Sen. Doug La Malfa

Existing law requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to utilize inmates and wards assigned to conservation camps, among other things, in performing fire prevention, fire control, and other work of the department. This bill would require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to provide all inmate classification, reclassification, and readmission score sheets in its possession to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection personnel assigned to the conservation camp in which the inmate is being placed.

Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board (board) administers a water rights program pursuant to which the board grants permits and licenses to appropriate water. Existing law requires the owner of a wastewater treatment plant to obtain the approval of the board prior to making any changes in the point of discharge, place of use, or purpose of use of treated wastewater, and requires the board to review the proposed changes in accordance with prescribed procedures. Existing law authorizes any municipality, governmental agency, or political subdivision operating a waste disposal plant that discharges water meeting the requirements of the appropriate regional board into the San Joaquin River to file an application for a permit to appropriate an equal amount of water, as adjusted for seepage and other factors, downstream from the disposal plant and out of the San Joaquin River or the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which water may be sold or utilized for any beneficial purpose. Existing law authorizes the board to grant the permit to appropriate on such terms and conditions as in the board's judgment are necessary for the protection of the rights of others. This bill would authorize the Sewerage Commission Oroville to file an application for a permit, on or after July 1, 2013, to appropriate a specified amount of water that is based on the volume of treated wastewater that it discharges into the Feather River, as specified. The bill would authorize the board to grant a permit to appropriate that treated wastewater upon terms and conditions determined by the board. The bill would require the board, prior to granting a permit pursuant to these provisions, to comply with permit, approval, and review requirements and other laws applicable to the appropriation of water. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Sewerage Commission Oroville. The bill would require the board to prepare a report assessing the potential cumulative effects of the above-described discharge and appropriation provisions on the use of water rights by current water rights holders, the ability to meet or exceed instream flow standards in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, and the ability to meet or exceed water quality standards in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. The bill would require the board to post the report on its Internet Web site and transmit an electronic copy of the final report to subject matter committees of the Legislature by July 1, 2013, as specified.

Existing law generally prohibits a vehicle from exceeding a length of 40 feet, and a combination of vehicles from exceeding a total length of 65 feet, with various specific exceptions. Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation or local authorities, with regard to highways under their respective jurisdiction, to issue a special permit authorizing the operation of a combination of vehicles consisting of a truck tractor semitrailer combination with a maximum length from kingpin to rearmost axle measurement of not more than 46 feet, if the trailers are used exclusively or primarily in connection with motorsports, as defined. This bill would instead exempt, until January 1, 2016, a combination of vehicles consisting of a truck tractor semitrailer combination with a kingpin to rearmost axle measurement limit of not more than 46 feet, a trailer length of not more than 56 feet, and used exclusively or primarily in connection with motorsports, as defined, to operate on the National Network, transition routes, as well as on any other routes authorized for that purpose by the Department of Transportation in consultation with the Department of the California Highway Patrol. The bill would require the Department of Transportation to conduct a field test of the truck tractor semitrailer combination authorized under the bill for motorsport trucks with a trailer length of 56 feet to evaluate their performance on various segments of the National Network and transition routes. The bill would also require the Department of Transportation, no later than January 1, 2014, to submit a report to the Legislature that includes the results of the field test and a recommendation, in consultation with the Department of the California Highway Patrol, as to whether the 56 foot trailer length should be reauthorized.

This measure would state that the Legislature recognizes October 13, 2012, as the 100-year anniversary of the Sikh American community, and would call upon the people of California to commemorate the day with appropriate celebrations.

Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, protects and safeguards the right and opportunity of all persons to seek, obtain, and hold employment without discrimination or abridgment on account of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, or sexual orientation. Specifically, an employer or other covered entity is required to reasonably accommodate the religious belief or observance of an individual unless the accommodation would be an undue hardship on the conduct of the business of the employer or other entity. This bill would include a religious dress practice or a religious grooming practice as a belief or observance covered by the protections against religious discrimination, and would specify that an accommodation of an individual's religious dress practice or religious grooming practice that would require that person to be segregated from the public or other employees is not a reasonable accommodation. This bill would further provide that no accommodation is required if an accommodation would result in the violation of specified laws protecting civil rights. This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 12926 of the Government Code, proposed by AB 2386, to be operative only if AB 2386 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective January 1, 2013, and this bill is chaptered last.

Existing law authorizes any regularly employed law enforcement officer of the Oregon State Police, the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety, or the Arizona Department of Public Safety to be a peace officer in this state if all of certain conditions are met, including, but not limited to, the out-of-state officer is providing law enforcement services in response to a request for services initiated by a member of the California Highway Patrol, or providing law enforcement services for the purpose of assisting a member of the California Highway Patrol, as provided, and a reciprocal operational agreement is in effect between the Department of the California Highway Patrol and the law enforcement officer's out-of-state agency. This bill would authorize the City of Tulelake, California, to enter into a mutual aid agreement with the City of Malin, Oregon, to permit their police departments to provide mutual aid to each other when necessary. The bill would require that the agreement be reviewed and approved by the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol.

This measure would designate the interchange at Hazel Avenue and State Highway Route 50 in the County of Sacramento as the Senator Dave Cox Memorial Interchange. This measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering those costs, to erect those signs.

This measure would designate a specified portion of State Highway Route 1 in the County of Los Angeles as the Honorable Jenny Oropeza Memorial Overcrossing. This measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering those costs, to erect those signs.

This measure would express the Legislature's support of the use of a portion of federally generated seafood product import revenues for the domestic marketing and promotion of California fish and seafood.

Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. One of the methods by which these services are provided is pursuant to contracts with various types of managed care health plans, including through a county organized health system. Existing law authorizes the Director of Health Care Services to enter into contracts with one or more managed health care plans to provide a comprehensive program of managed health care services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries residing in specified counties. This bill would require specified counties to be annexed to the closest, contiguous county organized health system, upon approval of the county and the county organized health system.