Existing law requires the Department of Transportation, in consultation with the California Highway Patrol, to establish and administer a "Safe Routes to School" program for construction of bicycle and pedestrian safety and traffic calming projects, and to award grants to local agencies in that regard from available federal and state funds, based on the results of a statewide competition. Existing law requires the department to rate proposals submitted by applicants using specified factors. One of the factors relates to consultation and support for projects by school-based organizations, local traffic engineers, local elected officials, law enforcement agencies, school officials, and other relevant community stakeholders. This bill would delete that factor and instead substitute a factor relating to use of a specified public participation process, with involvement by the public, schools, parents, teachers, local agencies, the business community, key professionals, and others, which process identifies community priorities, ensures those priorities are reflected in the proposal, and secures support for the proposal by relevant community stakeholders. The bill would add another factor relating to benefit of a proposal to a low-income school, as defined, and would make other related changes.
Sponsored bills
This measure would proclaim the month of March of every year as Read Across California Month and request that public and private stakeholders work together to raise awareness of the importance of reading to young children and the importance of independent reading among our pupils and citizens of California by encouraging everyone to read for 30 minutes for 30 days during the month of March of every year, in conjunction with the Read Across America campaign held annually on March 2.
Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board administers a water rights program pursuant to which the state board grants permits and licenses to appropriate water. Existing law requires the owner of a wastewater treatment plant to obtain the approval of the state board prior to making any changes in the point of discharge, place of use, or purpose of use of treated wastewater, and requires the state board to review the proposed changes in accordance with prescribed procedures. This bill would authorize the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District to file an application for a permit to appropriate a specified amount of water that is based on the volume of treated wastewater that the district discharges into the Sacramento River, as specified. The bill would authorize the state board to grant a permit to appropriate that treated wastewater upon terms and conditions determined by the state board. The bill would require the board, prior to granting a permit pursuant to these provisions, to comply with permit, approval, and review requirements and other laws applicable to the appropriation of water. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District.
This measure would recognize June 19, 2011, as Veterans of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Day, in memory of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for freedom and democracy and the victims of the Vietnam War, and in honor of the survivors, activists, and freedom fighters of that war.
The Subdivision Map Act authorizes a local agency to require the payment of fees, to be used for various purposes, as a condition of approval of a final map or as a condition of issuing a building permit, including, among others, for purposes of defraying the actual or estimated cost of constructing bridges or major thoroughfares if specified conditions are met. The Mitigation Fee Act authorizes a local agency to charge a variety of fees, dedications, reservations, or other exactions in connection with the approval of a development project, as defined. This bill would authorize a local ordinance to require payment of a fee subject to the Mitigation Fee Act, as a condition of approval of a final map or as a condition of issuing a building permit for purposes of defraying the actual or estimated cost of constructing transportation facilities, as defined. This bill would specify that the authorizations to impose the fees, as specified, is in addition to other authority granted by law to local agencies relating to subdivisions, and is not to be construed as a limitation or diminution of that other authority.
This measure would recognize March 31, 2011, as the anniversary of the birth of César Chávez, and would call upon all Californians to participate in appropriate observances to remember César Chávez as a symbol of hope and justice to all persons.
This measure would continue designation and observance of the month of October as Italian American Heritage Month. This measure would also encourage the Legislature to continue the Italian American Legislator Project and welcome the exhibit "The Italian American Legislator Project of 2011: A Legacy of Service to the California Legislature" to the State Capitol Building in October 2011 and encourage all Californians, through the K–12 curriculum and otherwise, to learn about the history, role, and contributions of Italian Americans to the State of California.
Existing law, until January 1, 2013, establishes the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program. Existing law provides for the awarding of grants for this program, and provides that this program shall only be implemented during fiscal years for which funds are appropriated for these purposes. Existing law requires the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as part of the program, to assist economic and workforce regional development centers and consortia to improve linkages and career-technical education pathways between high schools and community colleges, in a manner that, among other things, improves the quality of career exploration and career outreach materials. Existing law also requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to develop an implementation strategy for achieving this goal, as specified. The bill would authorize a community college district to enroll high school pupils who are not residents of the district in a program developed and implemented by the district, as specified.
Existing law requires the Judicial Council to adopt rules of court to establish the standards and guidelines for the creation, maintenance, reproduction, and preservation of court records, and requires that these standards and guidelines reflect industry standards for each medium used, ensure the accuracy and preserve the integrity of the records, and ensure that the public can access and reproduce the records. Specifically, unless access is otherwise restricted by law, court records created, maintained, preserved, or reproduced under specified provisions are required to be made reasonably accessible to all members of the public for viewing and duplication, and electronic court records must be viewable at the court, whether or not they are accessible remotely. Additionally, rules of court require courts to provide public access to electronic records, as specified. This bill would require the Judicial Council, in consultation with stakeholder groups, and within 18 months of the date of enactment of this act, to adopt a rule of court to require courts to provide the public with same-day access to case-initiating civil and criminal court records, as defined, at no cost to the requester, for viewing at the courthouse.