Asm. Brian Maienschein

This measure would declare the importance of the arts to the state and the essential role of the Arts Council in promoting the arts throughout the state, and urge a unified effort between the Legislature and the Governor to provide a substantial increase in the General Fund appropriation to the California Arts Council in the 2015–16 Budget Act.

This measure would designate the bicycle-pedestrian path constructed as part of the project to widen State Highway Route 101 in the County of Ventura as the Ralph Fertig Memorial Bicycle-Pedestrian Path and the pedestrian undercrossing of State Highway Route 101 in the community of La Conchita in the County of Ventura as the Peter Douglas Coastal Access Way. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing each of these special designations and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering the cost of the signs for which the donations were made, to erect those signs.

This measure would recognize that every child who needs comprehensive health and early intervention services and supports in order to achieve his or her developmental potential should have those services easily accessible, sufficient, responsive, timely, and of high quality. The measure would further urge the Legislature to leverage existing efforts and statutes to ensure an accountable, results-oriented, and coordinated network of resources in order to provide multidisciplinary early identification and intervention services and supports to California infants and toddlers.

This measure would designate the interchange at the junction of State Routes 99 and 166 in the County of Kern as the CHP Officer Gerald E. Dormaier Memorial Interchange. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.

This measure would proclaim October 17, 2015, as Firefighters Memorial Day.

This measure would designate November 2015 as a month to raise awareness about the issue of medically fragile foster care children and adoptive placement children and the actions that every Californian can take to make a positive difference in these children's lives.

Existing law regulates pawnbrokers and sets the maximum compensation charged or received by pawnbrokers on loans to their customers. A knowing violation of the provisions regulating pawnbrokers is a crime. Existing law provides a schedule of maximum charges for 21 loan brackets for the first 3 months of any loan. This bill, in that schedule, would consolidate the 21 loan brackets into 6 and set maximum charges within those brackets. Existing law, among other things, limits the charge for the 4th and subsequent months of a loan to 2.5% per month on the unpaid balance, as specified. This bill would increase the charge limit for the 4th and subsequent months to 3% per month. Existing law permits a loan setup fee of the greater of $5 or 2% of the loan amount, not to exceed $10. This bill would adjust the permitted loan setup fee to the greater of either $5 or 3% of the loan amount, not to exceed $30. Existing law establishes the maximum amount, irrespective of the duration of the loan, that may be charged based on size of pawned articles, as specified, and prohibits a storage charge for any article that can be contained within one cubic foot. This bill would permit a pawnbroker to additionally charge a maximum of $1 for handling and storage of any article that can be contained within one cubic foot. Existing law requires a written contract that provides a 4-month loan period for every loan made by a pawnbroker for which goods are received in pledge as security and, under specified circumstances, requires a pawnbroker to notify the borrower at his or her last known address of the termination of the loan period, by a means for which verification of mailing or delivery of the notification can be provided by the pawnbroker, and provides for extending the right of redemption for a period of 10 days from the date that notice is mailed. This bill instead would require a minimum 4-month loan period and would require the pawnbroker to provide that notification to the pledgor at his or her last known mailing or electronic address, by a means for which verification of mailing or, at the sole option of the pledgor, electronic transmission of the notification can be provided by the pawnbroker, as specified. This bill also would require representatives of the pawnbroker industry to poll their members annually to gather data relating to the current financial condition of the California pawn industry. Because a knowing violation of these provisions by a pawnbroker would be a crime, this bill would impose 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.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts, each administered by a governing board, throughout the state, and authorizes these districts to provide instruction to students at community college campuses maintained by the districts. Existing law provides for the removal, suspension, and expulsion of a community college student, as specified, for good cause, as defined. Existing law prohibits a community college student from being removed, suspended, or expelled unless the conduct for which the student is disciplined is related to college activity or attendance. The bill would authorize the governing board of a community college district to remove, suspend, or expel a student for sexual assault or sexual exploitation, as defined, regardless of the victim's affiliation with the community college, even if the offense is not related to college activity or attendance.