Sen. Brian Jones

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the week of January 25 to January 31, 2026, as National School Choice Week. The measure does not change any laws or affect funding, but it officially recognizes a period intended to highlight school choice options. It is a symbolic resolution that does not alter policy or impose new requirements on schools or families.

The Debt Collection Licensing Act generally regulates the business of debt collection and prohibits a person from engaging in the business of debt collection in this state without first obtaining a license pursuant to the act. The act prescribes the duties and powers of the Commissioner of Financial Protection and Innovation, which include conducting prescribed examinations as often as the commissioner deems necessary and appropriate, and authorizing the commissioner to conduct those examinations electronically, as specified. The act also establishes the Debt Collection Advisory Committee to advise the commissioner on matters relating to debt collection or the debt collection business, as specified. This bill would require the commissioner to conduct examinations remotely unless an onsite examination is considered necessary for the protection of the public, as specified. The bill would also rename the Debt Collection Advisory Committee as the Debt Collection Advisory Board, require the commissioner to request the advice of the board before the initial publication or adoption of fee schedules or a proposed regulation, except as specified, and exempt the board from the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

Existing law requires that each death be registered with the local registrar of births and deaths in the district in which the death was officially pronounced or the body was found. Existing law establishes the required contents of the death certificate, including, but not limited to, the decedent's name, sex, race, and the disease or conditions leading directly to death and antecedent causes, among other relevant identifying and medical information. When the facts are incorrectly stated in a certificate of death, including a typographical error, existing law authorizes a person to make an affidavit under oath stating the changes necessary to make the record correct. Existing law requires that specified information be filed with the state or local registrar, and if the amendments are accepted, the State Registrar is required to transmit copies of the amendment to the county recorder in whose offices the copies of the original record and information are on file. Existing law requires the amendment to be filed with and become a part of the record to which it pertains. This bill would authorize a family member of the deceased, when a judicial determination is made on the manner of a deceased person's death, to submit a written request to the State Registrar for a new death certificate reflecting the newly determined manner of death. This bill would require the request to be supported by a certified copy of the plea, verdict, statement of decision, or a judgment showing that the manner of death was determined by a finder of fact to be different than stated on the existing certificate. The bill would require the State Registrar to review the request and issue a new death certificate if specified conditions are met, including, but not limited to, that the request identifies the determination of manner of death in the certified court record. The bill would require the State Registrar to transmit copies of the new death certificate and the new certificate will supplant any previously issued certificate for the deceased person. The bill would require the local registrar to transmit any copies of the previously issued death certificate to the State Registrar if it is practical to do so and if it is not practical to do so, seal a cover over the copy, as specified. The bill would specify that a plea, verdict, statement of decision, or judgment reflects a judicial determination that the manner of death was homicide if it shows criminal responsibility or civil liability for the death of the deceased person. The bill would authorize a family member of the deceased to include additional certified court records with their request to permit the State Registrar to determine the manner of death. The bill would require a determination by the State Registrar to be based solely on the request and the submitted certified court documents. By imposing new duties on local registrars, this bill would impose a state-mandated 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 CalFood Program, administered by the State Department of Social Services, and requires the CalFood Program to provide food and funding for the provision of emergency food to food banks established pursuant to the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program whose ongoing primary function is to facilitate the distribution of food to low-income households, as specified. This bill would additionally require the CalFood Program to provide food and funding for the provision of emergency food to food banks that are members of the nonprofit organization Feeding America that are based in California, located in a county with a population of over 3,000,000 people, and are not established pursuant to the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program, if they meet specified requirements.

The Personal Income Tax Law, in modified conformity with federal income tax laws, allows various deductions in calculating taxable income. Existing federal income tax law, for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2029, allows deductions in determining taxable income, as defined, for amounts equal to the qualified tips, as defined. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and before January 1, 2029, would conform to federal income tax law with regard to qualified tips, except as provided. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill also would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for the preparation of the state implementation plan required by the Clean Air Act, and requires the state board to adopt standards, rules, and regulations that are consistent with the state goal of providing a decent home and suitable living environment for every Californian. Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, sets forth the requirements for the adoption, publication, review, and implementation of regulations by state agencies. Existing law requires a state agency proposing to adopt, amend, or repeal a major regulation on or after November 1, 2013, to prepare a standardized regulatory impact analysis, as specified, that addresses, among other things, the competitive advantages or disadvantages for businesses currently doing business within the state and the benefits to health, safety, and welfare of the regulations. This bill would require a standardized regulatory impact analysis prepared by the State Air Resources Board to additionally address cost of living impacts on residents of the state, including, but not limited to, retail gasoline and transportation costs, consumer electric bills, consumer goods and food costs, housing and building construction costs, and costs to businesses.

Existing state law, Proposition 7, an initiative measure approved by the voters at the November 6, 2018, statewide general election, sets the standard time for California and sets daylight saving time to begin each March and end each November, as specified. Proposition 7 authorizes the Legislature to amend these provisions by a 23 vote to change the dates and times of the daylight saving time period, consistent with federal law, and authorizes the Legislature to amend these provisions by a 23 vote to provide for the application of year-round daylight saving time when authorized by federal law. This bill would repeal daylight saving time in the state and the provisions regarding the Legislature's authority to amend the above-described provisions by a 23 vote. The bill would instead require the state and all political subdivisions of the state to observe year-round standard time. The bill would exempt the state and all political subdivisions of the state from the provisions of federal law that establish the advancement of time. If the federal government adopts year-long daylight saving time, the bill would require the state and all political subdivisions of the state to set time to conform with that adoption, as specified. The bill would make related findings and declarations.

Existing law generally provides financial support for cities and counties to provide public safety services, including, among other funding, moneys allocated through the Local Revenue Fund 2011 and its accounts. Existing law, enacted by the voters as the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act (Proposition 36) at the November 5, 2024, statewide general election, authorizes the Board of State and Community Corrections to allocate appropriate funds to counties and local governments for programs under the Treatment-Mandated Felony Act, as specified. This bill, the Funding of Proposition 36 Act, would create the California Public Safety Services Support Fund to be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to implement Proposition 36. The bill would, upon appropriation by the Legislature for the 2026–27 fiscal year, require the funds to be administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections, as specified. The bill would also require, beginning in the 2027–28 fiscal year, the Governor to annually include a proposed transfer from the General Fund to the California Public Safety Services Support Fund of an amount sufficient to fund the ongoing administration of Proposition 36 as part of the Governor's proposed budget to the Legislature. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates April 2, 2026, as World Autism Awareness Day within the state of California. It directly affects state agencies and the general public by officially recognizing this specific date for awareness activities. The primary mechanism is a simple legislative declaration that adds this observance to the state calendar without creating new laws or funding requirements. Once enacted, the resolution serves as a formal record of the state's acknowledgment of the global observance.

Existing property tax law exempts from tax any real property that is reasonably and necessarily required for the parking of automobiles by persons engaged in religious activities. Existing law extends this exemption to apply to land and improvements regardless of whether the fee interest in the land and improvements is held by the religious organization using the land and improvements for parking purposes if certain requirements are met, including a requirement that the congregation of the church is no greater than 500 members. This bill would remove the requirements relating to the size of the congregation. By imposing additional duties on local tax 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. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.