Sen. Bob Archuleta

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 2018, the adjusted gross income limit is $83,282 and $41,641, respectively. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax credit to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax credit will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. Existing law establishes the continuously appropriated Tax Relief and Refund Account in the General Fund and provides that payments required to be made to taxpayers or other persons from the Personal Income Tax Fund are to be paid from that account, including any amount allowable as an earned income tax credit in excess of any tax liabilities. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, and before January 1, 2025, and only when specified in a bill relating to the Budget Act, would increase the credit amount for a qualified renter to $220 and $434, as provided. In the event the increased credit amount is not specified in a bill relating to the Budget Act, the existing credit amounts of $120 and $60, as described above, respectively, would be the credit amounts for that taxable year. The bill would require the Franchise Tax Board to annually recompute for inflation the credit amount for taxable years on or after January 1, 2021, and before January 1, 2025, unless otherwise provided. The bill would provide findings and declarations relating to the goals, purposes, and objectives of this credit. The bill, for credits allowable for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, and before January 1, 2025, would provide that the credit amount in excess of the qualified renter's liability would be refundable and paid from the Tax Relief and Refund Account to the qualified renter upon appropriation by the Legislature. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to import into the state for commercial purposes, to possess with intent to sell, or to sell within the state, the dead body, or a part or product thereof, of a polar bear, leopard, ocelot, tiger, cheetah, jaguar, sable antelope, wolf, zebra, whale, cobra, python, sea turtle, colobus monkey, kangaroo, vicuna, sea otter, free-roaming feral horse, dolphin, porpoise, Spanish lynx, or elephant. Existing law, commencing January 1, 2020, makes it a misdemeanor to import into the state for commercial purposes, to possess with intent to sell, or to sell within the state, the dead body, or a part or product thereof, of a crocodile or alligator. This bill would require manufacturers of products that use the hides of crocodiles or alligators, after consultation with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, to submit to the Director of Fish and Wildlife proposals for technologies or processes that allow for the tracking or tracing of the source of origin of crocodile or alligator hides used to manufacture products sold in this state and require humane treatment of farmed crocodiles and alligators, as well as humane slaughtering techniques. The bill would require the director, on or before March 30, 2021, to approve technologies or processes that meet those requirements. This bill would make it a misdemeanor, on or after March 30, 2022, to import into this state for commercial purposes, to possess with intent to sell, or to sell within the state, the dead body, or any part or product thereof, of a crocodile or alligator unless the part or product has been tracked using the established technology or process. The bill, if the director determines that a technology or process has not been submitted that meets the requirements, would make it a misdemeanor to import into this state for commercial purposes, to possess with intent to sell, or to sell within the state, the dead body, or any part or product thereof, of a crocodile or alligator for purposes other than medical research, specialized pet food, or human consumption after January 1, 2021, or the date of the director's determination and would also make it a misdemeanor to import into this state for commercial purposes, to possess with intent to sell, or to sell within the state, the dead body, or any part or product thereof, of a crocodile or alligator for purposes of medical research, specialized pet food, or human consumption on or after January 1, 2022. 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 property tax law establishes a veterans' organization exemption under which property is exempt from taxation if, among other things, that property is used exclusively for charitable purposes and is owned by a veterans' organization. This bill would provide that the veterans' organization exemption shall not be denied to a property on the basis that the property is used for fraternal, lodge, or social club purposes, and would make specific findings and declarations in that regard. The bill would also provide that the exemption shall not apply to any portion of a property that consists of a bar where alcoholic beverages are served. The bill would apply these changes to lien dates occurring on and after January 1, 2020, and before January 1, 2030. 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.

This measure would urge the United States Congress and the President of the United States to permit states to extend burial and memorial benefits to Hmong veterans at state veterans cemeteries.

Existing law authorizes a person who suffers a loss or harm to that person or that person's property, from an unlawful act or omission of another to recover monetary compensation, known as damages, from the person in fault. Existing law specifies the measure of damages as the amount which will compensate for the loss or harm, whether anticipated or not, and requires the damages awarded to be reasonable. This bill would prohibit the estimation, measure, or calculation of past, present, or future damages for lost earnings or impaired earning capacity resulting from personal injury or wrongful death from being reduced based on race, ethnicity, or gender.

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 authorizes the Department of Transportation to establish specifications for the use of reclaimed asphalt pavement of up to 40% for hot mix asphalt mixes, and specifies that this authorization does not limit the authority of the Department of Transportation to establish specifications for this use of reclaimed asphalt pavement in amounts greater than 40%. The act required the Department of Transportation to submit a report to the Legislature, by March 1, 2016, on its progress, since the year 2011, toward the development and implementation of these specifications. This bill would authorize the Department of Public Works of the County of Los Angeles to create a pilot project to demonstrate the viability of paving streets, roads, and highways with hot mix asphalt that is composed of between 85% and 100% reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) . The bill would require the pilot project to be conducted on streets, roads, and highways in the county and would require specific project sites in the county to be determined by the appropriate and usual process of the county. The bill would require, upon creation of the pilot project, the Department of Public Works of the county to establish an evaluation team consisting of specified members to independently observe, document, and evaluate the pilot project. The bill would require the evaluation team to prepare specified documents, including a final report that includes all relevant pilot project information to be submitted to the Department of Transportation, specified committee chairs of the Legislature, and the Governor's office. The bill would require the pilot project to be completed by December 31, 2022.

This measure would designate the week of May 5, 2019, through May 11, 2019, as Compost Awareness Week.

Existing law requires every person 16 years of age or older who takes any fish, reptile, or amphibian for any purpose other than profit to first obtain a sport fishing license for that purpose, with specified exceptions, and to have that license on their person or in their immediate possession when engaged in carrying out any activity authorized by the license. Existing law requires a resident or a nonresident, 16 years of age or older, upon payment of a specified fee, to be issued a sport fishing license for the period of a calendar year, or, if issued after the beginning of the year, for the remainder thereof. Existing law also requires the issuance of shorter term licenses upon payment of a specified lesser fee. Existing law requires the Fish and Game Commission to adjust the amount of the fees, as prescribed, to fully recover, but not exceed, all reasonable administrative and implementation costs of the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the commission relating to those licenses. This bill, in addition to sport fishing licenses for the periods specified above, would require a sport fishing license to be issued to a resident or nonresident for the period of 12 consecutive months, upon payment of a fee that is equal to 130% of the fees for issuance of resident or nonresident calendar-year sport fishing licenses, as applicable. The bill would require the department to provide applicants for these licenses the option of signing up for automatic renewal of the license by electronic payment and would set the fee for licenses issued upon automatic renewal at the same price as a calendar-year sport fishing license issued to residents or nonresidents, as applicable. The bill would require the commission to adjust the amount of the fees as necessary to fully recover, but not exceed, all reasonable implementation and administrative costs of the department and the commission relating to these licenses, including all costs related to their establishment and enforcement. The bill would require the department to collect all relevant, appropriate, and sufficient data necessary to justify the amount of the fees, as provided. The bill would require the department to submit to the Legislature a written report on the implementation of these provisions, as provided. The bill would make these provisions operative beginning January 1, 2021, until January 1, 2026.

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.