Existing property tax law requires the county auditor, in each fiscal year, to allocate property tax revenue to local jurisdictions in accordance with specified formulas and procedures, and generally requires that each jurisdiction be allocated an amount equal to the total of the amount of revenue allocated to that jurisdiction in the prior fiscal year, subject to certain modifications, and that jurisdiction's portion of the annual tax increment, as defined. Existing property tax law also reduces the amounts of ad valorem property tax revenue that would otherwise be annually allocated to the county, cities, and special districts pursuant to these general allocation requirements by requiring, for purposes of determining property tax revenue allocations in each county for the 1992–93 and 1993–94 fiscal years, that the amounts of property tax revenue deemed allocated in the prior fiscal year to the county, cities, and special districts be reduced in accordance with certain formulas. Under these provisions for the 1992–93 fiscal year, the formula for special districts reduces the amounts of property tax revenue deemed allocated in the prior fiscal year to certain special districts by 35%, not to exceed 10% of a district's total annual revenues for the 1989–90 fiscal year, as reported in a specified publication of the Controller. Existing law requires the Director of Finance to ensure that the amount of these revenue reductions for all special districts equals $375,000,000 for the 1992–93 fiscal year. Existing law also requires that the revenues not allocated to the county, cities, and special districts as a result of these reductions be transferred to the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF) in that county for allocation to school districts, community college districts, and the county office of education. This bill would, for the 2009–10 fiscal year, decrease by $58,310 the total amount of property tax revenue deemed allocated to the Solano County ERAF for the Cordelia Fire Protection District for the prior fiscal year. This bill would also require that these allocation adjustments be incorporated into property tax revenue allocations for future fiscal years. This bill would also require the Director of Finance to ensure that this change does not result in an increase in the amount of a reduction under these provisions for any other special district. This bill would make findings and declarations regarding the necessity of a special statute. By changing the manner in which property tax revenues are allocated by county officials in the County of Solano, 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 bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Sponsored bills
Existing law, known as the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program, establishes, among other programs, the Cal Grant A Entitlement Program, the Cal Grant B Entitlement Program, the California Community College Transfer Cal Grant Entitlement Program and the Competitive Cal Grant A and B award program, under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs. This bill would, commencing with the 2010–11 academic year, entitle an otherwise eligible student who is a member or former member of the Armed Forces of the United States, as defined, who meets prescribed requirements, including enrollment in a qualifying undergraduate certificate or degree program, to a Cal Grant A Entitlement Award or a Cal Grant B Entitlement Award. The bill also would require the Student Aid Commission to make preliminary awards to all applicants currently eligible for an award under the program, and would require each person who receives a preliminary award to affirm, in writing, that he or she meets specified requirements for eligibility in the program. The bill would require the commission to randomly select at least 10% of the new and renewal awards made under the program and verify that the student meets specified requirements for eligibility. The bill would require the commission to seek repayment of any funds found to be improperly disbursed under the program, and would require the commission to submit an annual report to the Legislature and the Governor regarding, among other things, the number of awards made under this program.
Existing law prohibits an investment firm, as defined, from having specified interests in a new issuance of bonds from a local agency. This bill would prohibit a local agency from entering into a financial advisory, legal advisory, underwriting, or similar relationship with an individual or firm, with respect to a bond issue that requires voter approval on or after January 1, 2010, if that individual or firm, or an employee, agent, or person related to an employee or agent of the individual or firm, provided or will provide bond campaign services, as defined, to the bond campaign.
Existing law requires various state agencies to administer programs relating to water supply, water quality, and flood management in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The Johnston-Baker-Andal-Boatwright Delta Protection Act of 1992 (Delta Protection Act) creates the Delta Protection Commission and requires the commission to prepare and adopt a comprehensive long-term resource management plan for specified lands within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Existing law requires the Secretary of the Resources Agency to convene a committee to develop and submit to the Governor and the Legislature, on or before December 31, 2008, recommendations for implementing a specified strategic plan relating to the sustainable management of the Delta. This bill would revise and recast the provisions of the Delta Protection Act to, among other things, reduce the number of commission members to 15 members, as specified. The bill would require the commission to appoint at least one advisory committee consisting of representatives from specified entities to provide input regarding the diverse interests within the Delta. The bill would require the commission to adopt, not later than July 1, 2011, an economic sustainability plan containing specified elements and would require the commission to review and, as determined to be necessary, amend the plan every 5 years. The bill would require the commission to prepare and submit to the Legislature, by July 1, 2010, recommendations on the potential expansion of or change to the primary zone or the Delta. The bill would establish the Delta Investment Fund in the State Treasury. Moneys in the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, would be required to be expended by the commission to implement the regional economic sustainability plan. The bill would establish in the Natural Resources Agency the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy. The conservancy would be required to act as a primary state agency to implement ecosystem restoration in the Delta and to support efforts that advance environmental protection and the economic well-being of Delta residents. The bill would specify the composition of the conservancy and grant certain authority to the conservancy, including the authority to acquire real property interests from willing sellers or transferors. The conservancy would be required to use conservation easements to accomplish ecosystem restoration whenever feasible. The conservancy would be required to prepare and adopt a strategic plan to achieve the goals of the conservancy. The strategic plan would be required to be consistent with the Delta Plan and certain other plans. The bill would establish the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy Fund in the State Treasury. Moneys in the fund would be available, upon appropriation, to finance projects, including ecosystem restoration and economic sustainability projects. These provisions would only become operative if AB 39, AB 49, SB 12, and SB 229 of the 2009–10 Regular Session of the Legislature, relating to water use and resource management, are each enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2010.
(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, as defined. Existing law requires the PUC to require the state's 3 largest electrical corporations, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas and Electric, and Southern California Edison, to identify a separate electrical rate component to fund programs that enhance system reliability and provide in-state benefits. This rate component is a nonbypassable element of local distribution and collected on the basis of usage. Existing PUC resolutions refer to the nonbypassable rate component as a "public goods charge." The public goods charge moneys are collected to support cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation activities, public interest research and development not adequately provided by competitive and regulated markets, and renewable energy resources. The existing Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) . Existing law establishes the Renewable Resource Trust Fund as a fund that is continuously appropriated, with certain exceptions for administrative expenses, in the State Treasury and requires that certain moneys collected to support renewable energy resources through the public goods charge are deposited into the fund and authorizes the Energy Commission to expend the moneys pursuant to the Renewable Energy Resources Program. The program states the intent of the Legislature to increase the amount of electricity generated from eligible renewable energy resources per year so that amount equals at least 20% of total retail sales of electricity in California per year by December 31, 2010. This bill would revise the Renewable Energy Resources Program to state the intent of the Legislature to increase the amount of electricity generated from eligible renewable energy resources per year, so that amount equals at least 33% of total retail sales of electricity in California per year by December 31, 2020. The bill would revise certain terms used in the program and revise certain eligibility criteria for a renewable electrical generation facility, as defined, pursuant to the program. The bill would require the Energy Commission, by May 31, 2010, to report to the Legislature whether out-of-state, run-of-river hydroelectric generating facilities should be considered renewable electric generating facilities, as defined. (2) Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature, in establishing the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (RPS program) , to increase the amount of electricity generated per year from eligible renewable energy resources, as defined, to an amount that equals at least 20% of the total electricity sold to retail customers in California per year by December 31, 2010. This bill would express the intent that the amount of electricity generated per year from eligible renewable energy resources be increased to an amount that equals at least 20% of the total electricity sold to retail customers in California per year by December 31, 2013, and 33% by December 31, 2020. (3) The Public Utilities Act imposes various duties and responsibilities on the PUC with respect to the purchase of electricity and requires the PUC to review and adopt a procurement plan and a renewable energy procurement plan for each electrical corporation, as defined, pursuant to the RPS program. The RPS program requires that a retail seller of electricity, including electrical corporations, community choice aggregators, and electric service providers, but not including local publicly owned electric utilities, purchase a specified minimum percentage of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources in any given year as a specified percentage of total kilowatthours sold to retail end-use customers each calendar year. The RPS program requires the PUC to implement annual procurement targets for each retail seller to increase its total procurement of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources by at least an additional 1% of retail sales per year so that 20% of its retail sales of electricity are procured from eligible renewable energy resources no later than December 31, 2010. Existing law requires the PUC to make a determination of the existing market cost for electricity, which PUC decisions call the market price referent, and to limit an electrical corporation's obligation to procure electricity from eligible renewable energy resources, that exceeds the market price referent, to an amount collected through the renewable energy public goods charge. This bill would instead require the PUC to require that a retail seller procure the following percentages of electricity from eligible renewable energy resources by the following dates: (A) Until December 31, 2012, the same percentage as actually achieved by the retail seller during 2009; (B) 20% by December 31, 2013; (C) 25% by December 31, 2016; and (D) 33% by December 31, 2020. The bill would authorize the PUC to permit a retail seller to delay compliance with (B) or (C) procurement levels when specified circumstances are present, but would not authorize the PUC to permit a retail seller to delay compliance with the (D) procurement level. The bill would delete the existing market price referent provisions and instead require the PUC to establish a methodology to determine the market price of electricity for terms corresponding to the length of contracts with eligible renewable energy resources, in consideration of, and reflecting, certain matters. The bill would require the PUC to establish a limitation on the annual expenditures made above the market price, by an electrical corporation, in order to achieve the procurement levels established by the PUC. The bill would require the PUC to permit an electrical corporation to limit its procurement of electricity from eligible renewable energy resources to that quantity that can be procured at or below the market prices established by the PUC, up to the limitation. The bill would delete an existing requirement that the PUC adopt flexible rules for compliance for retail sellers. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the PUC is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill are within the act and require action by the PUC to implement its requirements, a violation of these provisions would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the definition of a crime. (4) Under existing law, the governing board of a local publicly owned electric utility is responsible for implementing and enforcing a renewables portfolio standard for the utility that recognizes the intent of the Legislature to encourage renewable resources, while taking into consideration the effect of the standard on rates, reliability, and financial resources and the goal of environmental improvement. This bill would repeal this provision and instead make certain of the requirements of the RPS program, as discussed below, applicable to local publicly owned electric utilities. By placing additional requirements upon local publicly owned electric utilities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (5) Existing law requires the Energy Commission to certify eligible renewable energy resources, to design and implement an accounting system to verify compliance with the RPS requirements by retail sellers, and to develop tracking, accounting, verification, and enforcement mechanisms for renewable energy credits, as defined. This bill would require the Energy Commission to design and implement an accounting system to verify compliance with the RPS requirements by retail sellers and local publicly owned electric utilities. The bill would require the Energy Commission, among other things, to adopt regulations specifying procedures for enforcement of the RPS requirements that include a public process under which the Energy Commission is authorized to issue a notice of violation and correction with respect to a local publicly owned electric utility and for referral to the State Air Resources Board for penalties imposed pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The bill would require that the RPS established for a local publicly owned electric utility require it to procure the following percentages of electricity from eligible renewable energy resources by the following dates: (A) Until December 31, 2012, the same percentage as actually achieved by the utility during 2009; (B) 20% by December 31, 2013; (C) 25% by December 31, 2016; and (D) 33% by December 31, 2020. The bill would provide that the local publicly owned electric utility retains discretion with respect to certain matters in complying with the RPS, would require that certain notices be given by the utility when adopting and periodically revising its procurement plan, and would require the utility to report certain information relative to RPS compliance to the Energy Commission and its customers. (6) Existing law requires the PUC to prepare and submit to the Governor and the Legislature a written report annually before February 1 of each year on the costs of programs and activities conducted by an electrical corporation or gas corporation that have more than a specified number of customers in California. The bill would require the PUC to prepare and submit to the policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, annually before February 1 of each year, a report on (A) all electrical corporation revenue requirement increases associated with meeting the renewables portfolio standard, (B) all cost savings experienced, or costs avoided, by electrical corporations as a result of meeting the renewables portfolio standard, (C) all costs incurred by electrical corporations for incentives for distributed and renewable generation, (D) all cost savings experienced, or costs avoided, by electrical corporations as a result of incentives for distributed generation and renewable generation, (E) specified costs for which an electrical corporation is seeking recovery in rates that are pending determination or approval by the PUC, (F) the decision number of each PUC decision in the prior year authorizing an electrical corporation to recover costs incurred in rates, and (G) any changes in the prior year in load serviced by an electrical corporation. (7) This bill would appropriate $322,000 from the Public Utilities Commission Utilities Reimbursement Account to the PUC for additional staffing to identify, review, and approve transmission lines reasonably necessary or appropriate to facilitate achievement of the renewables portfolio standard. (8) 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 specified reasons.
Existing law authorizes the governing board of any school district to provide a comprehensive educational counseling program for all pupils enrolled in the district. Existing law requires that educational counseling include academic counseling, in which pupils receive counseling regarding establishment and implementation of educational plans, achievement of proficiency standards, completion of required curriculum, and access to, and success in, higher education, and career and vocational counseling, in which pupils are assisted in planning for the future, becoming aware of their career potential, developing realistic perceptions of work, and relating to the work world. This bill would state legislative intent relating to the role of school counselors and counseling programs. The bill would, to align academic counseling with the Middle and High School Supplemental Counseling Program, authorize the academic counseling component of educational counseling to also include an individualized review of pupil's academic and deportment records and of his or her career goals, and the opportunity for a counselor to meet with each pupil and his or her parents or legal guardian to explain the academic progress needed to complete middle or high school, pass the high school exit examination, and be eligible for admission to a 4-year institution of postsecondary education and the availability of career technical education, among other things. The bill would authorize the career and vocational counseling component of educational counseling to include identifying personal interests, skills, and abilities, career planning, course selection, and career transition, and assisting pupils to understand the changing work environment, the effect of work on lifestyle, the relationship between academic achievement and career success, the importance of maximizing career options, the value of participating in career technical education and work-based learning activities and programs, and the need to develop essential employable skills and work habits, among other things. The bill would require ongoing professional development related to career and vocational counseling to include strategies for pupils pursuing postsecondary education, career technical education, multiple pathways, college, and global career opportunities.
Existing law, the Knox‑Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Under existing law, health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies that include coverage for the treatment or surgery of cervical cancer are deemed to provide coverage for an annual cervical cancer screening test, upon the referral of the patient's physician and surgeon, nurse practitioner, or certified nurse midwife, as specified. This bill would make those provisions apply if the referral is made by a physician assistant, as specified. In addition, the bill would require those plan contracts and insurance policies to provide coverage for a human papillomavirus vaccination, as specified. Because a willful violation of the bill's requirements by a health care service plan would be a 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.
Existing law provides that the parents and guardians of pupils enrolled in public schools have the right and should have the opportunity, as mutually supportive and respectful partners in the education of their children within the public schools, to be informed by the school, and to participate in the education of their children, as specified, except to the extent that informing a parent or guardian or permitting participation by a parent or guardian in the education of a child conflicts with a valid restraining order, protective order, or order for custody or visitation issued by a court of competent jurisdiction. Existing law requires a school district to take all reasonable steps to ensure that all parents and guardians of pupils who speak a language other than English are properly notified in English and in their home language of these rights and opportunities. This bill would authorize parents and guardians of English learners to bring an oral language interpreter to all conferences, meetings, or proceedings held at a school district building or schoolsite or sponsored by the school district or school, except when prohibited by state or federal law.
(1) Existing law requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control to adopt regulations to prohibit an electronic device from being sold or offered for sale in this state if the electronic device is prohibited from being sold or offered for sale in the European Union on and after its date of manufacture, due to the presence of certain heavy metals. Existing law requires these regulations to take effect January 1, 2007, or on or after the date that the Directive 2002/95/EC, adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on January 27, 2003 (Directive 2002/95/EC) , takes effect, whichever date is later. Existing law defines the term "electronic device," for purposes of those provisions, to have the same meaning, with reference to the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003, as "covered electronic device" which is defined as a video display device that is identified by the department, pursuant to specified regulations, as a presumed hazardous waste when discarded. A violation of the hazardous waste control laws, including a regulation adopted pursuant to those laws, is a crime. This bill would require a manufacturer of an electronic device, at the request of the department, based on the department's reasonable cause, as the bill would define that term, to believe that a specific electronic device identified by the department is prohibited from sale, to prepare and submit to the department within 28 days of receipt of the request, documentation or other information typically maintained by the manufacturer's industry under Directive 2002/95/EC, showing that the electronic device specifically identified by the department and sold or offered for sale by that manufacturer is not prohibited from sale. The bill would authorize the department to extend the 28-day response time at the request of the manufacturer. The bill would require the department to treat as confidential any information that is a trade secret, as defined, that is provided to the department pursuant to the bill's requirements, and that is identified as a trade secret at the time of submission, in the same manner as the procedures adopted by the department with regard to hazardous waste handling and disposal. The department would be required to make available, pursuant to the California Public Records Act, any information that is not a trade secret or that is not identified as a trade secret. Because a violation of the bill's requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime. (2) 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 Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act, creates the California Department of Aging, with prescribed duties, including the development of the state plan on aging. This bill would require the department to report data from the Elder Economic Security Standard Index (Elder Index) , as defined, for each service area included in the state plan, if specified conditions are met. Existing law requires each area agency on aging to create a plan for its planning and service area that considers available data and population trends, assesses the need for services, identifies sources of funding for services, and develops and implements a plan for the delivery of services based on the need. This bill would also require that the plan utilize the Elder Index, specify the cost of meeting basic needs for elders in each planning and service area, and identify which elders are living at or below the Elder Index, as prescribed.