Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including water corporations, as defined. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility, and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to consider, and authorizes the commission to implement, programs to provide rate relief for low-income ratepayers of a water corporation. Existing law establishes the State Water Resources Control Board and the 9 California regional water quality control boards as the principal state agencies with authority over matters relating to water quality. Existing law requires the state board to formulate and adopt state policy for water quality control. This bill would require the state board, no later than January 1, 2018, in collaboration with the State Board of Equalization and relevant stakeholders, to develop a plan for the funding and implementation of the Low-Income Water Rate Assistance Program, which would include specified elements. The bill would permit the board to consider existing rate assistance programs authorized by the commission in developing the plan and would authorize the plan to include recommendations for other cost-effective methods of offering assistance to low-income water customers. The bill would require the state board, no later than February 1, 2018, to report to the Legislature on its findings regarding the feasibility, financial stability, and desired structure of the program, including any recommendations for legislative action that may need to be taken.
Sponsored bills
Existing law, the Integrated Regional Water Management Planning Act, authorizes a regional water management group to prepare and adopt an integrated regional water management plan with specified components relating to water supply and water quality. Existing law provides that an integrated regional water management plan is eligible for funding allocated specifically for implementation of integrated regional water management. Existing law, the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, approved by the voters as Proposition 1 at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $7,545,000,000 to finance a water quality, supply, and infrastructure improvement program. The act provides that the sum of $810,000,000 is to be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for expenditures on, and competitive grants and loans to, projects that are included in and implemented in an adopted integrated regional water management plan and respond to climate change and contribute to regional water security. This bill would require a regional water management group, within 90 days of notice that a grant has been awarded, to provide the Department of Water Resources with a list of projects to be funded by the grant funds where the project proponent is a nonprofit organization, as defined, or a disadvantaged community, as defined, or the project benefits a disadvantaged community. This bill would require the department, within 60 days of receiving the project information, to provide advanced payment of 50% of the grant award for those projects that satisfy specified criteria and would require the advanced funds to be handled, as prescribed. This bill would authorize the department to adopt additional requirements for the recipient regarding the use of the advanced payment to ensure that the funds are used properly. This bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2025.
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act contains various provisions regulating the application for, the issuance of, the suspension of, and the conditions imposed upon, alcoholic beverage licenses by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Existing law provides for various annual fees for the issuance of alcoholic beverage licenses, depending upon the type of license issued. This bill, the Craft Distillers Act of 2015, would authorize the department to issue a craft distiller's license to manufacture distilled spirits, subject to specified conditions, including that the licensee manufacture no more than 100,000 gallons of distilled spirits per fiscal year, excluding brandy the craft distiller manufactures or has manufactured for them. The bill would allow the craft distiller's licensee to sell distilled spirits to specified consumers, to own interests in on-sale retail licenses, and to sell beer, wines, brandies, and distilled spirits to consumers for consumption on the premises of a bona fide eating place, as provided. The bill would impose an original fee and an annual renewal fee for the license, which would be deposited in the Alcohol Beverage Control Fund. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act authorizes a licensed distilled spirits manufacturer to conduct tastings of distilled spirits produced or bottled by, or produced or bottled for, the licensee, on the licensed premises, under specified conditions, including that tasting not be given in the form of a cocktail or mixed drink. This bill would extend that authorization to a licensed craft distiller and would revise the tasting conditions by allowing a tasting to be given in the form of a cocktail or mixed drink. Existing law prohibits a distilled spirits manufacturer's or distilled spirits manufacturer's agent's license from being held by a person that holds any ownership or interest in any distilled spirits wholesaler's, rectifier's, or retailer's license, as specified. This bill would additionally prohibit a distilled spirits manufacturer's or distilled spirits manufacturer's agent's license from being held by a person that holds any ownership or interest in a craft distiller's license.
Existing law provides for the construction and operation of various toll bridges by the state, the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, and private entities that have entered into a franchise agreement with the state. This bill would, until January 1, 2021, prohibit a toll from being imposed on the passage of a pedestrian or bicycle over these various toll bridges.
Existing law describes the California Interscholastic Federation, provides the intent of the Legislature regarding its policies, and requires it to report to the Legislature and the Governor on its evaluation and accountability activities on or before January 1, 2016. Existing federal law, Title IX of the federal Education Amendments of 1972, prohibits sex discrimination in an educational institution's programs and activities. This bill would require the California Interscholastic Federation, in consultation with the State Department of Education, to, no later than July 1, 2017, develop guidelines, procedures, and safety standards for the purpose of classifying competition cheer as an interscholastic sport, as specified. The bill would require the California Interscholastic Federation to seek a United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights Title IX compliance designation for competition cheer, and would specify that competition cheer shall not be counted toward a school's Title IX compliance unless the United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights deems competition cheer compliant with its definition of a sport.
Existing law regulates the payment of compensation to employees by employers and prohibits an employer from conditioning employment on requiring an employee to refrain from disclosing the amount of his or her wages, signing a waiver of the right to disclose the amount of those wages, or discriminating against an employee for making such a disclosure. Existing law generally prohibits an employer from paying an employee at wage rates less than the rates paid to employees of the opposite sex in the same establishment for equal work on jobs the performance of which requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and which are performed under similar working conditions. Existing law establishes exceptions to that prohibition where the payment is made pursuant to a seniority system, a merit system, a system which measures earnings by quantity or quality of production, or a differential based on any bona fide factor other than sex. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for an employer or other person acting either individually or as an officer, agent, or employee of another person to pay or cause to be paid to any employee a wage less than the rate paid to an employee of the opposite sex as required by these provisions, or who reduces the wages of any employee in order to comply with these provisions. This bill would revise that prohibition to eliminate the requirement that the wage differential be within the same establishment, and instead would prohibit an employer from paying any of its employees at wage rates less than those paid to employees of the opposite sex for substantially similar work, when viewed as a composite of skill, effort, and responsibility, as specified. The bill would revise and recast the exceptions to require the employer to affirmatively demonstrate that a wage differential is based upon one or more specified factors, including a seniority system, a merit system, a system that measures earnings by quantity or quality of production, or a bona fide factor other than sex, as specified. The bill would also require the employer to demonstrate that each factor relied upon is applied reasonably, and that the one or more factors relied upon account for the entire differential. The bill would prohibit an employer from discharging, or in any manner discriminating or retaliating against, any employee by reason of any action taken by the employee to invoke or assist in any manner the enforcement of these provisions. The bill would authorize an employee who has been discharged or discriminated or retaliated against, in the terms and conditions of his or her employment because the employee engaged in any conduct delineated in these provisions, to recover in a civil action reinstatement and reimbursement for lost wages and work benefits caused by the acts of the employer, including interest thereon, as well as appropriate equitable relief. The bill would prohibit an employer from prohibiting an employee from disclosing the employee's own wages, discussing the wages of others, inquiring about another employee's wages, or aiding or encouraging any other employee to exercise his or her rights under these provisions. The bill would also increase the duration of employer recordkeeping requirements from 2 years to 3 years. By changing the definition of a crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law generally restricts certain alcoholic beverage licensees, including manufacturers and winegrowers, from paying, crediting, or compensating a retailer for advertising in connection with the advertising and sale of alcoholic beverages. Existing law expressly authorizes a beer manufacturer, holder of a winegrower's license, winegrower's agent, holder of an importer's general license, distilled spirits manufacturer, holder of a distilled spirits rectifier's general license, or a distilled spirits manufacturer's agent to sponsor events promoted by or purchase advertising space and time from, or on behalf of, a live entertainment marketing company that is a wholly owned subsidiary of a live entertainment company that has its principal place of business in the County of Los Angeles, as provided. This bill would expressly authorize, until January 1, 2019, a beer manufacturer, as described, holder of a winegrower's license, winegrower's agent, holder of any importer's license that does not also hold a wholesaler or retail license as an additional license, as specified, distilled spirits manufacturer, holder of any rectifier's license, or a distilled spirits manufacturer's agent to sponsor events promoted by or purchase advertising space and time from, or on behalf of, a live entertainment marketing company that is a wholly owned subsidiary of a live entertainment company that is not publicly traded and has its principal place of business in the County of Napa, under specified conditions. The bill would also make a beer manufacturer, holder of a winegrower's license, winegrower's agent, holder of any importer's license, distilled spirits manufacturer, holder of any rectifier's license, or a distilled spirits manufacturer's agent who, through coercion or other illegal means, induces the holder of a wholesaler's license to fulfill those contractual obligations entered into pursuant to these provisions guilty of a misdemeanor. The bill would additionally make an on-sale retail licensee, as described, who solicits or coerces a holder of a wholesaler's license to solicit a beer manufacturer, holder of a winegrower's license, winegrower's agent, holder of any importer's license, distilled spirits manufacturer, holder of any rectifier's license, or a distilled spirits manufacturer's agent to purchase advertising time or space pursuant to these provisions guilty of a misdemeanor. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Napa. 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 creates the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District, within the Counties of Sonoma and Marin, governed by a 12-member board of directors. Existing law requires the district to work with specified authorities to achieve a safe, efficient, and compatible system of passenger and freight rail service and authorizes the district to own, operate, manage, and maintain a passenger rail system within the territory of the district. Existing law requires the board to appoint a general manager for the district and authorizes the general manager to, among other things, appoint, supervise, suspend, or remove district officers, other than members of the board and officers appointed by the board. This bill would authorize the board to establish the position of chief of police, subject to specified requirements. If the board determines that more than one peace officer is needed, the bill would require the board to contract with law enforcement agencies located within the County of Marin or the County of Sonoma for the additional law enforcement services of one or more peace officers.
(1) Existing law, on and after January 1, 2016, requires any person operating a modified limousine that is modified prior to July 1, 2015, to ensure that the vehicle is equipped with at least 2 rear side doors and one or 2 rear windows that the rear seat passengers or all passengers of the vehicle may open from the inside of the vehicle in case of any fire or other emergency, as specified. Under this bill, the requirement that those modified limousines be equipped with one or 2 rear windows would instead apply on and after January 1, 2017. The bill would make other nonsubstantive changes to these provisions. (2) Existing law requires, not later than July 1, 2016, the Department of the California Highway Patrol to implement a program to conduct safety inspections of modified limousine terminals that are operated by passenger stage corporations pursuant to the Public Utilities Act or by charter-party carriers of passengers pursuant to the Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act. This bill would extend the operative date of the safety inspection program to July 1, 2017.
The Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 governs the procedures for the formation and change of organization of cities and special districts. Existing law permits a city or district to provide extended services, as defined, outside its jurisdictional boundaries only if it first requests and receives written approval from the local agency formation commission in the affected county. Under existing law, the commission may authorize a city or district to provide new or extended services outside both its jurisdictional boundaries and its sphere of influence under specified circumstances, including when responding to an impending threat to the public health or safety of the residents in the affected territory where specified requirements are met. This bill would revise the circumstances under which the commission may authorize a city or district to provide new or extended services. This bill would additionally establish a pilot program, until January 1, 2021, for the Napa and San Bernardino commissions that would permit those commissions to authorize a city or district to provide new or extended services outside both its jurisdictional boundaries and its sphere of influence under specified circumstances. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Napa and San Bernardino commissions. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 56133 of the Government Code proposed by SB 239 that would become operative if this bill and SB 239 are both enacted and this bill is enacted last.