Sen. Steve Choi

This measure would proclaim January 13, 2020, as Korean American Day.

This measure would honor the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

The Government Claims Act governs the liability and immunity of public entities and their officers and employees, claims and actions against public entities and their officers and employees, insurance indemnification, and the defense of public officers and employees. Under existing law, claims under the Government Claims Act include tort claims as well as certain contract claims. This bill would, in an action alleging conduct by a Member of the Legislature that constitutes sexual harassment, as defined, prohibit either house of the Legislature from paying any compromise or settlement of the action.

(1) Existing law establishes the Department of Consumer Affairs in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency to, among other things, ensure that certain businesses and professions that have potential impact upon the public health, safety, and welfare are adequately regulated. This bill would require the department, beginning on January 1, 2021, to conduct a comprehensive review of all licensing requirements for each profession regulated by a board within the department and identify unnecessary licensing requirements, as defined by the bill. The bill, beginning February 1, 2021, and every 2 years thereafter, would require each board within the department to submit to the department an assessment on the board's progress in implementing policies to facilitate licensure portability for active duty service members, veterans, and military spouses that includes specified information. The bill would require the department to report to the Legislature on March 1, 2023, and every 2 years thereafter, on the department's progress in conducting its review, and would require the department to issue a final report to the Legislature no later than March 1, 2033. The bill would require the biennial reports to the Legislature to include the assessment information submitted by each board to the department, to identify the professions reviewed by the department, each unnecessary licensing requirement, and the department's recommendations to the Legislature on whether to keep, modify, or eliminate the unnecessary licensing requirement. The bill would require the department to apply for federal funds that have been made available specifically for the purpose of reviewing, updating, and eliminating overly burdensome licensing requirements, as provided. (2) Existing law, the Barbering and Cosmetology Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of the practice of cosmetology by the State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology in the department and defines the practice of both barbering and cosmetology to include shampooing the hair of any person. The act also specifies that, within the practice of cosmetology, there is the specialty branch of skin care, which includes applying makeup. This bill would delete shampooing another person from the practice of barbering and cosmetology, and would delete the act of applying makeup on another person from the specialty practice of skin care. The bill would require a person who does not hold a barbering or cosmetology license to disclose that fact before the unlicensed person applies makeup to or shampoos the hair of another person. (3) Existing law provides for the regulation of custom upholsterers by the Bureau of Household Goods and Services in the department, and requires every custom upholsterer to hold a custom upholsterer's license. This bill would delete those provisions requiring licensure of custom upholsterers.

Existing law authorizes a county that is responsible for the cost of a trial or trials or any hearing of a person for the offense of homicide to apply to the Controller for reimbursement of excessive costs incurred by the county under specified circumstances. Under existing law, if the Controller determines that reimbursement is proper, the Controller is required to request the Director of Finance to include any amounts necessary to fulfill reimbursement in a request for deficiency appropriation. This bill would enact the Justice Act of 2019 for the Reimbursement of County Costs Arising from the Matter of the People v. Joseph DeAngelo, and would authorize the County of Sacramento and other California counties to be reimbursed for the reasonable and necessary costs, as specified, incurred in connection with the prosecution and defense of Joseph DeAngelo. The bill would require a county seeking reimbursement to send a statement of costs to the Controller for approval, and would require the Controller, within 60 days, to either pay approved costs or provide a written statement as to the reason for not making reimbursement at that time. The bill would create the Justice Act of 2019 Fund for these purposes.

The Personal Income Tax Law imposes a tax on individual taxpayers measured by the taxpayer's taxable income for the taxable year, but excludes certain items of income from the computation of tax, including an exclusion for combat-related special compensation. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, and before January 1, 2030, would exclude from gross income specified amounts of retirement pay received by a taxpayer from the federal government for service performed in the uniformed services, as defined, during the taxable year. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law establishes in state government the Natural Resources Agency under the supervision of the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency. Existing law, the California Cultural and Historical Endowment Act, establishes the California Cultural and Historical Endowment in the Natural Resources Agency. Among other things, the act authorizes the endowment to award grants and loans on a competitive basis to public agencies and nonprofit organizations to encourage development of California's historical and cultural resources. Existing law establishes the Museum and Cultural Resources Program, under the administration of the endowment, to assist and enhance the services of California's museums and of other groups and institutions that undertake cultural projects that are deeply rooted in and reflective of previously underserved communities. This bill would appropriate $4,000,000 from the General Fund to the Natural Resources Agency to be distributed as a grant, during the 2019–2020 fiscal year, by the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to the Korean American National Museum located in the City of Los Angeles for the purpose of assisting construction of that museum. The bill would require, before the secretary distributes those funds, that the secretary confirm, in the manner as determined by the secretary, that the Korean American National Museum satisfies specified criteria.

Existing law imposes an annual minimum franchise tax of $800, except as provided, on every corporation incorporated in this state, qualified to transact intrastate business in this state, or doing business in this state, and an annual tax in an amount equal to the minimum franchise tax on every limited partnership, limited liability partnership, and limited liability company doing business in this state, as specified. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, would reduce the minimum franchise tax, as provided, based on the gross receipts of the corporation, but would continue to impose the current amount of the annual tax on every limited partnership, limited liability partnership, and limited liability company doing business in this state. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law requires a court to charge various fines, fees, penalties, and assessments for criminal defendants, including fines assessed as a penalty for a crime, restitution fines, and fees for the support and maintenance of the courts, as specified. This bill would require a defendant or ward to be given the opportunity to pay a fine, fee, or assessment related to a criminal proceeding or conviction, or a juvenile proceeding involving a misdemeanor or felony, except for an order of victim restitution, with a payment plan. The bill would authorize a defendant or ward to be charged a fee for processing an installment account and a fee for processing a credit card transaction, and would generally authorize a reduction of the fine if the defendant or ward establishes autopayment linked to a valid bank account. The bill would authorize a willful violation of an order establishing a payment plan to be punished as contempt. By expanding the crime of contempt, 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.