Sen. Jim Beall

The Unruh Civil Rights Act generally prohibits business establishments from discriminating on specified bases. The California Fair Employment and Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing and employment on specified bases and provides procedures for enforcement by the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (department) . Existing law specifies that while it is the intent of the Legislature that the California Fair Employment and Housing Act occupy the field of regulation of discrimination in employment and housing, nothing in the act shall be construed to limit or restrict the application of the Unruh Civil Rights Act. This bill would provide that a local government entity is permitted under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act to refer a person alleging discrimination to the department and to provide the person with relevant information and resources, as appropriate. The bill would require the department, by April 1, 2018, to establish an advisory group, as specified, to determine the feasibility of authorizing local government entities to also enforce antidiscrimination statutes. The bill would require the advisory group, if it determines that such enforcement is feasible, to develop an implementation plan and draft proposed legislation for presentation to the Legislature by December 31, 2018. The bill would provide legislative findings and declarations in support of these provisions.

Existing federal law, known as Title IX, prohibits a person, on the basis of sex, from being excluded from participation in, being denied the benefits of, or being subject to discrimination, which includes sexual harassment, under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. A portion of the Donahoe Higher Education Act, known as the Equity in Higher Education Act, and the Sex Equity in Education Act establish, among other things, that it is the policy of the State of California that all persons, regardless of their sex, should enjoy freedom from discrimination of any kind in the educational institutions of the state. Specified provisions of law relating to educational equity in schools, including the Equity in Education Act and the Equity in Higher Education Act, define, in the same way, "sexual harassment" for the purposes of their respective provisions. Based on federal regulations, this bill would define "sexual harassment" to include "sexual violence," as defined, for the purposes of those state laws. The bill would, among other things, require the appropriate governing board or body of each elementary and secondary school that receives state financial assistance, and the appropriate governing board or body of each higher education institution that receives state funds for student financial assistance, to, as a condition of receiving that financial assistance, comply with certain requirements, based on federal regulations. The bill would express the intent of the Legislature that each local educational agency, and would require the appropriate governing board or body of each higher education institution that receives state funds for student financial assistance to, designate at least one employee to act as a sex equity coordinator or officer, as applicable. The bill would require, on or before July 1, 2018, the appropriate governing board or body of each higher education institution that receives state funds for student financial assistance to, as a condition of receiving that financial assistance, adopt regulations to, among other things, ensure that implementation of the applicable provisions of the bill at the institution is, to the greatest extent possible, consistent with federal regulations. By imposing new duties on school districts, 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 the statutory provisions noted above.

The Comprehensive Reading Leadership Program Act of 1996 authorizes county offices of education to apply to the State Board of Education to design a reading leadership program and develop materials that focus on reading skills, including phonics. This bill would establish the Golden State Reading Guarantee grant program, which would be administered by the State Department of Education. The bill would require a local educational agency that chooses to apply for a grant to submit an application that contains certain minimum information to the department, in a format and by a date determined by the department. The bill would provide requirements for eligibility for a grant and for spending grant funds. The bill would require that implementation of the grant program be contingent upon the appropriation of funds for purposes of the grant program in the annual Budget Act or other statute. The bill would require the department to establish a process to provide professional development training to local educational agencies on, among other things, the existing diagnostic, formative, and interim assessment tools that are available from the state, including those that are appropriate for pupils who are English learners.

This measure would proclaim January 26, 2018, as India Republic Day, and would urge all Californians to join in celebrating India Republic Day.

Existing law provides that the Department of Transportation has full possession and control of the state highway system. Existing law specifies certain powers and duties of the department relative to the recruitment and retention of highway engineers, including participation by the department in student loan repayment, offering of salaries above the lowest salary step, and various other provisions. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to these provisions.

This measure would express that the Legislature strongly denounces and opposes the totalitarian impulses, violent terrorism, xenophobic biases, and bigoted ideologies that are promoted by white nationalists and neo-Nazis and urges federal law enforcement to use the full extent of the nation's laws, including, but not limited to, statutes related to terrorism and hate crimes, to prosecute white nationalist and neo-Nazi individuals who come into our communities and commit violent and destructive acts.

The Planning and Zoning Law authorizes the legislative body of any city or county to adopt ordinances regulating zoning within its jurisdiction, as specified. This bill would additionally authorize the legislative body of any city or county to adopt ordinances to require, as a condition of development of residential rental units, that the development include a certain percentage of residential rental units affordable to, and occupied by, moderate-income, lower income, very low income, or extremely low income households, as specified. The bill would require the ordinance to provide alternative means of compliance. The bill would also make a nonsubstantive change and legislative findings and declarations.