Asm. Jim Patterson

This measure would recognize the Persian New Year celebration.

This measure would declare the last week of March every year as a statewide week of advocacy for Latino education.

This measure would designate March 2014 as Irish American Heritage Month in honor of the multitude of contributions that Irish Americans have made to the country and state.

This measure would designate the week of April 20 to 26, 2014, as "California Week of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915–1923," and would memorialize the Congress and the President of the United States to observe the California Week of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide by participating in the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Project.

Existing law defines probation to mean the suspension of the imposition or execution of a sentence and the order of conditional and revocable release in the community under the supervision of a probation officer. Existing law authorizes probation for some, but not all, felony convictions. Existing law prohibits granting probation for a felony conviction for, among other instances, a person who is convicted of a violent felony or a serious felony and who was on probation or parole for a felony offense at the time of the commission of the new felony offense. This bill would similarly make that probation unavailable to a person who is convicted of a violent felony or a serious felony and who was on mandatory supervision or postrelease community supervision for a felony offense at the time of the commission of the new felony offense.

Existing law creates the High-Speed Rail Authority with specified powers and duties relating to the development and implementation of an intercity high-speed rail system. Existing law, pursuant to the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century, authorizes $9.95 billion in general obligation bonds for high-speed rail development and other related purposes. The federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and other federal acts provide funding for allocation nationally to high-speed rail projects. The Budget Act of 2012 appropriates federal funds, and state funds in the High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Fund, to the authority for various purposes related to the high-speed rail project, including right-of-way acquisition and construction. This bill would prohibit the authority from expending the federal funds appropriated to the authority pursuant to the Budget Act of 2012 unless state funds appropriated from the High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Fund or from another state funding source are immediately available to the authority for the purpose of providing matching state funds for the federal funds. This requirement would apply regardless of whether the federal government has authorized the expenditure of the federal funds without the immediate availability of the nonfederal match that is a condition for the award of the federal funds. The bill would also make legislative findings and declarations.

This measure would proclaim March 26, 2014, as Purple Day to increase epilepsy awareness.

Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, an initiative measure enacted by the voters at the November 6, 1996, statewide general election, authorizes the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Existing law enacted by the Legislature requires the establishment of a program for the issuance of identification cards to qualified patients so that they may lawfully use marijuana for medical purposes, and requires the establishment of guidelines for the lawful cultivation of marijuana grown for medical use. Existing law prohibits a medical marijuana dispensary or provider that has a storefront or mobile retail outlet that ordinarily requires a local business license from being located within a 600-foot radius of a school. A violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor. This bill would increase that radius to 1,000 feet. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law also provides that every person who plants, cultivates, harvests, dries, or processes any marijuana or any part thereof, except as otherwise provided by law, is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for 16 months, or 2 or 3 years. This bill would impose the additional punishment of a fine of not less than $500 and not more than $10,000 on every person who violates that provision within a 1,000-foot radius of a school, as defined. 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.

This measure would declare February 6, 2014, as Ronald Reagan Day.