Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the week of January 25 to January 31, 2026, as National School Choice Week. The measure does not change any laws or affect funding, but it officially recognizes a period intended to highlight school choice options. It is a symbolic resolution that does not alter policy or impose new requirements on schools or families.

Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Education and consider including, when revising the history-social science curriculum framework, age-appropriate information on specified financial literacy topics for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, as provided. Existing law requires a pupil to complete designated coursework while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school. These graduation requirements include, among others, the completion of 3 courses in social studies, including a one-semester course in economics. Commencing with pupils graduating in the 2030–31 school year, existing law requires the completion of a separate, stand-alone one-semester course in personal finance that is prohibited from being combined with any other course. Existing law requires this personal finance course to include information on all of, and only, the above-described financial literacy topics recommended for inclusion in the revised history-social science curriculum framework. Commencing with the 2027–28 school year, existing law requires a local educational agency with pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, to offer a separate, stand-alone one-semester course in personal finance, and also authorizes a local educational agency to exempt a pupil who completes such a course from the graduation requirement to complete a one-semester course in economics. If a local educational agency elects to offer a personal finance course offered as part of an integrated, year-long course that is equivalent in quality and rigor to the stand-alone personal finance course and that has a course scope that includes, at a minimum, the above-described financial literacy topics recommended for inclusion in the revised history-social science curriculum framework, this bill would (1) deem that course to satisfy the above-described graduation requirement to complete a stand-alone personal finance course, (2) additionally authorize the local educational agency to exempt a pupil who completes such a course from the graduation requirement to complete a one-semester course in economics, and (3) deem that course to satisfy the above-described requirement on local educational agencies with pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, to offer a separate, stand-alone one-semester course in personal finance.

Existing law requires that each death be registered with the local registrar of births and deaths in the district in which the death was officially pronounced or the body was found. Existing law establishes the required contents of the death certificate, including, but not limited to, the decedent's name, sex, race, and the disease or conditions leading directly to death and antecedent causes, among other relevant identifying and medical information. When the facts are incorrectly stated in a certificate of death, including a typographical error, existing law authorizes a person to make an affidavit under oath stating the changes necessary to make the record correct. Existing law requires that specified information be filed with the state or local registrar, and if the amendments are accepted, the State Registrar is required to transmit copies of the amendment to the county recorder in whose offices the copies of the original record and information are on file. Existing law requires the amendment to be filed with and become a part of the record to which it pertains. This bill would authorize a family member of the deceased, when a judicial determination is made on the manner of a deceased person's death, to submit a written request to the State Registrar for a new death certificate reflecting the newly determined manner of death. This bill would require the request to be supported by a certified copy of the plea, verdict, statement of decision, or a judgment showing that the manner of death was determined by a finder of fact to be different than stated on the existing certificate. The bill would require the State Registrar to review the request and issue a new death certificate if specified conditions are met, including, but not limited to, that the request identifies the determination of manner of death in the certified court record. The bill would require the State Registrar to transmit copies of the new death certificate and the new certificate will supplant any previously issued certificate for the deceased person. The bill would require the local registrar to transmit any copies of the previously issued death certificate to the State Registrar if it is practical to do so and if it is not practical to do so, seal a cover over the copy, as specified. The bill would specify that a plea, verdict, statement of decision, or judgment reflects a judicial determination that the manner of death was homicide if it shows criminal responsibility or civil liability for the death of the deceased person. The bill would authorize a family member of the deceased to include additional certified court records with their request to permit the State Registrar to determine the manner of death. The bill would require a determination by the State Registrar to be based solely on the request and the submitted certified court documents. By imposing new duties on local registrars, this bill would impose a state-mandated 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.

Existing law governs the recall of certain state and local elective officers. Existing law requires proponents of a recall to serve, file, and publish a copy of the notice of intention to recall the elective officer, as specified. Existing law requires the notice of intention to contain, among other things, the printed name, signature, and residence address, including street and number, city, and ZIP Code, of each proponent of the recall. Existing law requires publication of the notice of intention in a newspaper of general circulation in the jurisdiction of the officer sought to be recalled. If there is no newspaper of general circulation, the notice of intention must be posted in at least 3 public places within the jurisdiction. This bill would require the proponents' signatures and the street numbers and street names of their residence to be redacted or otherwise excluded from the notice of intention before it is made available to the public. The bill would require a notice of intention to contain a declaration in which proponents confirm, among other things, that they understand they are signing to initiate the recall petition process and that the notice of intention is a public record. If there is no newspaper of general circulation in the jurisdiction of the officer sought to be recalled, the bill would require the notice of intention to also be posted on at least 3 internet websites. 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.

Existing law, the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law, under the administration and enforcement of the State Department of Public Health, provides for the regulation of various subjects relating to the manufacturing, processing, labeling, advertising, and sale of food, drugs, and cosmetics. Existing law places product testing and disclosure requirements on various products, including baby food and prenatal vitamins. A violation of the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law is punishable as a misdemeanor. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2028, require a manufacturer of a bulk protein product or a packaged protein product, as defined, that is sold, manufactured, delivered, held, or offered for sale in this state to test a representative sample of each lot of the product for heavy metals, as defined. The bill would require both a manufacturer and brand owner to provide test results to an authorized agent of the department upon their request, as specified. The bill would, commencing January 1, 2028, require a brand owner of a packaged protein product that is sold, manufactured, delivered, held, or offered for sale in the state to disclose specified product information to the public, including, among other things, the heavy metal testing information. Commencing on or after January 1, 2028, the bill would require a statement regarding heavy metal testing to be included on the outermost package of a packaged protein product sold in a retail store and on the product details page on an internet website for products sold online or directly to consumers. The bill would, commencing January 1, 2028, prohibit a person from selling in the state or manufacturing, delivering, holding, or offering for sale in the state a protein product that does not comply with these provisions. By creating a new crime, 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.

The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the tax imposed by that law. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax credit to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax credit will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would allow credits against the tax imposed by the Personal Income Tax Law for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, and before January 1, 2032, to a qualified taxpayer for qualified costs relating to qualified home hardening, as defined, and for qualified costs relating to qualified vegetation management, as defined, in specified amounts, not to exceed an aggregate amount of $50,000,000 per taxable year. This bill would require a qualified taxpayer to reserve a credit for qualified costs relating to qualified home hardening or qualified vegetation management to be eligible for the above-described credits and provide all necessary information for this purpose, as specified. This bill also would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new income tax credit and would require the Legislative Analyst's Office to prepare a written report regarding the credits, as provided. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law requires the Department of Veterans Affairs, in voluntary cooperation with specified local entities, to design, develop, and construct a state-owned and state-operated Northern and Southern California Veterans Cemetery and California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery. Existing law requires the department to oversee and coordinate the design, development, and construction of these cemeteries. Existing law requires the department to adopt regulations to specify the eligibility requirements for interment in one of these cemeteries. This bill would require the department to establish and administer a state and local matching funds program for veterans cemetery maintenance funds by requiring that for $1 contributed locally by individuals, veterans' service organizations, local governments, or private donors, the state would contribute $1 in matching funds, up to $250,000 per veterans cemetery per fiscal year. The bill would require a veterans cemetery to apply to the department to be part of the program, and would require the department to, among other things, review the applications annually. The bill would establish the Veterans Cemetery Maintenance-Endowment Account in the General Fund that would be administered by the department. The bill would require moneys in the account to be allocated, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the department for distribution to a veterans cemetery. The bill would require the department to provide to the Legislature a report summarizing all participating veterans cemeteries, total state matches, and fund performance.

Existing law designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for the preparation of the state implementation plan required by the federal Clean Air Act, and requires the state board to adopt standards, rules, and regulations that are consistent with the state goal of providing a decent home and suitable living environment for every Californian. Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, governs, among other things, the procedures for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of regulations by state agencies. Existing law requires a state agency proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal a regulation that is not a major regulation, as defined, to prepare an economic impact assessment, as provided. Existing law requires a state agency that is proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal a major regulation to prepare a standardized regulatory impact analysis, as provided. This bill would require the State Air Resources Board proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal a regulation to include in either the economic impact assessment, or the standardized regulatory impact assessment, a distributional analysis of the costs, benefits, and net impacts on personal income across income levels and an informative digest, as provided.

The Personal Income Tax Law, in modified conformity with federal income tax laws, allows various deductions in calculating taxable income. Existing federal income tax law, for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2029, allows deductions in determining taxable income, as defined, for amounts equal to the qualified tips, as defined. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and before January 1, 2029, would conform to federal income tax law with regard to qualified tips, except as provided. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill also would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law generally provides financial support for cities and counties to provide public safety services, including, among other funding, moneys allocated through the Local Revenue Fund 2011 and its accounts. Existing law, enacted by the voters as the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act (Proposition 36) at the November 5, 2024, statewide general election, authorizes the Board of State and Community Corrections to allocate appropriate funds to counties and local governments for programs under the Treatment-Mandated Felony Act, as specified. This bill, the Funding of Proposition 36 Act, would create the California Public Safety Services Support Fund to be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to implement Proposition 36. The bill would, upon appropriation by the Legislature for the 2026–27 fiscal year, require the funds to be administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections, as specified. The bill would also require, beginning in the 2027–28 fiscal year, the Governor to annually include a proposed transfer from the General Fund to the California Public Safety Services Support Fund of an amount sufficient to fund the ongoing administration of Proposition 36 as part of the Governor's proposed budget to the Legislature. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.