Existing law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, requires, with specified exceptions, that all meetings of a legislative body of a local agency, as those terms are defined, be open and public and that all persons be permitted to attend and participate. The act contains specified provisions regarding the timelines for posting an agenda and providing for the ability of the public to observe and provide comment. The act allows for meetings to occur via teleconferencing subject to certain requirements, particularly that the legislative body notice each teleconference location of each member that will be participating in the public meeting, that each teleconference location be accessible to the public, that members of the public be allowed to address the legislative body at each teleconference location, that the legislative body post an agenda at each teleconference location, and that at least a quorum of the legislative body participate from locations within the boundaries of the local agency's jurisdiction. The act provides an exemption to the jurisdictional requirement for health authorities, as defined. Existing law, until January 1, 2024, authorizes a local agency to use teleconferencing without complying with those specified teleconferencing requirements in specified circumstances when a declared state of emergency is in effect, or in other situations related to public health. This bill would require the agenda to identify any member of the legislative body that will participate in the meeting remotely. The bill would also require an updated agenda reflecting all of the members participating in the meeting remotely to be posted, if a member of the legislative body elects to participate in the meeting remotely after the agenda is posted. This bill would authorize, upon a determination by a majority vote of the legislative body, a member to be exempt from identifying the address of the member's teleconference location in the notice and agenda or having the location be accessible to the public, if the member elects to teleconference from a location that is not a public place, including, beginning January 1, 2024, that at least a quorum of members of the legislative body participates from a single physical location that is clearly identified on the agenda, open to the public, and situated within the boundaries of the territory over which the local agency has jurisdiction. This bill would require all open and public meetings of a legislative body that elects to use teleconferencing to provide a video stream accessible to members of the public and an option for members of the public to address the body remotely during the public comment period through an audio-visual or call-in option. This bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2030. 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 local agencies, for the purpose of ensuring public access to the meetings of public bodies and the writings of public officials and agencies, to comply with a statutory enactment that amends or enacts laws relating to public records or open meetings and contains findings demonstrating that the enactment furthers the constitutional requirements relating to this purpose. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
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(1) The California Constitution grants the retirement board of a public employee retirement system plenary authority and fiduciary responsibility for investment of moneys and administration of the retirement fund and system. These provisions qualify this grant of powers by reserving to the Legislature the authority to prohibit investments if it is in the public interest and the prohibition satisfies standards of fiduciary care and loyalty required of a retirement board. Existing law prohibits the boards of administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System and the State Teachers' Retirement System from making investments in certain countries and in thermal coal companies, as specified, subject to the boards' plenary authority and fiduciary responsibility for investment of moneys and administration of the systems. This bill, except as specified, would prohibit the boards of specified state and local public retirement systems from making additional or new investments in prohibited companies, as defined, domiciled in Russia or Belarus, as defined, companies that the United States government has designated as complicit in the aggressor countries', as defined, war in Ukraine, or companies that supply military equipment to the aggressor countries, and to liquidate the investments of the board in those companies, as specified. The bill would also require the board, on or before January 1, 2023, and every year thereafter, to file a specified report with the Legislature. The bill would repeal these provisions on specified triggering events. By requiring the boards of local public retirement systems to take specified actions, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law specifies the duties of the Treasurer, which include receiving and keeping in the vaults of the State Treasury or depositing in banks or credit unions all moneys belonging to the state, and, except as specified, receiving and keeping in the vaults of the State Treasury or depositing for safekeeping with any federal reserve bank or any branch thereof, or with any trust company or the trust department of any state or national bank located in a city designated as a reserve or central reserve city by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, bonds and other securities or investments belonging to the state. This bill, except as specified, would prohibit the Treasurer from making additional or new investments or renewing existing investments of state moneys in any investment vehicle in the government of Russia or the government of Belarus that meets certain conditions, or in or from a Russian or Belarusian financial institution currently under sanctions imposed by the United States, as defined and specified. The bill would repeal these provisions on specified triggering events. (3) Existing law specifies how money received into the treasury must be credited and how those state funds are to be used. Existing law prohibits state funds from being used to reimburse a state contractor for costs incurred to assist, promote, or deter union organizing, as defined and specified. Existing law also prohibits state trust moneys from being used to make additional or new investments or to renew existing investments in business firms that engage in discriminatory practices in further of or in compliance with the Arab League's economic boycott of Israel, as defined and specified. This bill, except as specified, would prohibit a state agency, as defined, from making additional or new investments or renewing existing investments of state moneys in any investment vehicle in the government of Russia or the government of Belarus that meets certain conditions, or in or from Russian or Belarusian financial institutions currently under sanctions imposed by the United States, and would require a state agency to liquidate those investments. The bill would also require a state agency to file a specified report with the Legislature and the Governor. The bill would urge companies operating in California and the Regents of the University of California to divest and separate themselves from the government of Russia, Russian financial institutions, Russian businesses, the government of Belarus, Belarusian financial institutions, and Belarusian businesses, and would request companies doing business in California to report their investments in and contracts with the government of Russia, Russian financial institutions, Russian businesses, the government of Belarus, Belarusian financial institutions, and Belarusian businesses, as specified. The bill would repeal these provisions on specified triggering events. (4) Existing law authorizes state agencies to contract for goods, information technology, or services with certain suppliers, as specified. Existing law also makes companies in Sudan involved in certain activities ineligible to bid or submit a proposal for, and forbids them from bidding on or submitting a proposal for, a contract with a state agency for goods or services, as specified. This bill, except as specified, would make a company that conducts business with the government of Russia or the government of Belarus ineligible to bid or submit a proposal for, and would forbid that company from bidding on or submitting a proposal for, a contract with a state agency for goods or services, as defined and specified. The bill would require a state agency to require a company that submits a bid or proposal with respect to a contract for goods or services to certify that the company is not a scrutinized company, as prescribed. The bill would, among other things, make a company that submits a false certification under these provisions liable for a civil penalty, and would require the Department of General Services to report the company to the Attorney General, who would be required to determine whether to bring a civil action against the company, as specified. The bill would repeal these provisions on specified triggering events. (5) 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. (6) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The Planning and Zoning Law, until January 1, 2026, authorizes a development proponent to submit an application for a multifamily housing development that is subject to a streamlined, ministerial approval process, as provided, and not subject to a conditional use permit, if the development satisfies specified objective planning standards. Existing law specifies that a development is consistent with the objective planning standards if there is substantial evidence that would allow a reasonable person to conclude that the development is consistent with the objective planning standards. This bill, until January 1, 2030, would authorize a development proponent to submit an application to convert land that was previously used as a golf course to market-rate and affordable housing and would provide that the application is subject to a streamlined, ministerial approval process, and not subject to a conditional use permit, if the development satisfies specified objective planning standards. In this regard, the bill would require a development subject to the provisions to be located on a site that was used as a golf course, but has been closed for at least 5 years before the effective date of these provisions and would require that the development include at least 600 housing units. The bill would require the development to dedicate at least 30% of the new housing units to lower income households and persons and families of moderate income, as specified. By requiring local governments to approve development applications submitted under these provisions, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require a development proponent subject to the streamlined, ministerial approval process under the bill to certify to the local government that all contractors and subcontractors performing work on the project pay prevailing wages and that all workers employed to perform work in an apprenticeable occupation in the building and construction trades comply with specified apprenticeship requirements. By requiring a development proponent to certify certain information under penalty of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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 does not apply to the ministerial approval of projects. This bill, by requiring approval of certain development projects as a use by right, would expand the exemption for ministerial approval of projects under CEQA. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for specified reasons.
Existing law creates a private right of action against a person who intentionally distributes a photograph or recorded image of another that exposes the intimate body parts of that person, or of a person engaged in a sexual act, without the person's consent if specified conditions are met. Existing law also provides that a depicted individual, as defined, has a cause of action against a person who either (1) creates and intentionally discloses sexually explicit material if the person knows or reasonably should have known the depicted individual did not consent to its creation or disclosure or (2) who intentionally discloses sexually explicit material that the person did not create if the person knows the depicted individual did not consent to its creation. Existing law authorizes the court to grant reasonable attorney's fees and costs to the prevailing party for these causes of action. This bill would require attorney's fees and costs to be awarded to the prevailing plaintiff in a civil action seeking damages or equitable relief against any person or entity that distributes, benefits from, promotes, or induces another person to distribute unauthorized obscene materials, as defined, including through electronic distribution.
This measure would urge the United States Congress and the Department of the Interior and its Bureau of Indian Affairs to reaffirm and restore the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe as a federally recognized Indian tribe and include the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe in the Federal Register as a recognized tribe.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires, among other things, 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 requires a state agency or a local agency that approves or determines to carry out a project subject to CEQA to file a notice of determination with the Office of Planning and Research or the county clerk of each county in which the project will be located, as provided. CEQA authorizes a state agency or a local agency that determines that a project is not subject to CEQA to file a notice of exemption with the office or the county clerk of each county in which the project will be located, as provided. If a person has made a written request to a public agency for a copy of a notice of determination or notice of exemption for a project before the date on which the public agency approves or determines to carry out the project, CEQA requires the public agency, no later than 5 days from the date of the public agency's action, to deposit a copy of the written notice addressed to that person in the United States mail, first class postage prepaid. CEQA provides that the date upon which the notice is mailed does not affect the limitations periods applicable to specified actions or proceedings to attack, review, set aside, void, or annul specified acts or decisions of a public agency on the grounds of noncompliance with CEQA. This bill would additionally authorize a person to request a copy of the notice of determination or notice of exemption for a project to be delivered to that person by electronic mail, if a public agency offers to provide the notice by electronic mail. The bill would require the public agency, no later than 5 days from the date of the public agency's action, to provide to that person by electronic mail a copy of the notice. The bill would require a public agency to provide both the notice and any subsequent amendments to that notice in response to a written request for the notice, regardless of the delivery method. By requiring a local agency to provide a copy of any subsequent amendments to a notice, along with the notice, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would toll the limitations periods applicable to specified actions or proceedings to attack, review, set aside, void, or annual specified acts or decisions of a public agency until the date on which the public agency deposits in the mail or sends by electronic mail to the requestor a copy of the notice, including subsequent amendments. This bill would make technical and nonsubstantive changes to other CEQA provisions. 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 establishes the State Water Resources Control Board within the California Environmental Protection Agency with specified duties relating to, among other things, administering water rights, the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, and the California Safe Drinking Water Act. Existing law establishes the Department of Water Resources within the Natural Resources Agency and prescribes the jurisdiction and various general administrative authorities and duties of the department regarding, among other things, matters pertaining to water resources and dams in the state. This bill would require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency and the Secretary for Environmental Protection to convene a committee to develop and submit, on or before December 31, 2024, to the Governor and to the Legislature a strategic vision, proposed statutes, and recommendations for a modern 21st century set of water laws and regulations and state and local water agencies for the state, as provided. The committee would consist of 5 specified heads of state agencies, 2 members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and 2 members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. The bill would require the Governor or the committee to appoint a "blue ribbon" citizen commission or taskforce, a stakeholder advisory committee, and any other group that the Governor or the committee deems necessary or desirable to assist in carrying out these provisions. The bill would require all relevant state agencies, at the request of the committee, to make available staff and resources to assist in the preparation of the strategic vision and proposed statutes. The bill would authorize the committee, its members, and state agencies represented on the committee to contract for consultants to assist in the preparation of the strategic vision and proposed statutes, as specified, and would exempt those contracts from certain public contracting requirements.
This measure would recognize the weeks of October 10, 2021, through October 16, 2021, and October 16, 2022, through October 22, 2022, as Art Therapy Weeks of Civic Engagement to commemorate the contributions of professional art therapists to California's communities.
Existing law requires the adopted course of study for grades 1 to 6, inclusive, and the adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to include certain areas of study, including, among others, English, mathematics, social sciences, science, and visual and performing arts, as specified. This bill, with respect to both of the above-referenced adopted courses of study, would encourage the instruction in the social sciences area of study to include Asian American and Pacific Islander individual and community contributions, as provided.