Sen. Josh Becker

This measure would proclaim March 11, 2024, as Special Olympics Day in California.

This measure would proclaim the month of September 2024 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Under existing law, there are programs providing assistance for, among other things, emergency housing, multifamily housing, farmworker housing, home ownership for very low and low-income households, and downpayment assistance for first-time home buyers. Existing law also authorizes the issuance of bonds in specified amounts pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law and requires that proceeds from the sale of these bonds be used to finance various existing housing programs, capital outlay related to infill development, brownfield cleanup that promotes infill development, and housing-related parks. This bill would enact the Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2024, which, if adopted, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $10,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law. Proceeds from the sale of these bonds would be used to finance programs to fund affordable rental housing and homeownership programs, including, among others, the Multifamily Housing Program, the CalHome Program, and the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program. This bill would provide for submission of the bond act to the voters at the March 5, 2024, statewide general election in accordance with specified law. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

This measure would declare the month of September 2023 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

This measure would declare the month of September 2023 as California Emergency Preparedness Month.

This measure would recognize the month of January 2024 as National Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue "Have a Heart, Be a Star, Help Our Kids" special license plates and imposes additional fees, as specified, for their issuance, renewal, replacement, and transfer. Existing law requires that those additional fees be deposited in the Child Health and Safety Fund, less specified amounts. Existing law requires that 50% of the funds derived from the "Have a Heart, Be a Star, Help Our Kids" license plates be available, upon appropriation, to the State Department of Social Services for administering various provisions related to childcare licensing, as specified. Existing law requires that, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the balance be available, as described, for programs that address other categories of potential childhood injury, as specified. Existing law requires counties to create local childcare and development planning councils to identify and address childcare needs, among others. Existing law also creates the California Children and Families Commission to promote, support, and improve early childhood development. Existing law provides for funding to county commissions that develop, adopt, promote, and implement local early childhood development programs consistent with specified goals and objectives. This bill would increase the fees for the initial issuance and renewal of the "Have a Heart, Be a Star, Help Our Kids" license plates. The bill would continuously appropriate 50% of the fees collected on or after January 1, 2024, to local childcare and development planning councils, as described, for specified purposes, including recruitment and training of new childcare providers. The bill would require a portion of the funds to be allocated to the agency having oversight of new and continuing childcare provider health and safety education and training program curriculum for specified purposes. Of the fees collected on or after January 1, 2024, the bill would also continuously appropriate 5% to the State Department of Public Health in support of the department's injury prevention branch addressing childhood injury prevention and 20% to county commissions, as specified, that elect to receive funding and would limit the spending of those funds for certain purposes, including administering the California Unintentional Injury Prevention Strategic Plan Project. The bill would require that no more than 10% of the funds allocated to the commissions be allocated to the nonprofit organization that provides administrative and staff support to the California Unintentional Injury Prevention Strategic Plan Project and would require the nonprofit organization to support statewide networking of unintentional injury coalitions and support evidence-based technical assistance and training for childhood unintentional injury prevention programs to the county commissions.

Existing law generally authorizes the general manager of a park or open-space district, with district board approval, to bind the district, in accordance with board policy, and without advertising, for the payment for supplies, materials, labor, or other valuable consideration for any purpose in amounts not exceeding $50,000. Existing law authorizes the district, by action of the board in an open meeting, to increase the amount by which the general manager of the district may bind the district above that limit. This bill would increase the amount by which the general manager of a district with a population of 200,000 or more may bind the district to not exceeding $200,000, as provided. The bill would authorize a park or open-space district with a population of 200,000 or more, by action of the board in an open meeting, to increase the amount by which the general manager of the district may bind the district above that limit, as specified.

Existing law provides that the Department of Transportation has full possession and control of state highways and associated property. Existing law provides for the department to dispose of property that is no longer needed for highway purposes on terms, standards, and conditions established by the California Transportation Commission. Section 10 of Article XIX of the California Constitution authorizes the Legislature, by statute, with respect to surplus state property located in the coastal zone and acquired with revenues restricted by Article XIX to transportation purposes, to authorize the transfer of that property to the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Wildlife Conservation Board, or the State Coastal Conservancy for specified purposes for a consideration at least equal to the property's purchase price. This bill would require the department to sell and transfer certain surplus state property it owns in the City of Pacifica to the Department of Parks and Recreation for state park purposes. The bill would make various findings and declarations in that regard. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the surplus state property in the City of Pacifica.