Existing law authorizes the adoption of a proposition for indebtedness in the form of general obligation bonds incurred by specified educational entities for the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or replacement of school facilities, including the furnishing and equipping of school facilities, or the acquisition or lease of real property for school facilities upon the approval of 55% of the voters, if the proposition includes specified accountability requirements. Existing law requires, if a bond measure of that kind is approved, the governing board of the school district or community college district to establish and appoint members to an independent citizens' oversight committee for the purpose of informing the public on the expenditure of the bond revenues. Existing law requires that the citizens' oversight committee consist of at least 7 members, and requires a member to serve for a minimum term of 2 years and for no more than 3 consecutive terms. This bill would instead require a member of the citizens' oversight committee to serve on the committee for no less than one 2-year term and for no more than 6 consecutive 2-year terms.
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Existing law makes it a crime, punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony, for 2 or more persons to conspire to commit any crime. This bill would specify that the crime of conspiracy occurs when 2 or more persons conspire to commit shoplifting, and that the punishment for that conspiracy offense would be a felony, as specified. The bill would provide that conspiracy to commit shoplifting would be known as "organized retail crime." By changing the punishment for an existing crime, 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.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. This bill would exempt from the provisions of CEQA a project, or the issuance of a permit for a project, that consists of the inspection, maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, replacement, or removal of, or the addition of an auxiliary lane or bikeway to, existing transportation infrastructure and that meets certain requirements. The bill would require the public agency carrying out the project to take certain actions.
The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including certain credits that are allowed in modified conformity to credits allowed by federal income tax laws. Federal income tax laws allow a refundable earned income tax credit for certain low-income individuals who have earned income from wages, salaries, tips, and other employee compensation plus net earnings from self-employment and who meet certain other requirements. The Personal Income Tax Law, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2015, in modified conformity with federal income tax laws, allows an earned income credit against personal income tax, which is only for earned income from wages, salaries, tips, and other employee compensation, and a payment in excess of that credit amount, to an eligible individual that is equal to that portion of the earned income tax credit allowed by federal law as determined by the earned income tax credit adjustment factor as set forth in the annual Budget Act which, unless otherwise specified in that act, is 0%. This bill, for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2017, would expand the earned income credit allowed by the Personal Income Tax Law by providing additional conformity with federal income tax law to include specified net earnings from self-employment in earned income, thus allowing an earned income credit for taxpayers for those earnings. This bill would additionally set the earned income tax credit adjustment factor as 85%. Existing law establishes the continuously appropriated Tax Relief and Refund Account and provides that payments required to be made to taxpayers or other persons from the Personal Income Tax Fund are to be paid from that account, including any amount allowable as an earned income credit in excess of any tax liabilities. By authorizing new payments from that account for additional amounts in excess of personal income tax liabilities, this bill would make an appropriation. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board administers a water rights program pursuant to which the board grants permits and licenses to appropriate water. Existing law prohibits the taking or possession of a fully protected fish, except as provided, and designates the unarmored threespine stickleback as a fully protected fish. This bill would prohibit the board from issuing on or after January 1, 2018, a new permit to appropriate water from any river or stream that has, or is reasonably expected to have, a population of unarmored threespine stickleback.
Existing law, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, requires the State Department of Developmental Services to contract with regional centers to provide services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Existing law establishes the Employment First Policy, which is the policy that opportunities for integrated, competitive employment be given the highest priority for working age individuals with developmental disabilities, regardless of the severity of their disabilities. Existing law authorizes a consumer to choose a tailored day service or vouchered community-based training service, in lieu of any other regional center vendored day program, look-alike day program, supported employment program, or work activity program. Existing law requires a tailored day service to (1) include an individualized service design, as determined through the individual program plan (IPP) and approved by the regional center, that maximizes the consumer's individualized choices and needs and (2) encourage opportunities to further the development or maintenance of employment, volunteer activities, or pursuit of postsecondary education; maximize consumer direction of the service; and increase the consumer's ability to lead an integrated and inclusive life. This bill would authorize a consumer in a supported employment program or work activity program who has the stated goal of integrated competitive employment in his or her IPP to request to use tailored day services in conjunction with his or her existing program to achieve that goal, if specified criteria are met, including that the type, amount, and provider of tailored day service allowed under these provisions is determined through the IPP process. The bill would specify the maximum hours of tailored day services that may be authorized in conjunction with existing services under these provisions. Existing law, until January 1, 2025, provides that the Legislature intends that in order to increase effectiveness and opportunity to gain meaningful integrated competitive employment opportunities, habilitation services shall also provide community-based vocational development services. Existing law requires the department to conduct a 4-year demonstration project in up to 5 volunteer regional centers to determine whether the provision of community-based vocational development services increases integrated competitive employment outcomes and reduces purchase of service costs for working age adults. As part of the pilot program, existing law requires a plan to be developed if community-based vocational development services are determined to be a necessary step to achieve a supported employment outcome, and provides for the hourly rate for the services and hours of participation that may be provided. Existing law requires the department to secure federal Medicaid funding for these services prior to implementation of the project and requires these provisions to be implemented only to the extent that federal financial participation is available and any necessary federal approvals have been obtained. This bill would delete the provisions stating legislative intent and requiring the department to conduct a demonstration project, thereby implementing the provisions that require habilitation services to also provide community-based vocational development services effective statewide without a demonstration project. The bill would also delete the January 1, 2025, repeal date, and would thereby extend the operation of these provisions indefinitely.
(1) Existing law requires local educational agencies to identify, locate, and assess individuals with exceptional needs and to provide those pupils with a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, with special education and related services as reflected in an individualized education program. Existing law requires a local educational agency to initiate and conduct meetings for the purposes of developing, reviewing, and revising the individualized education program of each individual with exceptional needs in accordance with federal law. Existing law requires a parent, as defined, of an individual with exceptional needs to have the right and opportunity to examine all school records of his or her child and to receive copies of those records within 5 business days after a request is made by the parent, either orally or in writing. Existing law requires a public agency to comply with a request for school records without unnecessary delay before any meeting regarding an individualized education program. This bill would require a public agency, before any meeting regarding an individualized education program, to offer to provide to the parent copies of any available, completed school records related to the pupil's current levels of performance, and any available, completed assessment reports, if these records and reports are related to that meeting. The bill would require the public agency, if the parent requests those copies, to make them available to the parent at least 5 business days before the meeting. The bill would authorize a public agency to charge a parent no more than the actual cost of reproducing these copies, but if the cost effectively prevents the parent from exercising the right to receive the copies, the public agency would be required to reproduce the copies at no cost. The bill would require notice to a parent of an individualized education program meeting to include notice of the right to obtain copies of school records pursuant to these provisions. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also make conforming changes. (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, the Castaic Lake Water Agency Law, created the Castaic Lake Water Agency and authorizes the agency to acquire water and water rights, including water from the State Water Project, and to provide, sell, and deliver water at wholesale for municipal, industrial, domestic, and other purposes. This bill would repeal the Castaic Lake Water Agency Law. Existing law, the County Water District Law, authorizes the formation of county water districts and authorizes those districts to appropriate, acquire, and conserve water and water rights for any useful purpose and to operate water rights, works, properties, rights, and privileges useful or necessary to convey, supply, store, or make use of water for any purpose authorized by that law. This bill would reorganize the Newhall County Water District and the Castaic Lake Water Agency into the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency, which this bill would create, and prohibit the Castaic Lake Water Agency and the Newhall County Water District from operating as separate entities or exercising independent functions. The bill would generally specify the powers and purposes, as well as the boundaries, of the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency and would provide that the purpose of the agency is to provide, sell, manage, and deliver surface water, groundwater, and recycled water at retail or wholesale within the agency's territory. The bill would prescribe the composition of the board of directors of the agency. Existing law authorizes the Castaic Lake Water Agency to prescribe methods for the construction of works and for the letting of contracts for the construction of works, structures, or equipment, or the performance or furnishing of labor, materials, or supplies, for carrying out specified provisions. Existing law requires all contracts for any improvement or unit of work when the cost estimate exceeds $5,000 to be let to the lowest responsible bidder or bidders. Existing law authorizes the agency to have work done by force account without advertising for bids and to purchase in the open market materials and supplies when the estimated cost of the work or the cost of the materials and supplies does not exceed $5,000. This bill would instead make these provisions applicable to the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency and would increase these cost and cost estimate limits to $30,000. Existing law requires, for any proposal involving the dissolution of the Newhall County Water District, that the local agency formation commission forward the change of organization or reorganization for confirmation by the voters if the commission finds that a petition requesting that the proposal be submitted for confirmation by the voters has been signed, as prescribed. This bill would repeal that provision. Existing law, the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (act) , provides the sole and exclusive authority and procedure for the initiation, conduct, and completion of changes of organization and reorganization for cities and districts. This bill would require the agency to submit an application for conditions addressing the creation of the agency to the Local Agency Formation Commission for the County of Los Angeles, as specified, and require the commission to prepare a written report, which may contain specific conditions to which the agency would be subject and which the commission deems appropriate under the act. The bill would require the agency to reimburse the Local Agency Formation Commission for the County of Los Angeles for all costs associated with the submittal, review, consideration, preparation, and determination associated with the application for conditions and the preparation of the written report. By imposing duties on the agency and a county in connection with the operation of the agency, 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 specified reasons.
(1) Existing law provides that parents of currently enrolled or former pupils have an absolute right to access any and all pupil records related to their children that are maintained by school districts or private schools. Existing law prohibits a school district from permitting access to pupil records to a person without written parental consent or under judicial order except as authorized by specified state and federal law. Existing law authorizes foster family agencies with jurisdiction over currently enrolled or former pupils to access records of grades and transcripts, and any individualized education plans developed pursuant to specified law maintained by school districts or private schools of those pupils. This bill would add to the information that may be accessed records of attendance, discipline, and online communication on platforms established by schools for pupils and parents, and any plan adopted pursuant to specified federal law, as provided, and would require that these records be the current or most recent records for the pupil. The bill would additionally authorize a short-term residential treatment program staff responsible for the education or case management of a pupil and a caregiver who has direct responsibility for the care of the pupil, including a certified or licensed foster parent, an approved relative or nonrelated extended family member, or a resource family, as defined, to access this information, and would provide that a caregiver may access this information regardless of whether the caregiver has been appointed as the pupil's educational rights holder pursuant to specified law. The bill would authorize a foster family agency, short-term residential treatment program, or caregiver to review and receive these pupil records for specified purposes. The bill would extend these provisions to include pupil records maintained by county offices of education, charter schools, and nonpublic schools, in addition to school districts and private schools. The bill would require a child's caregiver to be responsible for reviewing and receiving these pupil records for those same purposes. To the extent the bill would impose additional duties on school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require, if direct communication between a caregiver and an educational rights holder is appropriate, a caregiver who is not the pupil's educational rights holder to notify the pupil's educational rights holder, and, in specified instances, the pupil's social worker, of any educational needs of the pupil that require the educational rights holder's consent or participation. If direct communication between a caregiver and an educational rights holder is inappropriate, the bill would require the pupil's social worker to direct the caregiver to communicate that information with the pupil's social worker or attorney instead of the educational rights holder. (2) Existing law establishes the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, which may adjudge children to be dependents of the court under certain circumstances, including when the child suffered or there is a substantial risk that the child will suffer serious physical harm, or a parent fails to provide the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical treatment. Existing law establishes the grounds for removal of a dependent child from the custody of his or her parents or guardian, and establishes procedures to determine temporary and permanent placement of a dependent child. Existing law prescribes various hearings, including specified review hearings, and other procedures for these purposes. Whenever a court orders a hearing to terminate parental rights to, or to establish legal guardianship of, a dependent child to be held, existing law requires the court to direct the agency supervising the child and the county adoption agency, or the State Department of Social Services when it is acting as an adoption agency, to prepare an assessment and requires this assessment to include, among other things, a preliminary assessment of the eligibility and commitment of any identified prospective adoptive parent or legal guardian, as specified, and including an evaluation of the child's medical, developmental, scholastic, mental, and emotional status. Existing law further requires the status of every dependent child in foster care to be reviewed periodically as determined by the court but no less frequently than once every 6 months. This bill would require the above evaluation and review to include providing a copy of the complete health and education summary, as specified. The bill would make conforming changes. By increasing the duties on county staff, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires, when a child is placed in foster care, the case plan to include a summary of the health and education information or records, including mental health information, of the child. This bill would authorize the case plan to also include the name and contact information of the person or persons currently holding the right to make educational decisions for the child, except as specified, and would make other conforming changes. Existing law makes various findings and declarations with regard to foster parents and caregivers, including that caregivers should have certain basic information, including among other things, a plan outlining the child's needs and services, including information on family and sibling visitation. This bill would provide that a caregiver should also have access to a copy of the health and education summary, as specified, and would provide that a caregiver should have knowledge of the importance of the caregiver's role in education, as specified. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to implement the resource family approval process in all counties and with all foster family agencies. Existing law requires counties to be responsible for various implementing tasks, including, among other things, ensuring a resource family applicant completes a minimum of 12 hours of caregiver training, including training on permanence, well-being, and education needs of children. This bill would require counties to ensure that the above training includes, among other things, training on the importance of the caregiver's role in education, as specified. By increasing duties on county staff, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 361 of the Welfare and Institutions Code proposed by AB 1332 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1332 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 366.21 of the Welfare and Institutions Code proposed by AB 976 to be operative only if this bill and AB 976 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. (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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law requires each school district or county superintendent of schools maintaining kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to provide one nutritionally adequate free or reduced-price meal for each needy pupil during each schoolday, except as specified. Existing law authorizes a school district or county office of education to use funds made available through any applicable federal or state program or to use its own funds to provide the required meals. This bill would enact the Child Hunger Prevention and Fair Treatment Act of 2017. The act would require certain local educational agencies, as defined, that provide school meals through the federal National School Lunch Program or the federal School Breakfast Program to ensure that a pupil whose parent or guardian has unpaid school meal fees is not shamed, treated differently, or served a meal that differs from what a pupil whose parent or guardian does not have unpaid school meal fees would receive under that local educational agency's policy. The act would prohibit school personnel and volunteers at a local educational agency that serves nutritionally adequate meals to pupils during the instructional day from allowing any disciplinary action that is taken against a pupil to result in the denial or delay of a nutritionally adequate meal to that pupil. The act would require a local educational agency to notify a parent or guardian of the negative balance of a pupil's school meal account no later than 10 days after the pupil's school meal account has reached a negative balance. The act would require a local educational agency, before sending this notification to the parent or guardian, to exhaust all options and methods to directly certify the pupil for free or reduced-price meals. The act would require a local educational agency to reimburse school meal fees paid by a pupil's parent or guardian when fees were paid or unpaid fees debt accrued when a pupil would have been determined to be eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. To the extent that these provisions would place additional requirements on local educational agencies, 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, 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.