(1) Existing law, the Contractors' State License Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of contractors by the Contractors' State License Board. Existing law also provides for the registration and regulation of home improvement salespersons by the board. Existing law requires the board to appoint a registrar of contractors who is the executive officer and secretary of the board and is responsible for carrying out specified administrative duties. If, upon investigation, the registrar has probable cause to believe that a licensee or an applicant for a license under existing law has committed any acts or omissions that are grounds for denial, revocation, or suspension of license, he or she, in lieu of a specified proceeding, may issue a citation to the licensee or applicant. This bill would authorize the registrar to issue a written and detailed letter of admonishment to an applicant, licensee, or registrant instead of issuing a citation if, upon investigation, the registrar has probable cause to believe that a licensee, registrant, or applicant has committed acts or omissions that are grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation of a license or registration. The bill would require the letter to inform the applicant, licensee, or registrant that he or she may submit a written request for an office conference to contest the letter of admonishment, subject to specified procedures, including a process to appeal a decision, or comply with the letter, as provided. The bill would prohibit the board from issuing a letter of admonishment when specified factors are present. The bill would authorize the board to adopt regulations to further define the circumstances under which a letter of admonishment may be issued. Existing law requires the registrar to make available to members of the public the date, nature, and status of all complaints on file against a licensee that meet specific qualifications. Under existing law, complaints resolved in favor of the contractor are not subject to disclosure. The bill would distinguish a letter of admonishment from a complaint resolved in favor of the contractor and would require a letter of admonishment to be disclosed for a year. (2) Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
Sponsored bills
This measure would urge Congress to prevail upon the Department of Defense to realign its criteria for the safe harbor provision in order to avoid the requirement of a social security number.
This measure would urge state and federal departments and agencies responsible for the stewardship of public resources, as specified, to make collaborative, statewide salmon fishery restoration an urgent and high priority. The measure would also urge the federal government to undertake all appropriate measures to provide necessary disaster relief for California salmon fisheries for 2016 and 2017.
This measure would designate the month of September 2017 as Opioid, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month, as specified.
(1) The California Constitution requires that a county charter provide for a governing body of 5 or more members, elected by district, at large, or at large with a requirement that they reside in a district, and provide for the compensation, terms, and removal of members of the governing body. Existing law also requires a general law county to have a board of supervisors consisting of 5 members, and requires, except as provided, each member of the board of supervisors to be elected by the district which the member represents. This measure would, commencing January 1, 2022, in a county that is found at a decennial United States census, beginning with the 2020 United States census, to have a population of more than 5,000,000, require, and deem any applicable law, including a county charter, to require, a governing body consisting of the greater of either 5 members or a sufficient number of members so as to ensure that each member represents a district containing a population equivalent to no more than 2 districts in the United States House of Representatives. The measure would require that the members of the governing body serve for a term of 4 years and limit election to the governing body to no more than 3 terms. The measure would also provide that, in such a county, the expenditures for the governing body and its staff may not exceed, for any subsequent fiscal year after the release of the census finding that the county has a population of more than 5,000,000, the amount that was allocated for the expenses of the governing body and its staff in the county's adopted budget for the fiscal year in which that same census was conducted, unless adjusted as provided. (2) The California Constitution additionally requires that a county charter provide for an elected sheriff, an elected district attorney, an elected assessor, and other officers. This measure would require a county that is found at a decennial United States census, beginning with the 2020 United States census, to have a population of more than 5,000,000, to have an elected county executive. The measure would provide for the election of the county executive to a term of 6 years at a general election, and would limit election to that office to no more than 2 terms. The measure would require the county executive to appoint, supervise, and dismiss any appointed department head, and to appoint the members of county commissions, subject to confirmation by the governing body of the county. The measure would additionally require the county executive to develop and submit the county budget to the governing body, for approval or amendment by that body, and to approve, with or without line-item vetoes, the budget as transmitted back by the governing body. (3) The California Constitution provides that charter counties are subject to statutes that relate to apportioning population of governing body districts. This measure would recast this provision to provide that charter counties are subject to federal, state, and local laws that relate to apportioning population of governing body districts. (4) This measure would also make other technical, nonsubstantive changes. (5) This measure would declare that its provisions are severable.
The California Constitution prohibits the ad valorem tax rate on real property from exceeding 1% of the full cash value of the property, subject to certain exceptions that include a tax rate to service bonded indebtedness incurred by a school district, community college district, or county office of education for school facilities and approved by 55% of the voters of the district or county voting on the proposition at an election. This measure would create an additional exception to the 1% limit for a rate imposed by a city, county, city and county, or special district to service bonded indebtedness incurred to fund public library facilities, that is approved by 55% of the voters of the city, county, city and county, or special district, as applicable, if the proposition meets specified requirements. The California Constitution prohibits specified local government agencies from incurring any indebtedness exceeding in any year the income and revenue provided in that year, without the assent of 23 of the voters and subject to other conditions. In the case of a school district, community college district, or county office of education, the California Constitution permits a proposition for the incurrence of indebtedness in the form of general obligation bonds for the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or replacement of school facilities, including the furnishing and equipping of school facilities, or the acquisition or lease of real property for school facilities, to be adopted upon the approval of 55% of the voters of the district or county, as appropriate, voting on the proposition at an election. This measure would similarly lower to 55% the voter-approval threshold for a city, county, or city and county to incur bonded indebtedness, exceeding in any year the income and revenue provided in that year, that is in the form of general obligation bonds issued to fund public libraries.
Existing law makes it an infraction to drink any alcoholic beverage while driving a motor vehicle upon any highway or on other specified lands. Existing law also prohibits a driver or passenger from drinking any alcoholic beverage while in a motor vehicle upon a highway, and makes a violation of this provision punishable as an infraction. This bill would instead make drinking an alcoholic beverage or smoking or ingesting marijuana or any marijuana product while driving, or while riding as a passenger in, a motor vehicle being driven upon a highway or upon specified lands punishable as an infraction. By expanding the scope of 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.
Existing law requires a driver facing a steady circular red signal alone to stop at a marked limit line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection, and to remain stopped until an indication to proceed is shown, except as specified. A violation of this provision is an infraction punishable by a fine of $100. This bill would recast those provisions, and instead would make a violation of that requirement for a right turn, or a left turn from a one-way street onto a one-way street, punishable by a fine of $35. The bill would make additional conforming changes. The bill would also make a statement of legislative findings and declarations.
Existing law, until July 1, 2023, authorizes the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, in consultation with the California State University and the University of California, to establish a statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program. Existing law requires a district baccalaureate degree pilot program to commence by the beginning of the 2017–18 academic year and requires a student participating in a baccalaureate degree pilot program to complete his or her degree by the end of the 2022–23 academic year. This bill would extend the operation of the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program until July 1, 2028, and would extend the time by which a student participating in a baccalaureate degree pilot program is required to complete his or her degree to the end of the 2027–28 academic year.
Under existing law, a city or county is empowered to perform duties including providing for public safety and law enforcement. A city or county is authorized, either directly or indirectly, to prescribe policies and regulations for law enforcement agencies under its jurisdiction. This bill would, beginning July 1, 2018, require each law enforcement agency, as defined, to submit to its governing body at a regularly scheduled hearing, open to the public, a proposed Surveillance Use Policy for the use of each type of surveillance technology and the information collected, as specified. The bill would require the law enforcement agency to cease using the surveillance technology within 30 days if the proposed plan is not adopted. The bill would require the law enforcement agency to submit an amendment to the surveillance plan, pursuant to the same open meeting requirements, for each new type of surveillance technology sought to be used. The bill would require the policy and any amendments to be posted on the agency's Internet Web site. The bill would also require the agency to make specified reports, at approved intervals, concerning the use of surveillance technology, and to make those reports available on the agency's Internet Web site. The bill would prohibit a law enforcement agency from selling, sharing, or transferring information gathered by surveillance technology, except to another law enforcement agency, as permitted by law and the terms of the Surveillance Use Policy. The bill would provide that any person could bring an action for injunctive relief to prevent a violation of these provisions and, if successful, could recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs. The bill would require an agency to discipline an employee who knowingly or intentionally uses surveillance technology in violation of these provisions, as specified. The bill would authorize an agency to temporarily use surveillance technology during exigent circumstances, as specified, without meeting the requirements of these provisions, provided that, among other things, the agency submits a specified report to its governing body within 45 days of the end of the exigent circumstances, except as specified. The bill would establish separate procedures for a sheriff's department or a district attorney to establish their own Surveillance Use Policies, instead of submitting them through their governing body. The procedures would include holding a noticed public hearing on the proposed policy, posting the policy on the department's Internet Web site, amending the policy to include new types of surveillance technology, and publishing a biennial report regarding the department's use of surveillance technology, as specified. The bill would also establish procedures for the Department of the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Justice to establish their own Surveillance Use Policies. The bill would, among other things, require that these agencies ensure that the collection, use, maintenance, sharing, and dissemination of information or data collected with surveillance technology is consistent with respect for individual privacy and civil liberties, and that the policy be publicly available on the agency's Internet Web site. The bill would also require that if these agencies intend to acquire surveillance technology, they provide 90 days advance notice on the agency's Internet Web site, as specified. The bill would make legislative findings in support of these provisions. Because this bill would impose additional requirements on local public agencies, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires local agencies, for the purpose of ensuring public access to the meetings of public bodies and the writings of public officials and agencies, to comply with a statutory enactment that amends or enacts laws relating to public records or open meetings and contains findings demonstrating that the enactment furthers the constitutional requirements relating to this purpose. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. 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, with regard to certain mandates, no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.