Sen. Bill Dodd

Existing law establishes regulations for the operation of an autonomous vehicle on public roads for testing purposes by a driver who possesses the proper class of license for the type of vehicle being operated if the manufacturer meets prescribed requirements. Existing law imposes various requirements on transit operators. This bill would require a transit operator, as defined, until January 1, 2025, to ensure each of its fully-automated transit vehicles, as defined, is staffed by at least one of its employees, who has had specified training, while the vehicle is in service. The bill would require a transit operator that deploys a fully-automated transit vehicle to report the results of that deployment to the Legislature on or before March 31, 2025.

This measure would recognize June 6, 2019, as the 75th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy, also known as D-Day. This measure would express the gratitude and appreciation of the Legislature to the members of the United States Armed Forces who participated in D-Day, and would call upon the people of California to observe the anniversary with appropriate reflections and recognition.

Existing law, the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, provides for the award of attorney's fees and costs to, and the recovery of damages by, a plaintiff when it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant is liable for physical abuse or neglect, as defined, and the defendant has also been found guilty of recklessness, oppression, fraud, or malice in the commission of that abuse. This bill would extend those remedies to cases in which the defendant is liable for abandonment, as defined, and the above conditions have been met.

(1) The Horse Racing Law, vests the California Horse Racing Board with jurisdiction and supervision over horse racing meetings in this state on which wagering is held or conducted, and over all persons or things having to do with the operation of those meetings. Existing law authorizes the board to issue a license to conduct a racing meeting at the racetrack specified in the license, subject to certain conditions, including that the board has inspected and approved the racetrack as conforming to the safety standards established by the board. Existing law requires all proceedings to revoke a license to be conducted in accordance with the procedures for a formal hearing set forth in the Administrative Procedure Act. A violation of the Horse Racing Law is generally a misdemeanor. The Horse Racing Law authorizes the board to allocate racing weeks to an applicant and to specify racing days, dates, and hours for racing meetings. That law provides that the decision of the board as to racing days, dates, and hours is subject to change, limitation, or restriction only by the board. Existing regulations of the board provide that, upon a finding by the board that the allocation of racing weeks and dates for any racing year is completed, the racing weeks and dates are only subject to reconsideration or amendment by the board for conditions unforeseen at the time of the allocations. Existing law, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, generally requires that all meetings of a state body be open and public. The act requires that notice, including a specific agenda for the meeting, be given and made available on the internet at least 10 days in advance of the meeting, or, in the case of special meetings, 48 hours in advance of the meetings. The act prohibits an item from being added to the agenda subsequent to the notice, except as provided. This bill would authorize the board, at any time, upon a vote of at least 4 members of the board, to immediately suspend a license to conduct a racing meeting, as provided, when necessary to protect the health and safety of the horses or riders that are present at the racing meeting. The bill would authorize the board, as a condition of lifting the suspension, to require a licensee to comply with additional safety standards or other requirements as it deems necessary or desirable for the best interests of horse racing and the purposes of the Horse Racing Law. The bill would make it unlawful to conduct a horse racing meeting under a license that is suspended pursuant to these provisions or, if the suspension is lifted, without meeting a condition imposed pursuant to these provisions. Because a violation of those prohibitions would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also authorize the board to call an emergency meeting to consider suspending a license pursuant to these provisions under specified circumstances. The bill would require, for purposes of ordering a suspension, a vote of at least 4 members of the board. The bill would exempt the emergency meeting from the above-described notice requirements of the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act and would impose modified notice requirements. The bill would require the board to review any action taken under the above-referenced provisions within 10 calendar days. The bill would authorize the board, at any time, to change, limit, restrict, or reallocate racing weeks, days, or dates that are allocated pursuant to the above-described provisions regardless of whether a condition giving rise to that action is foreseen at the time of allocation or whether a license is issued to conduct a racing meeting during an allocated week, day, or date. (2) 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. (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. (4) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

(1) Under existing law, the Department of Water Resources operates the State Water Resources Development System, known as the State Water Project, in accordance with the California Water Resources Development Bond Act to supply water to persons and entities in the state. Existing law requires the department to present to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature the details of the terms and conditions of a long-term water supply contract between the department and a state water project contractor and to submit a copy of one long-term contract, as prescribed. This bill would instead require the department to provide at least 10 days' notice to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature before holding public sessions to negotiate any potential amendment of a long-term water supply contract that is of projectwide significance with substantially similar terms intended to be offered to all contractors. The bill would require the department, before the execution of a specified proposed amendment to a long-term water supply contract and at least 60 days before final approval of such an amendment, to submit to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature certain information regarding the terms and conditions of a proposed amendment of a long-term water supply contract and to submit a copy of the long-term contract as it is proposed to be amended. (2) Existing law requires the California Water Commission to conduct an annual review of the progress of construction and operation of the State Water Resources Development System and make a report on its findings to the Department of Water Resources and the Legislature. This bill would require the commission to additionally include in that review and report the progress of the design, construction, and financing of any new water conveyance facility in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to be owned and operated by the department.

This measure would proclaim and acknowledge the month of June 2019 as Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Month in California and would reiterate the importance of annually recognizing Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Month in the state.

This measure would designate Monday, May 6, 2019, as California Peace Officers' Memorial Day, urge all Californians to use that day to honor California peace officers, and recognize specified California peace officers who were killed in defense of their communities.