Asm. Beth Gaines

Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to prescribe, by regulation, standards for minimum levels of operating efficiency, based on a reasonable use pattern. Existing law provides that regulations adopted become effective no sooner than one year after the date of the adoption or revision of the regulation. This bill would provide that regulations for non-USB battery chargers adopted on or before January 1, 2014, would become effective on January 1, 2014.

The Sales and Use Tax Law imposes a tax on retailers measured by the gross receipts from the sale of tangible personal property sold at retail in this state, or a tax, measured by the sales price, on the storage, use, or other consumption of tangible personal property in this state." That law defines the terms "gross receipts" and "sales price." This bill would exclude from the terms "gross receipts" and "sales price" the amount charged at retail for gasoline and diesel fuels in excess of $3.88 or $3.52 per gallon, respectively, as provided. Existing law imposes a sales and use tax and an excise tax on gasoline and diesel fuels and requires the State Board of Equalization to annually modify both the gasoline and diesel excise tax rates on a going-forward basis so that the taxes imposed on gasoline and diesel fuels, as described above, are revenue neutral. This bill would require the State Board of Equalization to reduce, but not increase, certain excise tax rates on gasoline and diesel fuels to maintain revenue neutrality. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

This measure would recognize April 23, 2012, to April 30, 2012, inclusive, as Black April Memorial Week, and April 2012 as Vietnamese American month.

This measure would acknowledge the month of April 2012 as Child Abuse Prevention Month, and encourage the people of the State of California to work together to support youth-serving child abuse prevention activities in their communities and schools.

Existing law provides that any elected public officer who takes public office, or is reelected to public office, on or after January 1, 2006, who is convicted of any specified felony arising directly out of his or her official duties, forfeits all rights and benefits under, and membership in, any public retirement system in which he or she is a member, effective on the date of final conviction, as specified. This bill would require that an employee of a school district, county office of education, or charter school, who is convicted of any state or federal felony for conduct arising out of, or in the performance of, his or her official duties in pursuit of the office or appointment, or in connection with obtaining salary, disability retirement, or service retirement, or other benefits, forfeit retirement benefits earned or accrued from the earliest date of the commission of the felony to the forfeiture date, as specified. The bill would also require any contributions to the public retirement system made by the employee on or after the earliest date of commission of the felony to be returned, without interest, to the employee upon the occurrence of a distribution event, as defined, unless otherwise ordered by a court or determined by the pension administrator.

This measure would call upon all Californians to observe César Chávez's birthday, March 31, as a day of public service, to recognize the hard work and self-sacrifice that farmworkers go through to feed all the families in our state, and to learn from César Chávez's life and his mission of nonviolence, social justice, and selfless service to others.

This measure would designate the month of November 2012 as California Runaway and Homeless Youth Month and would recognize the need for individuals, schools, communities, businesses, local governments, and the state to take action on behalf of runaway and homeless youth in California.

This measure would proclaim California as a Purple Heart State, honoring the service and sacrifices of our nation's men and women in uniform wounded or killed by the enemy while serving to protect the freedoms enjoyed by all Americans.

This measure would proclaim April 15 through April 22, 2012, as California Holocaust Memorial Week and would urge Californians to observe these days of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust in an appropriate manner.