Asm. Cristina Garcia

This measure would urge lawmakers in Poland to reverse or revise a recent Polish law on speech related to the Holocaust, would call on Congress to join that effort, and would call for a renewed commitment to Holocaust education in California.

Existing law prohibits a person from driving any motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer unless it is registered and the appropriate fees have been paid to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Existing law requires the owner of a vehicle of a type required to be registered under the Vehicle Code to submit an application for the original or renewal registration of that vehicle to the department upon the appropriate form furnished by the department. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2040, prohibit the department from accepting an application for original registration of a motor vehicle unless the vehicle is a zero emissions vehicle, as defined. The bill would exempt from that prohibition, a commercial vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, and a vehicle brought into the state from outside of the state for original registration, as specified.

This measure would provide that the Legislature strongly and unequivocally supports the current federal prohibition on new oil and gas drilling in federal waters offshore California, opposes the Trump administration's proposal to remove safety and environmental protections related to offshore drilling operations, and opposes the Trump administration's proposed leasing plan that would expose the state to new offshore drilling. The measure would also urge the United States Secretary of the Interior to remove California from that proposed leasing plan, and would request that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management hold more than one public hearing on the plan in the State of California to ensure that all Californians have an opportunity to have their voices heard.

Existing federal law, known as Title IX, prohibits a person, on the basis of sex, from being excluded from participation in, being denied the benefits of, or being subject to discrimination, which includes sexual harassment, under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. A portion of the Donahoe Higher Education Act, known as the Equity in Higher Education Act, and the Sex Equity in Education Act establish, among other things, that it is the policy of the State of California that all persons, regardless of their sex, should enjoy freedom from discrimination of any kind in the educational institutions of the state. Specified provisions of law relating to educational equity in schools, including the Equity in Education Act and the Equity in Higher Education Act, define, in the same way, "sexual harassment" for the purposes of their respective provisions. Based on federal regulations, this bill would define "sexual harassment" to include "sexual violence," as defined, for the purposes of those state laws. The bill would, among other things, require the appropriate governing board or body of each elementary and secondary school that receives state financial assistance, and the appropriate governing board or body of each higher education institution that receives state funds for student financial assistance, to, as a condition of receiving that financial assistance, comply with certain requirements, based on federal regulations. The bill would express the intent of the Legislature that each local educational agency, and would require the appropriate governing board or body of each higher education institution that receives state funds for student financial assistance to, designate at least one employee to act as a sex equity coordinator or officer, as applicable. The bill would require, on or before July 1, 2018, the appropriate governing board or body of each higher education institution that receives state funds for student financial assistance to, as a condition of receiving that financial assistance, adopt regulations to, among other things, ensure that implementation of the applicable provisions of the bill at the institution is, to the greatest extent possible, consistent with federal regulations. By imposing new duties on school districts, 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, 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.

Existing law, the State Civil Service Act, establishes standards for the use of personal services contracts by state agencies. The act provides that personal services contracting is permissible to achieve cost savings when certain conditions are met, including, but not limited to, that the contracting agency demonstrates that the proposed contract will result in actual overall cost savings to the state and that the contract will not cause the displacement of civil service employees. The act also authorizes state agencies to enter into personal services contracts for functions exempted from civil service. The California Constitution excludes the officers and employees of the California State University from the state civil service. Existing law authorizes the Trustees of the California State University to enter into agreements with any public or private agency, person, or institution for the furnishing of services, facilities, goods, supplies, or equipment, among others, and requires the trustees to prescribe policies and procedures for the acquisition of those services, facilities, materials, goods, supplies, or equipment. This bill would establish standards for the use of personal services contracts by the trustees similar to those in the State Civil Service Act for services that are currently or customarily performed by employees of the university.