Sen. Fran Pavley

This measure would declare June 2011 as Scleroderma Awareness Month.

Existing law requires certain local agencies to furnish reports to the Controller concerning financial transactions of the local agency, subject to uniform accounting and reporting procedures prescribed by the Controller. The Controller may provide for the investigation of certain local agency finances if a report is not made in the time, form, and manner required or there is reason to believe that a report is false, incomplete, or incorrect. This bill would additionally authorize the Controller, if the Controller determines that sufficient funds are made available, to conduct a preliminary review to determine the existence of a local agency financial problem, and perform an audit upon completion of that review, subject to specified criteria. The bill would require the Controller, if the Controller determines that sufficient funds are made available, to convene a local agency financial review committee with a specified membership, and authorize the committee to recommend a financial recovery plan for a local agency requesting assistance. It would require the Controller to report to the Legislature annually on the actions of the committee and the status of all engagements with local agencies pursuant to these provisions. The bill would specify that its provisions would be repealed on January 1, 2017.

The California Constitution conditions the imposition of a special tax by a city, county, or special district upon the approval of 23 of the voters of the city, county, or special district voting on that tax, and prohibits these entities from imposing an ad valorem tax on real property or a transactions or sales tax on the sale of real property. This measure would alternatively condition the imposition, extension, or increase of a parcel tax, as defined, by a school district, community college district, or county office of education upon the approval of 55% of its voters voting on the proposition, if the proposition meets specified requirements. This measure would also make conforming changes to related provisions.

This measure would designate April 2011 as California Autism Awareness Month, would affirm the Legislature's commitment to the important issues related to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) , would emphasize that each and every individual with an ASD is a valued and important member of our society, would recognize and commend the parents and relatives of individuals with ASDs for their sacrifice and dedication in providing for the special needs of individuals with ASDs, would recognize and commend the work of all nonprofit organizations that are contributing to the well-being of individuals with autism and their families, would stress the need to identify children with ASD and begin early intervention services immediately after a childhood diagnosis, and would stress the need for these intervention services, as well as supports, for individuals with ASDs and their families in an integrated, seamless, comprehensive, and competent manner that is delivered across the child's lifespan.

This measure would declare May 2011 and each May thereafter as "Senior Volunteer Month" to honor the contributions of California's senior volunteers.

This measure would endorse efforts to raise awareness of global climate change and energy efficiency and would declare the hour of 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the last Saturday of March to be "Earth Hour" throughout the state. The measure would encourage city, county, and state employees, and businesses to turn off nonessential lights in government buildings, public schools, public landmarks, and other buildings for that hour on March 26, 2011.

(1) The Z'berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973 prohibits a person from conducting timber operations unless a timber harvesting plan prepared by a registered professional forester has been submitted for the timber operations to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and approved. The act requires a person who owns timberlands that are to be devoted to uses other than the growing of timber to file an application for conversion with the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. The California Forest Legacy Program Act of 2007 establishes the California Forest Legacy Program to conserve private forest lands by authorizing the department to acquire conservation easements of eligible properties according to specified criteria. This bill would require the department, in order to further the goals of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 and to enhance the capability of forest lands to sequester carbon, to develop options and incentives for the management of private forests pursuant to the criteria established under the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, to establish, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, scientific standardized baselines at the regional and state scales to project future scenarios of carbon emissions and sequestration, and to develop, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board and the Department of Fish and Game, regulations that establish mitigation requirements for forest land conversions. The bill would require the department to impose a fee on an applicant for conversion that fully offsets the department's costs for implementing the above requirement as it relates to conversion. (2) Existing law, the Forest and Rangeland Resources Assessment and Policy Act of 1977, requires the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection, under policy guidance from the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection and in consultation with the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, to prepare and submit a full and updated forest and rangeland resource assessment and analysis by January 1, 1987, and by January 1 of each 5th year thereafter. The board is required to prepare a forest resource policy statement based on the review and assessment. This bill would require that the review and assessment include continued publication of trendline data on carbon stocks, at multiple geographic scales, on the state's forest lands. The bill would require the director to collaborate with the State Air Resources Board for the development and maintenance of the trendline data for the purposes of demonstrating consistency with the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 for the forest sector and to identify the best available data sources and outstanding data needs necessary to develop and maintain the trendline data.

The Energy Conservation Assistance Act of 1979 establishes, until January 1, 2011, the State Energy Conservation Assistance Account, a continuously appropriated account, that is administered by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to provide grants and loans to local government and public institutions, including, among others, schools, to maximize energy use savings. This bill would require the Controller, upon the request of the commission, to establish the Solar School Subaccount in the State Energy Conservation Assistance Account and would be available for the deposit of funds, including specified federal funds. The bill would require that the moneys in the subaccount, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be used for the purposes of providing loans to schools for energy efficiency projects and for the installation of solar energy systems.

Existing law regulates the labeling requirements on various consumer products. This bill would prohibit, on or after January 1, 2012, a person from packaging or labeling a consumer product, as defined, for distribution or sale in California if that product is contained in a package, or has an affixed label, that states that the product is flushable, sewer and septic safe, or other like term or phrase unless the product meets specified criteria. The bill would require a person who has packaged or labeled a consumer product for distribution or sale in California that is labeled as flushable, sewer and septic safe, or other like term or phrase, to maintain, in written form, documentation of the testing substantiating the validity of the claim, except as specified. The bill would exempt certain retailers and wholesalers from these provisions. The bill would make violation of this provision punishable by a fine of up to $2,500.