Asm. Phillip Chen

The Personal Income Tax Law imposes a tax on individual taxpayers measured by the taxpayer's taxable income for the taxable year, but excludes certain items of income from the computation of tax, including an exclusion for combat-related special compensation. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2018, and before January 1, 2028, would exclude from gross income retirement pay received by a taxpayer from the federal government for service performed in the uniformed services, as defined. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the taxes imposed by that law. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2019, and before January 1, 2029, would allow a credit against those taxes in an amount equal to 50% of the amount paid or incurred during the taxable year by a qualified disabled veteran for the ownership and maintenance of a service dog, not to exceed $1,500 for a taxable year. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

This measure would declare the support of the Legislature for the expansion of sensory-friendly movie screenings and similar programs for people with autism, and would encourage families to attend a sensory-friendly movie screening during April 2018, which is National Autism Awareness Month.

This measure would, among other things, designate the year 2018 as "State of California Year of Commemoration of the Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915–1923," would designate April 24, 2018, as "State of California Day of Commemoration of the 103rd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915–1923," and would call upon the President of the United States and the United States Congress to formally and consistently reaffirm the historical truth that the atrocities committed against the Armenian people constituted genocide.

This measure would proclaim April 16, 2018, as California Holocaust Memorial Day and would urge all Californians to observe this day of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust in an appropriate manner.

This measure would urge the Congress of the United States to implement revised dam safety and inspection requirements, with specified components, for all federally operated and regulated dams and reservoirs for the purpose of ensuring public safety.

Existing law establishes the California Conservation Corps in the Natural Resources Agency, administered by the Director of the California Conservation Corps. Existing law requires that participants in the corps generally be engaged in certain kinds of projects, including projects that accomplish useful and needed public works projects in urban and rural areas. This bill would specify that those projects include the construction of housing. The bill would require the director to establish a Construction Corps Program to provide corpsmembers with job training in construction-related fields, as specified. The bill would require the director, in developing and administering the program, to partner with local builders, apprenticeship programs, preapprenticeship programs, and community colleges to provide relevant training and experience to corpsmembers. The bill would authorize the director to determine the appropriate location or locations for the program based on factors the director determines are appropriate, including, among other things, the local need for housing or construction workers. Existing law authorizes the director to execute contracts with any person, natural or corporate, for the purpose of implementing the objectives of the corps, as specified. This bill would authorize the director to also execute agreements for the same purposes.

This measure would recognize September 20, 2018, and every year on that date thereafter, as California Surfing Day to celebrate the California surfing lifestyle, would commend all those who honor the history, culture, and future of surfing, as well as the sport of surfing and the protection of our beach and ocean environments, would express support for future surfers and encourage potential surfing Olympians to work diligently, and would encourage all Californians to enjoy California Surfing Day.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a community college district to require community college students within the district to pay a fee for health supervision and services, including the operation of a student health center or centers. This bill, commencing July 1, 2019, would require a campus of the California Community Colleges or the California State University that issues student identification cards to, and would request a campus of the University of California or an independent institution of higher education that issues student identification cards to, include on the back of the student identification cards the telephone numbers for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Crisis Text Line, or a local suicide prevention lifeline and crisis text line that the campus deems appropriate, and the campus police or security telephone number or, if the campus does not have a campus police or security telephone number, the local nonemergency telephone number, as provided.