This measure would declare February 19, 2010, as a Day of Remembrance in order to increase public awareness of the events surrounding the internment of Americans of Japanese ancestry during World War II.
This measure would memorialize the President and the Congress of the United States to enact the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which would make supplemental appropriations for job preservation and creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and science, assistance to the unemployed, and state and local fiscal stabilization.
This measure would recognize February 2010 as Black History Month, urge all citizens to join in celebrating the accomplishments of African Americans during Black History Month, and encourage the people of California to recognize the many talents, achievements, and contributions that African Americans make to their communities.
The Personal Income Tax Law authorizes various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including a credit against those taxes in an amount equal to the lesser of 5% of the purchase price of a qualified principal residence, as defined, or $10,000, for purchases made between March 1, 2009, and before March 1, 2010, subject to specified restrictions. This bill would authorize a credit against those taxes in an amount equal to the lesser of 5% of the purchase price of a qualified principal residence, as defined, or $10,000, for purchases made between May 1, 2010, and on or before December 31, 2010, or on or after December 31, 2010, and before August 1, 2011, subject to specified restrictions, including the submission of a certification to the Franchise Tax Board by either the taxpayer or seller, made under the penalty of perjury, that the residence has either never been occupied or that the taxpayer is a first-time home buyer. By expanding the definition of an existing crime, this bill imposes 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 bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
The Enterprise Zone Act provides for the designation of enterprise zones by the Department of Community Housing and Development, based on the department's approval of applications from a city, county, or city and county with a geographic area meeting certain criteria. Certain entities within a designated enterprise zone may receive regulatory, tax, and other incentives for private investment and employment. Existing law provides that no more than 42 enterprise zones be designated at any one time pursuant to the act. Upon the expiration or termination of a designation, existing law authorizes the department to designate another enterprise zone to maintain a total of 42 enterprise zones. This bill would authorize the department to designate one special enterprise zone within the City of Fremont consisting of a geographical area encompassing a facility that manufactures automobiles and to designate, until June 30, 2010, an additional 10 special enterprise zones limited to one nonrenewable 15-year term. The bill would exclude these enterprise zones from the calculation of the overall number of enterprise zones authorized under the act. The bill would also make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute.
(1) Existing law establishes the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, administered by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) , to provide to specified entities, upon appropriation by the Legislature, grants, loans, loan guarantees, revolving loans, or other appropriate measures, for the development and deployment of innovative technologies that transform California's fuel and vehicle types to help attain the state's climate change goals. Existing law specifies that only certain projects or programs are eligible for funding. This bill would, additionally, specify projects eligible for funding under the program to include a cost-effective program to provide funding for homeowners who purchase an electric vehicle to offset costs associated with modifying electrical sources to include a residential plug-in electric vehicle charging station. (2) Existing law authorizes a public agency and a property owner to enter into voluntary contractual assessments to finance the installation of distributed generation renewable energy sources or energy or water efficiency improvements that are permanently affixed on real property. This bill would expand the use of the voluntary contractual assessment to finance electric vehicle charging infrastructure affixed on real property. The bill would prohibit a public agency from permitting a property owner to participate in a contractual assessment program if the total amount of assessments and taxes on the property exceeds 5% of the property's market value, as specified. The bill would also require the preliminary report issued in connection with the contractual assessment program to include criteria for determining underwriting requirements, and safeguards to be used to limit the total annual property tax and assessments on the property, as specified. (3) Existing law requires the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority to establish a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Reserve program to assist local jurisdictions in financing the installation of distributed generation renewable energy sources or energy or water efficiency improvements meeting specified requirements that are permanently affixed on real property through the use of a voluntary contractual assessment. This bill would expand the PACE Reserve program to assist local jurisdictions in financing the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. (4) This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 44272 of the Health and Safety Code proposed by AB 1106, that would become operative only if AB 1106 and this bill are both chaptered and become operative on or before January 1, 2011, and this bill is chaptered last.
Existing law establishes a workers' compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers' Compensation, to compensate an employee for injuries sustained in the course of his or her employment. Existing law requires an employer to provide, or pay for all reasonable costs of, medical services necessary to care for or relieve work-related injuries. Existing law further provides that in the case of active firefighting members of certain state and local fire departments and in the case of certain peace officers, a compensable injury includes cancer that develops or manifests itself during the period when the firefighter or peace officer demonstrates that he or she was exposed, while in the service of the public agency, to a known carcinogen, as defined, and the carcinogen is reasonably linked to the disabling cancer. Existing law establishes a presumption that the cancer in these cases is presumed to arise out of, and in the course of, employment, unless the presumption is controverted by evidence that the primary site of the cancer has been established and that the carcinogen to which the member has demonstrated exposure is not reasonably linked to the disabling cancer. Existing law extends this presumption to a member following termination of service for a period of 3 calendar months for each full year of the requisite service, but not to exceed 60 months in any circumstance, commencing with the last date actually worked in the specified capacity. This bill would provide that the above-described presumption shall be extended to a member following termination of service for a period of 3 calender months, but not to exceed 120 months in any circumstance, commencing with the last date actually worked in the specified capacity.
Existing law creates the High-Speed Rail Authority with specified powers and duties relating to the development and implementation of an intercity high-speed rail system. Existing law, pursuant to the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century, authorizes $9.95 billion in general obligation bonds for high-speed rail development and other related purposes. The federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides funding for allocation nationally to high-speed rail projects. This bill would require the authority to make every effort to purchase high-speed train rolling stock and related equipment that are manufactured in California, consistent with federal and state laws.
(1) Existing law provides that every person has a possessory lien for the compensation to which he or she is legally entitled for the towing, storage, or labor associated with recovery or load salvage of any vehicle that has been authorized to be removed by a public agency, a private property owner, or a lessee, operator, or registered owner of the vehicle. Existing law requires that a person requesting release of the vehicle present documentation establishing that he or she is entitled to possession of the vehicle and authorizes an inspection of the vehicle by the legal owner or lessor, or his or her agent, within a specified time period after receiving a written demand for the inspection. This bill would define "documentation" and "agent" for these purposes and would also provide that a lienholder is not liable for any claim or dispute arising out of the reliance on the documentation for purposes of releasing a vehicle. (2) Existing law authorizes a peace officer, or a regularly employed and salaried public employee, who is engaged in directing traffic or enforcing parking laws and regulations, to remove a vehicle located within the territorial limits in which the officer or employee is allowed to act under specified circumstances, including, among other things, when a vehicle is illegally parked and blocks the movement of a legally parked vehicle. A violation of this provision is an infraction. This bill would establish, and require a person that charges for towing or storage, or both, to post a specified copy of "Towing Fees and Access Notice" that contains specific information regarding a vehicle owner's rights and responsibilities if his or her vehicle is towed, and would require, among other things, that it be posted in the office area of the storage facility in plain view of the public, with exceptions, and would also require that copies be made readily available to the public. The bill would require a person that charges for towing or storage, or both, to provide, upon request, a copy of the Towing Fees and Access Notice to any owner or operator of a towed or stored vehicle and would require the person to provide an itemized invoice for any towing and storage charges. The bill would also provide that a registered automotive repair dealer, that did not provide the tow, and that passes along, from the tower to the consumer, any of the information required on the itemized invoice, is not responsible for the accuracy of those items of information that remain unaltered. By creating a new crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also provide that a person who violates these provisions is civilly liable to a registered or legal owner of the vehicle, or a registered owner's insurer, for up to 2 times the amount charged, not to exceed $500 per vehicle. (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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law provides unemployment compensation benefits to eligible persons who are unemployed through no fault of their own. Existing law, until January 1, 2015, provides for retraining benefits to eligible individuals pursuant to the federal Trade Act of 1974, as amended by the federal Trade Act of 2002. Existing law authorizes an unemployed individual who files a claim for unemployment compensation benefits or extended duration benefits, or an application for federal-state extended benefits or any federally funded unemployment compensation benefits, to apply to the Employment Development Department for benefits during a period of training or retraining. Existing law also requires that a determination of potential eligibility for specified training and retraining benefits be issued to an unemployed individual if the Director of Employment Development finds that specified conditions apply. This bill would establish the California Training Benefits Program, which, among other things, would revise those eligibility requirements to, instead, specify that an unemployed individual who qualifies for unemployment compensation benefits, extended duration benefits, or federal-state extended benefits or any federally funded unemployment compensation benefits, and applies for the program shall be deemed to automatically be eligible for the program during a period of training or retraining. Existing law requires that a determination of potential eligibility for training or retraining benefits be issued to an unemployed individual if the director makes a specified finding. This bill would, instead, require that a determination of automatic eligibility for training or retraining be issued to an unemployed individual if any of specified conditions apply. The bill would also require that, if training or retraining is not authorized under those provisions governing automatic eligibility for those benefits, a determination of potential eligibility for benefits be issued to the unemployed individual if the director finds that specified criteria apply. Existing law requires the department to inform all individuals who claim unemployment compensation benefits in this state of the benefits potentially available, and permits the department to convey this information verbally or in written form, as provided. This bill would, instead, require the department to convey that information verbally, in written form, or online, and would require that the information be made available on the department's Internet Web site in close proximity to information on unemployment compensation claim forms. This bill would provide that these changes are effective on January 1, 2011, unless the department determines that implementation by that date is not feasible, in which case it would require the department to implement the changes no later than July 1, 2011. Because the bill would make various changes to existing eligibility requirements for training and retraining benefits, which would result in additional amounts being payable from the Unemployment Fund for those benefits, the bill would make an appropriation. The bill would require the department, not later than September 1, 2016, to prepare and submit to the Governor and the Legislature a report evaluating the effectiveness of the program, containing data and information as prescribed.
