(1) Existing federal law provides for allocation of federal funds through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program to eligible states. Existing law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. Existing law requires a county to redetermine the amount of a CalWORKs grant on a semiannual basis, as specified. Under existing law, certain amounts are exempt from the calculation of income of the family for purposes of determining the amount of a grant under the CalWORKs program, including disability-based unearned income, as specified. Under existing law, disability-based unearned income means state disability insurance benefits, private disability insurance benefits, temporary workers' compensation benefits, and social security disability benefits. This bill would expand the definition of disability-based unearned income to include veteran's disability compensation. To the extent that this bill would increase county administrative duties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program. This bill would instead provide that the continuous appropriation would not be made for purposes of implementing the bill. (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, 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 these statutory provisions.
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The Outdoor Advertising Act provides for the regulation by the Department of Transportation of advertising displays, as defined, within view of public highways. The act exempts from its provisions certain advertising displays that advertise the business conducted, services rendered, or goods produced or sold on the property upon which the display is placed, as specified. The act also exempts from its provisions specified advertising displays at an arena located on public land with a capacity of 5,000 seats or more that provides a permanent venue for professional sports, and that advertises products, goods, or services that are or will be sold on the premises of the arena on a regular basis pursuant to a specified agreement. This bill would recast the arena advertising exception to exempt from the act specified advertising displays authorized by local ordinance at the premises of an arena, defined as a venue with a capacity of 15,000 seats or more that is capable of providing a permanent venue for professional sports, or a contiguous development project or district encompassing or adjacent to the venue that extends not more than 1,000 feet from a structure connected to the venue, as specified. These advertising displays would be authorized to advertise any products, goods, or services sold within that area on a regular basis, or marketed or promoted in that area pursuant to a sponsorship marketing plan, as defined, except tobacco, firearms, or sexually explicit material, if specified conditions are met. The bill would additionally authorize, under similar conditions, up to 2 advertising displays that are not required to comply with the act, which the bill would require to be visible when approaching offramps from the interstate, primary, or state highways used to access the premises of an arena. The bill would require that certain conditions apply if the advertising display authorized by the bill is a message center display. The bill would require that if an advertising display is subject to a notice from the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, or other applicable federal agency to the state that the operation of that display will result in the reduction of federal funds, as provided, authorization of the display would cease 60 days after the state notifies the display owner of the receipt of the federal notice, and would require the display owner to remove all advertising copy within that time. The bill would provide for the imposition of a civil fine of $10,000 per day by the department on the owner for failure to remove advertising copy. The bill would require the local agency to have primary responsibility for enforcing its ordinance and these provisions, and to indemnify the state Department of Transportation for all costs incurred for failing to ensure that compliance, as specified. The bill would prohibit, among other things, the state Department of Transportation from assuming any liability in connection with cessation of operation or removal of an advertising display. In addition, the bill would require an advertising display lawfully erected on or before December 31, 2013, in conformity with the law relating to the exemption for advertising displays on arenas, as it existed on that date, to remain authorized, subject to the terms of that law.
Under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) , each state is required, by January 1, 2014, to establish an American Health Benefit Exchange that makes available qualified health plans to qualified individuals and small employers. Existing state law establishes the California Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) within state government, specifies the powers and duties of the board governing the Exchange, and requires the board to facilitate the purchase of qualified health plans through the Exchange by qualified individuals and small employers by January 1, 2014. Existing law requires the board to employ necessary staff and authorizes the board to enter into contracts. Existing law requires the board, consistent with federal guidance applicable to state-based exchanges, to submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information of specified individuals whose duties include or would include access to confidential information, personal identifying information, personal health information, federal tax information, financial information, or any other information as required by federal law or guidance applicable to state-based exchanges for the purposes of obtaining information as to the existence and content of a record of state or federal convictions and information as to the existence and content of a record of state or federal arrests for which the Department of Justice establishes that the person is free on bail or on his or her recognizance pending trial or appeal. This bill would revise these provisions to require that the fingerprint images and related information be submitted to the Department of Justice consistent with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) , Catalog of Minimum Acceptable Risk Standards for Exchanges (MARS-E) , Exchange Reference Architecture Supplement version 1.0, issued on August 12, 2012, or further updates, guidance, or regulations, for those individuals whose duties include or would include access to the specified information contained in the information systems and devices of the Exchange. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
(1) The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 (act) , which is administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, requires each city, county, and regional agency, if any, to develop a source reduction and recycling element of an integrated waste management plan. With certain exceptions, the source reduction and recycling element of that plan is required to divert 50% of all solid waste, through source reduction, recycling, and composting activities. Existing law allows the 50% diversion requirement to include, pursuant to specified conditions, not more than 10% through biomass conversion, which is defined as the controlled combustion of specific materials for use in producing electricity or heat. Existing law defines the term "transformation" and excludes from that definition composting, gasification, and biomass conversion. This bill would define the terms "EMSW conversion" and "EMSW conversion facility," and would make conforming changes to existing definitions with regard to those operations and facilities. The bill would additionally exclude EMSW conversion from the definition of transformation, and would allow a transformation facility that meets specified requirements relating to EMSW conversion to elect to be considered an EMSW facility for purposes of the act, except as provided. (2) The act requires the integrated waste management plan required to be adopted by a county to include a countywide siting element that provides a description of the areas to be used for the development of certain facilities. The act excludes certain solid wastes, for purposes of determining the base rate for the diversion of solid waste, and requires that the amount of solid waste diverted include solid waste diverted from a disposal facility or transformation facility. Existing law requires the department to determine compliance with the act's 50% diversion requirement, based on the jurisdiction's change in its per capita disposal rate and specifies the procedure for determining that rate. This bill would require the countywide siting element to include a description of the areas to be used for the development of adequate EMSW conversion, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program by imposing new duties upon local agencies. This bill would additionally exclude certain used tires or waste tires or biomass materials that are converted at an EMSW conversion facility from the per capita disposal determination and would require, for purposes of the solid waste calculation used in the base rate determination, the amount of solid waste to include solid waste diverted from an EMSW conversion facility. (3) Existing law prohibits a person from establishing or expanding a solid waste facility in a county, after a countywide or regional agency integrated waste management plan has been approved, unless the solid waste facility is, among other things, a disposal facility or a transformation facility that meets certain criteria. This bill would additionally include, as one of those facilities, an EMSW conversion facility. (4) 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 honor the California Council on Science and Technology for 25 years of service and unbiased advice to the State of California.
This measure would designate December 4, 2013, as Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court Day.
This measure would proclaim October 5, 2013, as California Firefighters Memorial Day.
This measure would recognize September 2013 as Hmong History Month, urge all citizens to join in celebrating the accomplishments of the Hmong people during Hmong History Month, and encourage the people of California to recognize the many talents, achievements, and contributions that the Hmong people make to their communities.
This measure would formally endorse the invaluable work of California's Africana studies programs, and their faculty, staff, and students. The measure would recognize the leadership provided by the beneficiaries of those programs, and would support the continuation of Africana studies programs in California's institutions of higher education.
This measure would designate September 22, 2013, and September 22, 2014, as "California Business Women's Day" and would encourage all Californians to celebrate the occasion with appropriate activities.