Asm. Lorena Gonzalez

Under existing law, a person may not be registered to vote except by affidavit of registration. Pursuant to the Student Voter Registration Act of 2003, the Secretary of State is required to annually provide every high school, community college, California State University, and University of California campus with voter registration forms. The act also requires every community college and California State University campus that operates an automated class registration system, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to permit students during the class registration process to apply to register to vote online by submitting an affidavit of voter registration electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State. The act encourages the University of California to comply with this provision. This bill would require the California State University and the California Community Colleges to implement a process and the infrastructure to allow a person who enrolls online at the institution to submit an affidavit of voter registration electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State by July 1, 2018. The bill would encourage the University of California to comply with this provision. By requiring community colleges to provide a higher level of service, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law, the California New Motor Voter Program, requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to electronically provide to the Secretary of State the records of each person who submits an application for a driver's license or identification card or who provides the department with a change of address. The person's motor vehicle records will then constitute a completed affidavit of registration and the person will be registered to vote, except as specified. This bill would require the Secretary of State, if he or she receives from the Department of Motor Vehicles the records of a person who is currently registered to vote, to use the information in the records to update the voter's registration information. If the Secretary of State does not receive information for the voter for which space is provided on the affidavit of registration, but that information was provided in the voter's previous affidavit of registration, this bill would require that the information from the voter's previous affidavit of registration remain part of the voter's record. 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.

(1) 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 state board is required to approve a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020. The state board is also required to complete a comprehensive strategy to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, as defined, in the state. This bill would require the state board, no later than January 1, 2018, to approve and begin implementing that comprehensive strategy to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants to achieve a reduction in methane by 40%, hydrofluorocarbon gases by 40%, and anthropogenic black carbon by 50% below 2013 levels by 2030, as specified. The bill also would establish specified targets for reducing organic waste in landfills. This bill would require the state board, in consultation with the Department of Food and Agriculture, to adopt regulations to reduce methane emissions from livestock manure management operations and dairy manure management operations, as specified. The bill would require the state board to take certain actions prior to adopting those regulations. This bill would require the regulations to take effect on or after January 1, 2024, if the state board, in consultation with the department, makes certain determinations. This bill would require the state board, the Public Utilities Commission, and the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to undertake various actions related to reducing short-lived climate pollutants in the state. The bill would require state agencies to consider and, as appropriate, adopt policies and incentives to significantly increase the sustainable production and use of renewable gas. (2) The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, which is administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, establishes an integrated waste management program that requires each county and city and county to prepare and submit to the department a countywide integrated waste management plan. The bill would require the department, in consultation with the state board, to adopt regulations that achieve the specified targets for reducing organic waste in landfills. The bill would authorize local jurisdictions to charge and collect fees to recover the local jurisdiction's costs incurred in complying with the regulations. The bill would require, no later than July 1, 2020, the department, in consultation with the state board, to analyze the progress that the waste sector, state government, and local governments have made in achieving the specified targets for reducing organic waste in landfills. The bill would authorize the department, depending on the outcome of that analysis, to amend the regulations to include incentives or additional requirements, as specified. By adding to the duties of local governments related to organic waste in landfills, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) 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 requires the State Department of Public Health to establish a program for the development, provision, and evaluation of genetic disease testing. Existing law establishes the continuously appropriated Genetic Disease Testing Fund (GDTF) , consisting of fees paid for newborn screening tests, and states the intent of the Legislature that all costs of the genetic disease testing program be fully supported by fees paid for newborn screening tests, which are deposited in the GDTF. Existing law also authorizes moneys in the GDTF to be used for the expansion of the Genetic Disease Branch Screening Information System to include cystic fibrosis, biotinidase, severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) , and adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) and exempts the expansion of contracts for this purpose from certain provisions of the Public Contract Code, the Government Code, and the State Administrative Manual, as specified. This bill would require the department to expand statewide screening of newborns to include screening for any disease that is detectable in blood samples as soon as practicable, but no later than 2 years after the disease is adopted by the federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) , or enrollment of this bill, whichever is later. By expanding the purposes for which moneys from the GDTF may be expended, this bill would make an appropriation.

Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the state agency primarily responsible for the administration and coordination of student financial aid programs at California postsecondary educational institutions. Existing federal law establishes the Chafee Educational and Training Voucher program for the purposes of providing financial aid to current and former foster youth who are attending qualifying postsecondary educational institutions. This bill, commencing with the 2017–18 academic year, would make a new Chafee grant award to a student only if the student attends a qualifying institution that is eligible for participation in the Cal Grant Program pursuant to a specified provision of the Cal Grant Program enabling act or if the student attends an institution that is not located in California that satisfies a specified provision of the Cal Grant Program enabling act.

Existing law establishes the Department of Industrial Relations in the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners of California, to improve their working conditions, and to advance their opportunities for profitable employment. Existing law establishes within the department the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, which is vested with the general duty of enforcing labor laws, including those relating to wage claims and employer retaliation. This bill would require every employer subject to its provisions to keep accurate records of specific information regarding employees for 3 years. The bill would require the division to enforce its provisions and would authorize the Labor Commissioner, who is the chief of the division, to adopt any regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of the bill. The bill would require every employer, effective July 1, 2018, to register annually with the Labor Commissioner in accordance with prescribed procedures. The bill would prohibit an employer from conducting any business without registration as required by the bill and would authorize the commissioner to revoke a registration under certain circumstances. The bill would set application and renewal fees for registration. The bill would require an employer to include specific information in the registration application. The bill would prohibit the division from granting registration under specific circumstances. The bill would require the commissioner to maintain on the department's Internet Web site a public database of registered property service employers. The bill would require the division, by January 1, 2019, to establish a biennial in-person sexual violence and harassment prevention training requirement for employees and employers with the assistance of a prescribed advisory committee to be convened by the director. The bill would require employers, as of July 1, 2018, and until the division establishes that training requirement, to provide employees with a pamphlet of the Department of Fair Employment and Housing on sexual harassment. The bill would establish civil fines for specific violations of its provisions and vest in the commission the exclusive authority to enforce the civil fine provisions. The bill would require the deposit of registration fees and civil fines in the Labor Enforcement and Compliance Fund and would direct that the moneys in the fund from those fees and fines be used only for the reasonable costs of administering the registration of janitorial contractors and the costs and obligations associated with the administration and enforcement of the bill by the division.

Existing law establishes the California Military Department, which includes the Office of the Adjutant General, the California National Guard, the State Military Reserve, the California Cadet Corps, and the Naval Militia. This bill would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, create the Office of Military Legal Assistance within the Military Department. The bill would require the office to assist current servicemembers in the state who require legal assistance by providing access to educational and informational resources and by providing referral services to available legal assistance programs, including reduced fee services, pro bono services, and self-help services. The bill would, subject to the provisions described above, authorize the office to provide assistance in legal areas including, but not limited to, the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, consumer protection, and landlord-tenant issues. This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2022, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2023.

Existing law establishes the Ocean Protection Council in state government and prescribes the membership, functions, and duties of the council with regard to the protection and conservation of ocean and coastal resources. This bill would, subject to the availability of funding, authorize the council to develop an ocean acidification and hypoxia science task force to ensure that council decisionmaking is supported by the best available science, and require the council to take specified actions to address ocean acidification and hypoxia, as prescribed, and, beginning January 1, 2018, and annually thereafter, at its first meeting of the year, adopt recommendations for further actions that may be taken to address ocean acidification and hypoxia.

Existing sales and use tax laws impose 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. Those laws provide various exemptions from those taxes. This bill, on and after January 1, 2017, and before January 1, 2022, would exempt from those taxes the gross receipts from the sale in this state of, and the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of, tampons, sanitary napkins, menstrual sponges, and menstrual cups. 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. Amendments to state sales and use taxes are incorporated into these laws. Section 2230 of the Revenue and Taxation Code provides that the state will reimburse counties and cities for revenue losses caused by the enactment of sales and use tax exemptions. This bill would provide that, notwithstanding Section 2230 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse any local agencies for sales and use tax revenues lost by them pursuant to this bill. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing sales and use tax laws impose 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. This bill, until January 1, 2022, would exempt from those taxes the gross receipts from the sale in this state of, and the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of, diapers for infants and toddlers, designated size 3 or under. 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. Amendments to state sales and use taxes are incorporated into these laws. Section 2230 of the Revenue and Taxation Code provides that the state will reimburse counties and cities for revenue losses caused by the enactment of sales and use tax exemptions. This bill would provide that, notwithstanding Section 2230 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse any local agencies for sales and use tax revenues lost by them pursuant to this bill. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy, but its operative date would depend on its effective date.

Existing federal law, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, provides for the negotiation and execution of tribal-state gaming compacts for the purpose of authorizing certain types of gaming on Indian lands within a state. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to negotiate and conclude compacts, subject to ratification by the Legislature. Existing law expressly ratifies a number of tribal-state gaming compacts, and amendments to tribal-state gaming compacts, between the State of California and specified Indian tribes. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency to prepare, or cause to be prepared, 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, as defined, or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. This bill would ratify the tribal-state gaming compact entered into between the State of California and the Barona Band of Mission Indians, executed on June 22, 2016. The bill would provide that, in deference to tribal sovereignty, certain actions are not projects for the purposes of CEQA. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.