Asm. Freddie Rodriguez

Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as 2 of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. The California State University comprises 23 institutions of higher education, and the University of California comprises 10 institutions of higher education, and these institutions are located throughout the state. This bill would express legislative findings and declarations relating to the reporting of estimates of off-campus housing costs to students. The bill would require each campus of the California State University, and request each campus of the University of California, to post on its Internet Web site, on or before February 1, 2018, and on or before February 1 of each year thereafter, information about the market cost of a one-bedroom apartment in the areas surrounding that campus where its students commonly reside. The bill would require or request the campuses, in reporting information pursuant to this bill, to exercise due diligence and consult bona fide and reliable sources of current information about local housing market costs, as specified.

This measure would recognize August 15, 2017, as India's Independence Day and would urge all Californians to join in celebrating India's independence.

Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to establish rules or regulations for general or specific licensing of persons to receive, possess, or transfer radioactive materials, or devices or equipment utilizing these materials. Existing law authorizes the department to require registration and inspection of sources of ionizing radiation, as specified. Existing law authorizes the department to exempt certain sources of ionization radiation or kinds of uses or users from the licensing requirements when the department makes a finding that the exemption of those kinds of users will not constitute a significant risk to the health and safety of the public. Under its existing regulatory authority, the department has adopted regulations establishing requirements, including a requirement that an individual acting as a radiation machine radiographer be a certified radiation machine radiographer, for conducting field radiography. This bill would require the department to exempt bomb squads of specified public entities from the regulatory requirements for conducting field radiography, under specified conditions.

The Corporation Tax Law exempts the income of various types of nonprofit organizations from taxes imposed by that law, except as provided. Under existing law, there is a method by which a nonprofit organization that has obtained a ruling, determination, or specified letter from the Internal Revenue Service that it is exempt from federal income taxes as an organization described in Section 501(c) (3) , (c) (4) , (c) (5) , (c) (6) , or (c) (7) of the Internal Revenue Code is authorized to obtain exemption from state taxes, as provided. This bill would additionally authorize an organization described in Section 501(c) (19) , which is a veteran's organization, to use that method to obtain such an exemption.

(1) Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University; the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California; the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges; and independent institutions of higher education as the 4 segments of postsecondary education in this state. This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to reduce the incidence of hunger and homelessness among college students in California. (2) Existing law requires each public and private postsecondary educational institution that is located in a county that participates in the Restaurant Meals Program to apply to become an approved food vendor for the program, if the institution operates any qualifying food facilities on campus, or to provide contracting on-campus food vendors with specified information about the program. This bill would provide definitions of "on-campus food vendors" and "qualifying food facility" for purposes of this provision. (3) Existing federal law provides for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , known in California as CalFresh, formerly the Food Stamp Program, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county. Under existing law, households are eligible to receive CalFresh benefits to the extent permitted by federal law. Existing federal law provides that students who are enrolled in college or other institutions of higher education at least half time are not eligible for SNAP benefits unless they meet one of several specified exemptions, including participating in specified employment training programs. Existing state law provides that, for the purposes of determining eligibility, certain educational programs, as determined by the State Department of Social Services, shall be considered employment training programs, thereby qualifying a student participating in one of those programs for an exemption, unless prohibited by federal law. Existing law also requires the State Department of Social Services, in consultation with representatives from other specified organizations, to establish a protocol to identify and verify all potential exemptions and to identify and verify participation in educational programs, including self-initiated placements, that would qualify a student for an exemption. This bill would express legislative intent to clarify educational policies for purposes of improving access for low-income students to the CalFresh program. For purposes of the federal regulation, the bill would specify the definition of half-time college enrollment. The bill would also require the Student Aid Commission to provide written notice to recipients of Cal Grant awards who qualify for participation in the CalFresh program under the federal regulation. This bill would require the Department of Social Services to maintain and regularly update a list of programs identified pursuant to existing law because they meet the employment training exemption set in the federal regulation. The bill would also require the department to issue and maintain instructions for county human services agencies to verify exemptions to the CalFresh student eligibility rules for students who participate in these programs, as specified. To the extent that this provision would impose new duties on county human services agencies, it would constitute a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law requires the Department of Social Services to implement the provisions described in (3) above by all-county letters or similar instructions beginning no later than October 1, 2015, until regulations are adopted, and further requires the department to adopt regulations on or before October 1, 2017. Existing law also requires the department to seek and obtain federal approval, as specified, prior to publishing that guidance or regulation, if the United States Department of Agriculture requires federal approval. This bill would adjust the dates for the implementation and adoption of regulations. The bill would delete the provision relating to federal approval. (5) 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 the statutory provisions noted above.

This measure would declare June 27, 2017, as the second annual Robotics Technology Day.

This measure would proclaim and acknowledge the month of June 2017 as Elder and Vulnerable Adult Abuse Awareness Month.

This measure would declare June 28, 2017, as California Nonprofits Day and recognize the importance of nonprofit organizations to the economy and well-being of this state.