Existing law makes it unlawful for the owner of any housing accommodation to discriminate against or harass any person because of the race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income, disability, veteran or military status, or genetic information of that person or for any person to make any notice, statement, or advertisement, with respect to the rental of a housing accommodation that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination or an intention to make a preference, limitation, or discrimination, based on any of those factors. Existing law prohibits a landlord from making any inquiry regarding or based on the immigration or citizenship status of a tenant, prospective tenant, occupant, or prospective occupant of residential rental property or requiring that any tenant, prospective tenant, occupant, or prospective occupant of the rental property disclose or make any statement, representation, or certification concerning their immigration or citizenship status. This bill would prohibit a housing provider, as defined, from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history, requiring an applicant to disclose their criminal history, or requiring an applicant to authorize the release of their criminal history, unless they are complying with federal law, as specified. The bill would also prohibit a housing provider from basing any adverse action, in whole or in part, on information contained in an applicant's criminal history, if the housing provider received criminal history information about an applicant, unless they are complying with federal law. This bill would require California Housing Finance Agency to make available to housing providers a notice that informs applicants for housing of their rights pursuant to these provisions containing a description of the prohibitions and information about community and public resources available to assist an applicant in connection with a violation. The bill would give an applicant who suffers harm as a result of a violation of these provisions a private right of action for injunctive relief, and actual damages or statutory damages up to 3 times the amount of one month's rent that the housing provider charged for the unit in question at the time of the violation. The bill would authorize a court to award punitive damages if it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that a violation of this section was committed with oppression, fraud, or malice. This bill would require affordable housing providers to annually submit a certificate of compliance with the requirements of this section to the Civil Rights Department in a format determined by the department. By expanding the definition of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department to adopt or revise regulations to establish the format of the certification and the requirements and standards for determining compliance with this section. The bill would authorize the department to impose a civil penalty for failure to comply with this provision that does not exceed the reasonable enforcement costs of the department. 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.
Sponsored bills
Existing law allows a person who was erroneously convicted of a felony and imprisoned in the state prison or a county jail to present a claim to the Victim's Compensation Board for the injury sustained by the person through the erroneous conviction and imprisonment or incarceration. Existing law requires the board to provide a recommendation to the Legislature that an appropriation be made for the purpose of indemnifying the claimant for the erroneous conviction injury. Existing law requires that the amount of the appropriation recommended by the board be equivalent to $140 per day of incarceration served. Existing law, on and after July 1, 2024, if specified appropriations are made, additionally requires the amount recommended to include $70 per day served on parole or supervised release. Existing law requires that these amounts be updated annually to account for changes in the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index, West Region. This bill, commencing on July 1, 2024, if specified conditions are met, would remove the requirement that the claimant be imprisoned in state prison or county jail to present a claim. The bill would remove the requirement that the claimant show they have sustained an injury through their erroneous conviction and imprisonment. The bill would, in certain circumstances, extend the deadline from 30 days to 90 days from the filing of a claim for the California Victim Compensation Board to calculate the compensation for the claimant and approve payment to the claimant. The bill would, if specified appropriations are made, additionally compensate the claimant for $70 per day that the claimant was on the Sex Offender Registry solely as a result of the erroneous conviction, and for reasonable attorney fees and costs incurred by or on behalf of the claimant in overturning the conviction, securing a pardon, or obtaining compensation under specified provisions. The bill would additionally, if specified appropriations are made, authorize a person who spent time on parole or supervised release prior to July 1, 2024, to bring a petition for compensation under these provisions until July 1, 2027.
Existing law establishes the Office of Broadband and Digital Literacy within the Department of Technology. Existing law requires the office to oversee the acquisition and management of contracts for the development and construction of a statewide open-access middle-mile broadband network, and for the maintenance and operation of the network, as specified. Existing law authorizes the office to take actions it deems necessary and appropriate for the development, acquisition, construction, maintenance, and operation of the network. This bill would require the office to take specified actions to address affordability and increase broadband adoption, including, but not limited to, coordinating with relevant state agencies to ensure those agencies are aware of discount service and device programs and that state and local agencies provide information about discount service and device programs to eligible low-income Californians who contact those agencies for support services.
Existing law requires the driver of any vehicle, upon meeting or overtaking any schoolbus equipped with required signs that is stopped for the purpose of loading or unloading any schoolchildren and displaying a flashing red light signal and stop signal arm, if equipped with a stop signal arm, to bring the vehicle to a stop immediately before passing the schoolbus and to not proceed past the schoolbus until the flashing red light signal and stop signal arm cease operation. A violation of these provisions is a crime. Under existing law, a driver is not required to stop if they are on the other roadway of a divided or multiple-lane highway, as defined. This bill would require a driver to stop on a divided highway, unless there is an elevated barrier or the median is unpaved, and would instead punish a violation of the prohibition with a civil penalty. This bill would authorize a school district to install and operate a stop signal arm enforcement system, as defined, for the purpose of enforcing the prohibition described above. The bill would allow school districts to contract with private vendors for the equipment, operation, and maintenance of a stop signal arm enforcement system. The bill would require additional signage on schoolbuses relative to the stop signal arm enforcement system. The bill would prohibit equipment deployed as part of a stop signal arm enforcement system from being capable of automated or user controlled remote surveillance and would prohibit the equipment's use for any surveillance purpose except as specified. The bill would make any information, image, or other data captured or generated by the stop signal arm enforcement system confidential, and available only to specified entities for limited purposes, including enforcement and training. The bill would require all alleged violations captured by a stop signal arm enforcement system to be sent within 30 days to a law enforcement agency with specified information, such as a copy of the recorded image and the license plate number. The bill would require a law enforcement agency to review the information, determine if a violation occurred, and issue a citation for a civil penalty when appropriate to the registered owner of the vehicle. The bill would require that a civil penalty that was not paid within 60 days be referred to the Department of Motor Vehicles. The bill would require the department to prohibit the renewal of the vehicle's registration or title transfer until the penalties are resolved and give notice to the registered owner of the prohibition, among other things. The bill would require the State Board of Education to adopt regulations to provide due process to those cited as a result of a stop signal arm enforcement system and would authorize the board to adopt rules to address student privacy concerns. The bill would require a school district operating a stop signal arm enforcement system to provide an annual report to certain state entities on the use and operation of the system, as described. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
Existing law authorizes a court to make rules for its own government and the government of its officers, as specified. Existing law requires the clerk of the court to perform various duties, including, safely keeping or disposing of all papers and records filed or deposited in an action or proceeding before the court. This bill would require that the clerk of the superior court allow access to public information that identifies criminal defendants to a person who certifies specified conditions under penalty of perjury. The bill would also permit the clerk of the court to audit persons who have accessed public record information upon reasonable written notice given at least 10 business days in advance. By requiring an individual seeking to access public record information identifying criminal defendants to certify certain conditions under penalty of perjury, this bill would expand the crime of perjury and 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 law, generally, regulates state and local law enforcement agencies regarding subject matter that includes the selection and training of peace officers, the maintenance and release of records, the use of force, and the use of certain equipment. Previous law, until January 1, 2023, prohibited the use of real-time facial recognition technology by law enforcement agencies in connection with body-worn cameras. This bill would prescribe the acceptable and prohibited uses for facial recognition technology (FRT) , as defined, by a law enforcement agency or peace officer, as defined. The bill would set certain requirements for FRT systems and reference databases, as defined, used by law enforcement agencies. The bill would require the Department of Technology, in consultation with the Chief of the Office of Information Security, to issue standards to ensure the confidentiality and cybersecurity of FRT data and results. The bill would require law enforcement agencies to establish written policies that adhere to those standards. The bill would require law enforcement agencies utilizing FRT to keep certain records and to annually report certain data to the California State Auditor. The bill would require any law enforcement agency utilizing FRT to have a written policy, as specified, and to post that policy on their internet website. The bill would require a law enforcement agency to provide certain information to any person that FRT is used to identify. The bill would also require each district attorney's office, city prosecutor's office, and the Attorney General to annually report certain data to the California State Auditor. By imposing a new reporting requirement on district attorneys and city prosecutors, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the California State Auditor to annually analyze the data submitted and to prepare and publicize a report, as specified. The bill would authorize a person harmed by a violation of these provisions to bring a civil action for damages, including statutory damages, as specified. 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.
Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act's requirements a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of disability and health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law sets forth specified coverage requirements for plan contracts and insurance policies, and limits the copayment, coinsurance, deductible, and other cost sharing that may be imposed for specified health care services. This bill would require an individual or group health care service plan contract or health insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, to include comprehensive coverage for the treatment of obesity in the same manner as any other illness, condition, or disorder for purposes of determining deductibles, copayment and coinsurance factors, and benefit year maximums for deductibles and copayment and coinsurance factors. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, 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.
Existing law, the Outdoor Advertising Act, provides for the regulation by the Department of Transportation of an advertising display, as defined, within view of public highways. The act regulates, as an "off-premises advertising display," a display along a highway that generally advertises business conducted or services rendered or goods produced or sold at a location other than the property where the display is located. The act does not apply to "on-premises advertising displays," which generally advertise business conducted or services rendered or goods produced or sold at the location where the display is located and which are separately regulated. This bill would subject digital displays owned by the City of Hawthorne that would otherwise be regulated as off-premises advertising displays to treatment as on-premises advertising displays, if certain requirements are met. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the City of Hawthorne.
Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, in consultation with the Labor and Workforce Development Agency and labor and industry stakeholders, to consider ways to manage necessary refinery turnarounds and maintenance that would protect the health and safety of employees and the public, and minimize the impact of maintenance-related production losses on fuel prices. Existing law authorizes the commission, by regulation, to impose requirements governing the timing of turnaround and maintenance developed through the consultations described above. This bill would require the commission to also consult with the Department of Industrial Relations when considering ways to manage necessary refinery turnarounds and maintenance. For any adopted regulations regarding scheduling or rescheduling of maintenance, the bill would require the commission to consult with labor and industry stakeholders and aim to avoid any adverse impacts to the safety of employees and surrounding communities, labor and equipment availability, other market impacts, and cost.
(1) Existing law categorizes certain drugs and other substances as controlled substances and prohibits various actions related to those substances, including their manufacture, transportation, sale, possession, and ingestion. This bill would, on and after January 1, 2025, make lawful the possession, preparation, obtaining, or transportation of, specified quantities of psilocybin, psilocyn, dimethyltryptamine (DMT) , and mescaline, for personal use, as defined, by and with persons 21 years of age or older. The bill would provide penalties for possession of these substances on school grounds, or possession by, or transferring to, persons under 21 years of age. The bill would require the California Health and Human Services Agency to convene a workgroup to study and make recommendations on the establishment of a framework governing the therapeutic use, including facilitated or supported use, of those substances. The bill would require that workgroup to send a report to the Legislature containing those recommendations on or before January 1, 2025. (2) Existing law prohibits the cultivation, transfer, or transportation, as specified, of any spores or mycelium capable of producing mushrooms or other materials that contain psilocybin or psilocyn. This bill would, on and after January 1, 2025, make lawful the cultivation or transportation of specified quantities of spores or mycelium capable of producing mushrooms or other materials that contain psilocybin or psilocyn for personal use, as defined, by and with persons 21 years of age or older. (3) Existing law prohibits the possession of drug paraphernalia, as defined. This bill would exempt from this prohibition, paraphernalia related, as specified, to these specific substances. The bill would also exempt from the prohibition items used for the testing and analysis of controlled substances. (4) Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that the messages and information provided by various state drug and alcohol programs promote no unlawful use of any drugs or alcohol. This bill would repeal those provisions. (5) By eliminating and changing the elements of existing crimes and creating new offenses, and by requiring new duties of local prosecutors, 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. (6) This bill would state that its provisions are severable.