Sen. Steve Bradford

(1) The Economic Revitalization Act establishes the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, also known as "GO-Biz," to, among other duties, serve the Governor as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth. Existing law authorizes the Director of GO-Biz to establish and terminate international trade and investment offices outside of the United States as he or she determines is appropriate, if specific requirements are met. Existing law establishes the Economic Development and Trade Promotion Account, a continuously appropriated account, to accept private moneys to fund international trade and investment offices. This bill would, notwithstanding provisions authorizing the Director of GO-Biz to establish and terminate international trade and investment offices outside of the United States if specified conditions are satisfied, and to the extent private moneys are available, require the Director of GO-Biz to enter into an agreement, on or before July 1, 2018, to establish, and thereafter to operate, an international trade and investment office in Mexico City, Mexico, as specified. The bill would require the Director of GO-Biz to include information regarding the Mexico City trade and investment office in existing reporting requirements relating to an International Trade and Investment Program, as specified. The bill would require GO-Biz to accept and administer private moneys through the Economic Development and Trade Promotion Account. By expanding the use of a continuously appropriated account, this bill would make an appropriation. This bill would require the Mexico City trade and investment office to, among other things, promote the export of California goods and services into Mexico and facilitate access to educational exchange programs between California and Mexico. (2) Existing law requires the Director of GO-Biz to develop an International Trade and Investment Program for the state and to submit the strategy and business plan for the International Trade and Investment Program to the Chief Clerk of the Assembly, the Secretary of the Senate, the Speaker of the Assembly, the President pro Tempore of the Senate, the chair of the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy and the chair of the Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development, or respective successor committees, with jurisdiction over the international trade and economic development programs. This bill would also require the Director of GO-Biz to submit the strategy and business plan to the Senate Select Committee on California-Mexico Cooperation and the chair of the Assembly Select Committee on California-México Bi-National Affairs.

Existing law establishes within the Department of Justice the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training and requires the commission to adopt rules establishing minimum standards regarding the recruitment and training of peace officers. Existing law, the California Public Records Act, generally requires each state and local agency to make its public records available for inspection by a member of the public, unless the public record is specifically exempted from disclosure. The act further requires every state and local agency to duplicate disclosable public records, either on paper or in an electronic format, if so requested by a member of the public and he or she has paid certain costs of the duplication. The act specifically requires the California Environmental Protection Agency and certain entities within that agency to post its final enforcement orders on its Internet Web sites, if the final enforcement order is a public record that is not exempt from disclosure. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2019, require the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Department of Justice, the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, and each local law enforcement agency to conspicuously post on their Internet Web sites all current standards, policies, practices, operating procedures, and education and training materials that would otherwise be available to the public if a request was made pursuant to the California Public Records Act. By imposing this requirement on local law enforcement agencies, 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, 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 the statutory provisions noted above.

The Unruh Civil Rights Act generally prohibits business establishments from discriminating on specified bases. The California Fair Employment and Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing and employment on specified bases and provides procedures for enforcement by the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (department) . Existing law specifies that while it is the intent of the Legislature that the California Fair Employment and Housing Act occupy the field of regulation of discrimination in employment and housing, nothing in the act shall be construed to limit or restrict the application of the Unruh Civil Rights Act. This bill would provide that a local government entity is permitted under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act to refer a person alleging discrimination to the department and to provide the person with relevant information and resources, as appropriate. The bill would require the department, by April 1, 2018, to establish an advisory group, as specified, to determine the feasibility of authorizing local government entities to also enforce antidiscrimination statutes. The bill would require the advisory group, if it determines that such enforcement is feasible, to develop an implementation plan and draft proposed legislation for presentation to the Legislature by December 31, 2018. The bill would provide legislative findings and declarations in support of these provisions.

Existing law makes assault punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000, or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding 6 months, or by both that fine and imprisonment. Existing law makes battery punishable by a fine not exceeding $2,000, or by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed 6 months, or by both that fine and imprisonment. Existing law provides for higher fines and longer terms of imprisonment for an assault or battery against specified individuals, including a peace officer engaged in the performance of his or her duties when the person committing the offense knows or reasonably should know that the victim is a peace officer. This bill would make assault of a utility worker, as defined, engaged in the performance of his or her duties, and the person committing the offense knows or reasonably should know that the victim is a utility worker engaged in the performance of his or her duties, punishable by a fine not exceeding $2,000, or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding 6 months, or by both that fine and imprisonment. This bill would make battery of a utility worker, as defined, engaged in the performance of his or her duties, when the person committing the battery knows or reasonably should know that the victim is a utility worker engaged in the performance of his or her duties, and an injury is inflicted on the utility worker, punishable by a fine of not more than $3,000, by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding 6 months, or by both that fine and imprisonment. By enhancing the punishment for 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.

This measure would express that the Legislature strongly denounces and opposes the totalitarian impulses, violent terrorism, xenophobic biases, and bigoted ideologies that are promoted by white nationalists and neo-Nazis and urges federal law enforcement to use the full extent of the nation's laws, including, but not limited to, statutes related to terrorism and hate crimes, to prosecute white nationalist and neo-Nazi individuals who come into our communities and commit violent and destructive acts.

The Planning and Zoning Law authorizes the legislative body of any city or county to adopt ordinances regulating zoning within its jurisdiction, as specified. This bill would additionally authorize the legislative body of any city or county to adopt ordinances to require, as a condition of development of residential rental units, that the development include a certain percentage of residential rental units affordable to, and occupied by, moderate-income, lower income, very low income, or extremely low income households, as specified. The bill would require the ordinance to provide alternative means of compliance. The bill would also make a nonsubstantive change and legislative findings and declarations.