Existing law prohibits Members of the Legislature, and state, county, district, judicial district, and city officers or employees from being financially interested in a contract, as specified, made by them in their official capacity or by any body or board of which they are members, subject to specified exceptions. Existing law identifies certain remote interests that are not subject to this prohibition if, among other things, the member or officer discloses the fact of that interest to the body or board, including, among others, that of a parent in the earnings of the parent's minor child for personal services. Existing law imposes a criminal penalty on every officer or person who willfully violates these provisions. This bill, on and after January 1, 2026, would include within the definition of remote interest that of a public officer if the public officer's child is an officer or director of, or has an ownership interest of 10% or more in, a party to a contract entered into by the body or board of which the officer is a member, if this information is actually known to the public officer. By expanding these provisions, this bill would create a new crime and thus 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.
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Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to approve and begin implementing a comprehensive strategy to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants in the state and to achieve a reduction in specified emissions, including methane, as provided. Existing law requires the methane reduction goals to include a 75% reduction target from the 2014 level by 2025. Existing law requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, in consultation with the state board, to adopt regulations, as provided, that achieve the goals for reducing organic waste in landfills. This bill would require the department to develop procedures for local jurisdictions to request technical assistance from the department regarding organic waste and methane reduction requirements from the department, to post those procedures on its internet website, and to provide that technical assistance, as specified.
Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt at least 5 basic instructional materials in specified subject areas, including, among others, social science, for use in kindergarten and grades 1 to 8, inclusive, as specified. Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission, as specified, and requires the commission to, among other things, develop criteria for evaluating instructional materials. This bill would require the commission, when the state board adopts new instructional materials for history-social science on or after January 1, 2025, to consider providing for inclusion, in its evaluation criteria, content on the case of Mendez v. Westminster School District of Orange County. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 51226.3 of the Education Code proposed by AB 1821 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1821 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
Existing law, the California Consumer Financial Protection Law (CCFPL) , establishes certain consumer protections relating to consumer financial products, practices, and services, including, among others, making it unlawful for covered persons or service providers, as defined, to, among other acts, engage in unlawful, unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices with respect to consumer financial products or services. Existing law establishes that the purpose of the CCFPL is to promote consumer welfare, fair competition, and wealth creation in this state by promoting, among other things, nondiscriminatory access to consumer financial products and services that are understandable and not unfair, deceptive, or abusive. Existing law authorizes the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, under the direction of the Commissioner of Financial Protection and Innovation, to prescribe rules regarding registration requirements applicable to a covered person in the business of offering or providing a consumer financial product or service, as defined, and rules requiring the payment of registration fees. This bill would expand the purposes of the CCFPL to include the protection of small businesses from abusive financial practices, as specified. The bill would impose various duties on commercial financing providers and brokers, including, among other things, prohibiting the taking of a confession of judgment or power of attorney at any time before a default, as specified.
Maddy summarySenate Resolution 118 officially designates a specific month in 2024 as Filipino American History Month to honor the long history and contributions of Filipinos in California and the United States. The resolution highlights key milestones, including early immigration, labor movements like the Delano Grape Strike, and the establishment of historic communities such as Manilatown and Little Manila. This measure serves as a commemorative recognition rather than a law that changes funding or policy, and it does not impose new requirements on any individuals or organizations.
Maddy summarySenate Resolution 119 designates October 21 as Hanbok Day in California to honor the traditional clothing of Korean people. This resolution does not change laws or create new requirements but serves as a symbolic proclamation encouraging residents to celebrate Korean culture by wearing hanbok on the specified date. The measure was adopted by the California Senate to acknowledge the historical significance of the attire and promote cultural diversity within the state.
This measure would urge the President of the United States and the United States Congress to modify bankruptcy rules to provide, in the event of liquidation and termination of oil and gas leases under the United States Bankruptcy Code, that priority is given to plug and abandonment and restoration obligations, to protect the environment, over all secured creditor claims.
Existing law prohibits unlawfully causing a fire by recklessly setting fire to, burning, or causing to be burned, any structure, forest land, or property. A violation of this prohibition is punishable as either a misdemeanor or a felony. This bill would, for the purposes of sentencing for a violation of these provisions, make it a factor in aggravation that the offense was carried out within a merchant's premises in order to facilitate organized retail theft. By increasing 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.
Existing law defines types of theft, including petty theft, grand theft, and shoplifting. Existing law also defines the crime of burglary, which consists of entering specified buildings, places, or vehicles with the intent to commit grand or petty theft or a felony. This bill would, until January 1, 2030, create sentencing enhancements for selling, exchanging, or returning for value, or attempting to sell, exchange, or return for value, any property acquired through one or more acts of shoplifting, theft, or burglary from a retail business, if the property value exceeds specified amounts. The bill would additionally make these enhancements apply to any person acting in concert with another person to violate these provisions. By adding new sentencing enhancements, 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.
Existing law, until January 1, 2026, makes a person guilty of organized retail theft, punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony, as specified, if the person acts in concert with one or more persons to steal merchandise from one or more merchant's premises or online marketplaces with the intent to sell or return the merchandise for value, acts in concert with 2 or more persons to receive, purchase, or possess merchandise knowing or believing it to have been stolen, acts as an agent of another to steal merchandise from one or more merchant's premises or online marketplaces as part of an organized plan to commit theft, or recruits, coordinates, organizes, supervises, directs, manages, or finances another to undertake acts of theft. This bill would extend the operation of the crime of organized retail theft indefinitely. By extending the operation of an existing 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.