(1) The Economic Revitalization Act establishes the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, also known as "GO-Biz," to, among other duties, serve the Governor as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth. Existing law authorizes the director of GO-Biz to establish and terminate international trade and investment offices outside of the United States as he or she determines is appropriate, if specific requirements are met. Existing law establishes the Economic Development and Trade Promotion Account, a continuously appropriated account, to accept private moneys to fund international trade and investment offices. This bill would, notwithstanding provisions authorizing the director of GO-Biz to establish and terminate international trade and investment offices outside of the United States if specified conditions are satisfied, and to the extent private moneys are available, require the director of GO-Biz, on or before January 1, 2016, to establish and operate, or to create a public-private partnership to establish and operate, an international trade and investment office in Mexico City, Mexico. This bill would require the director of GO-Biz to include information regarding the Mexico City trade and investment office in existing reporting requirements relating to an International Trade and Investment Program, as specified. This bill would require GO-Biz to accept and administer private moneys through the Economic Development and Trade Promotion Account. By expanding the use of a continuously appropriated account, this bill would make an appropriation. This bill would require the Mexico City trade and investment office to, among other things, promote the export of California goods and services into Mexico and facilitate access to educational exchange programs between California and Mexico. (2) Existing law requires the director of GO-Biz to develop an International Trade and Investment Program for the state and to submit the strategy and business plan for the International Trade and Investment Program to the Chief Clerk of the Assembly, the Secretary of the Senate, the Speaker of the Assembly, the President pro Tempore of the Senate, the chair of the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy and the chair of the Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development, or respective successor committees, with jurisdiction over the international trade and economic development programs. This bill would also require the director of GO-Biz to submit the strategy and business plan to the Senate Select Committee on California-Mexico Cooperation.
Sponsored bills
The Bergeson-Peace Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank Act establishes the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, within the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, to, among other things, be governed by a specified board of directors. The act makes findings and declarations in this regard, provides definitions, and authorizes the board to take various actions in connection with the bank, including the issuance of bonds, as specified. This bill, among other things, would revise the definition of economic development facilities to include facilities that are used to provide goods movement and would define goods movement-related infrastructure. The bill would revise the definition of port facilities to specifically reference airports, landports, waterports, and railports, and expand the definition of participating party to include an international governmental entity. The bill would make various technical changes. This bill would also enact the California Economic Development Infrastructure Finance Act of 2014 to create the California Infrastructure Finance Center to administer the provisions of this act, as specified, under the oversight of the bank. This bill would authorize the creation of California infrastructure development corporations, as specified, and establish requirements for those corporations to secure participation rights, as part of forming public-private partnerships with the bank in building infrastructure related to economic-related activities. Participation rights include a commitment by the state to use the California Infrastructure Development Corporation to deliver infrastructure projects. Participation rights also include the right of first refusal by the corporation to participate in public-private partnership projects (P3 projects) and if it should choose to participate, a preestablished minimum participation rate in financing each and all P3 projects. This bill would also provide an exemption from specified public contracting requirements for contracts entered into between the bank and these corporations. This bill would also establish conflict of interest provisions for persons implementing the act or participating in a California Infrastructure Development Corporation. This bill would make a violation of these provisions a felony, thereby creating a crime and 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.
Existing law requires the Governor, in conjunction with the Governor's Budget, to submit annually to the Legislature a proposed 5-year infrastructure plan containing specified information concerning infrastructure needed by state agencies, public schools, and public postsecondary educational institutions, and a proposal for funding the needed infrastructure. This bill would require the infrastructure plan to include additional information, including, but not limited to, information related to infrastructure identified by state and federal transportation authorities, recommendations for private sector financing, and strategies to address state goods movement needs, as specified.
(1) Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to form an advisory task force to develop standards for the mastery of the braille code as a child progresses through kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires the Superintendent to utilize this advisory task force to develop standards for visually impaired pupils to learn, and achieve mastery of, the braille mathematics code, and requires the task force to report those standards to the State Board of Education by March 1, 2006. This bill would replace the advisory task force with a group of experts on the blind and visually impaired, as described, and would require the Superintendent, upon consultation with the group of experts, to develop standards that are aligned to the common core academic content standards for blind and visually impaired pupils to learn, and achieve the mastery of and literacy in, the braille code and the braille mathematics code. The bill would require the Superintendent to recommend those standards to the state board by May 31, 2016. This bill would additionally require the Superintendent, upon consultation with a group of experts on the Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing, to develop standards that are aligned to the common core academic content standards, for Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing pupils to learn, and achieve the mastery of and literacy in, American Sign Language as a pupil progresses through kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. The bill would require the Superintendent to recommend these standards to the state board by May 31, 2016. (2) Existing law requires the state board to adopt braille reading and mathematics standards for visually impaired pupils by June 1, 2006. This bill would require the state board to adopt braille reading and mathematics standards for blind and visually impaired pupils that are aligned to the common core academic content standards by June 30, 2016, as specified. The bill would authorize county offices of education, school districts, and special education local plan areas to provide blind and visually impaired pupils opportunities for instruction to master the standards adopted by the state board. The bill would specify that the standards are to be advisory and are not intended to interfere with a pupil's individualized education program. This bill would also require the state board to adopt American Sign Language standards for Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing pupils that are aligned to the common core academic content standards by June 30, 2016, as specified. The bill would authorize county offices of education, school districts, and special education local plan areas to provide Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing pupils opportunities for instruction to master the standards adopted by the state board. The bill would specify that the standards are to be advisory and are not intended to interfere with a pupil's individualized education program.
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.
Existing law makes unlawful certain acts identified as unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices undertaken by any person in a transaction intended to result, or that results, in the sale or lease of goods to any consumer. Existing law makes it unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or association to sell, or offer for sale, merchandise that advertises itself as being made or manufactured in the United States when any article, unit, or part of the merchandise has been entirely or substantially made, manufactured, or produced outside of the United States. Existing law makes a violation of the latter provision a misdemeanor. This bill would make it unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or association to sell, or offer for sale, a product that advertises itself as being made in North America unless all of the product was made in the United States, Canada, or Mexico. Because a violation of these provisions would be a misdemeanor, the bill would create a new crime, thus, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would additionally include a representation in violation of these provisions among those acts identified as unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices. 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.
Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state, and authorizes school districts to award high school diplomas to pupils who have met specified requirements. Existing law also establishes various programs that provide financial aid for qualifying students attending postsecondary educational institutions. Existing law establishes the California Workforce Investment Board for, among other purposes, promoting the development of a well-educated and highly skilled workforce. This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to provide funding to institutions that offer instruction to persons who are preparing for the general educational development test. The bill would authorize the California Workforce Investment Board to provide grants from available federal and state funds to accredited institutions that provide instruction to persons who are preparing for the general educational development test and that apply to the board to receive grants pursuant to these provisions. If the board identifies funds available for the grants, the bill would require the board to develop and adopt regulations and procedures for the process of receiving and evaluating applications for grants under these provisions.
(1) Existing law, the Leroy F. Greene School Facilities Act of 1998, requires the State Allocation Board to allocate to applicant school districts prescribed per-unhoused-pupil state funding for construction and modernization of school facilities, including hardship funding, and supplemental funding for site development and acquisition. The bill would revise the definition of modernization under the act to include the replacement of facilities on a site containing a permanent structure that is at least 25 years old or, in the case of a portable classroom, that is at least 20 years old, as specified. The bill would reduce the minimum amount that an applicant school district under the act must set aside for ongoing and major maintenance of school buildings from 3% to 2% of the total general fund expenditures of that district in a fiscal year. This bill would delete a provision requiring the State Allocation Board to conduct an evaluation of the cost of new construction and modernization of small high schools in conjunction with a specified pilot program. The bill would require each school district that elects to participate in a new construction or modernization program funded by the proceeds of any bond approved by the voters after November 1, 2014, to reestablish eligibility, as specified, and to conduct an inventory of existing facilities for purposes of maintaining a statewide school facilities inventory. The bill would authorize a grant for new construction or modernization under the act to be used for seismic mitigation purposes and for related design, study, and testing costs, and require the State Allocation Board, in the development of guidelines and regulations, to provide a school district with maximum flexibility in the design, modernization, and new construction of school facilities. The bill would require the Office of Public School Construction to recommend regulations to the board to provide school districts with flexibility in designing instruction facilities. The bill would require the State Department of Education, the Division of the State Architect, the Office of Public School Construction, and the Department of Toxic Substances Control to convene for the purposes of developing an interagency plan to streamline the school facility construction application, review, and audit processes in order to reduce the time and improve the efficiency of the school facility construction process. The bill would require that this interagency plan be submitted to the Legislature on or before July 1, 2015. (2) Existing law, the California Constitution, prohibits the Legislature from creating a debt or liability that singly or in the aggregate with any previous debts or liabilities exceeds the sum of $300,000, except by an act that (a) authorizes the debt for a single object or work specified in the act, (b) has been passed by a 23 vote of all the members elected to each house of the Legislature, (c) has been submitted to the people at a statewide general or primary election, and (d) has received a majority of all the votes cast for and against it at that election. This bill would enact the Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2014 to authorize $4,300,000,000 of state general obligation bonds, as scheduled, to provide aid to school districts, county superintendents of schools, county boards of education, charter schools, the California Community Colleges, the University of California, the Hastings College of the Law, and the California State University to construct and modernize education facilities. The proceeds of these bonds would be deposited in the continuously appropriated 2014 State School Facilities Fund, which this bill would establish, thereby making an appropriation. The proposed bond act would become operative only if approved by the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, and the bill would provide for its submission to the voters at that election. The bill would require the Secretary of State to publish, and separately mail, a supplemental ballot pamphlet regarding the proposed bond act if it is not possible to include information regarding this proposed bond act in the ballot pamphlet for the November 4, 2014, statewide general election. The bill would provide for public examination of the translations of the ballot title and condensed statement of the ballot title of the proposed bond act, as specified. (3) This bill would specify that certain of its provisions would become operative only if the Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2014 is approved by the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election. (4) The bill would make conforming changes in related provisions of existing law. (5) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The Economic Revitalization Act establishes the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, also known as "GO-Biz," to serve the Governor as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth. Bergeson-Peace Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank Act establishes the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank within GO-Biz to, among other things, assist in the promotion of economic development throughout the state. This bill would enact the Small Business Technical Assistance Act of 2014, within the bank under the direction of GO-Biz to, among other things, serve as the lead state entity for overseeing the state's participation with the federal California Small Business Development Center Program, the Women's Business Center program, the Veteran Business Outreach Center program, the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) , and the Procurement Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement program. This act would also recognize those federal programs. This act would authorize GO-Biz or any other state entity to contract with a federal small business technical assistance center. This act would require the State Chair of the California Small Business Development Center Leadership Council, established under the federal program, or the contract lead for any of the other federal small business technical assistance centers, to report specific information to GO-Biz relating to any year that state funds are appropriated to support the California Small Business Development Center Program or any of the other federal small business technical assistance center programs, and would, in turn, require the director of GO-Biz or the contract lead for any of the other small business technical assistance centers to provide that report to the Legislature and post the report on the GO-Biz's Internet Web site. This bill would also require the state chair, as a condition of accepting state funds, to allow access to other information about those programs under certain conditions. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations in this regard.
Existing law provides for the Drug Medi-Cal (DMC) Treatment Program, under which counties enter into contracts with the State Department of Health Care Services for providing various drug treatment services to Medi-Cal recipients, or the department directly contracts for those services if a county elects not to do so. Existing law requires the department to designate Medi-Cal providers as "limited," "moderate," or "high" categorical risk and to conduct criminal background checks on Medi-Cal providers that the department designates as "high" categorical risk. This bill would designate all DMC Treatment Program providers as "high" categorical risk and would make them subject to background checks, as provided. The bill would authorize the department, on and after January 1, 2018, to designate a DMC Treatment Program provider as "limited" or "moderate" categorical risk and, if it does so, would require the department to execute a declaration, to be posted on the department's Internet Web site, that states the reason that a "high" categorical risk designation is no longer warranted. The bill would require the department to transmit a copy of the declaration to the Legislature.