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D California Senate · District 3

Sen. Bill Dodd

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Total votes
20,491
all sessions
Attendance
97%
426 missed
Lower than 97% of chamber peers
With party
99%
of cast votes
Lower than 97% of chamber peers
Bipartisan score
0%
crosses aisle rarely
Near the chamber average
Sponsored
1,151
bills & resolutions
Near the chamber average
Committees
0
assignments
1,151 bills and resolutions

Sponsored bills

Total
1,151
Primary
250
Co-sponsor
901
This page
1,151
matching current filters
Primary SB 1166
Signed into law · California Senate · Lead sponsor
Public postsecondary education: sex discrimination reports.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in the state. Existing law requires the California State University, on or before December 1 of each year, to submit a report to the Legislature on the investigations and outcomes of sexual harassment reports and formal sexual harassment complaints, and to post the annual reports on its internet website, as provided. This bill would instead require the California State University, on or before December 1 of each year, to submit a report to the Legislature that provides a summation of the activities undertaken by each campus and by the systemwide Title IX office to ensure campus programs and activities are free from sex discrimination, and would revise the content of the report, as provided. The bill would additionally require the California Community Colleges, on or before December 1, 2026, and on or before December 1 every 3 years thereafter, and request the University of California, on or before December 1, 2026, and on or before each December 1 thereafter, to submit an analogous report to the Legislature that provides a summation of the activities undertaken by each district or campus, as applicable, and by each systemwide Title IX office, to ensure campus programs and activities are free from sex discrimination, as provided. The bill would require the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, and request the University of California, to post certain annual reports on their respective internet websites. The bill would require the California State University, and request the University of California, to present each report during a public meeting of the trustees or the regents, as applicable. This bill would require, on or before September 1, 2026, and on or before each September 1 thereafter, the governing board of each community college district to prepare and submit to the chancellor's office a report on the activities undertaken by each community college district to ensure campus programs and activities are free from sex discrimination, as provided. The bill would require each community college district to post the annual reports on its internet website and to present each report during a public meeting of the governing board of the community college district. By imposing new requirements on community college districts, 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.

Signed into law Sep 28, 2024 0 co-sponsors
Primary SB 278
Vetoed · California Senate · Lead sponsor
Elder abuse: emergency financial contact program.

Existing law, the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, establishes various procedures for the reporting, investigation, and prosecution of elder and dependent adult abuse. Existing law defines financial abuse for those purposes and provides that it occurs when, among other instances, a person or entity takes, secretes, appropriates, obtains, or retains, or assists in taking, secreting, appropriating, obtaining, or retaining, real or personal property of an elder or dependent adult for a wrongful use or with intent to defraud, or both. Existing law requires a person or entity to be deemed to have taken, secreted, appropriated, obtained, or retained property for a wrongful use if, among other things, the person or entity takes the property and the person or entity knew or should have known that the conduct is likely to be harmful to the elder or dependent adult. Existing law requires the court to award specified costs if a defendant is found liable for financial abuse, as specified. Existing law makes the failure to report, or impeding or inhibiting a report of, among other things, financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult, in violation of certain reporting requirements a misdemeanor. This bill, commencing January 1, 2026, would require a covered person or entity, as defined, to establish an emergency financial contact program for covered accountholders, as specified. The bill would require a covered person or entity to notify a joint accountholder or an emergency financial contact, if one has been provided, if the covered person or entity should reasonably suspect a covered transaction requested by the covered accountholder is the result of financial abuse. The bill would also require a covered person or entity to delay, by at least 3 business days, a covered transaction initiated by a covered accountholder if the covered person or entity should reasonably suspect the transaction is the result of financial abuse and would make a covered person or entity immune from administrative, civil, or other liability that might arise from a delayed or refused transaction. The bill would authorize a covered person or entity to implement an emergency financial contact program for an accountholder who is not an elder or dependent adult, as specified. Existing law provides for the award of attorney's fees and costs, and damages, to a plaintiff when it is proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant is liable for financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult. This bill would, if proven by a preponderance of the evidence, subject a covered person or entity to liability for actual and noneconomic damages, for certain specified violations. The bill would prohibit a nonmanagerial employee of a covered entity or a covered person who is an employee of a covered entity who meets certain specifications from being held personally liable in their individual capacity for specified violations. The bill would make these provisions severable, except as specified.

Vetoed Sep 28, 2024 0 co-sponsors
Co-sponsor SB 1288
Signed into law · California Senate · Co-sponsor
Public schools: artificial intelligence working group.

Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish procedures within the State Department of Education to, among other things, annually identify the critical needs for which effective educational programs and practices are to be identified, developed, and disseminated to public schools. This bill would require the Superintendent to convene a working group, composed as provided, for specific purposes related to artificial intelligence in public schools, as specified. The bill would require, among other things, the working group to develop, on or before January 1, 2026, guidance for school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools on the safe use of artificial intelligence in education, and to, on or before July 1, 2026, develop a model policy for those local educational agencies regarding the safe and effective use of artificial intelligence in ways that benefit, and do not negatively impact, pupils and educators, as provided. The bill would require the working group to, on or before January 1, 2027, report its findings and recommendations to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, as provided. The bill would dissolve the working group upon submission of that report, and would repeal these provisions as of January 1, 2031.

Signed into law Sep 28, 2024 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor AB 863
Signed into law · California House · Co-sponsor
Carpet recycling: producer responsibility organizations: fines: succession: training.

The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, generally regulates the disposal, management, and recycling of solid waste. The act establishes stewardship programs for various products, including, among others, carpet. The act requires a manufacturer of carpets sold in this state, individually or through a carpet stewardship organization, to submit a carpet stewardship plan to the department, which is required to include specified elements, including achieving specified carpet recycling rates and a funding mechanism that provides sufficient funding to carry out the plan. The act requires the funding mechanism to establish and provide for a carpet stewardship assessment to be added to the purchase price of carpet sold in the state by a manufacturer to a California retailer or wholesaler or otherwise sold for use in the state and requires each retailer and wholesaler to add the assessment to the purchase price of all carpet sold in the state. The act requires a manufacturer or carpet stewardship organization submitting a carpet stewardship plan to pay the department an administrative fee, as determined by the department, and imposes administrative civil penalties upon a person who violates these provisions. The act requires the carpet stewardship organization to provide various reports to ensure compliance with these provisions. This bill would require a carpet stewardship organization to include nonvoting board members, as specified, and would require the carpet stewardship organization to pay the travel costs and other expenses for those nonvoting members to participate in all board meetings. The bill would require a carpet stewardship organization to be responsible for, and make decisions regarding, a carpet stewardship plan, as specified. The bill would prohibit a carpet stewardship organization from delegating any responsibility of its board of directors or any decisionmaking responsibility to a person who is not a member of its board of directors. The bill would require a carpet stewardship organization to allocate 8% of the assessments it collects for grants to apprenticeship programs, as provided. The bill would authorize the department to audit a carpet stewardship organization and a manufacturer annually. The bill would authorize the department to adopt regulations to bring a carpet stewardship organization or manufacturer into compliance with the product stewardship for carpet program, as specified. The bill would increase the penalties for a violation of the program from $5,000 per day to $10,000 per day, and from $10,000 per day to $25,000 per day if the violation is intentional, knowing, or negligent. This bill would make the above-discussed product stewardship for carpet program, as amended by this bill, inoperative upon the completion of specified conditions, including that the department submits a letter to the relevant committees of the Legislature indicating that specified conditions have been met and that the department is prepared to implement a carpet producer responsibility program as discussed below. This bill would establish a carpet producer responsibility program that would require producers of covered products to form and join a single producer responsibility organization (PRO) for the collection and recycling of a covered product. This bill would define a "covered product" as carpet, as defined. The bill would require the PRO to develop a producer responsibility plan for the collection, transportation, recycling, and the safe and proper management of covered products in the state. The bill would require the PRO to perform specified public outreach regarding the plan before submitting it to the department for approval. The bill would require the PRO to review the plan at least every 5 years after approval. The bill would also require the PRO to submit an annual report to the department. The bill would require all reports and records provided to the department to be provided under penalty of perjury. By expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would restrict public access to certain information collected for the purpose of administering this program. This bill would require the department to post on its internet website a list of producers that are in compliance with the requirements of the program. The bill would require the department to adopt regulations governing the program. The bill would require the PRO to establish and provide for a covered product assessment to be added to the purchase price of covered product sold in the state by a producer to a California retailer or wholesaler or otherwise sold for use in the state and would require each retailer and wholesaler to add the assessment to the purchase price of all covered product sold in the state. The bill would require the PRO to pay fees to the department, not to exceed the department's actual and reasonable regulatory costs to implement and enforce the program. The bill would rename the Carpet Stewardship Account to be the Carpet Responsibility Fund and would rename the Carpet Stewardship Penalty Subaccount to be the Carpet Responsibility Penalty Account. The bill would require the deposit of all moneys received from the PRO into the Carpet Responsibility Fund and would make the moneys in that fund available to the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes of the program. The bill would also authorize the department to impose administrative penalties for a violation of the program's requirements, not to exceed $10,000 per day, or not to exceed $25,000 per day for an intentional or knowing violation, as specified. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. 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.

Signed into law Sep 27, 2024 1 co-sponsor
Primary SB 1384
Signed into law · California Senate · Lead sponsor
Powered wheelchairs: repair.

Existing law, the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law, regulates the packaging, labeling, and advertising of drugs and devices, and is administered by the State Department of Public Health. Among other things, existing law prohibits a person from conducting a home medical device retail facility business in this state unless the person has obtained a license from the department and sets forth standards for operating that facility. Existing law authorizes the department to waive any licensing requirements for a home medical device retail facility when, in the opinion of the department, a high standard of patient safety, consistent with good patient care, can be provided by the licensure of a home medical device retail facility that does not meet all of the requirements for licensure. This bill would, except as specified, require an original equipment manufacturer of a powered wheelchair, as those terms are defined, to provide documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, and tools used to inspect, diagnose, maintain, and repair the wheelchair to an owner or an independent repair provider for the purposes of providing service on the equipment or specified parts in the state, on fair and reasonable terms and costs, as defined. The bill would also require an original equipment manufacturer, for a powered wheelchair that contains an electronic security lock or other security-related function, to provide documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, or tools needed to reset the lock or function when disabled in the course of providing services, as specified. The bill would require an independent repair provider to provide a written notice to a customer before providing repair services, as specified. This bill would, with certain exceptions, exempt trade secret information from these requirements. The bill would subject an original equipment manufacturer who knowingly violates, or who should have reasonably known that they violated, these provisions to specified civil penalties. The bill would, in the case of a first violation, give an original equipment manufacturer who did not knowingly violate these provisions a 3-day right to cure the violation before a civil penalty is imposed. The bill would authorize a person injured by a violation of these provisions and the Attorney General or a district attorney to bring a civil action for this purpose, as specified. If the action is brought by the Attorney General or district attorney, the bill would require the penalty to be paid to specified entities or individuals, as provided.

Signed into law Sep 27, 2024 0 co-sponsors
Primary SB 310
Signed into law · California Senate · Lead sponsor
Prescribed fire: civil liability: cultural burns.

Existing law provides that no person shall be liable for any fire suppression or other costs otherwise recoverable for a prescribed burn if specified conditions are met, including, among others, that a burn boss, as certified through a certification program developed by the State Fire Marshal, has reviewed and approved a written prescription for the burn, the burn complies with that written prescription, and either the landowner has provided written permission or the governing body of a Native American tribe has given approval, as provided. Existing law exempts cultural burns, as defined, conducted by a cultural fire practitioner, as defined, from those requirements that a person certified as a burn boss review and approve a written prescription and that the burn be conducted in compliance with the written prescription. This bill would revise and recast those provisions by, among other things, expanding the definition of burn boss to also include a person qualified for specified positions through the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, as provided, and limiting the tribal approval condition to the approval of the governing body of a California Native American tribe. The bill would also revise and recast the definitions of cultural burn and cultural fire practitioner by, among other things, specifying that the definitions only apply to California Native American tribes. Existing law imposes various permitting requirements and prohibitions related to prescribed burns, as provided. This bill would authorize the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, in consultation with its departments, commissions, boards, conservancies, and other entities, to enter into written agreements with federally recognized California Native American tribes in support of tribal sovereignty with respect to cultural burning in their ancestral territories. The bill would provide that, in deference to tribal sovereignty, the secretary may agree in a written agreement regarding cultural burning that compliance with specified state permitting or regulatory requirements is not required. The bill would authorize local air districts to enter into written agreements with federally recognized California Native American tribes in support of tribal sovereignty with respect to cultural burning in their ancestral territories, as specified. The bill would provide that it does not grant immunity from fire suppression or other specified recoverable costs to any person whose conduct constitutes gross negligence. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2030.

Signed into law Sep 27, 2024 0 co-sponsors
Co-sponsor SB 895
Vetoed · California Senate · Co-sponsor
Community colleges: Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing Pilot Program.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, under the administration of community college district governing boards, and authorizes these districts to provide instruction at the community college campuses they operate. Existing law establishes a statewide baccalaureate degree program that authorizes up to a total of 30 baccalaureate degree programs at community college districts to be approved per academic year, as provided. This bill would require the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to develop a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing Pilot Program that authorizes select community college districts to offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The bill would limit the pilot program to 10 community college districts statewide and would require the chancellor's office to identify and select eligible community college districts based on specified criteria. The bill would require the chancellor's office to develop a process designed to assist community college districts with nursing programs that are applying for national accreditation for the purpose of qualifying for the pilot program, as provided. The bill would require each participating community college district to give priority registration for enrollment in the pilot program to students with an associate degree in nursing from that community college district. The bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office to conduct an evaluation of the pilot program to determine the effectiveness of the program and the need to continue or expand the program, as specified, to be submitted to the Legislature on or before July 1, 2032. The bill would repeal these provisions as of January 1, 2034.

Vetoed Sep 27, 2024 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor AB 1868
Signed into law · California House · Co-sponsor
Property taxation: assessments: affordable housing.

Existing law requires the county assessor to consider, when valuing real property for property taxation purposes, the effect of any enforceable restrictions to which the use of the land may be subjected. Under existing law, these restrictions include, among other enumerated items, a recorded contract with a nonprofit corporation that meets prescribed requirements, including requirements that the nonprofit corporation has received a welfare exemption for properties intended to be sold to low-income families who participate in a special no-interest loan program, and that the contract includes a deed of trust on the property in favor of the nonprofit corporation to ensure compliance with the terms of the program, as described. This bill would, for purposes of valuing property by the county assessor, establish a rebuttable presumption that, at the time of purchase, an assessor shall not include the value of the above-described deed of trust. By changing the manner in which county assessors assess property for property taxation purposes, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also make a technical, nonsubstantive change to those provisions. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 402.1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code proposed by AB 2897 to be operative only if this bill and AB 2897 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. 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.

Signed into law Sep 25, 2024 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor SB 1418
Signed into law · California Senate · Co-sponsor
Hydrogen-fueling stations: expedited review.

Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, requires every city, county, and city and county to administratively approve an application to install electric vehicle charging stations and hydrogen-fueling stations through the issuance of a building permit or similar nondiscretionary permit. Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, requires each city, county, and city and county to adopt an ordinance that creates an expedited, streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations. Existing law authorizes a city, county, or city and county developing an ordinance to refer to the recommendations contained in the most current version of the "Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Permitting Checklist," as specified. Existing law requires a city, county, and city and county, in developing the expedited permitting process, to adopt a checklist of all requirements with which electric vehicle charging stations must comply to be eligible for expedited review. For these purposes, existing law defines "hydrogen-fueling station" to mean the equipment used to store and dispense hydrogen fuel to vehicles according to industry codes and standards that is open to the public. Existing law requires a hydrogen-fueling station to meet certain requirements, including any rules established by the State Air Resources Board, Energy Commission, or Department of Food and Agriculture regarding safety, reliability, weights, and measures. This bill would modify the definition of "hydrogen-fueling station" to mean the equipment and structural design components necessary to ensure the safety of the fueling station, including hydrogen-refueling canopies, that are used to store and dispense hydrogen fuel to vehicles according to industry codes and standards that are open to the public. This bill would modify the requirements a hydrogen-fueling station must meet to include all applicable state laws and regulations pertaining to hydrogen fueling, including any rules established by the State Air Resources Board, Energy Commission, or Department of Food and Agriculture regarding safety, reliability, weights, and measures. This bill would require every city, county, or city and county to adopt an ordinance that creates an expedited, streamlined permitting process for certain hydrogen-fueling stations, as specified. This bill would authorize a city, county, or city and county developing an ordinance to refer to the recommendations contained in the most current version of the "Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permitting Guidebook" or the "Hydrogen Station Permitting Guidebook," as specified. The bill would require a city, county, and city and county, in developing the expedited permitting process, to adopt a checklist of all requirements with which hydrogen-fueling stations must comply to be eligible for expedited review. The bill would require a city, county, or city and county with a population of 250,000 or more residents to comply with these provisions on or before September 30, 2025, and would require a city, county, or city and county with a population of fewer than 250,000 residents to comply with these provisions by September 30, 2028. By imposing additional duties on cities, counties, and cities and counties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would repeal these provisions, except with regard to a city, county, or city and county being authorized to refer to the recommendations contained in the most current version of the "Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permitting Guidebook," on January 1, 2030. 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.

Signed into law Sep 25, 2024 1 co-sponsor
Co-sponsor SB 1420
Signed into law · California Senate · Co-sponsor
Hydrogen production facilities: certification and environmental review.

(1) The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires preparation of specified documentation before a public agency approves or carries out certain projects. Existing law authorizes the Governor to certify energy infrastructure projects meeting specified requirements for streamlining benefits related to CEQA. Existing law defines "energy infrastructure project" for these purposes to include eligible renewable energy resources under the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program, excluding resources that use biomass fuels. Existing law also expressly excludes from that definition of "energy infrastructure project" any project using hydrogen as a fuel. This bill would instead exclude eligible renewable energy resources under the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program that combust, rather than use, biomass fuels from the definition of "energy infrastructure project" for purposes of the above-described CEQA benefits. The bill would include hydrogen production facilities and associated onsite storage and processing facilities that do not derive hydrogen from a fossil fuel feedstock and that receive funding from specified state and federal programs within the definition of "energy infrastructure project." Because the bill would authorize the Governor to certify additional projects, thereby increasing the duties on lead agencies in conducting the environmental review of energy infrastructure projects certified by the Governor, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law authorizes persons proposing specified electrical generation, electrical transmission, and energy storage projects to apply, on or before June 30, 2029, to the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) to certify sites and related facilities as environmental leadership development projects, as specified. Existing law makes a site and related facility certified by the Energy Commission subject to streamlining benefits related to CEQA with no further action by the applicant or the Governor. Under existing law, the Energy Commission's certification is in lieu of any permit, certificate, or similar document required by any governmental agency and supersedes any applicable statute, ordinance, or regulation, except as specified. This bill would expand the types of facilities eligible to be certified as environmental leadership development projects by the Energy Commission to include hydrogen production facilities and associated onsite storage and processing facilities that do not derive hydrogen from a fossil fuel feedstock and that receive funding from specified state and federal programs. (3) 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.

Signed into law Sep 25, 2024 1 co-sponsor
Showing 11 to 20 of 1,151 bills