Existing law establishes various programs for the prevention, detection, and mitigation of wildfires. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to create and fund a program for installing remote infrared cameras that can help in detecting wildfires.
Existing law authorizes the governing body of a city, county, or city and county, or a designated official, to declare a local emergency, as defined, when specified conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist within the territorial limits of a city, county, or city and county. Existing law requires the governing body to review the need for continuing the local emergency at least once every 60 days until the governing body terminates the local emergency. Existing law establishes various types of districts charged with specified duties within the Harbors and Navigation Code, including harbor improvement districts, harbor districts, port districts, river port districts, and small craft harbor districts. This bill would revise the definition of a local emergency to include conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the territorial limits of a district established under the Harbors and Navigation Code and would authorize a port district to declare a local emergency on the same basis as a city, county, or city and county. The bill would require review of a local emergency by the governing body, as described above, to occur at least once every 30, rather than 60, days. The bill would also provide legislative findings in support of these provisions.
Existing law authorizes any victim of elder or dependent adult abuse to refuse or withdraw consent at any time for an investigation or the provision of protective services by an adult protective services agency or long-term care ombudsman program, as specified. This bill would, when the alleged victim of elder or dependent adult abuse has a personal representative, as defined, who is the alleged abuser, require the adult protective services agency or long-term care ombudsman to proceed with an investigation as if the alleged victim has provided consent. The bill would require an investigation to be reported to the local law enforcement agency that has a primary investigative role. By increasing the investigative and reporting duties of local governments, this bill would create 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.
The California High-Speed Rail Act creates the High-Speed Rail Authority to develop and implement a high-speed rail system in the state. The Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century, approved by the voters as Proposition 1A at the November 4, 2008, general election, provides for the issuance of $9 billion in general obligation bonds for high-speed rail purposes and $950 million for other related rail purposes. Existing law requires the authority to prepare, publish, adopt, and submit to the Legislature a business plan containing specified elements, by May 1, 2014, and every 2 years thereafter. This bill would require the authority to develop and adopt a supplemental business plan for the estimated cost of completing the section of the high-speed rail system located between the City of Merced and the northern end of the initial operating segment in the County of Madera on or before February 1, 2020, and submit the supplemental business plan to the Director of Finance, a specified peer review group, and certain legislative committees.
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 Senior Citizens and Disabled Citizens Property Tax Postponement Law authorizes a claimant to file a claim with the Controller to postpone the payment of property taxes that are due on the residential dwelling of the claimant, as provided, and requires the claim for postponement to be filed under penalty of perjury. Existing law establishes the Senior Citizens and Disabled Citizens Property Tax Postponement Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, in the State Treasury for, among other things, disbursements relating to the postponement of property taxes, as provided. Existing law requires the Controller, on June 30, 2018, and on June 30 each year thereafter, to transfer any moneys in the fund in excess of $15,000,000 to the General Fund. Existing law requires property tax postponement payments, from the time a payment is made, to bear interest at the rate of 7% per annum. Existing law prohibits the postponement of property taxes if the claimant's household income exceeds $35,500. This bill would require the annual transfer of moneys in excess of $15,000,000 from the Senior Citizens and Disabled Citizens Property Tax Postponement Fund to the General Fund to occur until June 30, 2019. The bill, beginning July 1, 2020, would lower the rate of interest on property tax postponement payments from 7% per annum to 5% per annum. The bill would revise the income limitations described above to instead provide that the claimant's household income cannot exceed $35,500 or the "very low income" limit, as adjusted for household size, for the county in which the household is located, as published annually by the Department of Housing and Community Development, whichever is greater. Because this bill would provide for additional expenditures from the Senior Citizens and Disabled Citizens Property Tax Postponement Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, it would make an appropriation. By increasing the circumstances in which claims for postponement are required to be filed under penalty of perjury, this bill would expand the crime of perjury, thereby imposing 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 California Constitution establishes the State Board of Equalization, consisting of the Controller and 4 other members elected from districts, and provides for the election, recall, impeachment, filling of vacancies, and salaries and benefits of those board members elected from districts. The California Constitution vests the board with various powers, duties, and responsibilities related to the administration of taxes imposed on property, insurance, and alcoholic beverages. Existing law, the County Deferred Property Tax Program for Senior Citizens and Disabled Citizens, authorizes a county to elect to participate in and administer the program. Existing law specifies that under the program, a participating county may defer a claimant's property taxes retroactively, for property taxes due on or before February 20, 2011, and prospectively, in accordance with specified procedures and requirements. This bill would require the board to hold a public hearing for the purpose of reviewing and making recommendations to the Legislature regarding the property tax deferment program described above.
Existing law establishes within the California Health and Human Services Agency the Office of Health Information Integrity to ensure the enforcement of state law mandating the confidentiality of medical information. Existing law establishes the California Health Information Technology and Exchange Fund for purposes related to health information technology and exchange. Existing federal regulations provide a regulatory framework for health information technology standards, implementation specifications, certification criteria, and certification programs for health information technology. This bill would enact the California Interoperability Enforcement Act to regulate electronic health record vendors operating in California. The bill would require the office to review federal law and policy for opportunities to regulate electronic health record vendors and to establish an interoperability enforcement structure. The bill would require the office to promulgate regulations for this purpose. The bill would establish a Complaint and Technical Assistance Division within the office and the Interoperability Enforcement Fund, which would be available, upon appropriation, to fund the administration of these provisions.
The Senior Citizens and Disabled Citizens Property Tax Postponement Law authorizes the Controller, upon approval of a claim for the postponement of ad valorem property taxes, to directly pay a county tax collector for the property taxes owed by the claimant on the claimant's residential dwelling, as provided. Existing law requires the owner's equity interest in the residential dwelling to be at least 40% of the full value of the property at the time the claimant or authorized agent files an initial postponement claim in order to be eligible to participate in the postponement program. This bill would instead require, if there is more than one other encumbrance against the property at the time of initial postponement, the owner's equity interest to be at least 40%, and if there is one or fewer other encumbrances against the property at the time of initial postponement, the owner's equity interest to be at least 20%. The bill would also make a conforming change to a related provision.
Under existing law, the Medical Practice Act, it is unprofessional conduct for a physician and surgeon to fail to comply with prescribed informed consent requirements relating to various medical procedures, including sterilization procedures, the removal of sperm or ova from a patient under specified circumstances, and the treatment of breast cancer. Any violation of the law relating to enforcement of the Medical Practice Act is a misdemeanor, as specified. This bill would prohibit a treatment or intervention on the sex characteristics of a person born with variations in their physical sex characteristics who is under 6 years of age unless the treatment or intervention is medically necessary. The bill, on or before December 1, 2021, would require the Medical Board of California, in consultation with specified persons and entities, to adopt regulations to determine which treatments and interventions on the sex characteristics of a person born with variations in their physical sex characteristics who is under 6 years of age are medically necessary, as specified. Any violation of these provisions would be subject to disciplinary action by the board, but not criminal prosecution.
