Existing law authorizes the construction of a memorial to California firefighters on the grounds of the State Capitol, but prohibits the expenditure of state funds for purposes of the memorial. This bill would authorize the California Fire Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to the families of fallen firefighters, in consultation with the Department of General Services, to prepare a plan to construct modifications to the existing memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol, which may include the construction of a new wall within the existing footprint of the memorial that would include the names of additional fallen firefighters. The bill would require the Department of General Services, if the foundation prepares a plan pursuant to those provisions, to take specified actions to ensure that the design, review, inspection, and construction of the proposed modifications meet prescribed requirements. The bill would require the foundation, if it undertakes responsibility to modify the memorial pursuant to these provisions, in consultation with the Department of General Services, to establish a schedule for the design and construction, implement procedures to solicit designs, devise a process for the choice of design for the proposed modifications, and report to the Joint Committee on Rules on the proposed modifications. The bill would require the California Fire Foundation to submit a plan for the proposed modifications to the Department of General Services and the Joint Committee on Rules for their review and approval. The bill would prohibit the foundation from commencing construction of any proposed modifications to the memorial until the master plan of the State Capitol Park is approved and adopted by the Joint Committee on Rules, or January 1, 2021, whichever occurs first. The bill would prohibit the commencement of any approved modifications unless the Joint Committee on Rules and the Department of Finance have verified that sufficient private donations have been secured to complete construction of the modifications. The bill would require that any modifications to the memorial be funded exclusively by private donations secured by the foundation.
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Existing law establishes various crimes relating to computer services and systems, including, but not limited to, knowingly introducing a computer contaminant, as defined. Existing law makes a violation of those crimes punishable by specified fines or terms of imprisonment, or by both those fines and imprisonment. Existing law defines extortion as obtaining the property of another, with his or her consent, induced by a wrongful use of force or fear. Existing law makes extortion a crime, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for 2, 3, or 4 years. This bill would define ransomware as a computer contaminant or lock placed or introduced without authorization into a computer, computer system, or computer network that restricts access by an authorized person to the computer, computer system, computer network, or any data therein under circumstances in which the person responsible for the placement or introduction of the ransomware demands payment of money or other consideration to remove the computer contaminant, restore access to the computer, computer system, computer network, or data, or otherwise remediate the impact of the computer contaminant or lock. The bill would provide that a person is responsible for placing or introducing ransomware into a computer, computer system, or computer network if the person directly places or introduces the ransomware or directs or induces another person do so, with the intent of demanding payment or other consideration to remove the ransomware, restore access, or otherwise remediate the impact of the ransomware. The bill would provide that a person who, with intent to extort money or other consideration from another, introduces ransomware into any computer, computer system, or computer network is punishable as if that money or other consideration were actually obtained by means of the ransomware. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would create 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 requires the Flag of the United States and the Flag of the State of California to be prominently displayed during business hours upon or in front of the buildings or grounds of each public building belonging to the state, a county, or a municipality, among other places. This bill would, on and after January 1, 2017, require any Flag of the United States or the Flag of the State of California purchased by the state or any local government agency be made in the United States.
Existing law authorizes the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to issue single subject teaching credentials only in specific subjects. This bill would add dance and theatre to the list of authorized subjects. Existing law authorizes the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to authorize a person who holds a certain teaching credential and who has completed 20 semester hours of coursework or 10 semester hours of upper division or graduate coursework approved by the commission at an accredited institution in any subject commonly taught in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, other than the subject for which he or she is already certificated to teach, to have this subject appear on the credential as an authorization to teach this subject. This bill would provide that a person issued a single subject teaching credential in physical education or English before the establishment of a single subject teaching credential in dance or theatre, respectively, is authorized to teach in dance or theatre, respectively. The bill would also provide that a person pursuing a single subject teaching credential in physical education or English before the establishment of a single subject teaching credential in dance or theatre shall not become subject to additional requirements for the single subject teaching credential in physical education or English, respectively, as a result of the authorization provided by this bill.
Existing law authorizes a court in a criminal proceeding, upon written notice by the prosecutor made at least 3 days prior to the date of the preliminary hearing or trial date on which the testimony of the minor is scheduled or during the course of the proceeding on the court's own motion, to order that the testimony of a minor 13 years of age or younger at the time of the motion be taken by contemporaneous examination and cross-examination in another place and out of the presence of the judge, jury, defendant or defendants, and attorneys, and communicated to the courtroom by means of closed-circuit television, if the court makes specified findings. One of the findings required by existing law requires is that the minor's testimony will involve a recitation of the facts of specified crimes, including an alleged violent felony of which the minor is a victim. This bill would authorize, under specified conditions, a minor 15 years of age or younger to testify by contemporaneous examination and cross-examination in another place and out of the presence of the judge, jury, defendant or defendants, and attorneys if the testimony will involve the recitation of the facts of an alleged offense of human trafficking.
The Public Utilities Act prohibits, with certain exemptions, any public utility other than a common carrier by railroad from selling, leasing, assigning, mortgaging, or otherwise disposing of or encumbering the whole or any part of specified property necessary or useful in the performance of the public utility's duties to the public, among other things, without first either having secured an order from the Public Utilities Commission authorizing it to do so for qualified transactions valued above $5,000,000, or for qualified transactions valued at $5,000,000 or less, having filed an advice letter and obtained approval from the commission authorizing it to do so. Under existing law, every sale, lease, assignment, mortgage, disposition, encumbrance, merger, or consolidation made other than in accordance with the advice letter and approval from the commission authorizing it is void. Existing law requires the commission, before authorizing the merger, acquisition, or change in control of an electric, gas, or telephone utility when one of the parties has revenues in excess of a specified amount, to consider, among other things, whether the proposal provides short-term and long-term economic benefits to ratepayers and equitably allocates the short-term and long-term forecasted economic benefits of the proposed merger, acquisition, or change in control, as determined by the commission, between shareholders and ratepayers, if the commission has ratemaking authority. Under existing law, any merger, acquisition, or change in control without that prior authorization is void. This bill would provide that if a water or sewer system corporation or an entity merging with or acquiring control of a water or sewer system corporation with less than 2,000 service connections fails to receive the commission's approval before entering into any of the specified transactions valued at $5,000,000 or less, the transaction is voidable by the commission until the commission either retroactively approves or conditionally approves the transaction. The bill would authorize the commission to delegate this approval authority to a specified division director. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which basic health care services are provided to qualified low-income persons. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid provisions. Existing law provides coverage for certain dental services, as specified, to Medi-Cal beneficiaries 17 years of age and under through the Denti-Cal program. This bill would require the department to report to the Legislature, by October 1, 2017, on progress towards the goal of raising the Denti-Cal utilization rate among eligible child beneficiaries to 60% or greater and identify a date by which the department projects this utilization goal will be met. The bill would authorize the department to include in the report recommendations for legislative consideration that would assist the department to meet the goal by the specified date, as prescribed. The bill's provisions would be repealed on January 1, 2021, pursuant to specified law.
Existing law establishes in the Natural Resources Agency the Department of Water Resources, which manages and undertakes planning with regard to water resources in the state. This bill would require, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the department to provide funding for a certain project provided that certain conditions are met.
Under existing law, it is an infraction or a misdemeanor for any person to permit any dog that is owned, harbored, or controlled by him or her to cause injury to, or the death of, any guide, signal, or service dog, as defined, while the guide, signal, or service dog is in discharge of its duties. Existing law makes any person who intentionally causes injury to, or the death of, any guide, signal, or service dog, as defined, while the dog is in discharge of its duties, guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would delete, from both crimes, the requirement that the guide, signal, or service dog be in discharge of its duties when the injury or death occurs and would make these crimes applicable to the injury or death of dogs that are enrolled in a training school or program for guide, signal, or service dogs, as specified. The bill would also instead make any person who willfully, knowingly, or recklessly causes injury to, or the death of, any of the specified dogs guilty of a misdemeanor. Under existing law, if a defendant is convicted of either of these crimes, the defendant is required to make restitution to the person with a disability who has custody or ownership of the dog for any veterinary bills and replacement costs of the dog if it is disabled or killed, or other reasonable costs deemed appropriate by the court. This bill would require the defendant, convicted of either crime, to also make restitution to the person for medical or medical-related expenses, or for loss of wages or income, incurred by the person as a direct result of the crime. Because this bill would expand the scope and penalties of existing crimes, it would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law provides for the compensation of victims and derivative victims of certain crimes by the California Victim Compensation Board from the Restitution Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, for specified losses suffered as a result of those crimes. Existing law authorizes the person with a disability in either of the above crimes to apply for compensation by the board in an amount not to exceed $10,000. By expanding the authorization for the use of moneys in the continuously appropriated Restitution Fund, this bill would make an appropriation. 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 state law defines and regulates consumer credit reports and authorizes a consumer to place a security freeze on his or her credit report by making a request in writing by mail to a consumer credit reporting agency. Existing state law requires a consumer credit reporting agency to place the security freeze on the consumer's credit report no later than 3 business days after receiving the consumer's request. This bill would require a consumer credit reporting agency to place a security freeze for a protected consumer, defined as an individual who is under 16 years of age at the time a request for the placement of a security freeze is made, an incapacitated person or a protected individual for whom a guardian or conservator has been appointed, or a person under the jurisdiction of a county welfare department or county probation department who has been placed in a foster care setting and is under 16 years of age at the time a request for a security freeze is made, upon that consumer's representative's request and compliance with certain requirements. The bill would require a consumer credit reporting agency to send written confirmation of the security freeze to the address on file within 10 days of the placement of the security freeze.