Sen. Jim Beall

This measure would designate a specified portion of State Highway Route 1 in the County of Los Angeles as the Honorable Jenny Oropeza Memorial Overcrossing. This measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering those costs, to erect those signs.

The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The state board is required to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020, and to adopt rules and regulations in an open public process to achieve the maximum, technologically feasible, and cost-effective greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The act authorizes the state board to include use of market-based compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available upon appropriation by the Legislature. Under the Public Utilities Act, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory jurisdiction over public utilities, including electrical corporations. 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 the commission to credit directly, in proportion to the increase in electricity cost, to all retail delivery customers of an electrical corporation all revenues, as specified, the electrical corporation receives as a direct result of the direct allocation of greenhouse gas allowances in proportion to the increase in electricity costs those customers incur as a result of the state board adopting a market-based compliance mechanism. Because a violation of this requirement is a 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 recognize June 12, 2012, as the 114th Anniversary of Philippine Independence, and would call upon the people of the state to observe the month of June with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities.

Existing law provides that the Department of Transportation has full possession and control of the state highway system and associated property. Existing law authorizes the department to place signs on state highways directing motorists to culturally unique and historically significant communities within the geographic boundaries of a city, county, or city and county under certain conditions. Among these conditions is a requirement for the governing body of the city, county, or city and county in which the community is located to adopt a resolution that designates the name of the community, defines the geographic boundaries of the community, and requests the department to post the signs. This bill would, until January 1, 2014, authorize the department to also post signs under these provisions in the absence of compliance with the above-referenced resolution requirements, if the governing board of the county in which the community is located adopts a resolution conforming with the above-referenced requirements and the city in which the community is located, if any, provides a letter from the director of transportation or the city official in charge of transportation matters indicating that the city is not opposed to the placement of signs. This bill would also authorize the department to continue to display the signs installed under these provisions after the repeal of these provisions.

This measure would proclaim February 29, 2012, as Rare Disease Day in California.

This measure would designate the month of February 2012 as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, and would encourage all Californians to observe Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month with appropriate programs and activities that raise awareness about teen dating violence and promote healthy teen relationships in their communities.