The California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 provides the Division of Occupational Safety and Health within the Department of Industrial Relations with the power, jurisdiction, and supervision over all employment and places of employment necessary to enforce and administer all occupational health and safety laws,and standards and to protect employees. The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, an independent entity within the department, has the exclusive authority to adopt occupational safety and health standards within the state. Existing law requires every employer to comply with those standards. A violation of these standards and regulations under specific circumstances is a crime. This bill would require the board to adopt occupational safety and health standards for state public works projects to prevent and control coccidioidomycosis, more commonly known as Valley Fever. By expanding the definition of an existing 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.
Sponsored bills
This measure would designate the month of April 2018 as Aviation Awareness Month.
This measure would encourage any individual taxpayer in California who disapproves of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to donate their tax savings to the State of California's General Fund, as specified.
(1) Existing property tax law provides, pursuant to the authority of a specified provision of the California Constitution, for a homeowners' exemption in the amount of $7,000 of the full value of a "dwelling," as defined, and authorizes the Legislature to increase this exemption. This bill, beginning with the lien date for the 2019–20 fiscal year, would increase the homeowners' exemption from $7,000 to $14,000 of the full value of a dwelling. This bill, for the 2020–21 fiscal year and for each fiscal year thereafter, would also require the county assessor to adjust the amount of the homeowners' exemption by the percentage change in the House Price Index for California for the first 3 quarters of the prior calendar year, as specified. (2) The Personal Income Tax Law imposes taxes based upon taxable income of individuals, estates, and trusts, at specified rates. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2018, would revise the personal income tax rates and the amounts of income those rates are imposed upon, as provided. (3) The California Constitution requires the Legislature, whenever it increases the homeowners' property tax exemption, to provide a comparable increase in benefits to qualified renters. The Personal Income Tax Law authorizes various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including a credit for qualified renters in the amount of $120 for spouses filing joint returns, heads of household, and surviving spouses if adjusted gross income is $50,000 or less, and in the amount of $60 for other individuals if adjusted gross income is $25,000 or less. Existing law requires the Franchise Tax Board to annually adjust for inflation these adjusted gross income amounts. This bill, for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2019, would increase this credit for a qualified renter to $240 for spouses filing joint returns, heads of household, and surviving spouses if adjusted gross income is $50,000 or less, as adjusted for inflation, and to an amount equal to $120 for other individuals if adjusted gross income is $25,000 or less, as adjusted for inflation. The bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, would also require the Franchise Tax Board to annually adjust for inflation, based upon the California Consumer Price Index, the amount of these credits. The bill would also make nonsubstantive changes to the renters' credit. (4) The Corporation Tax Law generally imposes a franchise tax on corporations doing business within the limits of this state, including a minimum franchise tax on specified corporations, as provided. This bill would eliminate the minimum franchise tax and make related technical amendments. (5) Existing law requires the state to reimburse local agencies annually for certain property tax revenues lost as a result of any exemption or classification of property for purposes of ad valorem property taxation. This bill would provide that, notwithstanding those provisions, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse local agencies for property tax revenues lost by them pursuant to the bill. (6) This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
This measure would designate Monday, May 7, 2018, as California Peace Officers' Memorial Day, urge all Californians to use that day to honor California peace officers, and recognize specified California peace officers who were killed in defense of their communities.
This measure would designate April 2018 as California Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Month.
This measure would declare May 1, 2018, to May 7, 2018, inclusive, as California Physical Education Week, to coincide with National Physical Education and Sport Week, in an effort to promote high-quality physical education instruction for all pupils in California. The measure also would encourage teachers, school policymakers, and school leaders to provide the highest quality physical education instruction in their schools for all pupils and provide that the week serve as an opportunity for those persons to collaboratively review current instructional practices in physical education and make needed recommendations.
This measure would proclaim the month of April 2018 as California Wines: Down to Earth Month, to celebrate the sustainable leadership of California wineries and winegrape growers throughout the month of April.
The California Constitution conditions the imposition of a general tax by a local government upon the approval of a majority of its voters voting on the tax. The California Constitution requires the election for the vote on a general tax to be consolidated with a regularly scheduled election for members of the governing body of the local government, except in cases where the members of the governing body of the local government, by a unanimous vote, declare an emergency. The California Constitution conditions the imposition of a special tax by a local government upon the approval of 23 of the voters voting on the tax. The California Constitution defines "local government" for these purposes to mean any county, city, city and county, including a charter city or county, any special district, or any other local or regional governmental entity. This measure would specify that the electorate exercising its initiative power is within the definition of "local government," and that these conditions and requirements apply to the exercise of that power. The California Constitution prohibits an assessment or property-related fee or charge from being assessed by an agency on any parcel of property unless it meets certain requirements. Existing provisions of the California Constitution require an agency to follow specified procedures in imposing or increasing an assessment or property-related fee or charge, and condition the imposition or increase of an assessment or property-related fee or charge, with certain exceptions, upon the absence of a majority protest on the part of owners of affected parcels and, in the case of a property-related fee or charge, upon approval by either a majority vote of the owners of the subject parcels or a 23 vote of the voters residing in the affected area. The California Constitution defines "agency" for these purposes to mean any county, city, city and county, including a charter city or county, any special district, or any other local or regional governmental entity. This measure would specify that the electorate exercising its initiative power is within the definition of "agency," and that the existing requirements and procedures apply to the exercise of that power.
Under existing law, it is a crime to assault, batter, or interfere with, as specified, a police dog or police horse. Under existing law, a violation of these provisions is punishable as a misdemeanor, or, if a serious physical injury is inflicted upon the animal, as a misdemeanor or a felony. Additionally, under existing law, if a person, with the intent to inflict injury or death, causes the death or serious physical injury of the animal, that person is, upon conviction of a felony, punishable by an additional one-year term of imprisonment. Under existing law, for each felony case, a court is required to hold, and a prosecutor is required to attend, a preliminary hearing. This bill would instead make the intentional killing or infliction of serious physical injury to a police dog or police horse a felony punishable by imprisonment for 2, 3, or 4 years. By changing the penalty of an existing crime, and by imposing additional duties on local prosecutors by increasing the number of preliminary hearings, 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.