Asm. Anthony Rendon

Existing law, the California Self-Service Storage Facility Act, specifies remedies and procedures for self-service storage facility owners when occupants are delinquent in paying rent or other charges. Existing law requires that a lien sale of property at a self-service storage facility be advertised in a newspaper of general circulation in the judicial district where the sale is to be held, or posted in conspicuous places in the neighborhood of the proposed sale, as specified. This bill would alternatively permit the advertisement of the lien sale to be posted on a publicly accessible Internet Web site if there is no newspaper of general circulation published in the judicial district where the sale is to be held.

(1) Existing law requires the Controller to annually compile and publish reports of the financial transactions of each county, city, and school district within the state, together with other matters he or she deems of public interest. This bill would change the definition of a special district included in the reporting requirements of the Controller to include a public entity, agency, or board provided for by a joint powers agreement that is separate from the parties to the agreement and is responsible for the administration of the agreement. (2) Existing law provides that if the county, city, or district reports, including redevelopment agency reports, are not made in a specified manner, or there is reason to believe that the report is false, the Controller is required to appoint a qualified accountant to make an investigation and to obtain the information required for the annual report of financial transactions. Existing law requires, if a similar investigation is made of any county, city, or district for 2 successive years, that a copy of the results of those investigations be transmitted to the grand jury of the county investigated or in which the local agency investigated is situated. Existing law requires any costs incurred by the Controller in carrying out those audits to be paid by the local agency. This bill would also, until January 1, 2020, authorize the Controller to perform an audit or investigation of any county, city, special district, or community redevelopment agency, if the Controller has made findings, supported by documentation, that the local agency is not complying with the financial requirements in state law, state grant agreements, local charters, or local ordinances, and require the Controller to prepare a report of the results of the audit or investigation and to file a copy with the local legislative body, as specified. This bill would require, if the results of those audits determine that the financial report filed by the local agency did not contain false, incomplete, or incorrect information, that the Controller waive the costs of the investigation, and would authorize the Controller to establish a payment program, as specified, to assist a local agency to pay for any costs that cannot be waived. (3) Existing law provides that an officer of a local agency who fails or refuses to make and file his or her financial report within 20 days after receipt of a written notice of the failure from the Controller forfeits to the state a specified amount depending on the amount of total revenue of that local agency. Existing law raises these amounts in the case of a community redevelopment agency and a joint powers agency that issues conduit revenue bonds in the 2nd and 3rd consecutive year. This bill would raise the forfeiture amounts for all local agencies, as specified. The bill would double these fines if the agency fails to submit the report to the Controller for 2 consecutive years, and would triple the fines if the agency fails to submit the report to the Controller for 3 consecutive years. This bill would increase penalties for an agency that fails to submit a report, as specified. This bill would also make technical nonsubstantive, and conforming changes.

Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to implement a program to provide financial assistance for energy efficiency projects. This bill would enact the Nonresidential Real Property Energy Retrofit Financing Act of 2014 and would require the commission to establish the Nonresidential Real Property Energy Retrofit Financing Program. The program would provide financial assistance, through authorizing the issuance of, among other things, revenue bonds, to owners of eligible real properties, as defined, for implementing energy improvements for their properties. The bill would require that the bonds be secured by the recording of an energy remittance repayment agreement lien, as defined, on the eligible real property for which the improvements are performed. The bill would require the commission to collect installment payments from owners of eligible real properties whose applications it has approved. The bill would require the commission to collect repayment installments that are delinquent. The bill would authorize the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority, on behalf of the commission, to issue and renew the negotiable revenue bonds to generate moneys to finance energy improvements for approved applicants. The bill would establish the Nonresidential Real Property Energy Retrofit Debt Servicing Fund in the State Treasury and the Loan Loss Reserve Account and Administration Account within the fund. The bill would require the commission to deposit the installment payment received from the owners of eligible real properties into the fund and certain fees collected into the specified accounts. The bill would continuously appropriate the moneys in the fund and the accounts to repay the principal and interest on the bonds, and to cover the administrative costs incurred by the authority and the commission, thereby making an appropriation.

(1) Existing law, the Safe, Clean, and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2012, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $11,140,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a safe drinking water and water supply reliability program. Existing law provides for the submission of the bond act to the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election. This bill would repeal these provisions. (2) Under existing law, various measures have been approved by the voters to provide funds for water supply and protection facilities and programs. This bill would enact the Clean, Safe, and Reliable Drinking Water Act of 2014, which, if adopted by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $8,500,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a clean, safe, and reliable drinking water program. This bill would provide for the submission of the bond act to the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election.

The Sales and Use Tax Law exempts from the taxes imposed by that law the sales of food products, nonalcoholic beverages, and other tangible personal property made or produced by an organization, as defined, but only if sold on an irregular or intermittent basis and the organization's profits from the sales are used exclusively in furtherance of the purposes of the organization. The Corporation Tax Law, in modified conformity with federal income tax laws, exempts the income of various types of organizations from taxes imposed by that law. This bill would revise the Sales and Use Tax Law exemption for those organizations, as provided. This bill would also provide, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2014, that an organization that is a public charity youth organization that discriminates on the basis of gender identity, race, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, or religious affiliation is not exempt from the taxes imposed by that law. This bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of 23 of the membership of each house of the Legislature. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law, known as 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. Provisions of the act apply to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by appropriate resolution, act to make a provision applicable. A portion of the Donahoe Higher Education Act known as the Equity in Higher Education Act requires each postsecondary institution in the state, prior to receipt of any state financial assistance or student financial aid, to provide assurance that each program or activity conducted by the institution will be conducted in compliance with state laws prohibiting discrimination based on sex. Title IX of the federal Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) prohibits discrimination based on sex, including sexual harassment, rape, and sexual assault, in an educational institution's programs or activities. This bill would require the California State Auditor, beginning January 1, 2015, and every 3 years thereafter, until January 1, 2025, to audit 2 institutions selected by the California State Auditor from each segment of public postsecondary education, including the University of California, to determine if their practices are consistent with Title IX, its implementing regulations, and federal guidance on Title IX related to sexual harassment and assault. The bill would require a public institution, including a campus of the University of California, found to have practices that are inconsistent with those federal requirements and guidance to transfer funds from that institution's administrative budget to the institution's Title IX compliance office to provide additional resources to that office, in an amount determined by the governing board of the institution, and would require the California State Auditor, within one year of the audit, to report to the Legislature on those transfers of funds.

This measure would request the Congress of the United States to, among other things, act immediately to avert federal spending cuts known as "sequestration" to protect the California and national economies.

Existing law dissolved redevelopment agencies and community development agencies as of February 1, 2012, and provides for the designation of successor agencies to wind down the affairs of the dissolved redevelopment agencies. Existing law requires revenues equivalent to those that would have been allocated to each redevelopment agency, had the agency not been dissolved, to be allocated to the Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund of each successor agency for making payments on the principal of and interest on loans, and moneys advanced to or indebtedness incurred by the dissolved redevelopment agencies. Existing law requires, from February 1, 2012, to July 1, 2012, inclusive, and for each fiscal year thereafter, the county auditor-controller, after deducting administrative costs, to allocate property tax revenues in each Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund in a specified manner. This bill, for the 2014–15 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, would prohibit any revenues derived from the imposition of a property tax rate, approved by the voters of a city, county, or city and county to make payments in support of pension programs and levied in addition to the general property tax rate, from being allocated to a Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund and would, instead, require these revenues be allocated to, and when collected to be paid into, the fund of the city, county, or city and county whose voters approved the tax unless, following a written request with each Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule cycle from the successor agency to the city, county, or city and county whose voters approved the tax, the city, county, or city and county authorizes the use of the revenues by the successor agency to pay any enforceable obligation, as specified. The bill would require any revenues derived from the imposition of a property tax rate as so described that have been pledged as security for the payment of any indebtedness obligation to be allocated to the successor agency to pay that indebtedness obligation, as specified. The bill would require all allocations of revenues derived from the imposition of a property tax rate as so described made by any county auditor-controller prior to July 1, 2014, to be deemed correct, and would prohibit any city, county, city and county, county auditor-controller, successor agency, or affected taxing entity from being subject to any claim, as specified. By adding to the duties of local government officials, 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, 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 these statutory provisions. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) , requires each state to establish an American Health Benefit Exchange that facilitates the purchase of qualified health plans by qualified individuals and qualified small employers, and meets certain other requirements. PPACA specifies that an individual who is not a citizen or national of the United States or an alien lawfully present in the United States shall not be treated as a qualified individual and may not be covered under a qualified health plan offered through an exchange. Existing law creates the California Health Benefit Exchange for the purpose of facilitating the enrollment of qualified individual and qualified small employers in qualified health plans as required under PPACA. Existing law governs health care service plans and insurers. A violation of the provisions governing health care service plans is a crime. This bill would create the California Health Exchange Program for All Californians within state government and would require that the program be governed by the executive board that governs the California Health Benefit Exchange. The bill would specify the duties of the board relative to the program and would require the board to, by January 1, 2016, facilitate the enrollment into qualified health plans of individuals who are not eligible for full-scope Medi-Cal coverage and would have been eligible to purchase coverage through the Exchange but for their immigration status. The bill would require the board to provide premium subsidies and cost-sharing reductions to eligible individuals that are the same as the premium assistance and cost-sharing reductions the individuals would have received through the Exchange. The bill would create the California Health Trust Fund For All Californians as a continuously appropriated fund, thereby making an appropriation, would require the board to assess a charge on qualified health plans, and would make the implementation of the program's provisions contingent on a determination by the board that sufficient financial resources exist or will exist in the fund. The bill would enact other related provisions. The bill would require health care services plans and health insurers to fairly and affirmatively offer, market, and sell in the Exchange at least one product within each of 5 levels of coverage, as specified. Because a violation of the requirements imposed on health care service plans would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. The federal Medicaid Program provisions prohibit payment to a state for medical assistance furnished to an alien who is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence or otherwise permanently residing in the United States under color of law. This bill would extend eligibility for full-scope Medi-Cal benefits to individuals who are otherwise eligible for those benefits but for their immigration status. The bill would require that benefits for those services be provided with state-only funds only if federal financial participation is not available. Because counties are required to make Medi-Cal eligibility determinations and this bill would expand Medi-Cal eligibility, 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

The California Safe Drinking Water Act (state act) provides for the operation of public water systems and imposes on the State Department of Public Health various duties and responsibilities. Existing law requires the department to conduct research, studies, and demonstration projects relating to the provision of a dependable, safe supply of drinking water, to adopt regulations to implement the state act, and to enforce provisions of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. This bill would transfer to the State Water Resources Control Board the various duties and responsibilities imposed on the department by the state act. The bill would require these provisions to be implemented during the 2014–15 fiscal year. The Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Law of 1997 establishes the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to provide grants or revolving fund loans for the design and construction of projects for public water systems that will enable suppliers to meet safe drinking water standards. Under that law, the department is responsible for administering the fund. This bill would also transfer to the state board the authority, duties, powers, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction of the department for the purposes of that law. The bill would require these provisions to be implemented during the 2014–15 fiscal year. This bill would require the California Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the California Health and Human Services Agency, to prepare a project initiation document for the transfer of the state drinking water program of this part from the State Department of Public Health to a Division of Drinking Water Quality of the State Water Resources Control Board, to be delivered to specified legislative committees by April 1, 2014, and included in the May Revision of the 2014−15 fiscal year budget.