Existing law establishes various student financial aid programs under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for the receipt of awards under those programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. Existing law establishes the Military Department, which includes the California National Guard, the California State Military Reserve, and the Naval Militia, to perform various duties regarding the state militia. Existing law establishes the California National Guard Education Assistance Award Program on behalf of qualifying members of the California National Guard, the California State Military Reserve, and the Naval Militia under the administration of the commission. Existing law requires the Student Aid Commission to report annually to the Legislature regarding program participation and also requires the Legislative Analyst, on or before January 1, 2016, to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report on the program. Existing law further provides that the program becomes operative only if funds are appropriated for the purposes of the program. The program becomes inoperative on July 1, 2019, and is repealed on January 1, 2020. This bill would change the name of the program to the California Military Department GI Bill Award Program. The bill would provide that the award could be used to obtain one baccalaureate, graduate, or doctoral degree or a certificate, degree, or diploma that leads to a baccalaureate, graduate, or doctoral degree if the person agrees to serve 2 years in the California National Guard, the Naval Militia, or the California State Military Reserve, as specified. The bill would delete the obsolete provision requiring the submission of a report by the Legislative Analyst. The bill would also delete the provision rendering the program inoperative on July 1, 2019, and repealing the program on January 1, 2020, thereby extending the program indefinitely.
Sponsored bills
Existing law provides for the regulation of private swimming pools. Existing law also provides for the regulation of public swimming pools by the State Department of Public Health. Existing law requires the provision of lifeguard services at any public swimming pool that is of wholly artificial construction and for the use of which a direct fee, as defined, is imposed. A violation of those provisions is a crime. This bill would require those public swimming pools, as defined, that are required to provide lifeguard services and that charge a direct fee to additionally provide an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) during pool operations, as specified. Because the failure to comply with these provisions would be a crime, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. The bill would also require the State Department of Education, in consultation with the State Department of Public Health, to issue best practices guidelines related to pool safety at K–12 schools, as specified. 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 establishes various employment protections to promote parent-infant bonds and infant health. The Moore-Brown-Roberti Family Rights Act, or California Family Rights Act, makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer, as defined, to refuse to grant a request by an eligible employee to take up to 12 workweeks of unpaid protected leave during any 12-month period to care for a child born to, adopted by, or placed for foster care with, the employee. The New Parent Leave Act prohibits an employer, as defined, from refusing to allow eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of parental leave to bond with a new child within one year of the child's birth, adoption, or foster care placement. Other existing law requires both public and private employers to provide accommodations for maternal lactation, including a reasonable amount of break time to employees desiring to express breast milk and a reasonable effort to provide the employee use of a room or other location in close proximity to the employees' work area for that purpose. This bill, until January 1, 2020, would authorize a state agency, as defined, to adopt an Infant at Work program to allow an employee of the agency who is a new parent or caregiver to an infant to bring the infant to the workplace. The bill would establish certain required elements for such a program. The bill would authorize a state agency to adopt regulations that it determines necessary to establish the program. The bill would prohibit a state agency from adopting the program in circumstances that are inappropriate based on safety, health, or other concerns for the infant or adult, as specified.
Existing law provides for the establishment and operation of veterans' homes at various sites, and provides for an administrator of each home, as specified. Existing law establishes the duties of the Department of Veterans Affairs with regard to the establishment and regulation of veterans' homes. This bill would specify that the administrator of each home is responsible for ensuring compliance with State and Federal law, as specified. The bill would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to adopt uniform statewide policies and procedures, by regulation, for the operation of veterans' homes, relating to, among other things, the admission of residents and quality of care standards. The bill would make findings and declarations and state the intent of the Legislature to monitor the department's efforts to implement a statewide electronic health record for its system of veterans' homes.
The Personal Income Tax Law authorizes various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including a credit for qualified renters in the amount of $120 for spouses filing joint returns, heads of household, and surviving spouses if adjusted gross income is $50,000, as adjusted, or less, and in the amount of $60 for other individuals if adjusted gross income is $25,000, as adjusted, or less. Existing law requires the Franchise Tax Board to annually adjust for inflation these adjusted gross income amounts. For 2017, the adjusted gross income limit is $80,156 and $40,078, respectively. This bill, for each taxable year beginning on and after January 1, 2018, would increase the credit amount for a qualified renter, as specified, and would require the Franchise Tax Board to annually adjust for inflation the credit amount for taxable years on and after January 1, 2023. The bill would authorize the Governor to suspend the increased credit amount by proclamation if the Governor finds and declares that an economic emergency exists in this state and it is necessary that the increased credit amount be suspended, in which case the credit amount would be the credit amount for the taxable year immediately preceding the taxable year in which the suspension of the credit applies. The bill would also provide that the increased credit amount is $0 for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2019, unless otherwise specified in a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill. In the event the increased credit amount is $0, the existing credit amounts of $60 and $120, respectively, would be the credit amounts for that taxable year. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Existing property tax law, in accordance with the California Constitution, provides for a "welfare exemption" for property used exclusively for religious, hospital, scientific, or charitable purposes and that is owned or operated by certain types of nonprofit entities, if certain qualifying criteria are met. This bill, for lien dates occurring on and after January 1, 2019, would provide that property is within the welfare exemption if that property is owned by a community land trust, as defined, otherwise qualifying for the welfare exemption, and specified conditions are met, including that the property is being or will be developed or rehabilitated as housing, as specified. The bill would prohibit this exemption from being denied on the basis that the subject property does not currently contain specified property that is in the course of construction. The bill would require the community land trust to be liable for property tax for the years for which the property was exempt under these provisions if the property was not developed or rehabilitated for housing, or if the development or rehabilitation is not in the course of construction, within 5 years of the lien date following the acquisition of the property. The bill, in the case where property that is owned by a community land trust becomes subject to taxation as so described, would require any assessment made, as provided, to be made within 5 years of the lien date following the date on which the property becomes subject to taxation. By imposing new duties upon local government officials with respect to the exemption provided by this bill, 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, 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.
Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program, establishes the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement awards, the California Community College Transfer Entitlement awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards, the Cal Grant C awards, and the Cal Grant T awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. Existing law provides that any California resident is entitled to a Cal Grant B Entitlement award, and requires the commission to allocate that award, if certain criteria are met, including that the student submit a complete financial aid application, submitted or postmarked no later than March 2 of the academic year of high school graduation or its equivalent for the award year immediately following the academic year of high school graduation or its equivalent, or no later than March 2 of the academic year following high school graduation or its equivalent for the 2nd award year following the year of high school graduation or its equivalent. This bill would provide alternative deadlines for submitting a complete financial aid application for a student who is a current or former foster youth, who is attending a qualifying institution that offers baccalaureate degrees or is attending a California community college, and has not yet reached 26 years of age as of July 1 of the initial award year. Existing law authorizes the renewal of Cal Grant B awards for a total of the equivalent of 4 years of full-time attendance in an undergraduate program, provided that minimum financial need, as defined, continues to exist, subject to certain exceptions. This bill would authorize the renewal of Cal Grant B awards, for a current or former foster youth, for a total of the equivalent of 8 years of full-time attendance in an undergraduate program, provided that minimum financial need continues to exist.
This measure would urge a resolution of noncooperation between TRICARE and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to immediately restore mutual data sharing regarding active military members, veterans, and their families who are eligible for both TRICARE and Medicaid health coverage and to waive a restriction for the payment of claims that have been impacted by the inability of TRICARE and Medicaid to share data.
This measure would acknowledge the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and express the Legislature's respect to Muslims across California and throughout the world on this occasion.
Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue a driver's license to an applicant when the department determines that the applicant is lawfully entitled to a license. Existing law specifies the required contents of a driver's license, including a fullface engraved picture or photograph of the licensee. This bill would require the department, for purposes of the engraved picture or photograph, to allow a licensee to request that more than one, but not more than 3, photographs be taken onsite at the department field office and select the photograph to be used on his or her license. The bill would require the department to establish a reasonable fee, not to exceed $5, for each additional photograph requested and would require the department to deposit the revenue derived from the additional fees into the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund. Moneys deposited into that account pursuant to the bill would be used by the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to support driver education and training programs. The bill would require the department to adopt regulations to implement its provisions by January 1, 2020.