Existing law makes it a crime to maliciously and intentionally maim, mutilate, torture, wound, or kill a living animal. If a defendant is granted probation for a conviction under this provision, existing law requires the court to order the defendant to complete and pay for counseling designed to evaluate and treat behavior or conduct disorders, as specified. This bill would delete the requirement that a defendant granted probation complete counseling and would instead require the court, for every defendant granted probation for this and other specified offenses against animals, to consider whether to order the person to undergo a mental health evaluation by an evaluator chosen by the court. The bill would require the defendant to pay for the evaluation and subsequent treatment, but would authorize the court to establish a sliding fee schedule based on the defendant's ability to pay.
Sponsored bills
Existing law establishes a State-Authorized Risk Assessment Tool for Sex Offenders (SARATSO) and requires every registered sex offender to be assessed with the SARATSO. Existing law establishes a SARATSO Review Committee, comprised of a representative of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, a representative of the State Department of State Hospitals, and a representative of the Attorney General's office, to ensure that the SARATSO reflects the most reliable, objective, and well-established protocols for predicting sex offender risk of recidivism. Existing law also establishes a Sex Offender Management Board to address any issues, concerns, and problems related to the community management of sex offenders. This bill would require the SARATSO Review Committee to sponsor research specific to California sex offenders relating to recidivism and desistance from offending, as specified, and require the committee to submit an annual report to the Legislature on its ongoing research and the final results of its research studies. The bill would also add 2 additional members with experience with juveniles, as specified, to the Sex Offender Management Board.
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. Under existing law, the board of governors appoints a chief executive officer, known as the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, to serve as the chief executive officer of the segment. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state that provide instruction at the campuses they operate. This bill, contingent upon the enactment of an appropriation from the General Fund in the annual Budget Act or in another statute, would require the chancellor to allocate to Antelope Valley College, for support of the Aerospace Institute, up to $500,000 in matching state funds, if the chancellor determines that: (1) an Aerospace Institute has been formally established by, to be located at, Antelope Valley College; and (2) Antelope Valley College has received private contributions for support of the Aerospace Institute in an amount that, when combined with state matching funds, is sufficient to fund the operation of the Aerospace Institute for at least one academic year.
Existing law establishes a public school financing system that requires state funding for county superintendents of schools, school districts, and charter schools to be calculated pursuant to a local control funding formula. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to determine the amount of funding to be provided for each special education local plan area in accordance with specified calculations. Existing law requires the Superintendent, for the 2013–14 fiscal year, to compute an equalization adjustment for each special education local plan area for purposes of increasing the funding rates for special education local plan areas with funding rates below the 90th percentile, as specified. This bill would increase that percentile to the 95th percentile and would require the Superintendent to compute that equalization adjustment commencing with the first fiscal year after funds are apportioned pursuant to a specified formula and for each fiscal year thereafter in which an equalization appropriation is made, as specified. The bill would require the Superintendent to make certain computations following each year in which an equalization appropriation is made. The bill would establish the high-cost service allowance for the purpose of providing supplemental funding to a special education local plan area on the basis of the number of pupils with severe disabilities and the number pupils with both deafness and blindness, traumatic brain injury, or multiple disabilities, and would require the Superintendent to make specified computations that would determine the high-cost service allowance for each special education local plan area. The bill would require, commencing with the first fiscal year after funds are apportioned pursuant to a specified formula, a special education local plan area that reports serving children 3 or 4 years of age who meet the definition of an "individual with exceptional needs" to count 3 times all units of average daily attendance generated by children enrolled in kindergarten less those children eligible for transitional kindergarten, for purposes of calculating units of average daily attendance, except as provided. By adding to the duties of special education local plan areas, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law defines "average daily attendance reported for the special education local plan area" for purposes of these and other provisions to mean the total number of units of average daily attendance reported in the school district or districts and in the county office of education or county offices of education, or portion of a county office of education that is a part of more than one special education local plan area, as specified. The bill would revise that definition to mean the total number of units of average daily attendance reported for the current school year or the prior school year, whichever is greater, in those same entities, as specified. 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 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. Under existing law, community college districts throughout the state have established campuses where they provide instruction to students. Existing law establishes a system through which state funds are apportioned to community college districts based on specified formulas. A provision of existing law identifies the noncredit community college courses and classes that are eligible for state apportionment funding. This bill would provide that supervised tutoring for basic skills, and for degree-applicable and transfer-level courses, as authorized pursuant to regulations adopted by the board of governors by July 31, 2019, is eligible for state apportionment funding.
Existing law requires a person seeking to import a dog into this state for the purpose of resale or a change of ownership to obtain a health certificate for the dog that has been completed by a licensed veterinarian and is dated within 10 days prior to the date on which the dog is brought into the state. Existing law prohibits a breeder from knowingly selling a diseased dog. This bill would authorize the State Public Health Officer to monitor any report issued by a reliable and verifiable public source of an outbreak of a communicable disease occurring in another state caused by, or purported to be caused by, contact with a dog or cat. The bill would authorize the officer to issue an order to prohibit the importation of dogs or cats that could pose a risk of an outbreak of any communicable disease that is dangerous to individuals, if he or she makes a determination, as specified. The bill would impose a civil penalty for a violation of an order issued pursuant to these provisions.
The Personal Income Tax Law authorizes various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including a credit for qualified renters in the amount of $120 for spouses filing joint returns, heads of household, and surviving spouses if adjusted gross income is $50,000, as adjusted, or less, and in the amount of $60 for other individuals if adjusted gross income is $25,000, as adjusted, or less. Existing law requires the Franchise Tax Board to annually adjust for inflation these adjusted gross income amounts. For 2017, the adjusted gross income limit is $80,156 and $40,078, respectively. This bill, for each taxable year beginning on and after January 1, 2018, would increase the credit amount for a qualified renter, as specified, and would require the Franchise Tax Board to annually adjust for inflation the credit amount for taxable years on and after January 1, 2023. The bill would authorize the Governor to suspend the increased credit amount by proclamation if the Governor finds and declares that an economic emergency exists in this state and it is necessary that the increased credit amount be suspended, in which case the credit amount would be the credit amount for the taxable year immediately preceding the taxable year in which the suspension of the credit applies. The bill would also provide that the increased credit amount is $0 for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2019, unless otherwise specified in a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill. In the event the increased credit amount is $0, the existing credit amounts of $60 and $120, respectively, would be the credit amounts for that taxable year. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
This measure would proclaim June 2018 as California Grown Flower Month to recognize and honor the people of the California grown flower industry for their dedication and productivity.