Asm. Cottie Petrie-Norris

Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, authorizes the Governor to proclaim a state of emergency when specified conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist, and establishes the California Emergency Relief Fund to provide emergency resources and relief relating to state of emergency declarations proclaimed by the Governor. Existing law transferred $150,000,000 from the General Fund to the California Emergency Relief Fund for purposes relating to the COVID-19 emergency proclaimed by the Governor on March 4, 2020. Existing law authorizes the Controller to make a one-time payment to qualified recipients in a form and manner determined by the Franchise Tax Board. This bill would require the Controller to issue one-time cost-of-living payments of specified amounts to qualified recipients, as defined, from the California Emergency Relief Fund. The bill would transfer, from the General Fund to the California Emergency Relief Fund, the amount necessary for the Controller to issue these one-time payments, and would appropriate that amount from the California Emergency Relief Fund to the Controller for that purpose. The bill would require the Controller to issue the payments by June 15, 2023, to the extent practicable. The Personal Income Tax Law imposes a tax on individual taxpayers measured by the taxpayer's taxable income for the taxable year, but, in modified conformity with federal income tax laws, allows various exclusions from gross income. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure, as defined to include exclusions from income, to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would exclude the one-time cost-of-living payments described above from the gross income of qualified recipients for personal income tax purposes. The bill would also include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure This bill would make findings and declarations related to a gift of public funds. The California Constitution generally prohibits the total annual appropriations subject to limitation of the state and each local government from exceeding the appropriations limit of the entity of government for the prior fiscal year, adjusted for the change in the cost of living and the change in population, and prescribes procedures for making adjustments to the appropriations limit. The California Constitution makes certain specified appropriations exempt from this total annual limit if certain requirements are satisfied, including appropriations approved by a 23 vote of the Legislature relating to an emergency declared by the Governor. This bill would provide that the appropriations made by the bill are appropriations relating to the state of emergency declared by the Governor on March 4, 2020, relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, and pursuant to the above-described constitutional provision are not subject to the annual appropriations limit set by the California Constitution when passed by a 23 vote of the Legislature.

This measure would proclaim the month of March 2022 as Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month in California.

This measure would recognize February 2022 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 of African Americans and the achievements and contributions they make to their communities to create equity and equality for education, economics, and social justice. The measure would also recognize the significance in protecting citizens' right to vote and remedying racial discrimination in voting.

This measure would declare February 17, 2022, as PTA Day, commend the National Parent Teacher Association on the occasion of its 125th anniversary, and encourage all California residents to attend and participate in the celebration of this commemorative event.

This measure would proclaim March 2022 as American Red Cross Month and would dedicate it to all those who continue to advance the noble legacy of the organization's founder. The measure would encourage all Californians to reach out, support the organization's humanitarian mission, and join in their commitment to care for people in need.

This measure would proclaim March 20, 2022, to March 26, 2022, as California Down Syndrome Awareness Week and March 21, 2022, as California Down Syndrome Day, and would encourage all Californians to support and participate in related activities.

This measure would designate the week of March 13, 2022, to March 19, 2022, inclusive, as Family Physician Week.

This measure would, among other things, designate March 2022 as Irish American Heritage Month in honor of the multitude of contributions that Irish Americans have made to the country and state.