Sen. Catherine Blakespear

Existing law provides various circumstances that constitute rape, including an act of sexual intercourse accomplished with a person who is not the spouse of the perpetrator where the person submits under the belief that the person committing the act is the victim's spouse, and this belief is induced by artifice, pretense, or concealment practiced by the accused, with the intent to induce the belief. Existing law also makes it a misdemeanor to sexually assault certain animals for the purpose of gratifying the sexual desires of a person. Existing law makes it a crime to engage in certain types of conduct against a dependent adult or dependent person, including, among others, committing certain sexual acts upon a dependent person. This bill would make it a misdemeanor for any person, 18 years of age or older, to knowingly and willfully sanction or solemnize a marriage or domestic partnership between a minor and another person. The bill would make a violation of these provisions punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment in a county jail for up to one year per incident. The bill would exclude a marriage or domestic partnership entered into after receiving a court order, as specified. Because a violation of the provisions would be 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.

The Joint Exercise of Powers Act authorizes 2 or more public agencies, by agreement, to form a joint powers authority to exercise any power common to the contracting parties, as specified. Existing law authorizes the agreement to set forth the manner by which the joint powers authority will be governed. That act specifically authorizes the creation of the Orange County Housing Finance Trust and the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust, both joint powers authorities, for the purpose of funding housing to assist the homeless population and persons and families of extremely low, very low, and low income within their respective regions, as specified. This bill would authorize 2 or more local agencies, as defined, to create a regional housing trust for the purpose of funding housing to assist the homeless population and persons and families of extremely low, very low, and low income within their jurisdictions by entering into a joint powers agreement pursuant to the Joint Exercise of Powers Act. The bill would also authorize a federally recognized tribal government to enter into the joint powers agreement. The bill would require a regional housing trust created pursuant to these provisions to be governed by a board of directors consisting of a minimum of 5 directors, as specified. The bill would authorize a regional housing trust to fund the planning, construction, and acquisition of housing, receive public and private financing and funds, and authorize and issue bonds, as specified. The bill would require the joint powers agreement establishing the regional housing trust to incorporate specified annual financial reporting and auditing requirements.

Existing law establishes the Ocean Protection Council in state government to, among other things, establish policies to coordinate the collection, evaluation, and sharing of scientific data related to coastal and ocean resources among agencies. Existing law requires the council to develop and implement a voluntary sustainable seafood promotion program for the state, to consist of specified components, including a competitive grant and loan program for eligible entities, including, but not limited to, fishery groups and associations, for the purpose of assisting California fisheries in qualifying for certification to internationally accepted standards for sustainable seafood. This bill would require the council, on or before January 1, 2026, in coordination and in consultation with various entities, including the State Air Resources Board, to implement a statewide voluntary vessel speed reduction and sustainable shipping program for the California coast in order to reduce air pollution, the risk of fatal vessel strikes on whales, and harmful underwater acoustic impacts. The bill would require the program to expand a certain existing program and would authorize the program to include specified components, including incentives to program participants based on a percentage of distance traveled by a participating vessel at a reduced speed, as provided. The bill would limit application of the program to vessels that are 300 gross tons or greater. The bill would require the council, on or before December 31, 2026, to submit a report to the Legislature regarding the implementation of the program.

This measure would designate the plaza at the center of the California State Capitol World Peace Rose Garden in the City of Sacramento as the Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird Justice For All Plaza. The measure would also request the Department of General Services to determine the cost of erecting appropriate plaques and markers showing the designation and, upon receiving donations, to cover the cost to erect signage.

Existing law, the California Coastal Act of 1976, establishes the California Coastal Commission and prescribes the membership and duties of the commission. The act provides that its provisions do not preclude or prevent any member or employee of the commission who is also an employee of another public agency, a county supervisor or city councilperson, or a member of specified associations or organizations, and who has in that designated capacity voted or acted upon a particular matter, from voting or otherwise acting upon that matter as a member or employee of the commission. This bill would apply the latter provision to a member of a joint powers authority and a member of a local agency formation commission. The bill would also correct the name of an organization and make nonsubstantive changes.

Existing law requires the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to conduct research on coastal cliff landslides and erosion in the County of San Diego, to be completed by January 1, 2025. Existing law requires the institution to conduct real-time measurements of land deformation to identify and analyze conditions that precede catastrophic bluff failure on 2 specified sites as a condition of receiving funds. Existing law requires the institution to provide a report to the Legislature with recommendations for developing a coastal cliff landslide and erosion early warning system based on available research no later than March 15, 2025. This bill would require those real-time measurements, and identification and analysis of those conditions, for a 3rd specified site as a condition of receiving that funding, and would extend the deadline for the research to be completed to January 1, 2026. The bill would also extend the deadline for the institution to provide the report and recommendations to the Legislature to March 30, 2026.

Existing law requires each county to provide aid to its indigent residents not supported by other means. These county programs are known as general assistance programs. Existing law requires the board of supervisors of every county to, among other things, investigate every application for relief from the funds of the county, to supervise every person receiving that relief, and to keep full and complete records of the investigation, supervision, relief, and rehabilitation. Existing law requires those records to be confidential and not be open to examination or inspection, except as specified. This bill would provide that those provisions do not prohibit sharing of confidential information for purposes directly connected with the administration of relief or with the administration of public social services, as defined.

The California Constitution provides that only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California, and federal law permanently enjoins the state from enforcing this constitutional provision. This measure would repeal this unenforceable constitutional provision and would instead provide that the right to marry is a fundamental right, as specified.

This measure would proclaim October 5, 2023, as Latina Equal Pay Day in California, in recognition of the need to eliminate the gender gap in earnings by women and to promote policies to ensure equal pay for all.

This measure would recognize June 21, 2023, as the 2023 International Day of Yoga in California.