and highlights statistics showing its prevalence across the country and specific challenges with identifying male victims and labor trafficking cases. It aims to educate the public and encourage reporting and support for victims during this designated month.

Existing law designates all parks, public campgrounds, monument sites, landmark sites, and sites of historical interest established or acquired by the state, or that are under its control, as the state park system, except as specified. Under existing law, the Department of Parks and Recreation controls the state park system, which is made up of units. Existing law requires the approval of the Director of General Services before the state may enter into a contract for the acquisition or hiring of real property, subject to a list of specified exceptions, as provided. Existing law requires the Department of General Services to review and approve appraisals related to the acquisition of property conducted by the Department of Parks and Recreation. This bill would authorize the director to waive the approvals as described above regarding state acquisition or hiring of real property and appraisals conducted by the Department of Parks and Recreation. The bill would, until January 1, 2033, additionally exempt from the requirement of contract approval by the Director of General Services the acquisition by the Department of Parks and Recreation of real property for park purposes under specific circumstances. Existing law authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to acquire title to or any interest in real property, including personal property incidental to the purchase of real property and options to purchase property, that the department deems necessary or proper for the extension, improvement, or development of the state park system. Existing law requires that all land and other real property to be acquired by or for any state agency be acquired by the State Public Works Board, except as specified. This bill would additionally exempt from this requirement, until January 1, 2033, acquisition of real property by the Department of Parks and Recreation for park purposes under specific circumstances. Existing law authorizes the Director of General Services to exempt from the director's approval, or from the approval of the Department of General Services, any state real estate acquisition or conveyance involving not more than $150,000. This bill would expand this authorization regarding exemption of real estate acquisition or conveyance to any state real estate acquisition or conveyance involving not more than $750,000. Existing law authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to lease, for any use, all or any portion of any parcel of real property acquired for state park system purposes under specific circumstances, including, among others, that the lease is subject to approval by the Department of General Services. Existing law authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation, with the consent of the Department of General Services, to lease real or personal property that the department deems necessary or proper for the extension, improvement, or development of the state park system. Existing law requires the Department of General Services to approve the lease of real property by the Department of Parks and Recreation for agricultural purposes. This bill would authorize the Department of General Services to waive its consent or approval of leases as described above regarding property leases for park purposes. Before entering into a lease contract for park and recreational areas, existing law requires lands proposed to be leased to be appraised by the Department of General Services to determine the fair market value of the lands, and requires the total amount of rent to be paid for the entire term under a lease contract to not be in excess of the fair market value of the lands, as determined by the Department of General Services, as specified. This bill would require the Department of Parks and Recreation, rather than the Department of General Services, to conduct the appraisal of the lands proposed to be leased. The bill would require the Department of General Services to review and approve the appraisal, unless review and approval is waived by the Department of General Services. The bill would require the Department of Parks and Recreation to submit a report, on or before January 1, 2028, January 1, 2030, and January 1, 2032, to the Legislature detailing the department's use of the authority granted pursuant to the bill regarding the acquisition of real property without the approval of the Director of General Services. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 15853 of the Government Code and Section 5006.1 of the Public Resources Code proposed by AB 679 to be operative only if this bill and AB 679 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

(1) The Outdoor Advertising Act, a violation of which is a crime, provides for the regulation by the Department of Transportation of advertising displays, as defined, within view of public highways. Existing law exempts from certain provisions of the act advertising displays located in specific geographic areas in the City of Los Angeles if those displays meet prescribed conditions and requirements, including the condition that the advertising display is authorized by, or in accordance with, an ordinance adopted by the City of Los Angeles that regulates advertising displays by identifying the specific displays or establishing regulations that include, at a minimum, specified restrictions, as provided. This bill would authorize the ordinance adopted by the City of Los Angeles to authorize a framework of allowable signage that preserves flexibility in the ultimate placement, sizing, and scope of advertising displays, and define a range or maximum signage capacity, as specified. The bill would also authorize the City of Los Angeles to adopt implementing ordinances that sequence or phase the authorization of advertising displays over time. (2) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

The Permit Streamlining Act requires a public agency that is the lead agency for a development project to approve or disapprove that project within specified time periods. Existing law requires a city or county that has an internet website to, among other things, make a fee estimate tool that the public can use to calculate an estimate of fees and exactions for a proposed housing development project available on its internet website. This bill would require a city or county with a population of 150,000 or more persons to make a centralized application portal available on its internet website to applicants for housing development projects, as prescribed. The bill would, notwithstanding that provision, authorize a city or county described above to make a centralized application portal available on its internet website no later than January 1, 2030, if the legislative body of the city or county, on or before January 1, 2028, takes certain action, including initiating a procurement process to make a centralized application portal available on its internet website. The bill would require the centralized application portal to allow for tracking of the status of an application. The bill would specify that a city or county is not required to provide the status of any permit or inspection required by another local agency, a state agency, or a utility provider. The bill would define various terms for purposes of its provisions. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. 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, the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022 (act) , until January 1, 2033, authorizes a development proponent to submit an application for an affordable housing development or a mixed-income housing development that meets specified objective standards and affordability and site criteria, including being located within a zone where office, retail, or parking are a principally permitted use. The act makes a development that meets those objective standards and affordability and site criteria a use by right and subject to one of 2 streamlined, ministerial review processes depending on, among other things, the affordability requirements applicable to the project. The act requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to undertake at least 2 studies, one completed on or before January 1, 2027, and one completed on or before January 1, 2031, on the outcomes of the act. This bill would provide that, for purposes of determining whether a property or site satisfies the criteria, objective development standards, or other requirements for receiving streamlined, ministerial review under the act, a local government's review of the property or site is limited to the area described as being physically disturbed by construction in the application for streamlined, ministerial review and does not include, unless expressly stated otherwise, other contiguous or noncontiguous areas even if under the ownership or control of the project proponent. The bill would provide that easements for public right-of-way, public or private utilities, or other public improvements in, under, or over the property shall not make the property ineligible to receive streamlined, ministerial review for either affordable or mixed-income housing developments. This bill would also expand the eligibility for the above-described streamlined, ministerial review for mixed-income housing developments to include developments located in a campus development zone, as defined, as long as the development meets certain affordability requirements and objective standards, as provided. The bill would require the outcomes of projects built under campus development zones to be reported in the January 1, 2031, outcomes report. The bill would also make related findings and declarations. 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. CEQA does not apply to the approval of ministerial projects. By expanding the scope of projects eligible for streamlined, ministerial approval as described above, this bill would expand the scope of the exemption from CEQA for ministerial projects. Existing law includes certain setback requirements in the objective standards that a mixed-income development project must meet to be subject to the above-referenced streamlined, ministerial review process. In this regard, existing law requires all parking to be set back at least 25 feet. This bill would instead impose that setback requirement only on parking that is aboveground. By changing the criteria local agencies must follow for the approval of certain development projects, 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.