Existing law regulates fireworks and pyrotechnic displays and requires that a permit be obtained from the State Fire Marshal in certain instances. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared by contract, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project, as defined, 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. The California Coastal Act of 1976 provides for the planning and regulation of development, under a coastal development permit process, within the coastal zone. Existing law defines development for these purposes. This bill would exempt a municipal fireworks display, as defined, from the provisions of CEQA. Because a lead agency would have to determine the applicability of the exemption and to take certain specified action upon a determination of exemption, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would provide that a coastal development permit is not required for a municipal fireworks display and would specify that "development" does not include a municipal fireworks display. 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
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Existing law provides for the funding, operation, and administration of state projects relating to varied state and local activities. This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation requiring that a risk analysis be undertaken for any state-funded project costing $500,000,000 or more.
Existing law requires members of the public to obtain license, permits, or to register with state agencies prior to undertaking certain types of tasks. This bill would require the Governor to establish a Internet Web site, known as the California Licensing and Permit Center (CLPC) , to assist the public with licensing, permitting, and registration requirements of state agencies. This bill would require the Governor to operate, via both e-mail and telephone methods, a help center to assist applicants with licensing, permitting, and registration requirements. This bill would require state agencies that the Governor determines has licensing authority to cooperate with this program by providing accurate updated information about their licensing requirements. This bill would create the California License and Permit Fund in the State Treasury, and require state agencies that are required to participate in the CLPC to reallocate a portion of their operating budget, as specified, to pay for the operating cost of the CLPC. This bill would state that upon appropriation by the Legislature, revenues from the fund will be used only for purposes of the bill. This bill would require the CLPC to be provided to the public free of charge.
The California Constitution authorizes the Legislature to create debt authorized by law and subject to the approval of the voters, according to specified criteria. The Legislature may, at any time after the approval of such a law, reduce the amount of the indebtedness authorized to an amount not less than the amount contracted at the time of the reduction, or repeal the law if no debt has been contracted pursuant to that law. This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature with respect to laws authorizing indebtedness under these provisions, to enact legislation to reduce the amount of indebtedness authorized by specified laws to the amount contracted at the time of the reduction, and to repeal specified laws authorizing indebtedness when no debt has been contracted pursuant to their provisions.
Existing law, the California High-Speed Rail Act, creates the High-Speed Rail Authority to develop and implement a high-speed rail system in the state, with specified powers and duties. Existing law, pursuant to 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, general election, provides for the issuance of $9.95 billion in general obligation bonds for high-speed rail and related purposes. Under federal law, funding is made available for allocation nationally to high-speed rail and other related projects. This bill would provide that no funds from Proposition 1A shall be available to the High-Speed Rail Authority for construction of the high-speed train system until adequate environmental studies are completed based on a new ridership study that uses an acceptable ridership evaluation methodology. The bill would require the authority to contract with the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California at Berkeley to complete a revised ridership study, using the ridership methodology of the institute. The bill would require the authority to use that ridership study as the basis for subsequent environmental studies. The bill would also require the authority to reconsider its adoption of the optimal high-speed rail route based both on the new ridership study and the ridership methodology.
Existing law authorizes a superior court to appoint as many official reporters as are deemed required and prohibits a person from being appointed to that position unless he or she is licensed by the Court Reporters Board of California. Under existing law, a court may order, in specified cases, that the proceedings be electronically recorded if an official reporter is unavailable. This bill would express the Legislature's intent to require that all court proceedings be automated.
Existing law authorizes the Department of Boating and Waterways, subject to the approval of the Legislature, to make loans to qualified cities, counties, or districts having the power to acquire, construct, and operate small craft harbors, for the design, planning, acquisition, construction, improvement, maintenance, or operation of small craft harbors and facilities in connection with the harbors, and connecting waterways, if the department finds that the project is feasible. This bill would require the department to extend until June 30, 2016, all phases of certain loan contracts between the department and the County of Orange, OC Dana Point Harbor.
The Sales and Use Tax Law imposes a tax on retailers measured by the gross receipts from the sale of tangible personal property sold at retail in this state, or on the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of tangible personal property purchased from a retailer for storage, use, or other consumption in this state. That law provides various exemptions from those taxes. The bill would exempt from those taxes, on and after January 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2020, the gross receipts from the sale of, and the storage, use, or other consumption of, qualified tangible personal property purchased by a qualified person for use primarily in the manufacturing process, as specified, for use in research and development, as specified, or for use in air pollution mitigation, as provided. This bill would also exempt the gross receipts from the sale of, and the storage, use, or other consumption of, qualified tangible personal property purchased for use by a contractor for specified purposes. This bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office to complete and distribute a report to the Legislature on the effect of this exemption by January 1, 2019. The Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law authorizes counties and cities to impose local sales and use taxes in conformity with the Sales and Use Tax Law, and existing law authorizes districts, as specified, to impose transactions and use taxes in accordance with the Transactions and Use Tax Law, which conforms to the Sales and Use Tax Law. Exemptions from state sales and use taxes are incorporated into these laws. This bill would specify that this exemption does not apply to local sales and use taxes, transactions and use taxes, and specified state taxes from which revenues are deposited into the Local Public Safety Fund, the Local Revenue Fund, or the Fiscal Recovery Fund. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Under the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, the 9 California regional water quality control boards are among the principal state agencies that carry out responsibilities relating to water quality. The act prescribes the boundaries of each regional board. This bill would revise the description of the boundaries of the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board and the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Existing law states that it is the policy of this state to vest in the Governor the civil administration of the laws of the state and for the purposes of aiding the Governor in the execution and administration of the laws to divide the executive and administrative work into departments as provided by law. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to this law.