(1) The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires preparation of specified documentation before a public agency approves or carries out certain projects. Existing law authorizes the Governor to certify energy infrastructure projects meeting specified requirements for streamlining benefits related to CEQA. Existing law defines "energy infrastructure project" for these purposes to include eligible renewable energy resources under the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program, excluding resources that use biomass fuels. Existing law also expressly excludes from that definition of "energy infrastructure project" any project using hydrogen as a fuel. This bill would instead exclude eligible renewable energy resources under the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program that combust, rather than use, biomass fuels from the definition of "energy infrastructure project" for purposes of the above-described CEQA benefits. The bill would include hydrogen production facilities and associated onsite storage and processing facilities that do not derive hydrogen from a fossil fuel feedstock and that receive funding from specified state and federal programs within the definition of "energy infrastructure project." Because the bill would authorize the Governor to certify additional projects, thereby increasing the duties on lead agencies in conducting the environmental review of energy infrastructure projects certified by the Governor, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law authorizes persons proposing specified electrical generation, electrical transmission, and energy storage projects to apply, on or before June 30, 2029, to the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) to certify sites and related facilities as environmental leadership development projects, as specified. Existing law makes a site and related facility certified by the Energy Commission subject to streamlining benefits related to CEQA with no further action by the applicant or the Governor. Under existing law, the Energy Commission's certification is in lieu of any permit, certificate, or similar document required by any governmental agency and supersedes any applicable statute, ordinance, or regulation, except as specified. This bill would expand the types of facilities eligible to be certified as environmental leadership development projects by the Energy Commission to include hydrogen production facilities and associated onsite storage and processing facilities that do not derive hydrogen from a fossil fuel feedstock and that receive funding from specified state and federal programs. (3) 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.
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(1) Existing law generally regulates classes of insurance, including life insurance and annuities. Existing law, beginning on January 1, 2025, requires a life agent, licensed on or after January 1, 2024, engaging in the sale of specified life insurance policies on or after January 1, 2025, to complete specified hours of life insurance training courses before soliciting consumers to sell these life insurance policies. Existing law requires a life agent, engaging in the sale of variable life insurance policies, to complete specified hours of training before renewing their license and applies these training provisions to licenses that are issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025. This bill would clarify that the above-described training provisions apply to life agents selling individual life insurance policies and individual variable life insurance policies, as specified. (2) Existing law authorizes service of legal process, notices, or other specified papers to be made in specified circumstances by delivering 2 copies to the commissioner or the commissioner's deputy, accompanied by payment of $12. This bill would instead authorize service of legal process, notices, or other specified papers to be made in specified circumstances by delivering 2 copies to the commissioner, the commissioner's deputy, or the commissioner's designated agent for service of process, accompanied by payment of a substituted service fee determined by the commissioner. (3) Existing law prohibits knowingly employing runners, cappers, steerers, or other persons to procure clients or patients to perform or obtain services or benefits under workers' compensation coverage or a contract of insurance or that will be the basis for a claim against an insured individual or their insurer. Existing law authorizes a district attorney, the Insurance Commissioner, or an interested person to bring a civil action for a violation of that provision. If the district attorney elects not to pursue the matter due to insufficient resources, existing law authorizes the commissioner to proceed with the action. Existing law requires a copy of a complaint filed by an interested person to remain under seal for at least 60 days. Under existing law, an action brought by an interested person may be dismissed only if the court and the district attorney or the commissioner give written consent to the dismissal and their reasons for consenting. This bill would authorize the commissioner to proceed with an action if the district attorney elects not to pursue the matter for any reason, and would eliminate the requirement that the district attorney or commissioner give their reasons for consenting to dismissal of an action brought by an interested person. The bill would clarify that a complaint filed by an interested person is required to remain under seal for at least 60 days from the date of service on the district attorney and commissioner. (4) Existing law exempts from requirements for providing insurance set forth in the Insurance Code firefighters', police officers', and peace officers' benefit and relief associations that comply with specified criteria, including, among other things, a requirement that the membership consist solely of peace officers, members of police or fire departments, and emergency medical personnel employed by fire departments, as specified. Existing law prohibits these associations from operating or doing business in the state without a certificate of authority. Existing law requires an association to renew its certificate of authority on or before July 1, 2019, and every 5 years thereafter. This bill would, instead, require an association to renew its certificate of authority within 30 days after a change in name or address or before a merger. (5) Existing law sets forth procedures for a special motion to strike in a civil cause of action arising from an act in furtherance of a person's right of petition or free speech and for offers to compromise before commencement of a civil trial or arbitration. Existing law exempts from these procedures an enforcement action brought in the name of the people of the State of California by the Attorney General, a district attorney, or a city attorney, acting as a public prosecutor. This bill would additionally exempt from these procedures an enforcement action brought in the name of the people of the State of California by the Insurance Commissioner. (6) This bill would make technical changes to eliminate outdated references and correct errors.
Under existing law, if sufficient appropriations are not available for the payment of certain claims, settlements, or judgments, the Attorney General is required to report the claims, settlements, and judgments to the chairperson of either the Senate Committee on Appropriations or the Assembly Committee on Appropriations, who is then required to cause introduction of legislation appropriating the funds necessary for payment. This bill would appropriate $19,289,000 from the General Fund to the Attorney General, to be allocated according to a particular schedule, in order to pay claims, judgments, or settlements against the state arising from several specified actions. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
(1) Existing law authorizes a governing body of a political subdivision, as those terms are defined, to declare a shelter crisis if the governing body makes a specified finding. Upon declaration of a shelter crisis, existing law, among other things, suspends certain state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances to the extent that strict compliance would prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of the shelter crisis and allows a city, county, or city and county, in lieu of compliance, to adopt by ordinance reasonable local standards and procedures for the design, site development, and operation of homeless shelters and the structures and facilities therein. Existing law, among other things, exempts from the California Environmental Quality Act specified actions by a state agency or a city, county, or city and county to lease, convey, or encumber land owned by a city, county, or city and county, or to facilitate the lease, conveyance, or encumbrance of land owned by the local government for, or to provide financial assistance to, a homeless shelter constructed or allowed by these provisions. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2026. This bill would expand the exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act described above to include action taken by a state agency or a city, county, or city and county, to approve a contract to provide services for people experiencing homelessness to a homeless shelter constructed pursuant to, or authorized by, these provisions, as specified. This bill would extend the repeal date of these provisions to January 1, 2036. The bill would make other nonsubstantive, conforming changes. (2) Existing law, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) , requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, requires that a Low Barrier Navigation Center development be a use by right in areas zoned for mixed uses and nonresidential zones permitting multifamily uses if it meets prescribed requirements. Existing law provides that the CEQA does not apply to an action taken by a public agency to lease, convey, or encumber land owned by a public entity or to facilitate the lease, conveyance, or encumbrance of land owned by a public agency, or to provide financial assistance to, or otherwise approve, a Low Barrier Navigation Center constructed or allowed by existing law. Existing law defines the term "Low Barrier Navigation Center" for these purposes to mean a Housing First, low-barrier, service-enriched shelter focused on moving people into permanent housing that provides temporary living facilities while case managers connect individuals experiencing homelessness to income, public benefits, health services, shelter, and housing. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2027. This bill would revise the definition of "Low Barrier Navigation Center" by specifying that a Low Barrier Navigation Center may be non-congregate and relocatable. The bill would also delete the January 1, 2027, repeal date, thereby extending operation of these provisions indefinitely. By indefinitely changing the local permitting process and increasing the duties of local planning officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would exempt from CEQA specified activities by local agencies relating to low barrier navigation centers. To the extent this bill would impose additional duties on county clerks, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) Existing law requires agencies and departments administering state programs related to homelessness to adopt guidelines and regulations to incorporate core components of Housing First, as defined. Existing law defines "state programs" for this purpose as any program a California state agency or department funds, implements, or administers for the purpose of providing housing or housing-based services to people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, except as provided. This bill would expand the definition of "state programs" to include programs a California state agency or department funds, implements, or administers for the purpose of providing emergency shelter or interim housing. (4) 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, known as the Starter Home Revitalization Act of 2021, among other things, requires a local agency to ministerially consider, without discretionary review or a hearing, a parcel map or a tentative and final map for a housing development project that meets certain requirements, including that the housing development project on the lot proposed to be subdivided will contain 10 or fewer residential units, is zoned for multifamily residential development, is no larger than 5 acres, as specified, and the newly created parcels are no smaller than 600 square feet, except as provided. Existing law prohibits a local agency from imposing on the housing development an objective zoning standard, objective subdivision standard, or objective design standard that, among other things, physically precludes the development of a project built to specified densities. This bill would prohibit, if a local agency chooses to permit accessory dwelling units or junior accessory dwelling units, those units from counting as residential units for purposes of the above-described requirement that a housing development project on the lot proposed to be subdivided will contain 10 or fewer residential units. The bill would revise the requirement that the lot be zoned for multifamily residential development and would instead require that the lot either be zoned for multifamily residential dwelling use or vacant, as defined, and zoned for single-family residential development. The bill would require that a vacant lot zoned for single-family residential development is no larger than 112 acres, as specified, and that if the parcels are zoned for single-family residential use, the newly created parcels are no smaller than 1,200 square feet. The bill would, notwithstanding the prohibition related to physical preclusion of a development described above, authorize a local agency to impose a specified height limit on a lot that is vacant and zoned for single-family residential development. The bill would include in the above-described certain requirements that the proposed subdivision will not result in any existing dwelling unit being alienable separate from the title to any other existing dwelling unit on the lot. Existing law also includes among these certain requirements that the housing units on the lot proposed to be subdivided meet one of specified conditions, including being constructed on fee simple ownership lots or owned by a community land trust, as defined. This bill would expand the above-described specified conditions to include being part of a tenancy in common, as specified. The bill would revise the above-described conditions to instead include being constructed on land owned by a community trust. By expanding the duties for a local agency to ministerially consider a housing development project, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law, if a parcel is not identified in the jurisdiction's housing element for the current planning period that is in substantial compliance, as specified, requires a proposed development to result in at least as many units as the maximum allowable residential density. This bill would instead require the proposed development to result in at least 66% of the maximum allowable residential density as specified by local zoning or 66% of the applicable residential density, as specified, whichever is greater. Existing law provides that a housing development project on a proposed site to be subdivided under these provisions is not required to comply with certain requirements, including a minimum requirement on the size, width, depth, or dimensions of an individual parcel created by the development beyond the minimum parcel size of 600 square feet, except as provided. This bill would provide that an above-described housing development is also not required to comply with a minimum requirement on the frontage of an individual parcel created by the development. This bill would require that its provisions become operative on July 1, 2025. This bill would make related findings and declarations. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. 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, the Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act of 1983, establishes, under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health Care Access and Information, a program of seismic safety building standards for certain hospitals constructed on and after March 7, 1973. Existing law requires that, by January 1, 2030, owners of these hospitals must either demolish, replace, or change to nonacute care use all hospital buildings that are not in compliance with these standards or seismically retrofit all acute care inpatient hospital buildings so they are in substantial compliance with these standards, unless subject to an abeyance. This bill would authorize a hospital owner or operator to submit an application, by specified dates, to the department for additional extensions to the compliance deadline. The bill would require the department to grant or deny an extension of the deadline for substantial compliance with seismic safety regulations or standards up to January 1, 2035. The bill would require the application to contain a seismic compliance plan, a specified evaluation report, a financial plan, and an attestation to the department that the appropriate governing board of that hospital is aware that the hospital building is required to be in substantial compliance with the seismic safety regulations or standards. By imposing the above-described attestation, this bill would expand the crime of perjury and impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require the hospital and the department to identify specified milestones that are used for determining whether the hospital is making progress towards meeting the hospital's seismic compliance deadline. The bill would require the hospital to demonstrate efforts to comply with the seismic compliance deadline by providing the department with a plan outlining how seismic construction costs and other financial responsibilities will be met and what funding sources will be used if the hospital fails to meet an agreed-upon milestone due to circumstances that were within the hospital owner's or operator's control. The bill would require the owner or operator of that hospital to submit to the department an attestation that the appropriate governing board of that hospital is aware of the hospital's responsibility to comply with the associated construction costs to meet the seismic compliance deadlines. By requiring the owner or operator of a hospital to submit to the department an attestation, this bill would expand the crime of perjury and impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require the department, before granting an extension past January 1, 2030, to provide public notice of a hospital's request for an extension, provide copies, upon request, of any publicly available material submitted by the hospital in support of their extension to interested parties, and allow the public to submit written comments on the extension proposal, as specified. The bill would require the department, beginning January 1, 2027, to post on the department's internet website specified information, including, among other things, its decision to grant or deny any extension. The bill would require the department to notify the county board of supervisors, the city council, and the Assembly and Senate representative in writing and electronically if a hospital within their district has been granted or denied an extension. This bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2026, to adopt regulations and standards or revise regulations and standards, or both, to extend the deadlines for meeting the structural performance and nonstructural performance requirements. The bill would specify that regulatory submissions made by the department to the California Building Standards Commission are deemed to be emergency regulations and that the adoption of these regulations are to be deemed an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, and general welfare. Existing law requires, before January 1, 2024, the owner of an acute care inpatient hospital that includes a building that does not substantially comply with seismic safety regulations or standards to post in a lobby or waiting area generally accessible to patients or the public a notice provided by the department that the hospital is not in compliance with the seismic safety requirements the hospital is required to meet by January 1, 2030. Existing law requires, on or before January 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, the owner of an acute care inpatient hospital that includes a building that does not substantially comply with seismic safety regulations or standards to provide an annual status update on the Structural Performance Category ratings of the buildings and the services provided in each hospital building on the hospital campus to specified entities until each of the hospital buildings owned by that hospital building owner is compliant. This bill would require, before January 1, 2025, the owner or operator of an acute care inpatient hospital that includes a building that does not substantially comply with the seismic safety regulations or standards to post in any lobby or waiting area generally accessible to patients or the public the notice mentioned above. The bill would also require, on or before January 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the owner or operator to provide an annual status update, as specified. This bill would specify that the provisions of this act are severable. 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 declares that all water within the state is the property of the people of the state, but the right to the use of the water may be acquired by appropriation in the manner provided by law. Existing law requires the appropriation to be for some useful or beneficial purpose. Existing law provides, however, that the diversion of floodflows for groundwater recharge does not require an appropriative water right if certain conditions are met, including that a local or regional agency that has adopted a local plan of flood control or has considered flood risks as part of its most recently adopted general plan has given notice, as provided, of imminent risk of flooding and inundation of lands, roads, or structures. Existing law defines "floodflow" for these purposes, to include circumstances in which flows would inundate ordinarily dry areas in the bed of a terminal lake to a depth that floods dairies and other ongoing agricultural activities, or areas with substantial residential, commercial, or industrial development. Existing law defines "imminent" for these purposes to mean a high degree of confidence that a condition will begin in the immediate future. Existing law also requires the person or entity making the diversion for groundwater recharge purposes to file with the State Water Resources Control Board and any applicable groundwater sustainability agency for the basin, a notice containing specified information no later than 48 hours after initially commencing diversion of floodflows for groundwater recharge, a preliminary report no later than 14 days after initially commencing that diversion, and a final report no later than 15 days after the diversions cease. These requirements apply to diversions commenced before January 1, 2029. This bill would, among other things, expand the conditions that are required to be met for the diversion of floodwaters for groundwater recharge that do not require an appropriative water right. The bill would expand the definition of "floodflow" to include flows that are projected by the local or regional agency to inundate ordinarily dry areas in the bed of a terminal lake, as described above. The bill would revise the definition of "imminent" to mean a high degree of confidence that a condition will begin or is projected to begin within the next 72 hours. The bill would require that a local or regional agency with the responsibility for flood management take specified actions, including making a declaration that diversion of floodflows for groundwater recharge from a delineated stretch of waterway within its jurisdiction is in accordance with one of certain enumerated plans relating to flood control or flood risk, as specified, or a local hazard mitigation plan under specified federal law, and to give public notice, as specified, that a delineated area within the local or regional agency's jurisdiction is at imminent risk of flooding and inundation of land, roads, or structures. The bill would require diversions to cease no later than 30 days after the public notice is given, unless they are renewed. The bill would require, not less than 48 hours from the projected end of flood conditions, a local or regional agency that has made a declaration authorizing flood diversions to issue a declaration when flood conditions are projected to end informing the public and diverters when diversions shall cease, as provided. The bill would further require, within 24 hours of the declaration, that agency to post the declaration and forward the declaration to all diverters that have informed the agency of diversion. This bill would also require an entity making the diversions for groundwater recharge that is required to file the notice and the reports, including the final report, as described above, with the board and the applicable groundwater sustainability agency for the basin, to also file those documents with the agency that issued the applicable flood determination. The bill would require the final report to contain information, if applicable, describing the forecasting models used to determine a likely imminent escape of surface water and a description of the methodology used to determine the abatement of flood conditions. The bill would further require the board to post the notice and the reports on the board's internet website on the next business day after receipt. The bill would require that temporary floodflow diversions be consistent with the most junior priority relative to all water rights holders in the watershed and prohibit those diversions from injuring a prior water rights holder. Existing law imposes a condition, pursuant to the provisions described above, applicable only to diversions from water tributaries to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) , that the diversion of floodflows for groundwater recharge does not require an appropriative water right if water rights holders are not making releases of stored water or reoperating facilities to provide flow for the purposes of meeting water quality control plan or endangered species requirements in the Delta at the time of the diversion. This bill would revise that condition by additionally authorizing, with respect to diversions from water tributaries to the San Joaquin River upstream of Vernalis, water to be diverted only when the Delta is in excess conditions, as defined, and without restrictions. With respect to all other diversions from water tributaries to the Delta, the bill would authorize water diversions only when the Delta is in excess water conditions and (1) either without restrictions or (2) with restrictions, but Delta operations are controlled only by Old and Middle River flow or San Joaquin River inflow-to-export ratio. The bill would require the diverter to monitor conditions daily, as provided.
This measure would express the Legislature's support for President Joseph Biden's goal of ending hunger and increasing healthy eating and physical activity by 2030.
This measure would recognize August 8, 2024, as California Community Cats Day and would urge all Californians to observe and promote this day with appropriate activities and programs.
This measure would recognize August 26, 2024, as Women's Equality Day and its historic importance to women's rights, including the battle to attain those rights in the past, present, and future.