Existing law requires a city or county to administratively approve applications to install solar energy systems through the issuance of a building permit or similar nondiscretionary permit. Existing law requires every city, county, or city and county, to develop a streamlined permitting process for the installation of small residential rooftop solar energy systems, as that term is defined. Existing law prescribes and limits permit fees that a city or county may charge for a residential and commercial solar energy system. Existing law grants the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, as defined. Decisions of the PUC adopted the California Solar Initiative, which is administered by electrical corporations and subject to the PUC's supervision. Existing law requires the PUC and the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) to undertake certain steps in implementing the California Solar Initiative. A violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. This bill would require every city and county to implement an online, automated permitting platform that verifies code compliance and instantaneously issues permits for a solar energy system that is no larger than 38.4 kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating and an energy storage system paired with a solar energy system that is no larger than 38.4 kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating, as specified. The bill would require a city or county to amend a certain ordinance to authorize a residential solar energy system and an energy storage system to use the online, automated permitting platform. The bill would prescribe a compliance schedule for satisfying these requirements, which would exempt a county with a population of less than 150,000 and all cities within a county with a population of less than 150,000. The bill would require a city with a population of 50,000 or less that is not otherwise exempt to satisfy these requirements by September 30, 2023, while cities and counties with populations greater than 50,000 that are not otherwise exempt would be required to satisfy the requirements by September 30, 2022. The bill would require a city, county, or a fire department, district, or authority to report to the Energy Commission when it is in compliance with specified requirements, in addition to other information. By increasing the duties of local officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would prohibit the provision of specified funding sources to cities and counties not in compliance with certain provisions relating to solar energy systems and fees charged for their installation or if they are not in compliance with provisions of the bill. The bill would require the Energy Commission, upon provision of sufficient funding, to provide technical assistance and grant funding to cities and counties in order to support the above-described requirements. The bill would require the commission to develop grant guidelines and other requirements, as specified, by May 1, 2022, and make applications available no later than July 1, 2022. Because this requirement would expand the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the Energy Commission to set guidelines for cities and counties to report to the commission on the number of permits issued for solar energy systems and an energy storage system paired with a solar energy system and the relevant characteristics of those systems. 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.
Sponsored bills
Under existing law, murder in the first degree is punishable by death, imprisonment in the state prison for life without the possibility of parole, or imprisonment in the state prison for a term of 25 years to life. Existing law provides for various specified special circumstances, including the murder of a peace officer, firefighter, or witness, which, if found true as specified, require a defendant found guilty of murder in the first degree to be sentenced to death or imprisonment for life without the possibility of parole. Existing law authorizes a judge to, in furtherance of justice, order an action to be dismissed. Existing law, added by Proposition 115 of the June 5, 1990, statewide primary election, prohibits a judge from striking or dismissing any special circumstance admitted by plea or found true by a jury or court, as specified. Existing law provides for amendment of these provisions by a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature. This bill would amend Proposition 115 by repealing the provision prohibiting a judge from striking a special circumstance. The bill would also authorize a judge, on the judge's own motion, upon the application of either party, or upon an application of a person who has been incarcerated 15 years or longer, and in the furtherance of justice, to order the dismissal of a special circumstance finding or admission in cases in which the sentence is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and in which the person was 25 years of age or younger at the time of the offense that was the basis of the special circumstance finding or admission, as specified. The bill would require a judge, when exercising this discretion, to consider and put great weight on specified factors. The bill would prohibit the court from striking or dismissing a special circumstance if it would result in a sentence that does not require a determination that the person does not pose an unreasonable risk to public safety by the Board of Parole Hearings prior to release and the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the person would pose an immediate threat to public safety. The bill would require the court, upon dismissal of a special circumstance, to offer the survivor or survivors and surviving family members information about services to address their needs as related to the crime and case process, as specified. This bill would state that its provisions are severable.
Existing federal law, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) , requires each state to establish an American Health Benefit Exchange to facilitate the purchase of qualified health benefit plans by qualified individuals and qualified small employers. PPACA defines a "qualified health plan" as a plan that, among other requirements, provides an essential health benefits package. Existing state law creates the California Health Benefit Exchange, also known as Covered California, to facilitate the enrollment of qualified individuals and qualified small employers in qualified health plans as required under PPACA. Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. This bill, the California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act, would create the California Guaranteed Health Care for All program, or CalCare, to provide comprehensive universal single-payer health care coverage and a health care cost control system for the benefit of all residents of the state. The bill, among other things, would provide that CalCare cover a wide range of medical benefits and other services and would incorporate the health care benefits and standards of other existing federal and state provisions, including the federal Children's Health Insurance Program, Medi-Cal, ancillary health care or social services covered by regional centers for persons with developmental disabilities, Knox-Keene, and the federal Medicare program. The bill would require the board to seek all necessary waivers, approvals, and agreements to allow various existing federal health care payments to be paid to CalCare, which would then assume responsibility for all benefits and services previously paid for with those funds. This bill would create the CalCare Board to govern CalCare, made up of 9 voting members with demonstrated and acknowledged expertise in health care, and appointed as provided, plus the Secretary of California Health and Human Services or their designee as a nonvoting, ex officio member. The bill would provide the board with all the powers and duties necessary to establish CalCare, including determining when individuals may start enrolling into CalCare, employing necessary staff, negotiating pricing for covered pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, establishing a prescription drug formulary, and negotiating and entering into necessary contracts. The bill would require the board, on or before July 1, 2024, to conduct and deliver a fiscal analysis to determine whether or not CalCare may be implemented and whether revenue is more likely than not to pay for program costs, as specified. The bill would require the board to convene a CalCare Public Advisory Committee with specified members to advise the board on all matters of policy for CalCare. The bill would establish an 11-member Advisory Commission on Long-Term Services and Supports to advise the board on matters of policy related to long-term services and supports. This bill would provide for the participation of health care providers in CalCare, including the requirements of a participation agreement between a health care provider and the board, provide for payment for health care items and services, and specify program participation standards. The bill would prohibit a participating provider from discriminating against a person by, among other things, reducing or denying a person's benefits under CalCare because of a specified characteristic, status, or condition of the person. This bill would prohibit a participating provider from billing or entering into a private contract with an individual eligible for CalCare benefits regarding a covered benefit, but would authorize contracting for a health care item or service that is not a covered benefit if specified criteria are met. The bill would authorize health care providers to collectively negotiate fee-for-service rates of payment for health care items and services using a 3rd-party representative, as provided. The bill would require the board to annually determine an institutional provider's global budget, to be used to cover operating expenses related to covered health care items and services for that fiscal year, and would authorize payments under the global budget. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would develop a revenue plan, taking into consideration anticipated federal revenue available for CalCare. The bill would create the CalCare Trust Fund in the State Treasury, as a continuously appropriated fund, consisting of any federal and state moneys received for the purposes of the act. Because the bill would create a continuously appropriated fund, it would make an appropriation. This bill would prohibit specified provisions of this act from becoming operative until the Secretary of California Health and Human Services gives written notice to the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the Assembly that the CalCare Trust Fund has the revenues to fund the costs of implementing the act, the people of California have approved the necessary revenue mechanisms, and the Legislature has approved implementation of the CalCare by statute. The California Health and Human Services Agency would be required to publish a copy of the notice on its internet website. 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.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law requires community college districts to charge students an enrollment fee of $46 per unit per semester. This bill would instead authorize community college districts to charge students an enrollment fee up to $46 per unit per semester. The bill would require the governing board of a community college district that charges a fee rate less than $46 per unit per semester to adopt a policy that establishes eligibility requirements for fee rate modifications, as specified, and a community college district that charges a fee rate less than $46 per unit per semester would not be eligible for state reimbursement for the difference between the fee rate charged and the $46 per unit per semester enrollment fee. Existing law establishes the California College Promise, to be administered by the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. Existing law requires the chancellor to distribute funding, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to community college districts to fund colleges that meet prescribed requirements. Existing law authorizes a community college that receives funding under the program to, among other things, waive some or all of the fees for up to 2 academic years for first-time students who are enrolled in 12 or more semester units or the equivalent at the college and complete and submit either a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or a California Dream Act application. This bill would authorize a community college district to use existing funds for the implementation of the California College Promise, and to provide assistance to students for the total cost of attendance. The bill would define total cost of attendance for a student attending a community college as including all items prescribed in a specified federal statute.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations. Pursuant to existing law, the commission supervises various energy efficiency, renewable energy resource, self-generation, distributed generation, and demand response programs. This bill would require the commission to (1) begin the process, by January 1, 2023, to establish common definitions of nonenergy benefits and attempt to determine consistent values and methodologies for use in assigning priority access to authorized funds by distributed energy resource programs, (2) prioritize the use of authorized funding to support distributed energy resource programs and projects that provide the greatest nonenergy benefits, particularly for disadvantaged communities, and (3) track the demonstrated nonenergy benefits resulting from distributed energy resource programs during program evaluations and make this data available publicly on the commission's internet website. The bill would prohibit the calculation of nonenergy benefits from being used in a manner that results in incremental cost shifting to nonparticipating customers or from being used to determine the cost effectiveness of distribution deferral projects or to estimate the value of avoided costs for use in evaluating distributed energy resource programs.
Existing law, the Community Services District Law, specifies the procedures for district formation and the selection of district governing board members. That law also requires a person to be a voter of the district in order to serve on its board of directors. Existing law, the Uniform District Election Law, provides for landowner voting districts, in which each voter is required to be an owner of land located within the district. Existing law also provides for resident voting districts, which are districts other than landowner voting districts. Under existing law, the Fallen Leaf Lake Community Services District is a resident voting district. This bill would require the El Dorado County elections official, with the assistance of the Fallen Leaf Lake Community Services District, to conduct district elections pursuant to the Uniform District Election Law, except as otherwise provided in the bill. The bill, notwithstanding existing law, would provide that voters who are resident registered voters of the district, and voters who are not residents but either own a real property interest in the district or have been designated by the owner of a real property interest to cast the vote for that property, may vote in a district election in the Fallen Leaf Lake Community Services District, as specified. The bill would require the designations of voters and authority of legal representatives to be filed with the El Dorado County elections official and the secretary of the Fallen Leaf Lake Community Services District and maintained with the list of qualified voters of the district. The bill also would authorize a voter who is not a resident of the district but owns a real property interest in the district to designate only one voter to vote on their behalf, regardless of the number of parcels in the district owned by the nonresident voter. The bill would prohibit a parcel from simultaneously having a designated voter and a resident voter or voters, as specified. The bill would require the El Dorado County elections official, with the assistance of the secretary of the Fallen Leaf Lake Community Services District, to notify each parcel owner regarding the right to designate a person to cast a vote at district elections, as provided. The bill would require the secretary to deliver to the El Dorado County elections official, and update, a preliminary list of eligible voters, as specified. By mandating a higher level of service on local government, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would provide that a person qualified to vote pursuant to these provisions is qualified to be a candidate for, and serve on, the Fallen Leaf Lake Community Services District Board of Directors. The bill would require the election of the Fallen Leaf Lake Community Services District Board of Directors to be held on the last Tuesday of August of odd-numbered years, unless the El Dorado County elections official determines the public interest is best served by holding the election on a different date. Existing law provides penalties for prohibited acts relating to statewide and local elections. This bill would subject violations of its provisions relating to voting and elections to those penal provisions. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law, the Community Services District Law, generally provides for the formation of community service districts that have specified general powers, including, among others, the power to adopt ordinances or enter into and perform contracts, in order to provide specified services authorized under that law. This bill would prohibit the Fallen Leaf Lake Community Services District from providing any services or facilities except fire protection and medical services, including emergency response and services, as well as parks and recreation services and facilities. This bill would make related findings and declarations. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Fallen Leaf Lake Community Services District. 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.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. The California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program requires the PUC to establish a renewables portfolio standard requiring all retail sellers, as defined, to procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources, as defined, so that the total kilowatthours of those products sold to their retail end-use customers achieves 25% of retail sales by December 31, 2016, 33% by December 31, 2020, 44% by December 31, 2024, 52% by December 31, 2027, and 60% by December 31, 2030. The program requires the PUC to establish appropriate 3-year compliance periods for all subsequent years that require retail sellers to procure not less than 60% of retail sales of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources. The program additionally requires each local publicly owned electric utility, as defined, to procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources to achieve the procurement requirements established by the program. The program requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) to establish appropriate multiyear compliance periods for all subsequent years that require the local publicly owned electric utility to procure not less than 60% of retail sales of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources. Existing law establishes as policy of the state that eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources supply 100% of retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers and 100% of electricity procured to serve all state agencies by December 31, 2045. This bill would revise that policy to establish a goal that 100% of electrical load be supplied by eligible clean energy resources, as defined. The bill would establish the California 24/7 Clean Energy Standard Program, which would require that 85% of retail load, as defined, annually and at least 60% of retail load within certain subperiods by December 31, 2030, and 90% of retail load annually and at least 75% of retail load within certain subperiods by December 31, 2035, be supplied by eligible clean energy resources, as defined. The bill would require the Energy Commission, in consultation with the PUC and California balancing authorities, to establish compliance periods and subperiods that meet certain criteria. The bill would require the PUC to establish for each retail seller, and the Energy Commission for each local publicly owned electric utility, clean energy procurement requirements for each compliance period and subperiod, as provided. Because the bill would impose additional duties on local publicly owned electric utilities, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill would be a part of the act and because a violation of an order or decision of the commission implementing its requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime. 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 specified reasons.
The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Act of 2006 requires every retailer, as defined, to have in place a system for the acceptance and collection of used rechargeable batteries for reuse, recycling, or proper disposal. The act requires the system for the acceptance and collection of used rechargeable batteries to include, at a minimum, specified elements, including, among others, the take-back at no cost to the consumer of a used rechargeable battery of the type or brand that the retailer sold or previously sold. The Cell Phone Recycling Act of 2004 prohibits the sale of a cell phone in this state to a consumer unless the retailer of that cell phone has in place a take-back system for the acceptance and collection of used cell phones for reuse, recycling, or proper disposal. This bill would make the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Act of 2006 and the Cell Phone Recycling Act of 2004 inoperative as of June 30, 2025, and would repeal those acts as of January 1, 2026. The bill would enact the Battery and Battery-Embedded Product Recycling and Fire Risk Reduction Act of 2021, which would require producers, as defined, either individually or through the creation of one or more stewardship organizations, to establish a stewardship program for batteries and battery-embedded products. The bill would require a stewardship organization or producer, on or before June 30, 2025, to submit to the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery a stewardship plan for the collection, transportation, and recycling, and the safe and proper management, of batteries or battery-embedded products in the state. The bill would require the plan to include specified elements, including consultation with an advisory body, which the bill would require the department to create, a collection system for batteries and battery-embedded products with a specified minimum distribution of collection sites, and a funding mechanism to provide sufficient funding for implementation of the plan. The bill would provide for review and approval of the stewardship plan by the department and any other state agency with relevant jurisdiction and would require the stewardship organization or producer to fully implement its stewardship program on or before June 30, 2026. The bill would require a stewardship organization or producer to annually be audited and submit a report and budget to the department, as prescribed, and would require a stewardship organization, producer, manufacturer, distributor, retailer, importer, recycler, or collection site to, among other things, provide the department with relevant records necessary to determine compliance with the bill. The bill would require reports and records provided to the department pursuant to the bill to be provided under penalty of perjury, thereby creating a state-mandated local program by expanding the crime of perjury. The bill would restrict public access to certain information collected for the purpose of administering a stewardship program. The bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2026, and each year thereafter, to post on its internet website a list of producers, brands, and batteries and battery-embedded products that are in compliance with the bill. The bill would prohibit a retailer or distributor from selling, distributing, offering for sale, or importing a battery or battery-embedded product in or into the state unless the producer of the battery or battery-embedded product is listed as in compliance on that list for that brand and battery or battery-embedded product, except as specified. The bill would require a stewardship organization or producer to quarterly reimburse the department and any other relevant state agency for their respective reasonable regulatory costs that are directly related to implementing and enforcing the bill in relation to the stewardship organization's or producer's activities. The bill would require the department and each state agency to deposit those moneys into the Battery and Battery-Embedded Product Recycling Fund, which the bill would establish, and would authorize the department and any other relevant state agency to expend those moneys, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to administer and enforce the stewardship program. The bill would provide for enforcement of its provisions, including authorizing the department to impose an administrative civil penalty on a stewardship organization, producer, manufacturer, distributor, retailer, importer, recycler, or collection site in violation of the bill not to exceed $10,000 per day, unless the violation is intentional, knowing, or reckless, then in that case not to exceed $50,000 per day. The bill would require the department to deposit those moneys into the Battery and Battery-Embedded Product Recycling Penalty Account, which the bill would establish in the fund, and would require the department to expend those moneys, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to administer and enforce the stewardship program. The bill would require the department, by January 1, 2024, and in consultation with the Department of Toxic Substances Control, to adopt regulations to implement the bill. 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. 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.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 establishes the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases. The act requires the state board to ensure that statewide greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to at least 40% below the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit, as defined, no later than December 31, 2030. The act requires the state board to adopt rules and regulations in an open public process to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective greenhouse gas emission reductions. The state board is authorized to include market-based compliance mechanisms to comply with the regulations. The implementing regulations adopted by the state board provide for the direct allocation of greenhouse gas allowances to electrical corporations pursuant to a market-based compliance mechanism. Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory authority over electrical corporations. Existing law authorizes the PUC to allocate 15% of the revenues received by the electrical corporations from that allocation of allowances for clean energy and energy efficiency projects established pursuant to statute that are administered by electrical corporations. Existing law requires the PUC to direct the balance of the revenues to be credited directly to the residential, small business, and emissions-intensive trade-exposed retail customers of the electrical corporations, as specified. Beginning with the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2022, and ending with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, except as provided, this bill would require the PUC to annually allocate 5% of the revenues received by the electrical corporations from that allocation of greenhouse gas allowances to the Environmental Justice Community Resilience Hubs Program, which would require each electrical corporation to award those allocated revenues to a single third-party administrator, selected by the commission, that will award competitive grants to owners of critical community institutions, meeting eligibility criteria established by the PUC, for building upgrade projects that demonstrate community engagement in all phases, demonstrate multistakeholder partnerships, reflect the geographic diversity of the state, and are installed at critical community institutions. The bill would require the PUC to select a third-party administrator by no later than March 1, 2023, and require that the program be operational and begin processing applications by no later than July 1, 2023. The bill would require that the program be jointly operated among all the participating electrical corporations and be consistent across the utility territories. The bill would require the third-party administrator ensure that program moneys from each utility are used only for projects located in the service territory of that utility from which the moneys are received and to provide technical assistance to program applicants. The bill would prohibit more than 10% of those allocated revenues from being used for administration, technical assistance, and outreach. The bill would require the PUC to establish requirements relating to hiring, wages, apprenticeship programs, and workforce standards for the program. Under existing law, a violation of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the PUC is a crime. Because a violation of a PUC action implementing this bill's requirements would be a crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law requires the PUC, in consultation with the Independent System Operator (ISO) , to establish resource adequacy requirements for all load-serving entities, defined to include electrical corporations, community choice aggregators, and electric service providers. Existing law requires that the resource adequacy program achieve specified objectives, including to establish new or maintain existing demand response products and tariffs that facilitate the economic dispatch and use of demand response that can either meet or reduce an electrical corporation's resource adequacy requirements, as determined by the PUC. This bill would require the PUC, by July 1, 2022, to establish a capacity valuation methodology for customer-sited energy storage resources and customer-sited hybrid resources, as defined, in consultation with the ISO and the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, for the 2023 resource adequacy year.