Existing federal law, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, provides for the negotiation and execution of tribal-state gaming compacts for the purpose of authorizing certain types of gaming on Indian lands within a state. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to negotiate and conclude those compacts, subject to ratification by the Legislature. Existing law expressly ratifies a number of tribal-state gaming compacts, and amendments to tribal-state gaming compacts, between the State of California and specified Indian tribes. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project, as defined, that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment, as defined, or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. This bill would ratify the amendments to the tribal-state gaming compacts entered into between the State of California and the Alturas Indian Rancheria, California, the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, California, the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, California, the Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California, the Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians of California, the Bishop Paiute Tribe, the Blue Lake Rancheria, the Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community of the Colusa Rancheria, California, the Cahto Tribe of the Laytonville Rancheria, the Cahuilla Band of Indians, the Campo Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Campo Indian Reservation, California, the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe of the Chemehuevi Reservation, California, the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria, California, the Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California, the Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians of the Sulphur Bank Rancheria, California, the Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians, California, the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians, California, the Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester Rancheria, California, the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California, the Pauma Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Pauma & Yuima Reservation, California, the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California, the Pit River Tribe, California, the Redding Rancheria, California, the Resighini Rancheria, California, the Robinson Rancheria, the Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California, the Sherwood Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California, the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians, California, and the Table Mountain Rancheria to extend the terms of those compacts. The bill would provide that, in deference to tribal sovereignty, certain actions related to those amended compacts are not projects for the purposes of CEQA. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
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The California Whistleblower Protection Act authorizes the California State Auditor to receive and investigate complaints about state employees or state agencies that have engaged in improper governmental activities, as defined. The act applies to state agencies, as defined, and to the University of California, the California State University, and courts, as specified. Under the act, a person who intentionally engages in acts of reprisal, retaliation, threats, coercion or similar acts against a state employee, University of California employee, California State University employee, court employee, or an applicant for such employment for having made a protected disclosure, as defined, is subject to civil liability and criminal penalties. This bill would expand these provisions to certain private entities awarded large state contracts, as defined, and their employees. Because this bill would create a new crime, it 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 measure would recognize the weeks of October 10, 2021, through October 16, 2021, and October 16, 2022, through October 22, 2022, as Art Therapy Weeks of Civic Engagement to commemorate the contributions of professional art therapists to California's communities.
This measure would recognize April 24, 2022, through April 30, 2022, as Crime Victims' Rights Week.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. The board of governors appoints the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges as the chief executive officer of the segment. Existing law establishes the California Online Community College, under the administration of the board of governors, for purposes of creating an organized system of accessible, flexible, and high-quality online content, courses, and programs focused on providing industry-valued credentials compatible with the vocational and educational needs of Californians who are not currently accessing higher education. This bill would make the California Online Community College Act inoperative on January 1, 2024. On or before January 1, 2024, the bill would appropriate the California Online Community College's funding for specified purposes at the California Community Colleges, as provided.
Existing law requires multiple state departments to share data and other information necessary to establish accurate information on the nature and extent of child abuse- or neglect-related fatalities in California as those documents relate to child fatality cases. Existing law requires the California State Child Death Review Council, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to oversee the statewide coordination and integration of state and local efforts. Existing law authorizes the Department of Justice to work collaboratively with the California State Child Death Review Council and specified agencies and organizations to carry out these provisions, and requires the completion of an annual report to include analysis and interpretation of state and local data on child deaths. This bill would remove the funding limitation and require operation of the California State Child Death Review Council, as specified. The bill would require the report completed pursuant to these provisions to be completed biannually and would permit submission of this report in an electronic format. Existing law requires the Office of Emergency Services, in coordination with the California State Child Death Review Council and other agencies, among other things, to develop standardized definitions for fatal child abuse or neglect and develop protocols for the investigation of fatal child abuse or neglect. This bill would, instead, require the California State Child Death Review Council to develop the specified definitions, protocols, and programs, in coordination with the Office of Emergency Services and other state departments.
(1) Existing law creates the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (council) and requires departments administering state programs created on or after July 1, 2017, to collaborate with the council for the purpose of adopting guidelines and regulations to incorporate core components of Housing First. Existing law defines "Housing First" as an evidence-based model that uses housing as a tool, rather than a reward, for recovery and that centers on providing or connecting homeless people to permanent housing as quickly as possible. Under existing law, Housing First providers offer services as needed and requested on a voluntary basis and do not make housing contingent on participation in services. This bill would require a local government entity to provide specified homelessness information for its jurisdiction to the council by January 1, 2025, including expenditures on homelessness programs and efforts provided to homeless persons within its jurisdiction, as well as related information regarding the funding of these services. The bill would specify how a local government would meet this requirement. This bill would require the council to develop and maintain a publicly available internet website homelessness dashboard for prescribed purposes. The bill would require the council to report to the Legislature, and post to its homelessness dashboard, information related to programs that the state has undertaken to reduce homelessness in California, including federal funding for state and local programs by January 1, 2026. The bill would require a state agency or office responsible for these programs to report data related to the programs, in a form prescribed by the council, to the council no later than January 1, 2025. The bill would require the council to perform a specified assessment of the success or failure of funded and implemented programs addressing homelessness. This bill would express that it is the intent of the Legislature that continuums of care collaborate with local government entities, state agencies, and the council to help collect the required information. The bill would repeal these provisions as of January 1, 2027. By increasing the duties of local government entities, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (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, 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 establishes various programs to provide assistance to homeless persons, including, among others, the Emergency Housing and Assistance Program and homeless youth emergency service pilot projects. Existing law also establishes the California Interagency Council on Homelessness to oversee the implementation of Housing First guidelines and regulations, and, among other things, identify resources, benefits, and services that can be accessed to prevent and end homelessness in California. This bill would require the California Health and Human Services Agency to convene a working group that includes representatives from all departments and agencies that currently receive funding relating to services for homeless individuals. The bill would require the working group to determine the best approach to creating a Department of Homelessness Prevention, Outreach, and Support and to submit its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2024. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2024.
Existing law establishes within state government the Office of Planning and Research as the comprehensive state planning agency for long-range planning and research. Existing law, until January 1, 2026, establishes within state government a Governor's Military Council that serves under the direction of the Military Department to advise the Governor on efforts to retain military installations and operations within this state that are necessary for the defense of the nation, and to coordinate and focus those efforts. This bill would establish the California Defense Community Infrastructure Program, which would require the Office of Planning and Research, with input and assistance from the Governor's Military Council, to grant funds to local agencies to assist with matching fund requirements in applications for funds from the federal Defense Community Infrastructure Program. This bill would require the office to use specified project criteria, define an eligible project, and require the Military Council to rank the projects, as specified, and forward their recommendations to the office to award the grants, or, if the Military Council is abolished, would require the office to rank the projects based on the available criteria and funds. This bill would appropriate $50,000,000 for the purposes of the program. The bill would authorize the office to award these grants without regard to fiscal year and would require funds unencumbered after 3 years to revert to the General Fund.
Existing law, the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act, classifies controlled substances into 5 schedules and places the greatest restrictions and penalties on the use of those substances placed in Schedule I. The act classifies the drug fentanyl in Schedule II. Existing law prohibits a person from possessing for sale or purchasing for purposes of sale, specified controlled substances, including fentanyl, and provides for imprisonment in a county jail for 2, 3, or 4 years for a violation of this provision. Existing law also requires a local health officer to assume that the fentanyl manufacturing process has led to some degree of chemical contamination and take action, as prescribed, if a fentanyl laboratory activity has taken place at a property. This bill would establish the California Fentanyl Abuse Task Force to undertake various duties relating to fentanyl abuse including, among others, collecting and organizing data on the nature and extent of fentanyl abuse in California and evaluating approaches to increase public awareness of fentanyl abuse. The bill would require the task force to be chaired by the Attorney General, or their designee, and would specify the membership of the task force. The bill would require the first meeting of the task force to take place no later than March 1, 2023, and would require the task force to meet at least once every 2 months. The bill would require the task force to report its findings and recommendations to the Attorney General, the Governor, and the Legislature by July 1, 2024. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2025.