Sen. Norma Torres

Under existing law, each county may enter into performance agreements with nonprofit agencies to encourage innovation in the delivery of children's services, to develop services not available in the community, and to promote change in the child welfare services system. Existing law limits these performance agreements to a period of 3 years. This bill would authorize the State Department of Social Services to renew or extend the performance agreements described above for up to an additional 3 years beyond the original 3-year time period, would require an independent evaluation and report regarding the waiver, and would make conforming changes.

Existing law provides that in every case in which a victim, as defined, has suffered economic loss as a result of the defendant's or the juvenile offender's conduct, the court is required to impose an order upon the defendant or the juvenile offender to make restitution to the victim or victims, as specified. This bill would add to those definitions of victim any governmental entity that is responsible for repairing, replacing, or restoring public or privately owned property that has been defaced with graffiti or other inscribed material, as specified, and that has sustained an economic loss as the result of specified violations.

Existing law declares the duty of the state to care for and protect the children that it places into foster care. Under existing law, the State Department of Social Services has various powers and duties relating to ensuring that the needs of foster children are met. Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care Services, if, and to the extent that, all necessary federal approvals are obtained for federal financial participation, to implement a federal option to extend Medi-Cal benefits to independent foster care adolescents, as defined in federal law. Existing law provides for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly the Food Stamp Program) , under which each county distributes nutrition assistance benefits to eligible households. The SNAP is administered at the state level by the State Department of Social Services. This bill would require the department to propose a Transitional Food Stamps for Foster Youth demonstration project, effective July 1, 2010. The demonstration project would provide independent foster care adolescents, who are not eligible for CalWORKs or SSI benefits, with eligibility for food stamps without regard to income or resources. This bill would require the department to implement its provisions by all-county letter or similar instructions, and would prescribe additional duties of the department in connection with the transitional food stamp demonstration project, including obtaining necessary federal approvals. This bill would be implemented only to the extent that federal financial participation is available. By increasing county duties, 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.

The Personal Income Tax Law allows taxpayers, until January 1, 2010, to contribute amounts in excess of their tax liability for the support of the California Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Research Fund. This bill would extend the operation of those contribution provisions to January 1, 2015.

(1) Existing law establishes the Pierce's Disease Control Program in the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Pierce's Disease Management Account in the Food and Agriculture Fund. Existing law allows money in this account to be expended as specified to combat Pierce's disease and its vectors. Existing law declares that these provisions shall become inoperative on March 1, 2011. This bill would allow specified money in the account to also be expended for purposes relating to other designated pests and diseases, as provided. The bill would change the date on which the above provisions become inoperative to March 1, 2016. (2) Existing law creates in the Department of Food and Agriculture the Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board, which consists of specified numbers of representatives of producers and processors, as defined, in the grape industry who are appointed by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. Existing law sets forth the powers of the board and provides for an annual assessment to be paid by the processors into the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund for the purposes of, among other things, research and other activities related to the transmittal of the plant killing Pierce's disease bacterium, and its vectors, particularly the glassy-winged sharpshooter. Existing law repeals these provisions on March 1, 2011. This bill would authorize the expenditure of the assessments for purposes relating to other designated pests and diseases, as provided, and would extend the repeal date of these provisions to March 1, 2016, except that this bill would make these provisions inoperative as of March 1, 2011, unless the secretary finds, in a referendum conducted by him or her, or a person designated by him or her, that a favorable vote has been given. The bill would require, no later than April 15, 2010, the secretary to establish a list of those individuals eligible to vote on the continued implementation of these provisions, as specified. The bill would also make a conforming change and other technical changes. (3) Existing law authorizes the Department of Food and Agriculture and the Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board to charge expenditures for administrative purposes, as specified, in an amount not to exceed a total of 7% of the assessments collected pursuant to these provisions. This bill would increase the amount that may be charged for administrative purposes to an amount not to exceed a total of 14% of the assessments collected. Because assessments collected pursuant to these provisions are deposited in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund, which is continuously appropriated, by extending the collection of these assessments and authorizing expenditure for a new purpose, this bill would make an appropriation. (4) Existing law, operative until March 1, 2011, provides that the Secretary of Food and Agriculture shall appoint an advisory task force to advise him or her on the control and management of Pierce's disease. This bill would extend these provisions to March 1, 2016. This bill would authorize the Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board, after consulting with the advisory task force and upon making specified findings, to recommend to the secretary, and would authorize the secretary to determine, that a pest or disease affecting grapes grown in California and crushed for wine, wine vinegar, juice, concentrate, or beverage brandy be designated as an other designated pest or disease, and that money should be expended on research and outreach programs for specified purposes relating to the other designated pest or disease, except as provided. The bill would also make conforming changes.

Existing law establishes the State Emergency Telephone Number Account in the General Fund, pursuant to which funds derived from a surcharge imposed on amounts paid by every person in the state for intrastate telephone communication service may be appropriated by the Legislature for specified purposes, including costs of administering, operating, and maintaining the state "911" emergency telephone number system. This bill would specify that a minimum of 0.50% of the charges for intrastate telephone communications services and VoIP service to which the surcharge applies be spent for those specified purposes and costs, including, until December 31, 2011, a maximum of 0.25% of the charges for intrastate telephone communications services and VoIP service to which the surcharge applies for a one-time payment to Primary Public Safety Answering Points for personnel costs, as specified.

Existing law requires every secondhand dealer or coin dealer, as described, to report daily, or on the first working day after receipt or purchase of the property, on forms either approved or provided at actual cost by the Department of Justice, all tangible personal property that he or she has purchased, taken in trade, taken in pawn, accepted for sale on consignment, or accepted for auctioning, to the chief of police or to the sheriff, as specified. Other existing provisions of law make a violation of these provisions a criminal offense. This bill would, on and after July 1, 2010, establish separate reporting procedures for secondhand dealers in connection with firearms. The bill would make other conforming changes. By establishing new reporting requirements, the violation of which would be an offense under other provisions of existing law, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law generally regulates firearms dealers and firearms transactions. Existing law requires that, on the date of receipt, a dealer report to the Department of Justice in a format prescribed by the department the acquisition by the dealer of the ownership of a handgun. Existing law exempts from those provisions a firearms dealer who is also licensed as a secondhand dealer. This bill would provide that the exemption applies to a firearms dealer who is also licensed as a secondhand dealer when acquiring a handgun and when complying with other applicable reporting requirements, as specified. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 21628 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by AB 99, to become operative if this bill is enacted after AB 99. 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 requires a person in a trade or business who negotiates specified contracts or agreements primarily in the languages of Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or Korean to deliver to the other party, prior to execution of the contract or agreement, a translation of the contract or agreement in the applicable foreign language, except as specified. Under existing law, failure to comply with these provisions entitles the aggrieved party to rescind the contract or agreement. Under existing law, these provisions apply to specified loans or extensions of credit subject to the Industrial Loan Law and the California Finance Lenders Law. This bill would, in the alternative, require a supervised financial organization, as defined, that negotiates primarily in one of those languages in the course of entering into a contract or agreement for a loan or extension of credit secured by residential real property, to deliver, prior to the execution of the contract or agreement, and no later than 3 business days after receiving the written application, a specified form in that language summarizing the terms of the contract or agreement, as specified. The bill would provide that a supervised financial organization that complies with these provisions would be deemed to be in compliance with the translation requirement in existing law described above. The bill would also provide that a supervised financial organization that complies with the translation requirement in existing law would be in compliance with these provisions. The bill would provide for administrative penalties against specified licensed persons for violations of these provisions. The bill would require the Department of Corporations and the Department of Financial Institutions to create a new form for these purposes, as provided, and to make it available in each of the languages described above. The bill would authorize an action against a supervised financial organization for a violation of these provisions to be brought only by a licensing agency or by the Attorney General. These provisions would become operative beginning on July 1, 2010, or 90 days after issuance of a form as provided, whichever occurs later. The provisions of this bill would not affect the obligations of a real estate broker, as specified.

The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act authorizes the Governor to annually award and present in the name of the State of California a Medal of Valor to one public safety officer, as defined, who is cited by the Attorney General, upon the recommendation of the board, for extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty. This bill would require the Governor to additionally annually award and present in the name of the State of California a Golden Shield Award to the next of kin of, or immediate family members of, every public safety officer who, while serving in any capacity under competent authority, has been killed in the line of duty.

Existing law specifies the membership of the state central committee for the Democratic Party of California and establishes procedures for the conduct of the committee's meetings and other practices. This bill would repeal those provisions and would, instead, specify that the elements and practices of the committee be the same as set forth in the standing rules and bylaws of the Democratic Party of California. The bill would require the party to post its standing rules and bylaws on its Internet Web site.