Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh

Existing law requires a registration fee to be paid to the Department of Motor Vehicles for the registration of each vehicle or trailer coach of a type subject to registration under the Vehicle Code, except those vehicles that are expressly exempted from the payment of registration fees. This bill would require the department, if there is an increase in the registration fee described above, to complete and post an affordability impact analysis on its internet website within 6 months of the date that the increase becomes effective. The bill would require the affordability impact analysis to include, among other things, the average increase in annual vehicle registration costs over the past 5 years and the total number of vehicles with delinquent registrations.

Existing law, the Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax Law, imposes a tax upon each gallon of motor vehicle fuel removed from a refinery or terminal rack in this state, entered into this state, or sold in this state, at a specified rate per gallon. Existing unfair competition laws establish a statutory cause of action for unfair competition, including any unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business act or practice and unfair, deceptive, untrue, or misleading advertising and acts prohibited by false advertisement laws. This bill would suspend the imposition of the tax on motor vehicle fuels for one year. The bill would require that all savings realized based on the suspension of the motor vehicle fuels tax by a person other than an end consumer, as defined, be passed on to the end consumer, and would make the violation of this requirement an unfair business practice, in violation of unfair competition laws, as provided. The bill would require a seller of motor vehicle fuels to provide a receipt to a purchaser that indicates the amount of tax that would have otherwise applied to the transaction. This bill would also direct the Controller to transfer a specified amount from the General Fund to the Motor Vehicle Fuel Account in the Transportation Tax Fund. By transferring General Fund moneys to a continuously appropriated account, this bill would make an appropriation. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

(1) Existing law generally provides for the confidentiality of information regarding a minor in proceedings in the juvenile court and related court proceedings and limits access to juvenile case files, as defined. Existing law authorizes only certain individuals to inspect a juvenile case file, including members of children's multidisciplinary teams, persons, or agencies providing treatment or supervision of the minor, and a judge, commissioner, or other hearing officer assigned to a family law case with issues concerning custody or visitation, or both, involving the minor, and specified individuals if actively participating in the family law case. Under existing law, if a juvenile case file or portion thereof is otherwise privileged or confidential pursuant to state or federal law or regulation, an individual not otherwise entitled to access the file or portions thereof without a court order must petition the juvenile court for release of the portion of, or information relating to the contents of, juvenile case files otherwise protected, as specified. This bill would, among other things, additionally authorize members of the parents' treatment teams to access a juvenile case file, as specified. The bill would additionally authorize a judge, commissioner, or other hearing officer assigned to a probate case, as well as specified persons if actively involved in a probate case, including counsel for the parents, to inspect the file, as specified. The bill would specify requirements for the use records or information received from the file. The bill would also require, if a juvenile case file, or portion thereof, is privileged or confidential pursuant to other state or federal law or regulation, if a petition is filed and the records are not released within 30 days after the filing of the petition, the juvenile court to set the matter for hearing. (2) Existing law authorizes a child welfare agency to permit its files and records relating to a minor who is the subject of a family law or probate guardianship case involving custody or visitation issues to be inspected by, and to provide copies to, specified individuals actively participating in the family law or probate case, including an attorney for a party to the family law or probate case. Existing law requires any records or information, including the testimony of a social worker, to be maintained solely in the confidential portion of the family law or probate file. The bill would instead require the child welfare agency to permit its files and records relating to a minor, who is the subject of a family law, probate guardianship case, or child welfare agency involvement, to be inspected by, and to provide copies to, specified individuals if the individuals are participating in these cases within 2 weeks of their written request, after an investigation has been closed. The bill would expand the individuals who qualify pursuant to this provision to include an attorney who is assisting a parent of a child who is subject to child welfare involvement, regardless of whether a petition is filed. The bill would require records or information to be filed under seal in a family law or probate matter. By increasing duties on child welfare agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would authorize any person permitted to access records or information to release the records or information to any other person entitled to access the records or information. The bill would authorize attorneys to release any records or information, as necessary under certain circumstances. The bill would prohibit the juvenile case file, as specified, from being made as an attachment to any other documents without the prior approval of the presiding judge of the juvenile court, unless certain conditions are met. (3) 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 prohibits local governments from enacting or enforcing any charter provision, ordinance, or regulation requiring a person to present identification for the purpose of voting or submitting a ballot at any polling place, vote center, or other location where ballots are cast or submitted. This bill would repeal that prohibition.

Existing law defines the crime of burglary, which consists of entering specified buildings, places, or vehicles with the intent to commit grand or petty theft or a felony. Existing law defines burglary of the first degree as any burglary of an inhabited building and makes burglary of the first degree punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 2, 4, or 6 years. Existing law defines all other burglary as burglary of the 2nd degree and makes it punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for one year or as a felony. Existing law defines any 2nd degree burglary during and within an affected county in a state of emergency or local emergency, as specified, as looting, punishable by either imprisonment in a county jail for one year or as a felony. This bill would make that crime punishable instead as a felony. By increasing the punishment of 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.

Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, authorizes the Governor to proclaim a state of emergency, as defined, under specified circumstances. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to impersonate a peace officer or an officer or member of a fire department or the Office of the State Fire Marshal. This bill would make impersonating a peace officer or an officer or member of a fire department or the Office of the State Fire Marshal during a state of emergency or local emergency punishable as either a misdemeanor or a felony, as specified. By increasing the punishment of 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.

Existing law imposes various limitations on emissions of air contaminants for the control of air pollution from vehicular and nonvehicular sources. Existing law generally designates air pollution control and air quality management districts with the primary responsibility for the control of air pollution from all sources other than vehicular sources. Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to identify toxic air contaminants that are emitted into the ambient air of the state and to establish airborne toxic control measures to reduce emissions of toxic air contaminants from nonvehicular sources. This bill would require an air district without a specified rule on emergency backup generators, as defined, as of January 1, 2026, that adopts such a rule to include in the rule provisions that allow the operator of a critical facility, as defined, to use a permitted emergency backup generator in exceedance of the applicable runtime and testing and maintenance limits if specified conditions are met. The bill would require a critical facility allowed to exceed applicable limits under a rule adopted pursuant to that provision to attest to and provide evidence of having taken demonstrable steps toward implementing the use of backup power technologies that meet or exceed emission standards set by the state board. By adding to the duties of air districts, the 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.

Existing law establishes the Department of Motor Vehicles, tasked with issuance and renewal of licenses to drivers. Existing law requires the department to prescribe and provide suitable forms of applications, certificates of ownership, registration cards, driver's licenses, and all other forms that are deemed necessary. This bill would, by January 1, 2027, require the department, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, to develop a Blue Envelope Program. Under the program, the bill would require the blue envelope to contain specified information for requesters with a condition or disability, as specified. The bill would also authorize others, including a parent or legal guardian of a passenger with a disability, to request a blue envelope.

Existing law establishes the Joint Sunset Review Committee (committee) , a legislative committee comprised of 10 Members of the Legislature, to identify and eliminate waste, duplication, and inefficiency in government agencies and to conduct a comprehensive analysis of an eligible agency, as defined, for which a date for repeal has been established, to determine if the agency is still necessary and cost effective. Existing law requires each eligible agency scheduled for repeal to submit to the committee, on or before December 1 before the year it is set to be repealed, a complete agency report covering the entire period since last reviewed, as described. This bill would additionally require each eligible agency scheduled for repeal to submit to the committee, on or before December 1, 2026, a comprehensive report covering the entire period since last reviewed, as specified. The bill would require the committee to conduct a comprehensive analysis of each eligible agency to determine if the eligible agency is still necessary and cost-effective, as prescribed. The bill would require the committee to publish a report on its internet website with recommendations determining, among other things, whether an eligible agency should be continued with its current structure and responsibilities.

Existing law, the Chiropractic Act, enacted by an initiative measure, provides for the licensure and regulation of chiropractors by the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners. A violation of the act is a misdemeanor. Existing law, the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of veterinarians and the practice of veterinary medicine by the Veterinary Medical Board. This bill would prohibit a chiropractor who is not under the supervision of a veterinarian from practicing animal chiropractic, as defined, without being registered as an animal chiropractic practitioner by the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners and satisfying certain requirements, including holding a certificate from one of specified entities, unless otherwise specified by the board. The bill would specify that the board shall establish requirements for registration and would establish conditions and requirements for practicing animal chiropractic. The bill would require an animal chiropractic practitioner to comply with regulations of the board applicable to chiropractors, would authorize the board to adopt regulations necessary to implement the bill's provisions, and would require the board, if adopting specified regulations, to consult with the Veterinary Medical Board, including regulations regarding standards of medicine or care for an animal. The bill would make an animal chiropractic practitioner exempt from the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act. By expanding the scope of a crime under the Chiropractic Initiative Act, the 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.