This measure would request the President and the Congress of the United States to enact the Social Security Fairness Act of 2009, which would repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision from the Social Security Act.
This measure would declare the Legislature's support for a Bill of Rights for the Children and Youth of California that resolves to invest in all children and youth so that certain goals may be achieved.
This measure would make various statements regarding the importance of New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) to the California economy and would declare the necessity for the Legislature to utilize its vested powers to keep NUMMI in California.
This measure would urge the President and the Congress of the United States to expand federally funded research efforts aimed at developing a reliable means of detecting pancreatic cancer in its early stages.
(1) Existing law provides for the regulation of underground storage tanks by the State Water Resources Control Board. Existing law requires the board to take specified actions with regard to unauthorized releases from petroleum underground storage tanks, including, among other things, adopting regulations requiring the owners of those tanks to undertake certain actions. Existing law provides for a grant and loan program for small businesses to pay specified costs of complying with the underground storage tank regulations adopted by the board. Existing law contains various eligibility criteria for grant funds, including a requirement that the grant applicant, the applicant's family, or an affiliated entity, has owned and operated the project tank since January 1, 1997. This bill would delete that ownership requirement from the grant eligibility criteria. (2) Under existing law, the grant and loan program is funded through the Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Financing Account. Existing law allows not more than 33% of the available funds to be used for the purpose of providing grants. Existing law requires the interest and other increments resulting from the investment of the funds in the account to be placed in a separate subaccount to be expended for the administration of the program. This bill would make a one time transfer of $8,000,000 from the administrative subaccount to be appropriated for the purpose of making grants and loans in the 2008–09 and 2009–10 fiscal years. The bill would establish specified criteria for the grants and loans awarded from funds made pursuant to this transfer. (3) Existing law, the Barry Keene Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Trust Fund Act of 1989, provides for the establishment of an Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund to pay for various costs of corrective action and abatement for the unauthorized release of hazardous materials from underground storage tanks. The provisions of this act will expire January 1, 2016. Under existing law, upon the expiration of the Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Financing Account on January 1, 2011, the funds remaining in that account revert to the Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund. The grant and loan program provisions would be repealed on January 1, 2011. This bill would extend the repeal date of the grant and loan program as well as the Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Financing Account to January 1, 2016. Additionally, it would make provisions for the payment of loans and grants, conditions of which were effective prior to January 1, 2016, from the Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund and the Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Financing Account, as specified. (4) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law establishes various offenses for persons who display certain symbols or burn crosses on private or school property with the intent to terrorize persons, as specified. This bill would provide that any person who hangs a noose, knowing it to be a symbol representing a threat to life, on the property of another, without authorization, for the purpose of terrorizing the owner or occupant of that private property or in reckless disregard of the risk of terrorizing the owner or occupant of that private property, or who hangs a noose, knowing it to be a symbol representing a threat to life, on the property of a primary school, junior high school, high school, college campus, public park, or place of employment, for the purpose of terrorizing any person who attends or works at the school, park, or place of employment, or who is otherwise associated with the school, park, or place of employment, shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by a fine not to exceed $5,000, or by both the fine and imprisonment for the first conviction or by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by a fine not to exceed $15,000, or by both the fine and imprisonment for any subsequent conviction. By creating a new 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.
Existing law establishes the offense of assault against a highway worker engaged in the performance of his or her duties, where "highway worker" is defined as an employee or contractor of the Department of Transportation engaged in specified activities related to state highways. This bill would expand the definition of highway worker for that offense to include employees of a city, county, or city and county, as well as employees of a contractor while working under contract with the Department of Transportation, contractors and employees of contractors while working under contract with a city, county, or city and county, and volunteers, as defined, and to include additional specified activities related to local roads or streets. Existing law establishes the offense of battery against a highway worker engaged in the performance of his or her duties, where "highway worker" is defined as an employee or contractor of the Department of Transportation engaged in specified activities related to state highways. This bill would expand the definition of highway worker for that offense to include employees of a city, county, or city and county, as well as employees of a contractor while working under contract with the Department of Transportation, contractors and employees of contractors while working under contract with a city, county, or city and county, and volunteers, as defined, and to include additional specified activities related to local roads or streets. By expanding the scope of existing offenses, 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.
This measure would urge the Congress of the United States and the federal administration to work with the Governor and the Legislature of the State of California to, among other things, provide federal loan guarantees, flexibility with respect to certain programs, and certain funding levels for vital programs, as specified.
This measure would declare the week of June 29 through July 5, 2009, Yellow Ribbon Week to show support for military families and for troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This measure would acknowledge the history of the Chinese in California, recognize the contributions made to the State of California by Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants, and express regret for past discriminatory laws and constitutional provisions which resulted in the persecution of Chinese living in California.
