The California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018, approved by the voters as Proposition 68 at the June 5, 2018, statewide primary direct election, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $4,100,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a drought, water, parks, climate, coastal protection, and outdoor access for all program. Article XVI of the California Constitution requires measures authorizing general obligation bonds to specify the single object or work to be funded by the bonds and further requires a bond act to be approved by a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and a majority of the voters. This bill would enact the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparation, Flood Protection, Extreme Heat Mitigation, and Workforce Development Bond Act of 2022, which, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $7,080,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance projects for safe drinking water, wildfire prevention, drought preparation, flood protection, extreme heat mitigation, and workforce development programs. This bill would provide for the submission of these provisions to the voters at the June 7, 2022, statewide primary election. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
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Existing law classifies certain felonies as violent felonies for purposes of various provisions of the Penal Code. Existing law imposes an additional one-year term for a sexually violent felony and a 3-year term for a violent felony for each prior separate prison term served for a violent felony. This bill would additionally define felony hate crimes as a violent felony, as specified. By increasing the punishment for a crime, this 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.
(1) Existing law establishes various default speed limits for vehicles upon highways, as specified. Existing law authorizes state and local authorities to adjust these default speed limits, as specified, based upon certain findings determined by an engineering and traffic survey. Existing law defines an engineering and traffic survey and prescribes specified factors that must be included in the survey, including prevailing speeds and road conditions. Existing law authorizes local authorities to consider additional factors, including pedestrian and bicyclist safety. This bill would authorize local authorities to consider the safety of vulnerable pedestrian groups, as specified. (2) Existing law establishes a prima facie speed limit of 25 miles per hour on any highway, other than a state highway, located in any business or residence district, as defined. Existing law authorizes a local authority to change the speed limit on any such highway, as prescribed, including erecting signs to give notice thereof. This bill would establish a prima facie speed limit of 25 miles per hour on state highways located in any business or residence district and would authorize the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to change the speed limit on any such highway, as prescribed, including erecting signs to give notice thereof. (3) Existing law establishes a speed limit of 65 miles per hour on state highways, as specified. Existing law authorizes Caltrans to declare a speed limit on any such highway, as prescribed, of 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, or 25 miles per hour, including erecting signs to give notice thereof. Existing law also authorizes a local authority, on a section of highway, other than a state highway, where the speed limit is 65 miles per hour to declare a lower speed limit, as specified. This bill would additionally authorize Caltrans and a local authority to declare a speed limit of 20 or 15 miles per hour, as specified, on these highways. (4) Existing law authorizes a local authority, without an engineering and traffic survey, to declare a lowered speed limit on portions of highway, as specified, approaching a school building or school grounds. Existing law limits this authority to sections of highway meeting specified requirements relating to the number of lanes and the speed limit of the highway before the school zone. This bill would similarly authorize a lowered speed limit on a section of highway contiguous to a business activity district, as defined, and would require that certain violations be subject to a warning citation, for the first 30 days of implementation. (5) Existing law requires Caltrans, by regulation, to provide for the rounding up or down to the nearest 5 miles per hour increment of the 85th percentile speed of free-flowing traffic on a portion of highway as determined by a traffic and engineering survey. Existing law requires the Judicial Council to create and implement an online tool by June 30, 2024, for the adjudication of traffic infractions, among other things. This bill would authorize a local authority to further reduce the speed limit, as specified, and require that certain violations be subject to a warning citation, for the first 30 days of implementation. The bill would, in some circumstances, authorize the reduction of a speed limit beginning June 30, 2024, or when the Judicial Council has developed an online tool for adjudicating traffic infraction violations, whichever is sooner. The bill would require Caltrans to accordingly revise the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, as specified. (6) Existing law defines a speed trap and prohibits evidence of a driver's speed obtained through a speed trap from being admissible in court in any prosecution against a driver for a speed-related offense. Existing law deems a road where the speed limit is not justified by a traffic and engineering survey conducted within the previous 7 years to be a speed trap, unless the roadway has been evaluated by a registered engineer, as specified, in which case the speed limit remains enforceable for a period of 10 years. Existing law exempts a school zone, as defined, from certain provisions relating to defining a speed trap. This bill would extend the period that a speed limit justified by a traffic and engineering survey conducted more the 7 years ago remains valid, for purposes of speed enforcement, if evaluated by a registered engineer, as specified, to 14 years. This bill would also exempt a senior zone and business activity district, as defined, from those provisions.
Under existing law, classified employees of school districts and community college districts subject to layoff as a result of the expiration of a specially funded program at the end of a school year are required to be given written notice on or before April 29 informing them of certain rights. Existing law also requires that notice be given not less than 60 days before the effective layoff date if the termination date of a specially funded program is other than June 30, or if classified employees are subject to layoff as a result of a bona fide reduction or elimination of a service performed by a department. This bill instead would revise and recast provisions relating to the layoff of classified employees of school districts and community college districts to require certain notices and opportunities for a hearing when a permanent classified employee's services will not be required for the ensuing year due to lack of work or lack of funds. The bill would, for the purposes of specified notice and hearing rights, define "permanent classified employee" to include both an employee who was permanent at the time the notice or right to a hearing was required and an employee who became permanent after the date of the required notice. The bill would express the intent of the Legislature in enacting the bill to provide permanent classified school employees and those who become permanent classified school employees with the same rights to notice and hearing with respect to layoffs as are provided to certificated employees of school districts, including teachers and administrators, and academic employees of community college districts. If classified positions must be eliminated as a result of the expiration of a specially funded program, the bill would require written notice of the layoff date and certain rights be given to the classified employees not less than 60 days before the effective layoff date. If, after January 1, 2021, the Legislature provides certificated or academic employees with any additional rights to notice or hearing as to layoffs, the bill would require the respective permanent classified employees, as described, to be afforded the same rights by the school district or community college district, as applicable. To the extent school districts and community college districts are required to perform additional duties, 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law defines a "hate crime" as a criminal act committed, in whole or in part, because of actual or perceived characteristics of the victim, including, among other things, race, religion, disability, and sexual orientation. Existing law requires the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to develop guidelines and a course of instruction and training for law enforcement officers addressing hate crimes. Existing law requires state law enforcement agencies to adopt a framework or other formal policy created by POST regarding hate crimes. Existing law requires any local law enforcement agency that adopts or updates a hate crime policy to include specified information in that policy, including information on bias motivation. This bill would include a statement of legislative findings and declarations and require the basic course curriculum on the topic of hate crimes to be developed in consultation with subject matter experts, as specified. The bill would, subject to an appropriation of funds for this purpose in the annual Budget Act or other statute, require POST to update the basic course to include the viewing of a specified video course developed by POST. The bill would also require POST to make the video available via the online learning portal, and would require all peace officers to complete specified training materials no later than one year after the commission makes the updated course available. The bill would require POST to develop and periodically update an interactive course on hate crimes for in-service peace officers, and require officers to take the course every 6 years. This bill would also require any local law enforcement agency that adopts or updates a hate crime policy to include specified information on recognizing religion-bias hate crimes, and would require those policies to include the discriminatory selection of victims as a form of bias motivation.
Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Under existing law, the commission establishes standards for teacher preparation programs at postsecondary educational institutions. This bill would define "regionally accredited," as that term is applied to institutions of higher education with teacher preparation programs, as either an institution that has been accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Higher Learning Commission, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the New England Commission of Higher Education, or the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or an institution of higher education that held preaccreditation status at the time the degree of an applicant for a credential was conferred, if that institution achieved full regional accreditation status within 5 years of earning preaccreditation status. The bill would also define "regionally accredited" to include community or junior colleges that confer baccalaureate degrees and are regionally accredited by accrediting agencies, as specified, or by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The bill, among other things, would also make conforming changes to use the term "regionally accredited institution of higher education" to refer to certain postsecondary educational institutions with teacher preparation programs. Existing law specifies the minimum requirements for the preliminary multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential, including a subject matter competence requirement demonstrated by either completion of a subject matter program that has been approved by the commission or passage of a subject matter examination. This bill would authorize a candidate for the preliminary multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential to demonstrate subject matter competence by completing higher education coursework in the subject matters related to the content area of the credential, or through a combination of a subject matter examination and higher education coursework in the subject matters related to the content area of the credential, as provided. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 44259 of the Education Code proposed by SB 488 to be operative only if this bill and SB 488 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
(1) Existing law requires a pupil to complete designated coursework while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school. These graduation requirements include, among others, the completion of 3 years of courses in English and 3 years of courses in social studies, including one-year courses in United States history and geography and world history, culture, and geography, a one-semester course in American government and civics, and a one-semester course in economics. Existing law requires the Instructional Quality Commission to develop, and the State Board of Education to adopt, modify, or revise, a model curriculum in ethnic studies. Existing law also encourages each school district and charter school that maintains any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, and that does not otherwise offer a standards-based ethnic studies curriculum to offer, beginning in the school year following the adoption of the model curriculum, a course of study in ethnic studies based on the model curriculum. This bill would add the completion of a one-semester course in ethnic studies, meeting specified requirements, to the graduation requirements commencing with pupils graduating in the 2029–30 school year, including for pupils enrolled in a charter school. The bill would expressly authorize local educational agencies, including charter schools, to require a full-year course in ethnic studies at their discretion. The bill would require local educational agencies, including charter schools, to offer an ethnic studies course commencing with the 2025–26 school year, as specified. The bill would authorize, subject to the course offerings of a local educational agency, including a charter school, a pupil to satisfy the ethnic studies course requirement by completing either (A) a course based on the model curriculum in ethnic studies developed by the commission, (B) an existing ethnic studies course, (C) an ethnic studies course taught as part of a course that has been approved as meeting the A–G requirements of the University of California and the California State University, or (D) a locally developed ethnic studies course approved by the governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school. The bill would prohibit a course that does not use ethnic studies content as the primary content through which the subject is taught from being used to satisfy the ethnic studies course requirement. The bill would require a pupil who completes a course described above to also accrue credit for coursework in the subject that the course is offered, including, if applicable, credit towards satisfying a course required for a diploma of graduation from high school. These provisions would become operative only upon an appropriation of funds by the Legislature for these purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute. Because the bill would add new duties to local educational agencies, it would constitute a state-mandated local program. (2) 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
(1) Existing law requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of Motor Vehicles to ensure that any eligible inmate released from state prison has a valid identification card. Existing law defines "eligible inmate," in part, as a person who has previously held a California driver's license or identification card, who has a usable photo on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles that is not more than 10 years old, who has no outstanding fees due for a prior identification card, and who meets certain requirements, including that they have provided, and the Department of Motor Vehicles has verified, specified information, such as the inmate's true full name. This bill would delete the requirements that the usable photo on file be no more than 10 years old and that the person have no outstanding fees due for a prior identification card, would require a new photo to be taken if the photo on file is deemed unusable, and would require the inmate to provide, and the Department of Motor Vehicles to verify, their California residency for purposes of obtaining an identification card. The bill would expand the definition of "eligible inmate" to include a person who has not previously held a California driver's license or identification card, and who meets specified requirements, including that they have signed and verified their application for an identification card. The bill would also authorize the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of Motor Vehicles to provide a renewed driver's license in lieu of an identification card if the inmate meets specified criteria. The bill would require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to provide an inmate with a photo prison identification card if a valid identification card is not obtained prior to release. The bill would require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, to the extent administratively feasible and within available resources, to facilitate the process between an eligible inmate and the agencies holding documentation required for the issuance of an identification card, as specified. (2) Existing law requires, upon an application for an identification card, a fee of $26 to be paid to the Department of Motor Vehicles, except as specified, including that a fee not be charged for an original or replacement identification card for certain individuals, such as senior citizens or a person who can verify their status as a homeless person or homeless child or youth. Existing law provides for a reduced fee of $8 for a replacement identification card issued to an eligible inmate, as defined, upon release from a state or federal correctional facility or a county jail facility. Existing law requires, as part of eligibility for the reduced fee, among other things, that the person previously held a California driver's license or identification card, and that the person has provided the Department of Motor Vehicles, upon application, a specified verification. In the case of an inmate, existing law requires that verification to be on state or federal correctional facility letterhead or county sheriff letterhead, and to contain the original signature of an official from those respective entities. Upon release from a state correctional facility, this bill would instead establish a fee of $8 for an original or replacement identification card issued to an eligible inmate, as defined, who meets certain requirements, including that the inmate has provided the department, upon application, a specified verification on state correctional facility letterhead that contains a signature of an official from the facility. This bill would also make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.
(1) Existing law requires the governing board of a community college district to employ persons for positions that are not academic positions in what is known as the classified service. Existing law requires the governing board of a community college district to prescribe written rules and regulations governing the personnel management of the classified service, whereby classified employees are designated as permanent employees of the district after serving a prescribed period of probation that is prohibited from exceeding one year. This bill would shorten the maximum length of a prescribed period of probation for classified employees of a community college district to 6 months or 130 days of paid service, whichever is longer, except that a full-time peace officer or public safety dispatcher employed by a community college district operating a dispatch center certified by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training would be required to serve a probationary period of not less than one year of paid service from their date of appointment to that full-time position to be designated as a permanent employee of the district. These changes would not apply to a conflicting collective bargaining agreement entered into before January 1, 2022, until the expiration or renewal of that collective bargaining agreement. (2) Existing law requires that, in a community college district that has adopted a merit system for its classified employees, a person who has served an initial probationary period in a class not to exceed 6 months or 130 days of paid service, whichever is longer, as prescribed by the rules of the personnel commission of that district, is deemed to be in the permanent classified service, except that the personnel commission may establish a probationary period in a class not to exceed one year for classes designated by the personnel commission as executive, administrative, or police classes. This bill would provide that, to receive permanent classified service status, full-time peace officers and public safety dispatchers employed by a community college district operating a dispatch center certified by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training would be required to serve in a probationary status for a period not less than one year from their date of appointment to that full-time position. These changes would not apply to a conflicting collective bargaining agreement entered into before January 1, 2022, until the expiration or renewal of that collective bargaining agreement.
(1) Existing law prohibits the Board of Directors of the Hastings College of the Law, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, the Trustees of the California State University, and, if they adopt an appropriate resolution, the Regents of the University of California from collecting mandatory systemwide tuition and fees from any surviving spouse or surviving child of a deceased person who was a resident of the state and employed by or contracting with a public agency whose principal duties consisted of active law enforcement service or active fire suppression and prevention, and who died as a result of their duties, as specified. This bill would additionally prohibit the Board of Directors of the Hastings College of the Law, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, the Trustees of the California State University, and, if they adopt an appropriate resolution, the Regents of the University of California from collecting mandatory systemwide tuition and fees from any qualifying surviving spouse or surviving child of a deceased person who was a resident of this state, who was a licensed physician or a licensed nurse employed by or under contract with a health facility regulated and licensed by the State Department of Public Health to provide medical services or a first responder, as specified, and who died of COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic state of emergency in California. The bill would also make conforming changes to related code sections. To the extent that this bill would impose new duties on community college districts, it would constitute a state-mandated local program. (2) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 76300 of the Education Code proposed by AB 1456 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1456 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. (3) 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.