(1) Existing law, the Donahoe Higher Education Act, sets forth, among other things, the missions and functions of California's public and independent segments of higher education, and their respective institutions of higher education. Under existing law, the segments of the public higher education system in the state include the University of California, which is administered by the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, which is administered by the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, which is administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Provisions of the Donahoe Higher Education Act apply to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by appropriate resolution, act to make a provision applicable. An existing provision of the act prohibits any campus of the University of California, the California State University, or the California Community Colleges from charging any mandatory systemwide tuition or fees, including enrollment fees, registration fees, differential fees, or incidental fees, to prescribed categories of children and other dependents of veterans of the United States military or members of the California National Guard who have been killed in service, or who have died of a service-connected disability. Other provisions waive these fees for undergraduate students who are recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor or the children of recipients of that medal who meet prescribed requirements. Additional provisions waive the community college enrollment fees of specified dependents of members of the California National Guard who are killed in the line of duty or died of a disability resulting from an event that occurred while in the active service of the state, or are permanently disabled as a result of such an event. This bill would enact the Golden State GI Bill of Rights for Higher Education, also known as the Cal GI Bill of Rights. The bill would prohibit any campus of the University of California, the California State University, or the California Community Colleges from charging any mandatory systemwide tuition or fees, including enrollment fees, registration fees, differential fees, or incidental fees, to a California resident, as defined, who is an undergraduate student or a graduate student seeking a postbaccalaureate degree, and who, irrespective of income level or need, was a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who enlisted therein while he or she was a California resident and who was honorably discharged from the Armed Forces, or is, or has been, on active duty, as defined, as a member of the California National Guard, the State Military Reserve, or the Naval Militia, and has demonstrated, in a prescribed manner, that he or she has no remaining months of educational benefits for which he or she is eligible under the federal GI Bill. The bill would specify that no person may obtain a waiver of fees for a number of academic semester or equivalent quarters that is longer than the number of semesters or quarters for which he or she previously received educational benefits under the federal GI Bill. The bill would provide that a graduate student who qualifies for a fee waiver under these provisions may use that waiver for studies leading to no more than one postbaccalaureate degree. The bill would provide that these fee waivers would be operative only in those fiscal years in which funds are specifically appropriated for those purposes. The bill would provide that a person who qualifies for a waiver of mandatory systemwide tuition and fees under one or more specified provisions, including this bill and the provisions of existing law discussed above, may choose to apply for a waiver under the provision that provides him or her with the greatest benefit, but may not concurrently receive a waiver under more than one of these provisions. In accordance with existing law, the bill would apply to the University of California only if the regents act, by resolution, to make it applicable. To the extent that the bill would require community college districts to revise their procedures for calculating enrollment fees for students, the bill would constitute a state-mandated local program. The bill would also make various technical and conforming changes. (2) 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.
Sponsored bills
Existing law, the Horse Racing Law, permits the California Horse Racing Board to authorize an association licensed to conduct a racing meeting also to operate a satellite wagering facility at its racetrack inclosure, under specified conditions that differ between the northern zone and the central and southern zones, and provides specific guidelines for the operation and location of these facilities. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.
The Budget Act of 2008 appropriates $136,275,000 for construction of the Condemned Inmate Complex at San Quentin State Prison. A prior appropriation in the Budget Act of 2003 appropriated $220,000,000 for this construction and the balance was reappropriated in the Budget Act of 2008. This bill would eliminate both appropriations and the reappropriation, to the extent these funds have not been expended.
Existing law establishes various award programs under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for the receipt of awards under those programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. This bill, until January 1, 2016, would establish the California National Guard Education Assistance Award Program on behalf of qualifying members of the California National Guard, the State Military Reserve, and the Naval Militia under the administration of the commission. The commission would be required to report annually to the Legislature regarding program participation. The bill would require the Legislative Analyst, on or before January 1, 2014, to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report on the program.
The Personal Income Tax Law authorizes various credits against the taxes imposed by that law. Existing law authorizes a credit against those taxes in an amount equal to the lesser of 5% of the purchase price of a qualified principal residence, as defined, purchased on and after March 1, 2009, and before March 1, 2010, or $10,000, allocated by the Franchise Tax Board on a first-come-first-served basis. Existing law requires a taxpayer to provide the Franchise Tax Board with a certification from the seller of the qualified principal residence that the residence has never been previously occupied within one week of the sale of the residence and caps the total amount of the credit at $100,000,000. This bill would allow the tax credit for purchases of a qualified principal residence made before the date that is 12 months after the effective date of this bill, subject to specified restrictions. This bill would revise the certification requirements to provide that the taxpayer receive the certification no later than one week after the close of escrow on the qualified principal residence and that the Franchise Tax Board be provided with the certification upon request by the board. This bill would also remove the cap on the total credit amount allowed and the requirement that the tax credits be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Existing law establishes the Department of Child Support Services to administer all services and perform all functions necessary to establish, collect, and distribute child support. This bill would require the department to provide any notice form, information, or document, without limitation, that is required or authorized to be given, distributed, or provided to an individual, a customer, or a member of the public to be given, distributed, or provided in a digitized form, and by any means the department determines is feasible, including, but not limited to, e-mail or by means of an Internet Web site, except as specified. This provision would not take effect until the department makes a specified determination.
Existing law establishes a system of state prisons. This bill would establish requirements for the decommissioning and redevelopment of San Quentin State Prison. Decommissioning would be required to be completed not later than December 31, 2014. The bill would authorize the Governor to designate the state prison that would house condemned inmates. The bill would also make conforming and technical, nonsubstantive changes. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, administered by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, is required to reduce, recycle, and reuse solid waste generated in the state to the maximum extent feasible in an efficient cost-effective manner to conserve water, energy, and other natural resources. This bill would abolish the board and transfer all of its authority, duties, powers, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction to the Department of Conservation and the Department of Toxic Substances Control, as described.
Existing law, as amended by Proposition 21, adopted March 7, 2000, and by Proposition 83, adopted November 7, 2006, provides for a list of crimes called "violent felonies" and "serious felonies." Other existing law provides specified enhancements to the punishments of certain repeat, state prison bound offenders with prior violent or serious felony convictions. The initiative statutes provide that any amendment of these provisions by the Legislature shall require a 23 vote of the membership of each house. This bill would add certain felonies to the list of violent felonies, the list of serious felonies, and to both lists, as specified. By expanding the punishments for existing 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.
(1) Existing law requires the Department of General Services to maintain an inventory of real property held by the state, and prescribes the disposition of surplus state property. This bill would require the department to identify not less than $1,000,000,000 worth of state property that can be sold immediately to pay for the retirement of outstanding general obligation bonds issued by the state, thereby helping to close the state's budget deficit. State agencies and departments that would be affected by the sale of land or structures would be required to determine the costs and benefits of leasing back their existing space or finding new space. (2) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.