Sen. Lena Gonzalez

Maddy summaryThis bill officially designates October 2024 as Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention Month in California. The measure does not alter laws or allocate funding but serves to formally recognize the importance of early detection and prevention efforts. By declaring this specific timeframe, the state aims to encourage public awareness regarding screening and treatment options for breast cancer.

The California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018, approved by the voters as Proposition 68 at the June 5, 2018, statewide primary election, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $4,100,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a drought, water, parks, climate, coastal protection, and outdoor access for all program. Article XVI of the California Constitution requires measures authorizing general obligation bonds to specify the single object or work to be funded by the bonds and further requires a bond act to be approved by a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and a majority of the voters. This bill would enact the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, which, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $10,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance projects for safe drinking water, drought, flood, and water resilience, wildfire and forest resilience, coastal resilience, extreme heat mitigation, biodiversity and nature-based climate solutions, climate-smart, sustainable, and resilient farms, ranches, and working lands, park creation and outdoor access, and clean air programs. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

(1) The California Constitution prohibits the Legislature from creating a debt or liability that singly or in the aggregate with any previous debts or liabilities exceeds the sum of $300,000, except by an act that (1) authorizes the debt for a single object or work specified in the act, (2) has been passed by a 23 vote of all the Members elected to each house of the Legislature, (3) has been submitted to the people at a statewide general or primary election, and (4) has received a majority of all the votes cast for and against it at that election. This bill would set forth the Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Schools and Local Community College Public Education Facilities Modernization, Repair, and Safety Bond Act of 2024 as a state general obligation bond act that would provide $10,000,000,000 to construct and modernize education facilities, including $8,500,000,000 for elementary and secondary educational facilities and $1,500,000,000 for community college facilities, as specified. This bond act would become operative only if approved by the voters. (2) The Leroy F. Greene School Facilities Act of 1998 provides for the adoption of rules, regulations, and procedures, under the administration of the Director of General Services, for the allocation of state funds by the State Allocation Board for the construction and modernization of public school facilities. This bill would require a school district to submit to the Department of General Services a 5-year school facilities master plan as a condition of participating in the school facilities program under the act. The bill would amend the methodology for calculating the local contribution a school district is required to make in order to be eligible to receive state funding under the act, as specified. The bill would require a school district that seeks new construction or modernization funding under the act after November 5, 2024, to submit an updated report of the school district's existing school building capacity to the State Allocation Board. The bill would authorize the allocation of state funds under the act for the replacement of school buildings that are at least 75 years old, for specified assistance to school districts with a school facility located on a military installation, as specified, and small school districts, as defined, and for the testing and remediation of lead levels in water fountains and faucets used for drinking or preparing food on schoolsites, as provided. The bill would authorize new construction and modernization grants to be used for seismic mitigation purposes, certain health and safety projects, and, among other things, to establish schoolsite-based infrastructure to provide broadband internet access. The bill would also authorize modernization grants to be used for the control, management, or abatement of lead. The bill would increase the maximum level of total bonding capacity, as defined, that a school district could have and still be eligible for financial hardship assistance under the act from $5,000,000 to $15,000,000. The bill, commencing with the 2026–27 fiscal year, would increase that $15,000,000 maximum by a specified inflation adjustment each fiscal year. The bill would authorize the State Allocation Board to provide assistance for purposes of procuring interim housing to school districts and county offices of education impacted by a natural disaster for which the Governor has declared a state of emergency. The bill would also make conforming changes. The bill would make these provisions effective upon the adoption by the voters of the Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Schools and Local Community College Public Education Facilities Modernization, Repair, and Safety Bond Act of 2024. (3) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution declares September 2024 as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in California to honor those affected by the disease and promote public understanding. The measure highlights critical statistics about ovarian cancer, such as its high mortality rate and the fact that early detection significantly improves survival chances. By drawing attention to these facts, the resolution encourages women to monitor their health and consult medical professionals regarding unexplained symptoms. Ultimately, the bill serves as a formal acknowledgment of the disease's impact and a call to support ongoing efforts in research, advocacy, and patient care.

Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to develop and adopt regulations, consistent with federal law, to protect the public health from ozone emitted by indoor air cleaning devices, including medical and nonmedical devices used in occupied spaces. Existing law requires those regulations to include, among other things, an emission concentration standard for ozone emissions that is equivalent to the federal ozone emissions limit for air cleaning devices. Existing law generally sets forth crimes and penalties for violations of air pollution laws and any rule, regulation, permit, or order of the state board. This bill would instead require the state board, by July 1, 2026, or as soon as feasible, as provided, to include in these regulations an emission concentration standard for ozone emissions not greater than 0.005 parts per million, to the extent consistent with federal law, thereby imposing a more protective standard. The bill would require the regulations to include a ban on the sale or the offering for sale of devices that exceed that emissions limit, even if previously certified, after a date determined by the state board, unless the state board determines an exemption applies. The bill would also delete the limitation on the applicability of the regulations to only use in occupied spaces and would make other related changes. By expanding the scope 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.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Concurrent Resolution officially designates May 2024 as National Mental Health Awareness Month within the state of California. The measure does not alter laws or allocate funding but serves to formally recognize the importance of mental well-being and highlight statistics regarding mental illness prevalence and its impact on various communities. By establishing this designation, the resolution aims to encourage public focus on mental health issues during the month of May.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates May 8, 2024, as the official Day of the Teacher in California to honor educators. It does not create new laws or change funding but serves as a formal proclamation recognizing the profession's value and challenges. The resolution encourages schools, families, and community members to take time to acknowledge teachers' contributions to students.

The California Constitution grants the retirement board of a public employee retirement system plenary authority and fiduciary responsibility for investment of moneys and administration of the retirement fund and system. These provisions qualify this grant of powers by reserving to the Legislature the authority to prohibit investments if it is in the public interest and the prohibition satisfies standards of fiduciary care and loyalty required of a retirement board. Existing law prohibits the boards of the Public Employees' Retirement System and the State Teachers' Retirement System from making new investments or renewing existing investments of public employee retirement funds in a thermal coal company, as defined. Existing law requires the boards to liquidate investments in thermal coal companies on or before July 1, 2017, and requires the boards, in making a determination to liquidate investments, to constructively engage with thermal coal companies to establish whether the companies are transitioning their business models to adapt to clean energy generation. Existing law provides that it does not require a board to take any action unless the board determines in good faith that the action is consistent with the board's fiduciary responsibilities established in the California Constitution. This bill would prohibit the boards of the Public Employees' Retirement System and the State Teachers' Retirement System from making new investments or renewing existing investments of public employee retirement funds in a fossil fuel company, as defined. The bill would require the boards to liquidate investments in a fossil fuel company on or before July 1, 2031. The bill would temporarily suspend the above-described liquidation provision upon a good faith determination by the board that certain conditions materially impact normal market mechanisms for pricing assets, as specified, and would make this suspension provision inoperative on January 1, 2035. The bill would provide that it does not require a board to take any action unless the board determines in good faith that the action is consistent with the board's fiduciary responsibilities established in the California Constitution. This bill would require the boards, commencing February 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, to file a report with the Legislature and the Governor, containing specified information, including a list of fossil fuel companies of which the board has liquidated their investments. The bill would provide that board members and other officers and employees shall be held harmless and be eligible for indemnification in connection with actions taken pursuant to the bill's requirements, as specified.

The California Constitution provides that the University of California constitutes a public trust, and requires the university to be administered by the Regents of the University of California, a corporation in the form of a board, with full powers of organization and government, subject to legislative control only for specified purposes. These provisions grant the regents all the powers necessary or convenient for the effective administration of its trust. This measure would require employees of the Regents of the University of California to have the right to, and be covered by, certain basic state labor standards, as provided. The measure would require individuals who perform certain work for the regents to have the right to the payment of a prevailing wage. The measure would authorize the Legislature to enact laws that further these rights, establish, define, or specify the basic state labor standards applicable to the regents, or establish other health, safety, and labor protections for individuals performing work for the regents.

The California Constitution declares various inalienable rights of the people, including the right to enjoy and defend life and liberty, acquire, possess, and protect property, and pursue and obtain safety, happiness, and privacy. This measure would amend the California Constitution to declare that the people have a right to clean air and water and a healthy environment considering the general well-being and other needs of the people. The measure would specify that the principles inherent in these rights shall serve as a guide to all branches of government in the performance of their official duties and that these rights shall inure to all people in equal measure and shall not be construed or applied in a manner inconsistent with duly enacted laws of the state or other rights set forth in the California Constitution.