Existing law provides for the licensing of various professions and vocations by boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law defines license to mean a license, certificate, registration, or other means to engage in a business or profession, as provided. This bill would expand the definition of license to include a permit.
Existing law, the Small Business Procurement and Contract Act, provides for various programs to encourage the participation of small businesses, as certified by the Department of General Services, in state agency contracts, including a microbusiness and a disabled veteran business enterprise. Existing law requires directors of state agencies, in awarding prescribed contracts, to provide a 5% preference to small businesses and microbusinesses, and a preference of up to 5% to a nonsmall business that provides for small business or microbusiness subcontractor participation, not to exceed prescribed amounts. This bill would raise the microbusiness preference to 7% and would raise the preference for a nonsmall business with microbusiness subcontractor participation to a maximum of 7%, as provided.
The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law allow various credits against the taxes imposed by those laws. This bill would authorize the Franchise Tax Board to award tax credit certificates to exporters and importers, as defined, that demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Franchise Tax Board that, during the taxable year, they have increased their cargo tonnage or value through California ports and airports by specified amounts or had a net increase in qualified full-time employees hired in California or have incurred capital costs for a cargo facility in California. The bill would authorize an aggregate $500,000,000 in tax credit certificates to be awarded by the Franchise Tax Board for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2019, as provided. The bill would authorize the Franchise Tax Board to impose fees to cover its costs, with fees to be deposited in the Job and Trade Competitiveness Fee Account, which the bill would create in the State Treasury. The bill would authorize the Franchise Tax Board to borrow money until the time that sufficient fee revenue is available, with loans made to the Franchise Tax Board to be repayable solely from revenues in the account. The bill would make legislative findings and declarations. The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law allow various credits against the taxes imposed by those laws. This bill would, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2019, allow a credit or credits in an aggregate amount not to exceed $250,000 for a taxable year against the taxes imposed by those laws if a taxpayer receives a tax credit certificate from the Franchise Tax Board. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Existing law establishes the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development to serve the Governor as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth. This bill would establish the Office of Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development within the Office of the Governor to establish partnerships with government agencies, private investors, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit service providers to facilitate the use of social impact bonds (SIBs) , as defined, to address social services needs. The bill would require the office to develop a strategic plan for promoting SIBs, develop model provisions for performance-based contracts, and report annually to the Legislature on the use of SIBs.
Existing law requires each school district and county office of education to be responsible for the overall development of a comprehensive school safety plan for each of their constituent schools. Existing law requires the comprehensive school safety plan to both assess the current status of school crime committed on school campuses and at school-related functions, and identify appropriate strategies and programs that will provide or maintain a high level of school safety, as specified. This bill would, in addition, require a comprehensive school safety plan to establish procedures for conducting school safety drills. The bill would require each school during each school year to conduct a minimum number of school evacuation drills relating to fire incidents, as provided, and authorize schools to conduct other school evacuations, as specified. The bill would also require schools to conduct at least one law enforcement school lockdown drill. The bill would authorize schools, school districts, and county offices of education preparing for and executing these drills to work with local first responders and law enforcement agencies, as specified. By imposing additional duties on school districts, county offices of education, and schools, 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 these statutory provisions.
Existing law establishes the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, which is administered by a director appointed by the Governor. The office serves the Governor as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth. Existing law provides for various economic development programs that foster community sustainability and community and economic development initiatives throughout the state. This bill would establish the California Socioeconomic Development Pods Program within the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development to encourage the use of social innovative financing, as defined, within blighted areas in the state. The bill would also create the Pod Accelerator Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, within the State Treasury, to receive moneys collected and received by the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development for the California Socioeconomic Development Pod Program from gifts, bequests, or donations.
Existing law requires the Labor Commissioner to establish and maintain a field enforcement unit, which shall be administratively and physically separate from offices of the division that accept and determine individual employee complaints. Existing law requires the Labor Commissioner to adopt an enforcement plan for the field enforcement unit. Existing law requires the Labor Commissioner to annually report to the Legislature concerning the effectiveness of the field enforcement unit. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to this provision.
The Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999 requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop an Academic Performance Index to measure the performance of schools and the academic performance of pupils. Existing law requires the Superintendent to establish an advisory committee to advise the Superintendent and the State Board of Education on all appropriate matters relating to the creation of the Academic Performance Index and the implementation of an accountability system. This bill would require the advisory committee to develop a public measurement, or index, of activities in public school classrooms that foster creativity, innovation, and problem solving, as provided. The bill would also require the advisory committee to report and make recommendations on the development of the index to the Superintendent by January 1, 2015.
(1) Existing law imposes specified requirements on manufacturers of motor vehicles sold or leased in this state. A violation of the Vehicle Code is a crime. This bill would enact the California Motor Vehicle Emergency Contact Locator Act of 2013 and would define the term "VIN# ECON database" as the national law enforcement vehicle identification number emergency contact locator database that may be established by this state, in conjunction with other states and law enforcement agencies. This bill would require a motor vehicle manufacturer of a new motor vehicle sold or leased in this state on or after January 2, 2014, with a 2014 model year or later to provide a means by which a purchaser or lessee of a new motor vehicle can voluntarily designate at the original retail point of sale an emergency contact to be stored in the VIN# ECON database. The bill would require the emergency contact information to be made available electronically only to authorized law enforcement and would require law enforcement personnel, when practicable, to expeditiously notify the registered owner's emergency contact, if a vehicle occupant is rendered unable to communicate due to physical injury, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program by imposing new duties upon local agencies. The bill would also require a manufacturer of a new motor vehicle sold or leased in this state to establish a public awareness campaign, including listing access to the VIN# ECON database as a standard equipment specification on the new vehicle original window sticker. Since a violation of the bill's requirements would be a crime, the 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 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.
Under the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, the State Department of Developmental Services is required to contract with regional centers to provide services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities. Existing law requires the state to enter into 5-year contracts with the regional centers, subject to the annual appropriation of funds by the Legislature, and requires that the contracts include annual performance objectives, as specified. This bill would, in this regard, require the annual performance objectives, among other things, to be designed to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate services and supports, and require the department to establish performance contract guidelines and measures relating to issues of cultural and linguistic competency. This bill would require the department to, beginning July 1, 2014, specify in the performance contract any areas that require improvement by the regional center to reduce racial and ethnic disparities.
