Existing law requires the Department of Parks and Recreation to issue a park pass for free use of all park facilities in the state park system to any veteran of war, as defined, in which the United States has been, or may be, engaged, and who meets specified criteria, such as being a resident of this state, presenting to the department proof of a service-connected disability, being held captive as a prisoner of war, or receiving a Congressional Medal of Honor, and having been honorably discharged from service. This bill would instead require the Department of Parks and Recreation to issue a park pass for free use of all park facilities in the state park system to any veteran who meets the criteria set forth above. The bill would make related conforming changes. The bill would require the department to report in its proposed budget, on or before January 1, 2019, on revenue losses with regard to the issuance of free veterans passes under these provisions.
Sponsored bills
(1) Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to accept pupils from other school districts by adopting a resolution to become a school district of choice, as defined, in accordance with specified procedural requirements and limitations. This bill would revise and recast these provisions. The bill would, among other things, revise the limits that a school district of residence may impose on the total number of pupils that may transfer out of the school district of residence to a school district of choice, would expand the list of pupil characteristics that a school district of choice is prohibited from considering in selecting pupils for admission, and would revise the requirements for admitting and rejecting and the manner of selecting pupils who apply to transfer to a school district of choice. The bill would revise the procedural requirements for becoming a school district of choice, including requiring a school district to register with the Superintendent of Public Instruction as a school district of choice, and would set forth a procedure for hearing complaints or appeals by a school district of choice, a school district of residence, or a pupil who is denied a transfer, as specified. The bill would revise requirements for providing transportation assistance for transfer pupils, including requiring a school district of choice to provide a pupil who is eligible for free and reduced-price meals free transportation assistance, subject to specified requirements. To the extent the bill would impose additional duties on school districts and other local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would revise data, information, and reporting requirements relating to the school district of choice program, including, among other things, requiring the Superintendent to maintain a list of the school districts of choice in the state and to collect specified other information relating to school districts of choice, and by requiring the Superintendent rather than the Legislative Analyst to make specified information available to the Legislature and the Governor each year. The bill would require the Legislative Analyst to complete and submit an evaluation and recommendations regarding the program to the appropriate education policy committees of the Legislature and the Governor by January 31, 2020. (2) Existing law makes the school district of choice program inoperative on July 1, 2017, and repeals the program on January 1, 2018. This bill would extend the inoperative date to July 1, 2022, and the repeal date to January 1, 2023. (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, 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 these statutory provisions.
Existing law makes it a crime, punishable by a fine, by imprisonment, or by both a fine and imprisonment, for a person to willfully inflict corporal injury, including, but not limited to, by strangulation or suffocation, resulting in a traumatic condition upon a person with whom the defendant has been in a specified domestic relationship. This bill would make it a crime, punishable by a fine, by imprisonment, or by both a fine and imprisonment, for a person to willfully inflict corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition by strangulation or suffocation upon a person with whom the defendant has been in a specified domestic relationship. By increasing the duties of local prosecutors, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
This measure would recognize May 2016 as Better Hearing and Speech Month.
This measure would proclaim the month of February 2016 as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, and would encourage all Californians to observe Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month with programs and activities that raise awareness about teen dating violence.
Existing law requires the state to have the primary financial responsibility for preventing and suppressing fires in areas that the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has determined are state responsibility areas, as defined. Existing law requires that a fire prevention fee be charged on each habitable structure on a parcel that is within a state responsibility area, collected annually by the State Board of Equalization, in accordance with specified procedures, and specifies that the annual fee shall be due and payable 30 days from the date of assessment by the state board. Existing law authorizes a petition for redetermination of the fee to be filed within 30 days after service of a notice of determination, as specified. This bill would extend the time when the fire prevention fee is due and payable from 30 to 60 days from the date of assessment by the State Board of Equalization and would authorize the petition for redetermination to be filed within 60 days after service of the notice of determination, as specified.
Existing law establishes the Secretary of State as the custodian of the public archives of the State and requires him or her to maintain and properly equip safe and secure vaults for the preservation, indexing, and use of the archives. Existing law authorizes the Secretary of State to receive into the archives any item that he or she deems to be of historical value. This bill would require the Secretary of State to establish an Online Archives Program to be administered by the State Archives for the purpose of providing public access to state records and other records and items of historical and archival value, as specified. The bill would require the program to include, among other things, development, administration, and maintenance of an archival standards-based digital records preservation system for secure intake of, preservation of, indexing of, and public access to, public records.
The Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act requires a law enforcement agency that receives a report of child abuse to report to an appropriate licensing agency every known or suspected instance of child abuse or neglect that occurs while the child is being cared for in a child day care facility or community care facility or that involves a licensed staff person of the facility. Existing law proscribes the commission of certain crimes against elders and dependent adults, including, but not limited to, inflicting upon an elder or dependent adult unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering, as specified. Existing law proscribes the commission of a hate crime, as defined, against certain categories of persons, including disabled persons. Existing law provides for the licensure of various healing arts professionals, and specifies that the commission of any act of sexual abuse, misconduct, or relations with a patient, client, or customer constitutes unprofessional conduct and grounds for disciplinary action against the licensee. Existing law also establishes that the crime of sexual exploitation by a physician and surgeon, psychotherapist, or alcohol and drug abuse counselor has occurred when the licensee engages in specified sexual acts with a patient, client, or former patient or client. This bill would require, if a law enforcement agency receives a report, or if a law enforcement officer makes a report, that a person who holds a state professional or occupational credential, license, or permit that allows the person to provide services to children, elders, dependent adults, or persons with disabilities is alleged to have committed one or more of specified crimes, the law enforcement agency to promptly send a copy of the report to the state agency that issued the credential, license, or permit, except as specified. The bill would require a state agency to prioritize and process the report pursuant to applicable law in the same manner as similar reports received by that agency in order to ensure due process of law and equal protection of the laws. By imposing additional duties on law enforcement agencies, 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 these statutory provisions.
This measure would recognize the month of April 2016 as Aviation Awareness Month.
(1) Existing law prohibits discrimination on the basis of various specified personal characteristics, including disability. The Construction-Related Accessibility Standards Compliance Act establishes standards for making new construction and existing facilities accessible to persons with disabilities and provides for construction-related accessibility claims for violations of those standards. Existing law specifies that a violation of construction-related accessibility standards personally encountered by a plaintiff may be sufficient to cause a denial of full and equal access if the plaintiff experienced difficulty, discomfort, or embarrassment because of the violation. Under existing law, a defendant is liable for actual damages plus minimum statutory damages for each instance of discrimination relating to a construction-related accessibility standard. This bill would, for claims filed on and after its effective date, establish a rebuttable presumption, for the purpose of an award of minimum statutory damages, that certain technical violations do not cause a plaintiff to experience difficulty, discomfort, or embarrassment, if specified conditions are met. This bill would also exempt a defendant from liability for minimum statutory damages with respect to a structure or area inspected by a certified access specialist for a period of 120 days if specified conditions are met. The bill would require a defendant who claims the benefit of this exemption to disclose the date and findings of any certified access specialist (CASp) inspection to the plaintiff. (2) Existing law requires the State Architect to establish and publicize a program for the voluntary certification by the state of any person who meets specified criteria as a CASp. Existing law requires the State Architect to annually publish a list of CASps. Existing law requires each applicant for CASp certification or renewal to pay certain fees, and requires the State Architect to periodically review those fees, as specified. Existing law provides for the deposit of those fees into the Certified Access Specialist Fund, which is continuously appropriated for use by the State Architect to implement the CASp program. This bill would additionally require the State Architect to publish, and regularly update, easily accessible lists of businesses that file prescribed notices of inspection, and businesses which have been inspected by a CASp on or after January 1, 2017, including the date of the inspection. The bill would require the State Architect to develop a process by which a small business may notify the State Architect that a structure or area has had a CASp inspection and to develop a form for businesses to notify the public that the business has obtained a CASp inspection. The bill would also require applicants for CASp certification or renewal to additionally provide to the State Architect the name of the city, county, or city and county in which the applicant intends to provide or has provided services, and would require the Division of the State Architect to post that information on its Internet Web site. (3) Existing law establishes the California Commission on Disability Access for purposes of developing recommendations to enable persons with disabilities to exercise their right to full and equal access to public facilities and facilitating business compliance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations. Existing law sets forth the powers and duties of the commission, including developing educational materials and information for businesses, building owners, tenants, and building officials, posting that information on the commission's Internet Web site, and coordinating with other state agencies and local building departments to ensure that information provided to the public on disability access requirements is uniform and complete. This bill would additionally require the commission to provide a link on its Internet Web site to the Internet Web site of the Division of the State Architect's CASp certification program, and make the commission's educational materials and information available to other state agencies and local building departments. (4) The Permit Streamlining Act establishes procedures for the application, and review of an application, for a development project. Existing law requires a public agency to notify applicants for development permits of specified information, including the time limits established for the review and approval of development permits. This bill would additionally require local agencies to develop and provide to applicants materials relating to the requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, or to instead provide similar materials developed by the California Commission on Disability Access. The bill would require a local agency to notify an applicant that approval of a permit does not signify that the applicant has complied with that act. The bill would also require local agencies to expedite review of projects for which the applicant provides a copy of a disability access certificate, demonstrates that the project is necessary to address an alleged violation of a construction-related access standard or a violation noted in a CASp report, and, if project plans are necessary for approval, has had a CASp review the project plans for compliance with all applicable construction-related accessibility standards. The bill would declare that these provisions constitute a matter of statewide concern and would apply to charter cities and charter counties. (5) By imposing additional duties on local agencies with respect to the receipt and review of applications for development project permits, 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. (6) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.