This measure would honor the men and women who have served and are serving in our nation's military, and would recognize the month of May 2017 as National Military Appreciation Month.
Existing law, the Real Estate Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of real estate brokers by the Real Estate Commissioner. Existing law requires a real estate broker who accepts funds belonging to others in connection with a transaction to deposit all those funds in either a neutral escrow depository, into the hands of the broker's principal, or into a trust fund account, as specified. Existing law authorizes certain persons, including, among others, a real estate salesperson licensed to the broker to withdraw funds from a trust fund account of the broker if specifically authorized in writing. Existing law authorizes an unlicensed employee of the broker to withdraw funds from the broker's trust fund account if the broker has fidelity bond coverage equal to the maximum amount of the trust funds to which the unlicensed employee has access to at any time. Existing law authorizes this bond to have a deductible of up to 5% of the coverage amount, if the employing broker has evidence of financial responsibility and requires financial responsibility to be a separate fidelity bond coverage or a cash deposit adequate to cover the amount of the fidelity bond deductible, as specified, or any other evidence of financial responsibility approved by the commissioner. This bill would also authorize an unlicensed employee of the broker to withdraw funds if the broker has insurance coverage equal to the maximum amount of the trust funds to which the unlicensed employee has access to at any time. The bill would require, in this context, that bonds and insurance protect the broker from intentional wrongful acts committed by an employee of that business, including theft, dishonest acts, or forgery. The bill would make conforming changes.
Under existing law, whenever a statewide, county, city, or school district measure qualifies for the ballot, specified entities, including bona fide associations of citizens, may file a written argument for or against the measure. If more than one of these entities or individuals submits an argument, existing law directs the appropriate official to select the argument to be printed and distributed based on the identity of the author or authors, which existing law prioritizes, as specified. This bill would require an organization or association submitting an argument for or against a measure to also submit additional information to the appropriate official to enable that official to determine if it qualifies as a bona fide association of citizens. This bill would also prohibit the official from considering the type of documentation submitted or the form of the association when selecting an argument from among associations.
Existing law prescribes the powers and duties of the city treasurer. This bill would revise those powers and duties by deleting gender-specific personal pronouns and by making other conforming changes. Existing law requires the city treasurer to comply with all laws governing the deposit and securing of public funds and the handling of trust funds in his or her possession. This bill would require the city treasurer, if the city has issued bonds, to use a system of accounting and auditing that adheres to generally accepted accounting principles.
The County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (CERL) authorizes counties to establish retirement systems pursuant to its provisions in order to provide pension benefits to county and district employees. CERL requires a county auditor to certify to the retirement board, at the end of each month or pay period, the compensation earnable paid to members of the retirement association and to transfer the applicable percentage of the county's annual contribution to the retirement fund, as specified. CERL authorizes the board of supervisors to authorize the county auditor to make an advance payment of all or part of the county's estimated annual contribution if the payment is made within 30 days after the county's fiscal year begins. Existing law also authorizes a district that is a member of the retirement system in the County of San Bernardino to make advance payments, as described above. This bill would specify that the authority to make advance payments, described above, does not prevent the board of supervisors or governing body of a district from making advance payments for the estimated annual county or district contributions for an additional year or partial year if certain requirements are satisfied. The bill would revise the provisions currently applicable to a district that is a member of the retirement system in the County of San Bernardino to make them applicable to districts that are members of county retirement systems generally. The bill would make a variety of technical and conforming changes.
If a school measure qualifies for the ballot, existing law requires the county counsel or district attorney to prepare an impartial analysis of the measure. Existing law prescribes the manner in which a school bond measure is to appear on the ballot, and it specifies information to be included in the statement of the proposition. This bill would require the ballot label containing the statement of a school bond measure to direct voters to the voter information guide for information about the bond's effects on property taxes. By increasing the duties of local elections officials, 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 the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law establishes the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program and requires the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Investment Board to design and implement the program according to specified parameters and requirements, including, among others, that the program include one or more payroll deduction IRA arrangements. If certain prerequisites are met and the program is opened for enrollment, existing law eventually requires all eligible employers, as defined, that do not offer employer-sponsored retirement plans or automatic enrollment payroll deduction IRAs to have payroll deposit retirement savings arrangements so that eligible employees may participate in the program. Existing law specifies that funding for startup and first-year administrative costs for the program may be appropriated in the annual Budget Act from the General Fund and requires the board to repay the amount appropriated, plus interest, as specified. This measure would prohibit the state from incurring any liability for payment of the retirement savings benefit earned by program participants in the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program. The measure would also prohibit the appropriation, transfer, or encumbrance of moneys in the General Fund for the purposes of the program, including any unfunded liability that the program may incur, unless the appropriation, transfer, or encumbrance is for funding the startup and first-year administrative costs for the program.
This measure would recognize May 2017 as National Mental Health Awareness Month in California to enhance public awareness of mental illness.
The California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act, an initiative measure comprised of constitutional and statutory provisions that was approved by the voters at the November 2, 2004, statewide general election as Proposition 71, generally provides for the issuance of general obligation bonds to fund stem cell research. The constitutional provisions of the act establish the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine in state government and authorizes it to utilize state-issued tax-exempt and taxable bonds to fund its operations, medical and scientific research, and facilities. The constitutional provisions also establish a right to conduct stem cell research. This measure would repeal the constitutional provisions of the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act.
