Asm. Phillip Chen

Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in the state. This bill would establish the Legislative Internship Program under the administration of the California State University's Center for California Studies to provide paid internship opportunities at offices of the Legislature, to qualified applicants, as provided. The bill would establish the Legislative Internship Program Fund as the initial depository of all moneys appropriated, donated, or otherwise received for the program, and upon appropriation by the Legislature, would require the Center for California Studies to distribute moneys in the fund to program participants, as specified. Existing law requires all appropriations for contingent expenses of the Senate and the Assembly and legislative committees thereof to be available and disbursed, as provided. This bill would prohibit these funds from being used to provide a paid internship position pursuant to the Legislative Internship Program.

The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the taxes imposed by that law. Existing law establishes the continuously appropriated Tax Relief and Refund Account and provides that payments required to be made to taxpayers or other persons from the Personal Income Tax Fund are to be paid from that account. This bill would, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2030, allow a credit against the tax imposed by that law in an amount equal to $1,500 to a taxpayer for the adoption of a retired law enforcement dog, as provided. The bill would require the amount of the credit exceeding the taxpayer's liability to be credited against other amounts due, if any, and would require the balance, upon appropriation, to be paid from the Tax Relief and Refund Account and refunded to the taxpayer. Existing law requires a bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law requires the Department of Parks and Recreation to issue a park pass for free use of all park facilities in the state park system to a veteran of war in which the United States has been, or may be, engaged, who is a resident of this state, who presents to the department proof of a disability, proof of being held captive as a prisoner of war, or proof of being a recipient of a Congressional Medal of Honor, and proof of an honorable discharge from service. This bill would require a pass for free day use of any unit of the state park system that is operated by the state to be issued to Gold Star Family members, as provided.

Existing law authorizes the Department of Toxic Substances Control to regulate the disposal of hazardous waste, including used oil, and defines "used oil" for those purposes. Existing law excludes from regulation used oil if the used oil has not been treated by the generator of the used oil, the generator claims the used oil is exempt from regulation by the department, and the used oil meets all of specified criteria, including that the used oil is not subject to regulation as either hazardous waste or used oil under federal law. This bill would provide an alternative to that criterion for exemption from regulation for used oil that is not subject to regulation as a hazardous waste under federal law and that meets certain state testing criteria.

The Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006, an initiative statute approved by the voters at the November 7, 2006, statewide general election, among other things, makes $100,000,000 in bond funds available to the Department of Parks and Recreation for grants for nature education and research facilities and equipment to nonprofit organizations and public institutions, including natural history museums, aquariums, research facilities, and botanical gardens. Pursuant to that act, the department entered into a grant contract with the Orange County Coastkeeper for the construction and operation of a botanical garden. This bill would require the department to terminate, upon mutual agreement of the department and the Orange County Coastkeeper, the grant contract. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the grant contract between the department and the Orange County Coastkeeper. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The state board is required to adopt rules and regulations to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective greenhouse gas emissions reductions to ensure that the statewide greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to at least 40% below the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit, as defined, no later than December 31, 2030. The act requires the state board to prepare and approve a scoping plan for achieving the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and to update the scoping plan at least once every 5 years. This bill would require the state board to include greenhouse gas emissions from wildlands and forest fires in the scoping plan.

This measure would declare October 2023 as Women's Small Business Month and encourage all citizens to recognize the economic importance of women's small business in California.

This measure would condemn and decry the Hamas terrorist organization in the harshest terms for its premeditated, coordinated, and barbaric attacks on Israel, acts of sexual violence, hostage taking, and theft of relief supplies intended for the civilian population of Gaza, and demand the release of all hostages held by Palestinian terrorists. The measure would condemn and denounce in the strongest possible terms all instances of anti-Semitism occurring in California, the United States, and globally.