(1) Under the California Disaster Assistance Act the state share may be up to 100% for costs connected with certain events only if the local agency has adopted a local hazard mitigation plan in accordance with specified federal law. Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, requires that a city, county, or city and county general plan contain a safety element for the protection of the community from specified safety risks, and authorizes a city, county, or a city and county to adopt with its safety element a federally specified local hazard mitigation plan that includes specified elements. This bill would eliminate the requirement that adoption of the federally specified local hazard mitigation plan include required specified elements. (2) Existing law authorizes a county board of supervisors to provide by ordinance for the reassessment of property that is damaged or destroyed, without fault on the part of the assessee, by a major misfortune or calamity, upon the application of the assessee or upon the action of the county assessor with the board's approval. With respect to certain counties that have adopted reassessment ordinances and have been declared by the Governor to be in a state of emergency as a result of certain events, existing law provides for state allocations of the estimated amounts of the reductions in property tax revenues resulting in certain fiscal years from reassessments under those ordinances. Existing law also continuously appropriates, without regard to fiscal years, moneys in the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties for purposes of funding these state allocations. This bill would provide for similar state allocations with respect to property tax revenue reductions resulting from a reassessment for damages incurred within the County of Santa Barbara, which was declared by the Governor to be in a state of emergency due to the wildfires that commenced in November 2008 or May 2009, within the Counties of Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino, which were declared by the Governor to be in a state of emergency due to the wildfires that commenced in November 2008, within the County of Placer, which was declared by the Governor to be in a state of emergency due to the wildfires that commenced in August 2009, and within the County of Kern, which was declared by the Governor to be in a state of emergency due to the wildfires that commenced in July 2010. By requiring moneys continuously appropriated from the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties to be allocated for the new purpose of reimbursing these counties for these property tax revenue reductions, this bill would make an appropriation. (3) Existing property tax law provides, pursuant to a specified provision of the California Constitution, for a homeowners' property tax exemption in the amount of $7,000 of the full value of a "dwelling," as defined. This bill would also provide that any dwelling that (1) qualified for the exemption prior to August 30, 2009, was damaged or destroyed by the wildfires in the County of Placer, as declared by the Governor to be in a state of emergency in August 2009, and has not changed ownership since August 30, 2009, and (2) qualified for the exemption prior to July 26, 2010, was damaged or destroyed by the wildfires in the County of Kern, as declared by the Governor to be in a state of emergency in July 2010, and has not changed ownership since July 26, 2010, may not be denied the exemption solely on the basis that the dwelling was temporarily damaged or destroyed or was being reconstructed by the owner, or was temporarily uninhabited as a result of restricted access to the property due to wildfires. The California Constitution requires the Legislature, in each fiscal year, to reimburse local governments for the revenue losses incurred by those governments in that fiscal year as a result of the homeowners' property tax exemption. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to make this required reimbursement in the annual Budget Act. By requiring local tax officials to implement new exemption criteria, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, 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 these statutory provisions. (4) The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law provide for the carryover to specified taxable years of specified losses sustained as a result of certain disasters occurring in California in an area determined by the President of the United States to warrant specified federal assistance, or proclaimed by the Governor to be in a state of emergency. This bill would extend these provisions to losses sustained in the County of Placer as a result of the wildfires that commenced in August 2009 and in the County of Kern as a result of the wildfires that commenced in July 2010. This bill would authorize a taxpayer to make an election to claim a deduction for those losses on the tax return for the preceding year. (5) Existing law requires the auditor of a county which was the subject of the Governor's proclamation of a state of emergency to certify to the Director of Finance an estimate of the total reduction in property tax revenues resulting from the reassessment by the county assessor of those properties that are eligible as a result of disasters, and requires the director to verify the county auditor's estimate and certify that amount to the Controller for allocation to the county. This bill would prohibit, for any fire disaster occurring after January 1, 2010, the Department of Finance from certifying a county auditor's estimate of the total reduction in property tax resulting from the reassessment by the county assessor of eligible properties as a result of those disasters unless the county demonstrates compliance with specified requirements at the time the fire disaster occurred. (6) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Sponsored bills
Existing law regulates the custody, control, and interment of human remains. This bill would allow prescribed entities in possession of the cremated remains of a veteran, upon the request of a veterans' remains organization, as defined, to release specified information and remains to a veterans' remains organization for the purpose of interment if certain conditions are met. The bill would require the veterans' remains organization to take all reasonable steps to inter remains received. The bill would also exempt from civil liability, except for willful or wanton misconduct, an entity that releases information or remains after meeting the specified conditions and exempt from negligence a veterans' remains organization that receives and inters remains if the veterans' remains organization does not know or have reason to know that the remains were not released in compliance with the above conditions. Existing law requires the board of supervisors of each county to designate an honorably discharged soldier, sailor, or marine in the county who has served in or with the army or navy of the United States, and shall cause to be decently interred the body of any veteran or widow of a veteran who dies in the county without having sufficient means to defray the expenses of burial, except as otherwise provided. This bill would require the board of supervisors of each county to designate an honorably discharged veteran of the United States military or a member of a veterans' remains organization who shall cause to be decently interred the body of any veteran or spouse or eligible dependent of a veteran as defined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for compensation purposes who dies in the county. This bill would encourage the board of supervisors of each county to designate personnel from a veterans' remains organization for that purpose. This bill would also require the specified entities to verify and inter unclaimed cremated remains of veterans in accordance with specified laws.
This measure would establish, until January 1, 2014, the California Task Force on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education for the purpose of promoting the improvement of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology education across the state. The task force would consist of Members of the Legislature and experts appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly and the Senate Committee on Rules. The task force would conduct its business on a volunteer basis, be able to accept private funds, and would submit an annual report on its work to the Legislature.
This measure would designate the flyover ramp at the interchange of State Highway Routes 152 and 156 as the Joseph A. Zanger Memorial Flyover. The measure would request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.
Existing law, the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law, requires the State Department of Public Health to regulate manufacturing, sales, labeling, and advertising activities related to food, drugs, devices, and cosmetics in conformity with the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, including, but not limited to, prohibition against the receipt in commerce of any adulterated food, as defined. A violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law, enacted as Proposition 2, an initiative measure approved by the voters at the November 4, 2008, statewide general election, establishes, commencing January 1, 2015, specified farm animal treatment standards. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2015, prohibit the sale of a shelled egg for human consumption if it is the product of an egg-laying hen that was confined on a farm or place that is not in compliance with those animal care standards and would make violations of these provisions a crime. This bill would declare that its provisions are severable. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
This measure would request the Congress to develop a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for marine aquaculture that undergoes complete environmental review and is at least as protective as that codified in California's Sustainable Oceans Act to address environmental and economic concerns.
This measure would designate Friday, May 7, 2010, as California Peace Officers' Memorial Day and would urge all Californians to use that day to honor California peace officers.
This measure would encourage public education institutions to designate each campus as a "Discrimination-Free Zone" to provide a safe haven from intolerance or discrimination, to enact appropriate procedures that meaningfully address acts of discrimination that occur on campus, to notify parents and the campus community of existing policies and procedures that encourage tolerance of others, and to use existing resources to identify themselves as "Discrimination-Free Zones" to create a campus climate that welcomes diversity and supports the tolerance of others.
This measure would proclaim the week of April 23 to April 30, 2010, inclusive, as Black April Memorial Week, a special time for Californians to remember the countless lives lost during the Vietnam War era, and to hope for a more humane and just life for the people of Vietnam.
(1) The California State Lottery Act of 1984, enacted by initiative, authorizes a California State Lottery and provides for its operation and administration by the California State Lottery Commission and the Director of the California State Lottery, with certain limitations. The act requires that not less than 84% of the total annual revenues from the sale of state lottery tickets or shares be returned to the public in the form of prizes and net revenues to benefit public education, and that no more than 16% of those revenues be used for expenses of the lottery. The act further specifies that, of that 84%, 50% of the total annual lottery revenues be returned to the public in the form of prizes, and that at least 34% of those revenues be allocated to the benefit of public education. The act establishes the State Lottery Fund, a continuously appropriated fund for carrying out the purposes of the act. This bill would require revenues of the state lottery to be allocated so as to maximize the amount of funding allocated to public education, and would require that not less than 87% of the total annual revenues of the state lottery be returned to the public, and no more than 13% be used for lottery expenses. The bill would further specify that, of that 87%, not less than 50% of the total annual lottery revenues, in an amount to be determined by the commission, be returned to the public in the form of prizes. The bill would require the commission to establish the percentage to be allocated to the benefit of public education at a level that maximizes the total net revenues allocated to the benefit of public education. By changing these allocations, the bill would change the purposes for which the funds of a continuously appropriated fund may be appropriated, and thereby would make an appropriation. The bill would make other conforming changes. This bill would require the lottery, following the end of each full fiscal year, to calculate and report to the Controller and to the Legislature the amount of total net revenues allocated to the benefit of public education from the California State Lottery Education Fund for that fiscal year. The bill would require the Controller, if in any one of the first 5 full fiscal years after the enactment of this measure, the Controller determines that specified events occur, to notify the Legislature and the Governor, and post that notification on the Controller's Internet Web site. The bill would then provide for the repeal of the changes made by this measure on the following January 1, and the prior law to be restored. If those events do not occur, the bill would require the commission, when setting the percentage to be allocated to the benefit of public education, to ensure that net revenues allocated to public schools are at least as much as were allocated on average in the prior 5 fiscal years, and increased in proportion to any upward increases in lottery net revenues. The bill would require the Controller, at the end of the first 5 full fiscal years following enactment of this measure, to convene a lottery review group to report to the Legislature, no later than December 31 following the final fiscal year, on whether the amendments made by this measure have furthered the purposes of the California State Lottery Act of 1984 as intended. (2) The California State Lottery Act of 1984, an initiative measure, specifies that none of its provisions may be changed except to further its purpose by a bill passed by a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and signed by the Governor. This bill would declare that it furthers the purpose of the act and would require a 23 vote as an amendment of that act. (3) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.