This measure would declare the week of March 7, 2016, through March 13, 2016, as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week.
Existing law exempts from civil liability any person who, in good faith and not for compensation, renders emergency care or treatment by the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) at the scene of an emergency, except in the case of personal injury or wrongful death that results from the gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct of the person who renders emergency care or treatment. Existing law makes a similar exemption from civil liability for a person who has completed a basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation course that complies with specified standards and who, in good faith and not for compensation, renders emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the scene of an emergency. This bill would exempt from civil liability any person who, in good faith and not for compensation, renders emergency care or treatment by the use of tourniquets at the scene of an emergency.
This measure would proclaim the month of March 2016 as Grand Jury Awareness Month in California, recognize those who volunteer in a grand jury, and encourage all Californians to learn about its role in the judicial system.
Existing law, the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century, approved by the voters as Proposition 1A at the November 4, 2008, statewide general election, provides for the issuance of $9 billion in general obligation bonds for high-speed rail purposes and $950,000,000 for other related rail purposes. 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 provide that no further bonds shall be sold for high-speed rail purposes pursuant to the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century, except as specifically provided with respect to an existing appropriation for high-speed rail purposes for early improvement projects in the Phase 1 blended system. The bill, subject to the above exception, would require redirection of the unspent proceeds received from outstanding bonds issued and sold for other high-speed rail purposes prior to the effective date of these provisions, upon appropriation, for use in retiring the debt incurred from the issuance and sale of those outstanding bonds. The bill, subject to the above exception, would also require the net proceeds of other bonds subsequently issued and sold under the high-speed rail portion of the bond act to be made available, upon appropriation, to fund projects in the State Highway Operation and Protection Program. The bill would make no changes to the authorization under the bond act for issuance of $950,000,000 for rail purposes other than high-speed rail. These provisions would become effective only upon approval by the voters at the next statewide election. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law establishes the Office of Emergency Services in the office of the Governor and makes the office responsible for the state's emergency and disaster response services for natural, technological, or manmade disasters and emergencies. Existing law authorizes the purchase of mobile field hospitals. This bill would make an appropriation of $2,000,000 from the General Fund to the Office of Emergency Services for the purpose of providing maintenance and upkeep of one or more mobile field hospitals that would be ready and available within 72 hours to assist local communities in the event of a natural disaster or other mass casualty incident. The bill would make related findings and declarations.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. This bill would exempt from the provisions of CEQA a project, or the issuance of a permit for a project, that consists of the inspection, maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, replacement, or removal of, or the addition of an auxiliary lane or bikeway to, existing transportation infrastructure and that meets certain requirements. The bill would require the public agency carrying out the project to take certain actions.
