Existing provisions of the California Constitution require the Governor to submit to the Legislature a budget for the ensuing fiscal year within the first 10 days of each calendar year and prohibit the Legislature from sending to the Governor for consideration a Budget Bill that would appropriate from the General Fund a total amount that exceeds General Fund revenues for that fiscal year estimated as of the date of the Budget Bill's passage. This measure would require the Director of Finance to submit estimates of General Fund revenues and expenditures for the ensuing fiscal year and the 3 fiscal years thereafter within 10 days following the submission of a budget by the Governor, following the submission of proposed adjustments to the Governor's Budget, as required by statute, and following the enactment of the Budget Bill. Existing provisions of the California Constitution require the Legislature to establish a prudent state reserve fund in an amount the Legislature deems reasonable and necessary. Existing provisions of the California Constitution, approved by the electors on March 2, 2004, additionally establish the Budget Stabilization Account in the General Fund and require the Controller, commencing no later than September 30, 2006, and for each fiscal year thereafter, to transfer from the General Fund to the account a specified percentage of estimated General Fund revenues. Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution (Proposition 98) sets forth a formula for computing the minimum amount of General Fund revenues that the state is required to appropriate for the support of school districts, as defined, and community college districts for each fiscal year. This measure would establish a replacement version of the Budget Stabilization Account, and would require the Controller, commencing with the 2015–16 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, to transfer from the General Fund to the account 1.5% of the estimated amount of General Fund revenues for that fiscal year. Commencing with the 2015–16 fiscal year, this measure would also require the Controller to annually transfer from the General Fund to the account amounts determined pursuant to specified formulae, consisting of General Fund proceeds of taxes derived from personal income taxes paid on net capital gains that exceed a designated level, based on estimates provided in the Budget Act. This measure, for the 2015–16 fiscal year through the 2029–30 fiscal year, would require the Legislature to appropriate 50% of these total amounts for one or more designated fiscal obligations of the state, including accrued school funding obligations, repayment of budgetary loans, payment of accrued claims for mandate costs, and payment of unfunded pension liabilities and prefunding of other postemployment benefits. For the 2030–31 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, this measure would instead authorize the Legislature to appropriate up to 50% of these total amounts for one or more of these designated fiscal obligations of the state. This measure would require the Department of Finance, commencing with the 2015–16 fiscal year, to annually report to the Legislature certain fiscal information necessary to calculate the amount of the transfer from the General Fund to the Budget Stabilization Account for that fiscal year, and would require certain of these estimates to be included in the annual Budget Act. Commencing with the 2017–18 fiscal year, the measure would require the department to provide updated estimates for each of the 2 preceding fiscal years, calculated separately, for the purpose of determining the maximum allowable transfer from the General Fund to the Budget Stabilization Account for each of these fiscal years. This measure would prohibit the balance in the Budget Stabilization Account from exceeding 10% of estimated General Fund proceeds of taxes. It also would limit the use of funds, that otherwise would be transferred to the account, to appropriation for the funding of infrastructure, as defined in a specified statute, including deferred maintenance. This measure would establish the Public School System Stabilization Account, to provide a reserve for public school funding. Commencing with the 2015–16 fiscal year and pursuant to specified calculations, the Controller would transfer certain moneys from the General Fund into the Public School System Stabilization Account, for subsequent allocation to school districts and community college districts in fiscal years for which the minimum state funding obligation under Proposition 98 falls below specified levels. The measure would prohibit the transfer of moneys into the Public School System Stabilization Account for a fiscal year for which a maintenance factor is created under Proposition 98 or before a previously determined maintenance factor has been fully reimbursed. The measure would also prohibit the transfer of funds into the account in a fiscal year in which provisions of Proposition 98 have been suspended. The funds transferred into the Public School System Stabilization Account under the measure in a fiscal year would be counted toward the state's annual funding obligation for that fiscal year under Proposition 98, rather than in a fiscal year in which those funds are allocated. The measure would authorize the Controller to utilize funds in the account, that he or she determines to be unnecessary to meet foreseeable obligations, to help manage General Fund daily cash flow needs if that use does not interfere with the purpose of the account. Existing provisions of the California Constitution authorize the Governor to issue a proclamation declaring an emergency in specified circumstances. This measure would authorize the Legislature, upon the Governor's proclamation declaring a budget emergency, as described, to enact a statute that returns funds from the Budget Stabilization Account to the General Fund for appropriation to address the budget emergency, appropriates funds in the Public School System Stabilization Account for the support of school districts and community college districts, or suspends or reduces the transfer of funds from the General Fund to the Budget Stabilization Account or the Public School System Stabilization Account. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to submit ACA 4 of the 2009–10 Regular Session, a proposed legislative constitutional amendment relating to state finance, to the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election. This bill would direct the Secretary of State to withdraw ACA 4 from the ballot.
Sponsored bills
This measure would proclaim April 2014 as the "California Wines: Down to Earth" month, to celebrate the sustainable leadership of California wineries and winegrape growers.
This measure would proclaim the Legislature's support for the extension of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program and would memorialize the United States Congress to promptly renew the extension of unemployment benefits.
This measure would recognize the week of March 23, 2014, to March 29, 2014, inclusive, as National Agriculture Week, and would designate March 19, 2014, as California Agriculture Day.
Until January 1, 2014, the provisions of the Horse Racing Law required a thoroughbred racing association and fair that conducts a racing meeting to deduct a percentage of the total amount handled in exotic parimutuel pools of thoroughbred racing, to be distributed to a specified organization for the purpose of defraying the costs of workers' compensation insurance in connection with thoroughbred horse racing. Until January 1, 2014, provisions of the Horse Racing Law authorized similar deductions from the total amount handled for races for quarter horses and other breeds, and for harness races, to be distributed to specified organizations for defraying workers' compensation insurance costs for trainers and owners in connection with those races. This bill would reestablish those provisions requiring the deduction specified above to be made by a thoroughbred racing association, and would reestablish those provisions authorizing the deductions to be made for races for quarter horses and other breeds, and for harness races. Because a violation of the Horse Racing Law is generally a misdemeanor, the bill would create new crimes, thereby imposing 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law specifies the time period within which various proceedings may be commenced under provisions of law relating to workers' compensation. With certain exceptions, a proceeding to collect death benefits is required to be commenced within one year from the date of death or, in some cases, from the last furnishing of benefits. However, no proceedings may be commenced more than 240 weeks from the date of injury. This bill would provide that certain proceedings related to the collection of death benefits of firefighters and peace officers may be commenced within, but no later than, 480 weeks from the date of injury and in no event more than one year after the date of death if all of the specified criteria are met, including, but not limited to, that the employee's death is the result of a specified injury.
(1) Existing law authorizes, until January 1, 2015, the Attorney General, or other specified prosecuting officers at the Department of Justice, or a district attorney, to apply for, and a judge to enter, an ex parte order authorizing interception of wire or electronic communications under certain circumstances. Existing law authorizes a judge to enter an order authorizing the interception of communications initially intercepted within the territorial jurisdiction of the court in which the judge is sitting, if the judge determines that, among other things, there is probable cause to believe that an individual is committing, has committed, or is about to commit one of specified felony offenses, including murder and the illegal possession or sale of controlled substances. Existing law proscribes the crime of human trafficking, as defined to include, among other prohibited acts, depriving or violating the personal liberty of another with the intent to obtain forced labor or services or to effect or maintain a specified criminal offense, or inducing or persuading a minor to engage in a commercial sex act. This bill would expand the provisions described above authorizing interception of wire or electronic communications to apply if a judge determines that, among other things, there is probable cause to believe that an individual is committing, has committed, or is about to commit a violation of the provision described above proscribing human trafficking. (2) Existing law specifies obligations for parties applying for and carrying out orders to intercept communications pursuant to the provision described above, and makes a violation of these provisions a misdemeanor or felony. This bill would broaden the types of communications to which these crimes would apply. By creating new crimes, 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.