Asm. Tasha Boerner

The Planning and Zoning Law authorizes a local agency to provide by ordinance for the creation of accessory dwelling units in single-family and multifamily residential zones and sets forth standards the ordinance is required to impose, including, among others, maximum unit size, parking, and height standards. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.

Existing law, the California Coastal Act of 1976, establishes the California Coastal Commission and provides for planning and regulation of development in the coastal zone, as defined. The act requires the commission to provide, by regulation, for the issuance of coastal development permits by the executive director of the commission or, where the development permit authority has been delegated to a local government, by an appropriate local official designated by resolution of the local government without compliance with the procedures prescribed in the act in cases of emergency, except as provided, and for certain nonemergency developments, as described. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes in that provision governing the issuance of development permits in cases of emergency.

The California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish a renewables portfolio standard requiring all retail sellers, as defined, to procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources during specified compliance periods. The program additionally requires each local publicly owned electric utility, as defined, to procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources to achieve the targets established by the program. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to reform the program.

Existing law establishes the Office of Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Services within the Department of General Services to, among other things, provide technical and managerial aids to small businesses, microbusinesses, and disabled veteran business enterprises by conducting workshops on matters in connection with government procurement contracting, and assisting small businesses, microbusinesses, and disabled veteran business enterprises in complying with the procedures for bidding on state contracts. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that provision.

Existing law defines unfair competition to mean and include an unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business act or practice, unfair, deceptive, untrue, or misleading advertising, and any false representations to the public and provides that any person who engages, has engaged, or proposes to engage in unfair competition is liable for a civil penalty. Existing law requires that one-half of a penalty collected as the result of an action brought by the Attorney General be paid to the treasurer of the county in which the judgment was entered and the other half to the General Fund. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to that provision.

The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The act authorizes the state board to include use of market-based compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available upon appropriation. Existing law requires the moneys from the fund to be used to facilitate the achievement of reductions of greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the act, as specified. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.

Existing law authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to assist every veteran of the United States, and the dependent or survivor of every veteran of the United States, in presenting and pursuing specified claims, including claims for disability compensation benefits and burial benefits, as the veteran, dependent, or survivor may have against the United States arising out of military service, and in establishing any rights to any privilege, preference, care, or compensation provided for by the laws of the United States or of this state. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to that provision.

Under existing law, the Student Aid Commission administers the Cal Grant Program, among other duties. The Cal Grant Program comprises the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement awards, the California Community College Transfer Entitlement awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards, the Cal Grant C awards, and the Cal Grant T awards. Existing law establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions, as defined. Under existing law, to be eligible for an award under the California Community College Transfer Entitlement Program, an applicant may not be 28 years of age or older by December 31 of the award year, among other requirements. This bill would, commencing with the 2020–21 award year, raise that limit to 32 years of age or older for a student who is a veteran, as defined.

The Permit Streamlining Act sets forth various procedures and requirements with respect to the review and approval of development projects, including requiring a public agency that is the lead agency for the project to approve or disapprove the project within specified time periods. That act includes various requirements and conditions with respect to approvals of permits for specific types of development projects. This bill would require that a city or county, as a condition of approving a permit for a development project for a commercial shopping center or for improvements to an existing commercial shopping center, require that the proposed improvements include pedestrian accessibility improvements to make the commercial shopping center accessible to pedestrians if specified conditions apply. The bill would define "commercial shopping center" for these purposes. The bill would also define "improvements to an existing commercial shopping center" and expressly exclude any work done by a commercial tenant in a commercial shopping center. By adding to the duties of local officials with respect to reviewing and approving development projects, 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.