Sen. Mike Morrell

This measure would recognize June 6, 2019, as the 75th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy, also known as D-Day. This measure would express the gratitude and appreciation of the Legislature to the members of the United States Armed Forces who participated in D-Day, and would call upon the people of California to observe the anniversary with appropriate reflections and recognition.

Existing property tax law, pursuant to the authorization of the California Constitution, provides a disabled veteran's property tax exemption for the principal place of residence of a veteran, the veteran's spouse, or the veteran and veteran's spouse jointly, and the unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran, as provided, if the veteran is blind in both eyes, has lost the use of 2 or more limbs, or is totally disabled as a result of injury or disease incurred in military service, or if the veteran has, as a result of a service-connected injury or disease, died while on active duty in military service. Existing law exempts that part of the full value of the residence that does not exceed $100,000, or $150,000 if the household income of the claimant does not exceed $40,000, as adjusted for inflation, as specified. This bill, for the 2020–21 fiscal year to the 2029–30 fiscal year, inclusive, would increase these exemption amounts to $200,000, or $250,000 if the household income of the claimant does not exceed $65,000, as adjusted for inflation. The bill would require county assessors to report to the State Board of Equalization on the use of the increased property tax exemption and for the board to consolidate this information in a report to the Legislature. By adding to the duties of county assessors in this regard, 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. Existing law requires the state to reimburse local agencies annually for certain property tax revenues lost as a result of any exemption or classification of property for purposes of ad valorem property taxation. This bill would provide that, notwithstanding those provisions, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse local agencies for property tax revenues lost by them pursuant to the bill. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

This measure would condemn the actions of the Governor in granting a blanket reprieve to death row inmates and would urge the Attorney General to take all necessary actions to enforce the death penalty.

The Private Investigator Act provides for the licensure and regulation of private investigators and the Private Security Services Act provides for the licensure and regulation of persons engaged in the provision of private security services by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs. The Private Investigator Act requires a licensee or qualified manager who carries or uses a firearm or who possesses a valid firearms qualification card to comply with certain provisions relating to firearms that are specified in the Private Security Services Act. This bill would revise and recast the provisions relating to firearms under the Private Investigator Act by, among other things, adding those above-described provisions in the Private Security Services Act to the Private Investigator Act.

Existing law authorizes the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection to provide grants to entities, including, but not limited to, private or nongovernmental entities, Native American tribes, or local, state, and federal public agencies, for the implementation and administration of projects and programs to improve forest health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Budget Act of 2017 appropriated moneys to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for purposes of, among other things, providing local assistance grants, grants to fire safe councils, and grants to qualified nonprofit organizations with a demonstrated ability to satisfactorily plan, implement, and complete a fire prevention project for these same purposes, as provided. This bill would, until January 1, 2024, authorize the director to authorize advance payments to a nonprofit organization, a local agency, a special district, a private forest landowner, or a Native American tribe from the grant awards specified above. The bill would prohibit a single advance payment from exceeding 25% of the total grant award. The bill would place specified requirements on the grantee of the advance payment, including that the grantee file an accountability report with the department, as provided. The bill would require the department to provide a report to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2023, on the outcome of the department's use of the advance payments. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, gas corporations, heat corporations, telegraph corporations, telephone corporations, and water corporations. The California Constitution authorizes the commission to establish rules, examine records, and prescribe a uniform system of accounts for all public utilities. The Public Utilities Act requires the commission to inspect and audit the books and records of electrical corporations, gas corporations, heat corporations, telegraph corporations, telephone corporations, and water corporations for regulatory and tax purposes. An inspection and audit is required to be done at least every 3 years if the utility has over 1,000 customers and at least once every 5 years if the utility has 1,000 or fewer customers. This bill would require the more frequent inspection and audit only for a utility with more than 10,000 customers. The bill would, for those utilities, alternatively authorize the commission to inspect and audit the books and records of those utilities in accordance with the commission authorized general rate case cycle, if that cycle provides for a rate case no less frequently than once every five years.

Existing law provides that in specified civil actions brought by, on behalf of, or for the benefit of, senior citizens or disabled persons, as defined, the trier of fact must consider certain factors in determining the fine or penalty to be imposed. If the trier of fact makes an affirmative finding of any of these factors, existing law permits the imposition of a fine or penalty up to 3 times greater than authorized by statute, or, if the statute does not authorize a specific amount, up to 3 times greater than the amount the trier of fact would have imposed in the absence of that affirmative finding. This bill would add similar provisions applicable to civil actions brought by, on behalf of, or for the benefit of, a minor or nonminor dependent, as defined, who is a victim of commercial sexual exploitation, as defined, against the person who committed the act and who is over 18 years of age, permitting imposition of a fine or penalty, payable to the victim, of up to 3 times greater than authorized by statute if specified findings are made by the trier of fact. The bill would also authorize a court, if no civil penalty is authorized by statute, to award a civil penalty not exceeding $50,000, and not less than $10,000, for each act of commercial sexual exploitation committed by the defendant upon making a specified affirmative finding, as specified.

The Personal Income Tax Law imposes a tax on individual taxpayers measured by the taxpayer's taxable income for the taxable year, but excludes certain items of income from the computation of tax. This bill would, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2018, and before January 1, 2028, exclude from gross income, income received by a member of the active militia, as described, when that income is derived from his or her position as a member of the active militia while on active service, as provided. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law requires every person 16 years of age or older who takes any fish, reptile, or amphibian for any purpose other than profit to first obtain a sport fishing license for that purpose, with specified exceptions, and to have that license on his or her person or in his or her immediate possession when engaged in carrying out any activity authorized by the license. Existing law requires a resident or a nonresident, 16 years of age or older, upon payment of a specified fee, to be issued a sport fishing license for the period of a calendar year, or, if issued after the beginning of the year, for the remainder thereof. Existing law also requires the issuance of shorter term licenses upon payment of a specified lesser fee. Existing law requires the Fish and Game Commission to adjust the amount of the fees, as prescribed, to fully recover, but not exceed, all reasonable administrative and implementation costs of the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the commission relating to those licenses. This bill, in addition to sport fishing licenses for the periods specified above, would require a sport fishing license to be issued to a resident or nonresident for the period of 12 consecutive months, upon payment of a fee that is equal to 130% of the fees for issuance of resident or nonresident calendar-year licenses, as applicable. The bill would require the commission to adjust the amount of the fees as necessary to fully recover, but not exceed, all reasonableimplementation and administrative costs of the department and the commission relating to these licenses, including all costs related to their establishment and enforcement. The bill would require the department to submit to the Legislature a written report on the implementation of these provisions, as provided. The bill would make these provisions operative beginning January 1, 2020, until January 1, 2023. Under existing law, a hunting license grants the privilege to take birds and mammals. Existing law requires the department to issue a hunting license for specified periods of time, including for a term of one year, as provided, upon payment of a fee, to eligible residents and nonresidents. Existing law requires the department to issue a sport fishing license for specified periods of time, including for the period of a calendar year, as provided, upon payment of a fee, to eligible residents and nonresidents. Existing law requires the department to issue lifetime hunting licenses and lifetime sport fishing licenses, and grants certain lifetime privileges to holders of those licenses, upon the one-time payment of specified fees. This bill would require the department to reduce the fee required to obtain the above-described licenses and the 12 consecutive month licenses created by this bill by 25% for a person who is a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States, was honorably discharged, and is a resident of California. Under existing law, the department issues, upon payment of specified fees, various types of sport fishing report cards and validations that are required, in addition to a sport fishing license, to engage in various activities relating to the taking and possession of amphibians, reptiles, and fish for purposes other than profit. This bill would require the department to reduce the fee required to obtain a sport fishing report card, validation, or other entitlement by 25% for a person who is a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States, was honorably discharged, and is a resident of California and by 50% for a person who meets those requirements and who also has a 50% or greater service-connected disability.