Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature that the state should encourage the use of multiple technologies in distance learning education, and that the state should recognize the value of regional networks serving regional needs and the value of a statewide network. This bill would establish the Digital Education Equity Program (DEEP) , to be administered by the department as a grant program for the purposes of, among other things, supporting the planned implementation of educational technology services by all county offices of education and providing technical assistance and teacher professional development to school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools on the implementation of educational technology as set forth in policies of the State Board of Education. The bill would require the department, in administering the DEEP, to provide program guidelines and funding to more effectively address locally determined educational needs with the use of technology, as provided. The bill would require the department, on or before January 31, 2024, and in consultation with the executive director of the state board, to authorize grants of up to 3 years in duration, and eligible for renewal, to fund all county offices of education that develop educational technology plans, as provided. The bill would require the department to establish minimum grant amounts and award additional grant funding above the minimum based on the number of pupils served in the county, pupil demographics, including the number of unduplicated pupils, and the contents of the educational technology plans, as provided. The bill would require the department to establish an Office of Educational Technology and Digital Equity with sufficient staff to administer the provisions of the bill. The bill would specify the duties of the department in administering the DEEP, as provided. The bill would authorize the Superintendent to provide centralized statewide educational technology services that address locally defined needs, as specified. The bill would also require the Superintendent to submit an annual written report to the state board and the Legislature on the services provided, persons served, and funds expended for purposes of the bill, as provided. This bill would make the implementation of its provisions contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
Sponsored bills
Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to administer a statewide program for prenatal testing for genetic disorders and birth defects, including, but not limited to, ultrasound, amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling, and blood testing. Existing law requires the department to expand prenatal screening to include all tests that meet or exceed the current standard of care as recommended by nationally recognized medical or genetic organizations. Existing law requires a clinical laboratory performing laboratory tests or examinations classified as moderate or high complexity under the federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) to obtain a clinical laboratory license from the department. Existing law generally exempts specified clinical laboratories from rules and regulations of the department, including clinical laboratories owned and operated by the United States and certified under CLIA. Under existing regulations, a certificate of accreditation issued by the United States Department of Health and Human Services is considered a state license or registration issued by the department, as specified. Existing law requires a city or county public health laboratory, as specified, to be approved by the department and to comply with the requirements of CLIA. This bill would prohibit the department, by way of rule, regulation, contract, or any other manner, from preventing a laboratory with both a CLIA certificate of accreditation and a current state clinical or public health laboratory license from offering noninvasive prenatal tests to pregnant persons who have an order from a prenatal care provider, as defined, and have opted out of the California Prenatal Screening Program or have chosen to have testing done in addition to the genetic tests offered as part of the California Prenatal Screening Program. The bill would also prohibit the department from limiting the number of noninvasive prenatal tests that the laboratory may provide.
Existing law creates the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, as a local area planning agency and not as a part of the executive branch of the state government, to provide comprehensive regional transportation planning for the region comprised of the City and County of San Francisco and the Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma. This bill would require the commission to develop and adopt a Connected Network Plan, develop a comprehensive, standardized regional transit mapping and wayfinding system, develop an implementation and maintenance strategy and funding plan, and establish open data standards, as specified. The bill would require the region's transit agencies, as defined, to comply with those established regional transit mapping and wayfinding system, implementation and maintenance strategy and funding plan, and open data standards, as provided. This bill would require the transit agencies in the region to establish a regional transit coordinating council and would require the council to, among other things, develop and adopt an integrated transit fare structure. The bill would require the council to submit the integrated transit fare structure to the commission for approval and, after approval, would require each transit agency in the region to present the structure to its board for consideration. Under existing law, moneys in the Public Transportation Account are continuously appropriated to the Controller for allocation to transportation planning agencies, county transportation commissions, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board for purposes of the State Transit Assistance Program. Existing law requires the Controller to allocate those moneys to those entities based on population and qualifying revenue, as specified. This bill would require the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to notify a transit agency if the commission determines that the transit agency is out of compliance with the integrated transit fare structure, regional transit mapping and wayfinding system, implementation and maintenance strategy and funding plan, or open data standards described above, and would require the commission to indicate what steps are needed to comply. If a transit agency does not comply with the compliance parameters set by the commission or if the commission rejects the transit agency's request for additional funding or for an exemption, the bill would make that transit agency ineligible to receive a portion of those moneys in an amount to be determined by the commission. The bill would require a transit agency to regain access to any withheld funds upon demonstration of compliance. To the extent that this bill would mandate that a transit agency establish a new program or provide a higher level of service as part of an existing program, and by imposing additional duties on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the 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, 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 the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing federal law establishes the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) to provide aid to childcare institutions and family or group daycare homes for the provision of nutritious foods that contribute to the wellness, healthy growth, and development of young children. Existing law, the California Child Day Care Facilities Act, administered by the State Department of Social Services, provides for the licensure and regulation of child daycare facilities, as defined. Existing law requires childhood nutrition training for certain licensees, and requires that training to include information about reimbursement rates for the CACFP. Existing law generally prohibits a person, firm, partnership, association, or corporation from operating, establishing, managing, conducting, or maintaining a child daycare facility in this state without a current valid license. Existing law requires the department to establish and continuously update a trustline registry of persons who provide childcare and who are not required to be licensed. Under existing law, a provider who is registered pursuant to these provisions is known as a Trustline provider. Existing law, the Early Education Act, requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to, among other things, provide an inclusive and cost-effective preschool program, and declares the policy of the state that no child shall be hungry while in attendance in a preschool facility and that preschool programs have an obligation to provide for the nutritional needs of children in attendance. Existing law requires a school district or county superintendent of schools maintaining a kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to provide a needy pupil with one nutritionally adequate free or reduced-price meal during each schoolday, and two school meals free of charge during each schoolday to any pupil who requests a meal without consideration of the pupil's eligibility for a federally funded free or reduced-price meal, and sets the reimbursement rate for meals served by family daycare homes at 75 percent of the meals served. This bill would, subject to an appropriation for these purposes, require the department to provide funding for (1) a supplemental state meal reimbursement for preschool facilities, child daycare facilities, and Trustline providers for up to 2 daily meals per child served through the CACFP at a rate equivalent to the state meal reimbursement for local educational agencies; (2) reimbursement of up to 2 daily meals per child served through the CACFP at a specified rate in order to establish a free meal program for all children receiving care from those facilities and providers; and (3) grants to those facilities and providers, and sponsors of the CACFP, to encourage their participation in and expansion of the CACFP. This bill would also increase the reimbursement rate for meals served in family daycare homes to 100 percent of the meals served.
Existing law establishes the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) to make specified criminal justice databases, including individual criminal histories, wanted and missing persons, and stolen firearms, vehicles, and property, available to participating law enforcement agencies. Existing law prohibits unauthorized access to CLETS and the unlawful use of CLETS information by authorized users. Existing law authorizes the Attorney General to adopt policies, procedures, and practices related to the use of CLETS. These rules require a participating agency to restrict access to CLETS and define "access" as the ability to see or hear any information obtained from CLETS. This bill would require a law enforcement agency, including the California Highway Patrol, municipal police departments, county sheriff's departments, specified local law enforcement agencies, and specified university and college police departments, to, by no later than January 1, 2024, ensure public access to the radio communications of that agency, as specified. This bill would also require those law enforcement agencies to ensure that any criminal justice information or personally identifiable information obtained through CLETS is not broadcast in a manner that is accessible to the public, as specified. 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 the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to undertake various actions in furtherance of meeting the state's clean energy and pollution reduction objectives. Existing law requires the commission to provide for research and development in, among other things, improvements in energy generation, transmission, and siting and other topics related to energy supply, demand, public safety, ecology, and conservation that are of particular statewide importance. Existing law requires the commission to carry out studies, technical assessments, research projects, and data collection directed to reducing wasteful, inefficient, unnecessary, or uneconomic uses of energy, including advances in power generation and transmission technology. This bill would require the commission, on or before January 1, 2024, to submit to the Governor and the Legislature a study identifying proposals to accelerate the development of, and reduce the cost to ratepayers of expanding, the state's electrical transmission grid as necessary to achieve the state's goals, and meet the state's requirements, to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases, as specified.
Existing law establishes the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in the Natural Resources Agency to provide fire protection and prevention services, as specified. This bill would require the department to maintain a standard minimum level of staffing for each of its engines, as specified, without the regular practice of forcing overtime on its personnel. The bill would require the department to increase its existing firefighter fuel crews, as specified. The bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2024, to provide to the Legislature a long-term staffing plan to meet the new era of wildfire firefighting.
Existing law prescribes various civil causes of action and the measure of damages for those actions. Existing law requires any person who purchases or receives a firearm, as specified, to possess a firearm safety certificate. Existing law requires the Department of Justice to develop a written test required for the issuance of a firearm safety certificate. Existing law makes the violation of specified requirements with regard to firearms a misdemeanor or a felony, as specified. This bill would, commencing on January 1, 2024, make a person who owns a firearm strictly civilly liable for each incidence of property damage, bodily injury, or death resulting from the use of their firearm. This bill would provide that strict liability does not apply if the owner of the firearm has reported their firearm to local law enforcement as lost or stolen prior to the damage, injury, or death. The bill would additionally require a person who owns a firearm to obtain and continuously maintain in full force and effect a homeowner's, renter's, or gun liability insurance policy specifically covering losses or damages resulting from any negligent or accidental use of that firearm, including, but not limited to, death, injury, or property damage. This bill would require a person to keep written evidence of coverage in the place where a firearm is stored. By creating new requirements for firearm owners, violations of which would be punishable as misdemeanors, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also require the Insurance Commissioner to develop a standardized form of evidence of liability coverage. 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 provides that, with certain exceptions, any person who, within this state, manufactures or causes to be manufactured, distributes, transports, or imports into the state, keeps for sale, or offers or exposes for sale, or who gives or lends any assault weapon or any .50 BMG rifle, as defined, is guilty of a felony. Existing law also provides that, subject to certain exceptions, a person, corporation, or dealer who sells, supplies, delivers, or gives possession of a firearm precursor part, as defined, is guilty of a crime. This bill would create a private right of action for any person against any person who, within this state, (1) manufactures or causes to be manufactured, distributes, transports, or imports into the state, or causes to be distributed or transported or imported into the state, keeps for sale or offers or exposes for sale, or gives or lends any firearm lacking a serial number required by law, assault weapon, or .50 BMG rifle; (2) purchases, sells, offers to sell, or transfers ownership of any firearm precursor part that is not a federally regulated firearm precursor part; or (3) is a licensed firearms dealer and sells, supplies, delivers, or gives possession or control of a firearm to any person under 21 years of age, all subject to certain exceptions, as specified. The bill would make these provisions inoperative upon invalidation of a specified law in Texas, and would repeal its provisions on January 1 of the following year. This bill would also state that all statutes regulating or prohibiting firearms shall not be construed to repeal any other statute regulating or prohibiting firearms, in whole or in part, unless the statute specifically states that it is repealing another statute. The bill would state that every statute that regulates or prohibits firearms is severable in each application to any particular person or circumstance and that any statute found to be unconstitutional by a court shall remain enforceable as to any application that would not be unconstitutional.
Existing law generally regulates the transfer and possession of firearms. Existing law also provides for various private rights of action. Existing law also provides that specified unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices are unlawful. Existing law also makes false advertising unlawful. This bill, beginning on July 1, 2023, would establish a firearm industry standard of conduct, which would require a firearm industry member, as defined, to establish, implement, and enforce reasonable controls, as defined, take reasonable precautions to ensure that the member does not sell, distribute, or provide a firearm-related product, as defined, to a downstream distributor or retailer of firearm-related products who fails to establish, implement, and enforce reasonable controls, and adhere to specified laws pertaining to unfair methods of competition, unfair or deceptive acts or practices, and false advertising. The bill would also prohibit a firearm industry member from manufacturing, marketing, importing, offering for wholesale sale, or offering for retail sale a firearm-related product that is abnormally dangerous and likely to create an unreasonable risk of harm to public health and safety in California, as specified. This bill would also authorize a person who has suffered harm in California, the Attorney General, or city or county attorneys to bring a civil action against a firearm industry member for an act or omission in violation of the firearm industry standard of conduct, as specified. The bill would authorize a court that determines that a firearm industry member has engaged in the prohibited conduct to award various relief, including injunctive relief, damages, and attorney's fees and costs.