Asm. Chris Ward

This measure would declare and recognize that the state is currently suffering a supply chain crisis. The measure would urge the state's public agencies, departments, and local governments to provide all due and proper assistance to carriers, cargo owners, public seaports, terminals, workers, and facilities to facilitate the essential service of delivering goods to Californians.

This measure would recognize August 15, 2022, as India's Independence Day and urge all Californians to join in celebrating India's independence.

This measure would declare August 2022 as Valley Fever Awareness Month.

This measure would declare the month of September 2022 as California Emergency Preparedness Month.

Under existing law, a grand jury is a body of the required number of persons chosen from the citizens of the county to serve before a court of competent jurisdiction, and sworn to inquire of public offenses that are committed or triable within the county. Existing law permits a grand jury to inquire into all public offenses committed or triable within the county and present them to the court by indictment. Existing law requires the fees for grand jurors to be $15 per each day's attendance as a grand juror. This bill would require that fee to be equal to 70% of the county median daily income for each day's attendance. By increasing the fee for grand jurors, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires the superior court of each county to select grand jurors, as specified, and create a list of the persons selected to serve as grand jurors. Existing law requires the jury commissioner to file this list in the jury commissioner's office and have the list published one time in a newspaper of general circulation. Existing law requires grand juries to be impaneled from this list. Existing law authorizes the presiding judge to name up to 10 jurors not previously named, who served on the previous grand jury and who consent to serve for a 2nd year on the grand jury. This bill would require the list of grand jurors to contain the person's gender, age, race or ethnicity, and residential ZIP Code or supervisorial district of the respective counties. The bill would require a separate list to be published in a newspaper containing each person's name and the name of the judge who selected the jurors. The bill would require a list of specified prospective and impaneled jurors containing each person's gender, age, race or ethnicity, and residential ZIP Code or supervisorial district to be published on an internet website, and would require that version of the list to not contain the person's name. The bill would authorize the presiding judge to add up to 10 jurors from among the list of qualified jurors not selected in an effort to balance demographic diversity to reflect the general population of the county. The bill would require each court, on or before March 15, 2024, and on or before March 15 of each year thereafter, to provide the Judicial Council with the list and aggregate data of specified prospective and impaneled jurors containing the person's gender, age, race or ethnicity, and residential ZIP Code or supervisorial district of the respective counties, as well as the name of the judge who selected each person. The bill would require the Judicial Council to, on or before June 15, 2024, and on or before June 15 of each year thereafter, report that information to the Legislature. The bill would additionally authorize summons for prospective jurors to include information on how to become a juror on a grand jury. 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 the statutory provisions noted above.

Existing law requires, by July 1, 2017, and every 3 years thereafter, the Natural Resources Agency to update, as prescribed, the state's climate adaptation strategy, known as the Safeguarding California Plan. Existing law establishes the Office of Planning and Research in state government in the Governor's office. Existing law establishes the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program to be administered by the office to coordinate regional and local efforts with state climate adaptation strategies to adapt to the impacts of climate change, as prescribed. This bill would authorize eligible entities, as defined, to establish and participate in a regional climate network, as defined. The bill would require the office, through the program, to encourage the inclusion of eligible entities with land use planning and hazard mitigation planning authority into regional climate networks. The bill would authorize a regional climate network to engage in activities to address climate change, as specified. The bill would authorize a regional climate network to develop a regional climate adaptation and resilience action plan. The bill would require the office, through the program, to develop and publish on its internet website guidelines on how eligible entities may establish regional climate networks and how governing boards may be established within regional climate networks. The bill would require the office, through the program, to provide technical assistance to regions seeking to establish a regional climate network, facilitate coordination between regions, and encourage regions to incorporate as many eligible entities into one network as feasible.

Existing law vests the Department of Transportation with full possession and control of all state highways. Existing law authorizes the department to acquire any real property that it considers necessary for state highway purposes. Existing law requires the department to offer to sell or exchange excess real property, as defined, within one year from the date that it is determined by the department to be excess. This bill would authorize the department to sell its excess real property to the city, county, or city and county where the real property is located if the city, county, or city and county agrees to use the real property for the sole purpose of implementing affordable housing, emergency shelters, or feeding programs, as specified. The bill would exempt these sales from the California Environmental Quality Act, except the department would be required to file a notice of exemption with the Office of Planning and Research and the county clerk of the county in which the real property is located.

This measure would recognize that the Antelope Valley will henceforth be affectionately and acceptably referred to by the State of California as the Aerospace Valley.