Existing law generally provides for the regulation of various financial institutions, including banks, credit unions, and finance lenders, by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Existing law requires the Secretary for Environmental Protection to coordinate greenhouse gas emission reductions and climate-change activities in state government. Executive Order N-19-19 requires, among other things, the Department of Finance to create a Climate Investment Framework and to consult with the Office of Planning and Research on the framework. This bill would require a covered entity, as defined, to, on or before December 31, 2022, and annually thereafter, prepare a climate-related financial risk report, as defined, and to submit to the Secretary of State, and make available to the public on its own internet website, a copy of that report. The bill would also require a covered entity to submit to the Secretary of State a statement affirming, not under penalty of perjury, that the climate-related financial risk report discloses climate-related financial risk, as required by the bill. This bill would also require, on or before January 31, 2023, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State to deliver to the Climate-Related Risk Disclosure Advisory Group in the Office of Planning and Research copies of all climate-related financial risk reports received pursuant to these provisions in the prior calendar year and would require the office to make those reports available to the public on its internet website.
Sponsored bills
Existing law establishes the Department of Justice, which is responsible, in part, for overseeing state summary criminal history information and overseeing statewide criminal justice programs like the California Criminalistics Institute. This bill would require the Attorney General to review any hate crimes and domestic terrorism training programs and resource programs that are provided to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and ensure that those training and resource programs assist in understanding, detecting, deterring, and investigating hate crimes and acts of domestic terrorism. The bill would require an individual who provides hate crimes and domestic terrorism training to have expertise in domestic terrorism and relevant academic, law enforcement, or other experience in matters related to domestic terrorism. The bill would additionally require the Attorney General to review funding for antiterrorism from the 10 years prior to 2021, and report to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2023, with an analysis of whether California has an appropriately funded approach that focuses resources on the most pressing sources of terrorism.
Existing law requires a city or county to administratively approve applications to install solar energy systems through the issuance of a building permit or similar nondiscretionary permit. Existing law requires every city, county, or city and county, to develop a streamlined permitting process for the installation of small residential rooftop solar energy systems, as that term is defined. Existing law prescribes and limits permit fees that a city or county may charge for a residential and commercial solar energy system. Existing law grants the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, as defined. Decisions of the PUC adopted the California Solar Initiative, which is administered by electrical corporations and subject to the PUC's supervision. Existing law requires the PUC and the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) to undertake certain steps in implementing the California Solar Initiative. A violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. This bill would require every city and county to implement an online, automated permitting platform that verifies code compliance and instantaneously issues permits for a solar energy system that is no larger than 38.4 kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating and an energy storage system paired with a solar energy system that is no larger than 38.4 kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating, as specified. The bill would require a city or county to amend a certain ordinance to authorize a residential solar energy system and an energy storage system to use the online, automated permitting platform. The bill would prescribe a compliance schedule for satisfying these requirements, which would exempt a county with a population of less than 150,000 and all cities within a county with a population of less than 150,000. The bill would require a city with a population of 50,000 or less that is not otherwise exempt to satisfy these requirements by September 30, 2023, while cities and counties with populations greater than 50,000 that are not otherwise exempt would be required to satisfy the requirements by September 30, 2022. The bill would require a city, county, or a fire department, district, or authority to report to the Energy Commission when it is in compliance with specified requirements, in addition to other information. By increasing the duties of local officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would prohibit the provision of specified funding sources to cities and counties not in compliance with certain provisions relating to solar energy systems and fees charged for their installation or if they are not in compliance with provisions of the bill. The bill would require the Energy Commission, upon provision of sufficient funding, to provide technical assistance and grant funding to cities and counties in order to support the above-described requirements. The bill would require the commission to develop grant guidelines and other requirements, as specified, by May 1, 2022, and make applications available no later than July 1, 2022. Because this requirement would expand the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the Energy Commission to set guidelines for cities and counties to report to the commission on the number of permits issued for solar energy systems and an energy storage system paired with a solar energy system and the relevant characteristics of those systems. 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.
(1) Existing law authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife to exchange or release to any appropriate federal, state, or local agency or agencies in other states, for purposes of law enforcement, any information collected or maintained by the department under any provision of the Fish and Game Code or any regulation adopted pursuant to this code. This bill would require the Director of Fish and Wildlife, or a designated representative, to coordinate with and cooperate on wildlife trafficking with authorized representatives of the States of Oregon, Washington, and any other state. The bill would provide that these efforts shall include, but are not limited to, notification of wildlife trafficking violations observed in this state, and any potential emerging zoonotic disease risk associated with wildlife. (2) Existing law requires the Fish and Game Commission, in cooperation with the Department of Food and Agriculture, to adopt regulations governing both (A) the entry, importation, possession, transportation, keeping, confinement, or release of any and all wild animals that will be or that have been imported into this state, and (B) the possession of all other wild animals. Existing law requires the regulations to be designed to prevent damage to the native wildlife or agricultural interests of this state resulting from the existence at large of these wild animals, and to provide for the welfare of wild animals and the safety of the public. This bill would require the Department of Fish and Wildlife to immediately suspend any authorization to import a wild animal species into the state when the Director of Fish and Wildlife makes a written finding that the scientific evidence using credible science suggests zoonotic transmission from this species, or a closely related species within the same family, could be responsible for a novel, or not previously reported, readily transmissible human disease in order to protect the public health and safety, native wildlife, and agricultural interests of this state. The bill would prohibit the department from authorizing the importation of any individual animals of a wild animal species that could be responsible for zoonotic transmission of a readily transmissible human disease until a protocol for robust testing, effective treatment, or quarantine, as provided, is implemented to ensure that all individual animals subject to an authorization are not carriers. (3) Existing law exempts any university, college, governmental research agency, or other bona fide scientific institution, as specified, engaging in scientific or public health research from any permit requirement for the importation, transportation, and sheltering of restricted live wild animals except for animals whose importation, transportation, or possession is determined by the Department of Fish and Wildlife, in cooperation with the Department of Food and Agriculture, to be detrimental or cause damage to agriculture, native wildlife, or the public health or safety. This bill would authorize the department to issue a restricted species permit for a live wild animal prohibited from importation or transportation into the state on a case-by-case basis to a university, college, governmental research agency, or other bona fide scientific institution conducting bona fide medical or scientific research, as determined by the department, that cannot otherwise be conducted without the live wild animal. The bill would require, for a live wild animal that could be responsible for zoonotic transmission of a readily transmissible human disease, as provided, the department to require the applicant to demonstrate biosafety equipment and protocols necessary to safely handle that live wild animal. (4) Existing law requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife to establish fees for permits, permit applications, and facility inspections in amounts sufficient to cover the costs of administering, implementing, and enforcing provisions of law governing the importation, transportation, and sheltering of restricted live wild animals. This bill would require the department, at least once every 5 years, to analyze and, as necessary, adjust those fees to meet the requirements of this provision. (5) Existing law prohibits the importation of a live aquatic plant or animal into this state without the prior written approval of the Department of Fish and Wildlife pursuant to regulations adopted by the Fish and Game Commission, except as specified. This bill would require the department to adjust the amount of the fees adopted by the commission for importation permits for a live aquatic plant or animal, as necessary, to fully recover, but not exceed, all reasonable administrative and implementation costs of the department and the commission relating to these permits. (6) Existing law prohibits a person who operates a live animal market from engaging in specified practices, including confining or displaying an animal in a manner that is likely to result in injury. Existing law defines a "live animal market" as a retail food market where frogs, turtles, and birds other than poultry are stored alive and sold to consumers for purposes of human consumption. Existing law imposes specified warnings and fines for a violation of these provisions. This bill would prohibit a person who operates a live animal market from storing or selling an animal that is a known or likely invasive species or that is of a taxa known or likely to be responsible for zoonotic transmission of a disease, as determined by the Fish and Game Commission. The bill would require the commission to adopt regulations governing the storing and sale of animals for live animal markets. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill instead would require a fine to be paid after a subsequent violation of the above provisions without exceptions, and would specify how the fine is apportioned. (7) 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.
Existing law requires the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection to identify areas of the state as very high fire hazard severity zones based on specified criteria. Existing law requires a local agency to designate, by ordinance, very high hazard severity zones in its jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving recommendations from the director. Existing law authorizes a local agency to include areas within its jurisdiction not identified as very high fire hazard severity zones by the director as very high fire hazard severity zones following a specified finding supported by substantial evidence. Existing law requires the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to determine, based on specified criteria, whether an area of the state is one for which the financial responsibility of preventing and suppressing fires is primarily the responsibility of the state. Existing law refers to these areas as "state responsibility areas." This bill would, in furtherance of specified state housing production, sustainability communities strategies, greenhouse gas reduction, and wildfire mitigation goals, prohibit the creation or approval of a new development, as defined, in a very high fire hazard severity zone or a state responsibility area unless there is substantial evidence that the local agency has adopted a comprehensive, necessary, and appropriate wildfire prevention and community hardening strategy to mitigate significant risks of loss, injury, or death, as specified. By imposing new duties on local governments with respect to the approval of new developments in very high fire hazard severity zones and state responsibility areas, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law, known as the Density Bonus Law, requires a city or county to provide a developer that proposes a housing development in the city or county with a density bonus and other incentives or concessions for the production of lower income housing units, or for the donation of land within the development, if the developer agrees to, among other things, construct a specified percentage of units for very low income, low-income, or moderate-income households or qualifying residents. This bill would provide a qualifying developer a supplemental height bonus and a supplemental density bonus, as specified, if the development is located on a site that meets certain criteria, including, among others, not being located in a moderate, high, or very high fire hazard severity zone, as specified. By imposing additional requirements on local governments with respect to supplemental height and density bonuses, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. 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 Planning and Zoning Law requires a city or county to adopt a comprehensive general plan that addresses a number of elements. Existing law requires, among other things, the city's or county's planning agency to investigate and make recommendations to the legislative body regarding reasonable and practical means for implementing the general plan or element of the general plan. Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to assess, by January 1, 2021, the potential for the state to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases from the state's residential and commercial building stock by at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by January 1, 2030. This bill would require a city or county to make, commencing January 1, 2023, a one-time amendment to the appropriate elements of its general plan, climate action or greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan, or building or other codes, as described, to include goals, policies, objectives, targets, and feasible implementation strategies, as specified, to decarbonize newly constructed, as defined, commercial and residential buildings. The bill would require a city or county to submit these draft amendments to the commission at least 45 days prior to the adoption of the amendments. The bill would require the legislative body of the city or county to consider the commission's advisory comments, if any, prior to adopting the amendments. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. 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.
On Feb 24, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) was introduced in the United States Congress. The stimulus package, if enacted into law, would, among other things, provide funding for economic relief payments to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to speed up the United States' recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing recession. This bill would require, to the extent authorized by federal law, a state agency that receives and disburses ARP funds or other federal recovery funds to consider projects' potential impact on specified goals, including, among other things, restoring frontline communities and rapidly accelerating achievement of environmental justice and climate goals, including, but not limited to, climate, environmental, and biodiversity protection and stimulating growth. The bill would require state agencies to document how proposed projects meet or align with the goals and require the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to establish an internet website where the public can track the expenditure of federal ARP funds by the state and how funded projects meet the goals.
Existing law, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) , grants a consumer various rights with respect to personal information, as defined, that is collected or sold by a business, as defined, and also establishes, as approved by the voters as Proposition 24 at the November 3, 2020, statewide general election, the California Privacy Protection Agency and vests it with full administrative power, authority, and jurisdiction to implement and enforce the CCPA. This bill would require a social media platform company, as described, to report annually to the Department of Justice by April 1 of each year prescribed information relating to content management and the negative externalities, as defined, associated with the platform company's business activities. The bill would require the department to make the information reported to it available to consumers. The bill would require a platform company to also report that information to the Legislature and the agency. The bill would require a platform company to develop policies to assess and mitigate their negative externalities, to develop an "acceptable use" policy for users.
Existing law prohibits a person from performing, or otherwise procuring or arranging for the performance of, surgical claw removal, declawing, onychectomy, or tendonectomy on any cat that is a member of an exotic or native wild cat species, and prohibits a person from otherwise altering such a cat's toes, claws, or paws to prevent the normal function of the cat's toes, claws, or paws, except solely for a therapeutic purpose. This bill would prohibit a person from removing or disabling a cat's claws by performing a declawing procedure, as defined, except when a phalangectomy is performed solely for a therapeutic purpose, as specified. The bill would require a licensed veterinarian who performs a phalangectomy for a therapeutic purpose to file a written statement, which would include the purpose for performing the phalangectomy, with the Veterinary Medical Board, as specified. The bill would impose on a person that removes or disables a cat's claws by performing a declawing procedure a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 for the first violation, $1,500 for the second violation, and $2,500 for the third and subsequent violations, as specified. The bill would impose on a licensed veterinarian that fails to file the written statement a civil penalty of not more than $200, and would provide that such conduct or performing a declawing procedure constitutes unprofessional conduct. The bill would authorize the Attorney General, a city attorney, and a county counsel to bring an action to impose these civil penalties. The bill would require a person, upon determining a licensed veterinarian potentially performed a declawing procedure, to notify the board of the potential violation, and would specify that a violation of this requirement is not a crime and is not subject to any civil or criminal penalty.
Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care Services to license and regulate alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities serving adults. Existing law authorizes the department to certify qualified alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment programs, as prescribed. Under existing law, the department regulates the quality of these programs, taking into consideration the significance of community-based programs to alcohol and other drug abuse recovery and the need to encourage opportunities for low-income and special needs populations to receive alcohol and other drug abuse recovery or treatment services. This bill, commencing January 1, 2026, would require any substance use disorder treatment program to be licensed by the department, except as specified. The bill would require the department, in administering these provisions, to issue licenses for a period of 2 years for substance use disorder treatment programs that meet the requirements in these provisions. The bill would require the department to issue a license to a substance use disorder program once various requirements have been met, including an onsite review. The bill would authorize the department to renew a license, as provided. The bill would prohibit providing substance use disorder treatment services to individuals without a license. The bill would require a substance use disorder program licensed pursuant to these provisions to adopt written policies and procedures, as specified. The bill would require a person or entity applying for a license to submit, among other things, a licensure fee to the department. The bill would require various quality parameters of licensed substance use disorder treatment programs, including, among others, that patients admitted for treatment meet specified medical necessity criteria. The bill would require the department to conduct a site visit if a program is alleged to be in violation of those quality parameters and to provide written notice to the program, as specified. The bill would authorize a licensed substance use disorder treatment program to treat persons 12 to 17 years of age, inclusive, provided certain additional requirements are met, including that assessments include documentation of the person's unique abilities and strengths in the patient treatment plan. The bill would require certain minimum requirements for substance use disorder program administrators and staff who provide services pursuant to these provisions and would grant the department sole authority to establish qualifications that exceed those requirements. The bill would require the department to conduct onsite visits to ensure compliance at least once during the licensure period. The bill would authorize the department to conduct announced or unannounced site visits at any time. The bill would authorize the department to enter any building and inspect the premises and any records of a substance use disorder program to secure information regarding compliance with these provisions. The bill would authorize the Director of Health Care Services to suspend or revoke the license of a substance use disorder program for, among other things, a violation by the program. The bill would require that proceedings for the suspension, revocation, or denial of a license be conducted under specified procedures. The bill would terminate a license if various conditions occur, including, that the substance use program is sold or otherwise transferred. The bill would authorize the department to levy a civil penalty of not less than $250 and no more than $500 per day for each violation, except as specified. The bill would require additional penalties for a program with repeated violations, as specified. The bill would require the department to provide the substance use program with notice and an opportunity to correct the violation prior to assessing the civil penalty. The bill would require that all fees, fines, and penalties collected from substance use disorder programs be deposited in the Residential and Outpatient Program Licensing Fund, to be available upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would state that it is the intent of the Legislature to make General Fund money available for purposes of the program if moneys in the Residential and Outpatient Program Licensing Fund are insufficient to fund the regulatory functions of the department. The bill would require the department to adopt regulations to implement these provisions.