The Donahoe Higher Education Act sets forth, among other things, the missions and functions of California's public and independent segments of higher education and their respective institutions of higher education. 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 this state. A provision of the act requires the California State University to establish model academic standards for high school courses, including career technical courses, for pupils who wish to attend the California State University. The act requires the California State University to recognize the completion of all high school career technical education courses that meet model curriculum standards established by the Superintendent of Public Instruction as satisfying the completion of a general elective course requirement for the purposes of admission to that university, if, by July 1, 2008, the university has not adopted model uniform academic standards for career technical education courses that will satisfy the completion of a general elective course requirement for the purposes of admission to the university. Existing law requires the Superintendent to coordinate the development, on a cyclical basis, of model curriculum standards for a high school career technical course of study. Existing law also requires the Superintendent to develop a career technical curriculum framework based on prescribed criteria. This bill, notwithstanding any other provision of law, on or before January 1, 2014, would require the trustees to develop and implement a procedure for allowing a student to satisfy the completion of a general elective course requirement for the purposes of admission to the university by completing a high school career technical education course that meets either (1) specified criteria that the bill would require the trustees to establish, or (2) model academic standards for high school courses adopted by the California State University pursuant to existing law. The bill would require the university to recognize the completion of all high school career technical education courses that meet model curriculum standards established by the Superintendent as satisfying the completion of a general elective course requirement for the purposes of admission to the university, if, by January 1, 2014, the university has not developed that procedure. The bill would require the trustees to adopt related requirements based on the recommendations and judgment of the Academic Senate of the California State University.
Sponsored bills
Existing law provides for the establishment and operation of certain state-owned and operated veterans' cemeteries. Existing law authorizes honorably discharged veterans and their spouses and children to be interred at these cemeteries, and provides for a fee to be charged for each spouse or child interred at the cemetery, as specified. This bill would authorize the fee for the interment of the spouses and children of honorably discharged veterans in these cemeteries to be waived if the cemetery administrator determines that the families of the spouses or children do not have sufficient means to pay for the costs of interment, and would require any costs for these interments to be paid from nonstate funds. This bill would require the cemetery administrator to seek reimbursements, as specified, and would authorize the cemetery administrator to solicit private donations, to offset any fees lost as a result of this fee waiver.
Existing law, the Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act of 1983, establishes, under the jurisdiction of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, a program of seismic safety building standards for certain hospitals constructed on and after March 7, 1973. Existing law authorizes the office to assess an application fee for the review of facilities design and construction, and requires that full and complete plans be submitted to the office for review and approval. Existing law requires that, after January 1, 2008, any general acute care hospital building that is determined to be at potential risk of collapse or pose significant loss of life be used only for nonacute care hospital purposes, except that the office may grant a 5-year extension under prescribed circumstances. Existing law also allows the office to grant an additional 2-year extension to the January 2008 deadline in specified circumstances. This bill would also allow the office to grant the additional 2-year extension for a hospital building that, among other requirements, is owned by a health care district that has, as owner, received the extension of the January 1, 2008, deadline, but where the hospital is operated by an unaffiliated 3rd-party lessee pursuant to a facility lease that extends at least through December 31, 2009, if the health care district requests the additional extension by March 1, 2010. This bill would require the district to file a declaration stating specified information as a condition for receiving the extension. This bill would prohibit the office from granting the extension if an unaffiliated 3rd-party lessee will operate the hospital beyond December 31, 2010, and would make the extension applicable only while the hospital is operated by the district or an entity under the control of the district. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law, the Contractors' State License Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of contractors by the Contractors' State License Board. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for a person to engage in the business or act in the capacity of a contractor without having a license and makes a first offense punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for no more than 6 months, or by a fine not exceeding $1,000, or both. Existing law requires a court to impose upon a person who has been previously convicted of that offense a fine of 20% of the price of the contract, as specified, or $4,500, whichever is greater, and imprisonment in the county jail for at least 90 days, except as specified. Existing law specifies that a 3rd or subsequent conviction is punishable by a fine of not less than $4,500 nor more than the greater of $10,000 or 20% of the contract price or by imprisonment in the county jail, as specified, or both, and applies those penalty provisions to a person who is named on a revoked license and is held responsible for the act or omission resulting in the revocation. Existing law requires a court to order a defendant convicted of a crime under those provisions, or under provisions related to the offering or performance of repairs caused by a natural disaster, to pay restitution to the victim, as specified. This bill would make a first conviction punishable by a fine not exceeding $5,000 or by imprisonment in a county jail for no more than 6 months, as specified, or both. The bill would require that the fine for a 2nd conviction be the greater of 20% of the contract price, 20% of the aggregate payments made to, or at the direction of, the unlicensed contractor, or $5,000. In addition, the bill would require that a 3rd or subsequent conviction be punishable by both a fine and imprisonment in a county jail, as specified, and would require that the fine be no less than $5,000 and no more than the greater of $10,000, 20% of the contract price, or 20% of the aggregate payments made to, or at the direction of, the unlicensed contractor. By requiring 3rd or subsequent convictions to be punishable by imprisonment in a county jail, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Under the provisions described above, the bill would also provide that a person who used the services of an unlicensed contractor is a victim of crime and eligible for restitution for economic losses, regardless of whether that person had knowledge that the contractor was unlicensed. 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.
The Personal Income Tax Law allows taxpayers, until January 1, 2010, to contribute amounts in excess of their tax liability for the support of the California Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Research Fund. This bill would extend the operation of those contribution provisions to January 1, 2015.
(1) The Real Estate Law provides for the licensure and regulation of real estate brokers and salespersons by the Real Estate Commissioner. Existing law authorizes the commissioner to suspend or revoke the license of a real estate licensee or corporation, or to deny the issuance of a license to an applicant or corporation, for specified violations. This bill would further authorize the commissioner to suspend or revoke those licenses, or to deny issuance of those licenses, upon a violation of specified federal lending laws or regulations or upon the violation or failure to comply with specified provisions of state law relating to mortgages. (2) Existing law imposes certain limitations and prohibitions on licensed persons, as defined, with respect to the making of a covered loan, defined as a consumer loan in which the original principal balance of the loan does not exceed the most current conforming loan limit for a single-family first mortgage loan established by the Federal National Mortgage Association in the case of a mortgage or deed of trust, and as specified. Existing law does not regulate or define the term "higher-priced mortgage loan." This bill would establish "higher-priced mortgage loans," as defined, as a new category of regulated loans. The bill would, among other things, limit prepayment penalties and prohibit provisions for negative amortization. The bill would prohibit a licensed person, as defined, from making false, deceptive, or misleading statements or representations in connection with higher-priced mortgage loans. The bill would also, among other things, prohibit a mortgage broker, as defined, who arranges higher-priced mortgage loans with prepayment penalties from receiving a compensation that exceeds certain amounts. The bill would provide that a violation of the provisions regulating higher-priced mortgage loans by a licensed person is also a violation of the person's licensing law. The bill would authorize a licensing agency or the Attorney General to enforce the provisions regulating higher-priced mortgage loans. The bill would authorize civil penalties in an amount up to $10,000 against a licensed person who willfully and knowingly violates the provisions regulating higher-priced mortgage loans, and would nullify prepayment penalties or yield spread premiums that violate these provisions. The bill would also establish specified duties for mortgage brokers performing mortgage brokerage services for higher-priced mortgage loans. The bill's provisions would apply to higher-priced mortgage loans originated on or after July 1, 2010. (3) Existing law imposes certain limitations and prohibitions on specified licensees, including commercial banks, credit unions, finance lenders, and residential mortgage lenders, with respect to the making of consumer loans. This bill would provide that a violation of specified federal lending laws or regulations by those licensees is also a violation of the licensing law of the licensee. The bill would also provide that a mortgage broker, as defined, providing mortgage brokerage services, as defined, to a borrower is the fiduciary of the borrower, and any violation of the broker's fiduciary duties is a violation of the mortgage broker's licensing law and specified civil penalty and liability provisions. The bill would further provide that this fiduciary duty includes a requirement that the mortgage broker place the economic interest of the borrower ahead of his or her own economic interest. (4) Because a violation of the bill's provisions by certain licensees may be punished as crimes under the licensing law of the licensees, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The Local Transportation Authority and Improvement Act authorizes any county board of supervisors to create or designate a local transportation authority in the county for the purposes of imposing a retail transactions and use tax of up to 1%, by a 23 vote thereof, subject to voter approval, with revenues to be used for transportation improvements. The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requires the State Air Resources Board to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions levels in 1990 to be achieved by 2020, as specified. This bill, until December 1, 2015, would create the Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority. The bill would provide for the authority to be governed by the same board as that governing the Sonoma County Transportation Authority, which was created pursuant to the Local Transportation Authority and Improvement Act, and would impose certain duties on the authority, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. The bill would provide that the authority is a separate entity from the Sonoma County Transportation Authority. The bill would authorize the authority, in cooperation with local agencies, as defined, that elect to participate, to perform coordination and implementation activities, within the boundaries of Sonoma County, to assist those agencies in meeting their greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and develop, coordinate, and implement programs and policies to comply with the California Global Warming Solutions Act and other federal or state mandates and programs designed to respond to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. The bill would authorize the authority to apply for, and to receive grants of, funds to carry out its functions, and would require those funds to be held in a separate account. The bill would prohibit the use of transportation funds by the authority other than for transportation activities. The bill would prohibit funding from the Traffic Relief Act for Sonoma County (Measure M) , approved by voters in 2004 to be used for these purposes. 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.
(1) Existing law establishes the Pierce's Disease Control Program in the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Pierce's Disease Management Account in the Food and Agriculture Fund. Existing law allows money in this account to be expended as specified to combat Pierce's disease and its vectors. Existing law declares that these provisions shall become inoperative on March 1, 2011. This bill would allow specified money in the account to also be expended for purposes relating to other designated pests and diseases, as provided. The bill would change the date on which the above provisions become inoperative to March 1, 2016. (2) Existing law creates in the Department of Food and Agriculture the Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board, which consists of specified numbers of representatives of producers and processors, as defined, in the grape industry who are appointed by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. Existing law sets forth the powers of the board and provides for an annual assessment to be paid by the processors into the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund for the purposes of, among other things, research and other activities related to the transmittal of the plant killing Pierce's disease bacterium, and its vectors, particularly the glassy-winged sharpshooter. Existing law repeals these provisions on March 1, 2011. This bill would authorize the expenditure of the assessments for purposes relating to other designated pests and diseases, as provided, and would extend the repeal date of these provisions to March 1, 2016, except that this bill would make these provisions inoperative as of March 1, 2011, unless the secretary finds, in a referendum conducted by him or her, or a person designated by him or her, that a favorable vote has been given. The bill would require, no later than April 15, 2010, the secretary to establish a list of those individuals eligible to vote on the continued implementation of these provisions, as specified. The bill would also make a conforming change and other technical changes. (3) Existing law authorizes the Department of Food and Agriculture and the Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board to charge expenditures for administrative purposes, as specified, in an amount not to exceed a total of 7% of the assessments collected pursuant to these provisions. This bill would increase the amount that may be charged for administrative purposes to an amount not to exceed a total of 14% of the assessments collected. Because assessments collected pursuant to these provisions are deposited in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund, which is continuously appropriated, by extending the collection of these assessments and authorizing expenditure for a new purpose, this bill would make an appropriation. (4) Existing law, operative until March 1, 2011, provides that the Secretary of Food and Agriculture shall appoint an advisory task force to advise him or her on the control and management of Pierce's disease. This bill would extend these provisions to March 1, 2016. This bill would authorize the Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board, after consulting with the advisory task force and upon making specified findings, to recommend to the secretary, and would authorize the secretary to determine, that a pest or disease affecting grapes grown in California and crushed for wine, wine vinegar, juice, concentrate, or beverage brandy be designated as an other designated pest or disease, and that money should be expended on research and outreach programs for specified purposes relating to the other designated pest or disease, except as provided. The bill would also make conforming changes.
This measure would recognize the pioneering work of promotores and community health workers in delivering vital and cost-effective health care services in communities throughout California and declare October 2009 as California Promotores Month.
This measure would designate the month of October 2009 as Extended Opportunity Programs and Services Month to honor the mission and purposes of the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services.