Asm. Miguel Santiago

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 specifies time periods within which a person is required to bring an action or proceeding challenging a public agency's action on the grounds that the public agency violated the requirements of CEQA, as specified. This bill would shorten certain of those time periods, as provided.

Existing law generally requires a will to be in writing and satisfy specified requirements of the Probate Code. Existing law requires a will to be signed by the testator or in the testator's name by some other person in the testator's presence and by the testator's direction. A will that fails to meet those requirements may be valid as a holographic will. Existing law also allows for the execution of a California statutory will. This bill would authorize a testator to execute an electronic will that, among other things, is created and maintained as an electronic record, as defined, contains the electronic signature of the testator, contains the date and time of the electronic signature, and includes an authentication method, as defined, that is attached to or logically associated with the electronic will to identify the testator. The bill would authorize the electronic document, as defined, to be retained in the custody of a qualified custodian, authorized by the testator, that meets specified requirements and would prescribe methods to change the qualified custodian, including requiring specified affidavits to be made by the qualified custodian. By requiring affidavits that are made under oath, this bill would expand the crime of perjury and would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would authorize an electronic will to be converted into a certified paper original, as specified. The bill would define new terms for these purposes, and would make conforming changes to related provisions. Among other things, existing law authorizes a writing in existence when a will is executed to be incorporated by reference if the language of the will manifests this intent and describes the writing sufficiently to permit its identification. Existing law authorizes a will to refer to a writing that directs disposition of tangible personal property not otherwise specifically disposed of by the will, if certain criteria are met. This bill would expand the application of those provisions to electronic records and allow electronic records to be used instead of writings for those purposes, among others. The bill would authorize, among others, a video recording or other electronic record to be admissible as evidence of the proper execution of a will, the intentions of a testator, the mental state or capacity of a testator, the authenticity of the will, and matters that are determined by the court to be relevant to the probate of a will. The bill would make conforming changes to related provisions. 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 Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, provides for the involuntary detention and treatment of persons with specified mental health disorders for the protection of the persons so committed. Under the act, when a person, as a result of a mental health disorder, is a danger to others, or to himself or herself, or gravely disabled, he or she may, upon probable cause, be taken into custody and placed in a facility designated by the county and approved by the State Department of Social Services for up to 72-hours for evaluation and treatment. Existing law requires specified mental health professionals to assess a person to determine whether the person can be properly served without being detained, and if so, to provide evaluation, crisis intervention, or other inpatient or outpatient services on a voluntary basis. This bill would further require that if a determination is made that a person may be treated without being detained, and if the person is experiencing homelessness, he or she shall also be provided written information about local housing options, employment opportunities, and available public social services. By imposing additional duties on counties, 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, 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 that President Abraham Lincoln be honored on February 12, 2018, the anniversary of his birthday.

This measure would designate February 11, 2018, as International Day of Women and Girls in Science in the State of California and would encourage all Californians to observe the day and recognize the critical role women and girls play in advancing technology and innovation.

This measure would proclaim February 28, 2018, as Rare Disease Day in California.

This bill would recognize February 16, 2018, as National Caregivers Day.

This measure would declare the month of February as Career Technical Education Month in the State of California.