(1) Existing law, the California Coastal Act of 1976, provides for the planning and regulation of a development and requires any person undertaking development in the coastal zone to obtain a coastal development permit issued by the California Coastal Commission in accordance with prescribed procedures. This bill would require a city or county, including a charter city or charter county, to apply for a coastal development permit to remove or restrict the use of a beach fire ring, as defined, and would require that application to include specified information. The bill would not affect the applicability of a specified provision relating to ambient air quality standards, emission standards, or air pollution control programs or facilities established by the State Air Resources Board or an air pollution control or air quality management district. The bill would not prohibit the City of Newport Beach from distributing charcoal free of charge for use in a beach fire ring within 700 feet of a residence. By increasing the duties of local officials with respect to the California Coastal Act, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) The bill would declare these provisions to be declaratory of existing law. (3) 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 these statutory provisions.
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(1) Existing law allows prosecution for specified offenses involving abuse of an elder or dependent adult, except for violations of a law proscribing theft or embezzlement, to be filed at any time within 5 years from the date of the occurrence of the offense. This bill would increase this statute of limitations from 5 years to 15 years from the date of the occurrence of the offense. (2) Existing law requires that specified actions for damages for financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult, as defined, be commenced within 4 years after the plaintiff discovers or, through the exercise of reasonable diligence, should have discovered, the facts constituting the financial abuse. This bill would increase this statute of limitations from 4 years to 15 years after the plaintiff discovers, or through the exercise of reasonable diligence, should have discovered, the facts constituting the financial abuse.
Existing law establishes several agencies and commissions within state government responsible for carrying out various powers and duties related to encouraging economic development, trade, and investment in the state. Existing also creates legislative committees comprised of members of both houses of the Legislature to address specified state concerns and objectives. This bill would create the Joint Legislative Committee on Jobs and Economic Development to ascertain facts and make recommendations to the Legislature concerning the business climate in the state. The commission would be comprised of 20 Members of the Legislature: 10 Members of the Assembly and 10 Members of the Senate.
Existing law, on or before July 1, 2014, requires the governing board of each school district and each county board of education to adopt a local control and accountability plan and requires the governing board of each school district and each county board of education to update its local control and accountability plan on or before July 1 of each year. Existing law requires of charter schools something similar to a local control and accountability plan. Existing law establishes the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence for the purpose of advising and assisting school districts, county superintendents of schools, and charter schools in achieving the goals set forth in a local control and accountability plan. This bill would also require the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence to report to the State Board of Education by October 15, 2015, with recommendations for methods, study designs, and data needs for systematically evaluating the effectiveness of local control and accountability plans in closing the achievement gap and achieving specified state priorities, and with recommendations for methods for the statewide identification and dissemination of best practices in that regard. The bill would provide that certain moneys appropriated in the Budget Act of 2013 may be applied to the preparation of the report.
Existing law, the Political Reform Act of 1974, provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing, including requiring the reporting of campaign contributions. The act imposes a contribution limit of $3,000 on contributions made to, and received by, candidates for elective state offices that are not statewide elective offices. The act is administered and enforced by the Fair Political Practices Commission, which is authorized to adjust the contribution limit to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index, as specified. The act does not limit the amount of contributions that a person may make to a committee that is primarily formed to support or oppose one or more ballot measures. The act prohibits a candidate for elective state office or a committee controlled by that candidate from making a contribution to another candidate for elective state office in excess of the contribution limit for elective state offices. The act imposes various restrictions and reporting requirements on Members of the Legislature and candidates for either house of the Legislature, including prohibiting or restricting earned income from a lobbyist or lobbyist employer, restricting the receipt of gifts, and restricting the purposes for which campaign funds may be expended. This bill would prohibit a person from making to a committee controlled by a candidate for elective office that is primarily formed to support or oppose one or more ballot measures, and prohibit such a committee from receiving, a contribution in excess of the contribution limit for elective state offices, as specified. The bill would prohibit a candidate for any elective office, or the candidate's controlled committees, from making a contribution to another candidate for elective office or a committee controlled by a candidate that is primarily formed to support or oppose one or more ballot measures in excess of the contribution limit established for candidates for elective state office. This bill would prohibit a committee controlled by a candidate for elective office that is primarily formed to support or oppose one or more ballot measures from expending campaign funds to make a contribution or other transfer of campaign funds to a committee for a purpose other than supporting or opposing a ballot measure that the controlled committee was primarily formed to support or oppose. This bill would prohibit a lobbyist or lobbyist employer from providing any compensation to a spouse or dependent of a Member or candidate, except as specified. The bill would prohibit campaign funds from being used to compensate a spouse or dependent of a Member of the Legislature or of a candidate for either house of the Legislature. This bill would prohibit the expenditure of campaign funds for attorney's fees and other costs in connection with criminal litigation, and would limit the payment of criminal litigation attorney's fees and other related legal costs arising directly out of the conduct of an election campaign, the electoral process, or the performance of the officer's governmental activities or duties to funds deposited in a legal defense account created pursuant to other specified provisions of law. The bill would also prohibit a committee that is not a legal defense committee from making an expenditure of campaign funds to any legal defense account. This bill would require a Member of the Legislature or a candidate for either house of the Legislature to report to the Secretary of State a contribution of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or greater within three business days of receipt of the contribution. A violation of the act's provisions is punishable as a misdemeanor. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law subjects any member of the Legislature or any member of the legislative body of a city, county, city and county, school district, or other special district, and every executive or ministerial officer, employee, or appointee of the state, a county or city, or political subdivision, who asks for or receives a bribe in exchange for influence over his or her official action to imprisonment in a state prison for 2, 3, or 4 years, and imposes prescribed restitution fines based on whether a bribe has actually been received. This bill would increase the punishment to 4, 6, or 8 years in state prison and would increase the restitution fines to twice the original amount. 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 Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The California Constitution requires the Legislature to encourage by all suitable means the promotion of intellectual, scientific, moral, and agricultural improvement. Under existing law, the Legislature finds and declares that improved science education in elementary and secondary schools contributes to improvements in pupil performance. Existing law requires the adopted course of study for grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to include instruction in various areas of study, including, but not limited to, mathematics and science. This bill would make specified findings and declarations, and would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education to consider strategies to introduce, and expose to pupils, a complete STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) program at age appropriate levels from kindergarten through each of grades 1 to 12, inclusive. The bill would require the STEM program to include certain elements, including the development of a STEM curriculum that includes a wide array of engineering fields, opportunities to design and perform scientific experiments that explore challenging questions developed by pupils, and training for current teachers interested in a STEM curriculum.
Existing law, the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law, generally regulates the packaging and labeling of foods and requires that all labels of foods, drugs, or cosmetics conform with the requirements of the federal Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, as specified, and the regulations adopted pursuant to that federal act. A violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law also authorizes the State Department of Public Health to adopt additional food labeling regulations. This bill would require that a manufacturer and a wholesaler or distributor of vitamins or supplements in the state certify certain information to the department, including the country of origin for the vitamins and supplements. The bill would also require the department to create a form for a manufacturer and a wholesaler or distributor to certify the required information to the department and for the department to adopt a procedure for the submission of the form. By creating a new 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.
(1) Existing law establishes the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training within the Department of Justice. Existing law requires the commission to carry out various duties related to the education and training of peace officers, as defined. Existing law provides that animal control officers are not peace officers but may exercise the powers of arrest of a peace officer and the power to serve warrants, as specified, during the course and within the scope of their employment, if those officers successfully complete a course in the exercise of those powers. This bill would require every person appointed as an animal control officer prior to July 1, 2015, to complete a course in the exercise of the powers of arrest and to serve warrants no later than July 1, 2016. This bill would require every person appointed as an animal control officer, and every person appointed as a director, manager, supervisor, or any person in direct control of an animal control agency, on or after July 1, 2015, to complete a course in the exercise of the powers of arrest and to serve warrants within one year of his or her appointment, as specified. This bill would require every animal control officer, prior to the exercise of the powers of arrest and to serve warrants, to have satisfactorily completed the required course of training. This bill would also require every animal control officer appointed prior to July 1, 2015, to satisfactorily complete at least 40 hours of continuing education and training relating to the powers and duties of an animal control officer, no later than July 1, 2018, and every 3 years thereafter, as specified. The bill would require every animal control officer appointed on or after July 1, 2015, to comply with those requirements within 3 years of the date of his or her appointment, and every 3 years thereafter. The bill would specify that the above training and continuing training requirements do not apply to an animal control officer who is a peace officer. By imposing new training requirements on local employees, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law provides for the regulation and licensing of dogs, including the issuance of dog license tags. Existing law requires that fees for the issuance of dog license tags and fines collected for a violation of the provisions regulating and licensing dogs be paid into the county, city, or city and county treasury and that they be used for specified purposes, including to pay costs and expenses for the enforcement of those provisions. This bill would expand the list of purposes for which those fees and fines shall be used to include paying for initial and in-service training for persons charged with enforcing animal control laws, including animal control officers. (3) 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 these statutory provisions.
Existing law, the Areias Credit Card Full Disclosure Act of 1986, requires a credit card issuer, with each billing statement provided to a cardholder in this state, to provide certain information on the front of the first page of the billing statement. This bill would require a credit card issuer, on the front page of a billing statement, also to provide written statements disclosing that a missed credit card bill payment can affect a cardholder's credit history, credit report score, and ability to acquire more credit, and disclosing how a credit score is typically calculated using payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit, and types of credit used.
Existing law prohibits a city, county, or city and county that levies a business license tax, as specified, from including the amount of gross receipts or the cost of the business license tax on the business license tax receipt. This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to this provision.