Existing law, the California High-Speed Train Act, creates the High-Speed Rail Authority to develop and implement a high-speed train system in the state, with specified powers and duties. Existing law, 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 $9.95 billion in general obligation bonds for high-speed rail and related purposes. This bill, subject to appropriation by the Legislature, would require the authority to expend federal funds made available by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for specified high-speed rail purposes. The bill would require the authority to take various actions in that regard. The bill would also require the authority to submit to the Legislature and the Legislative Analyst an expenditure plan for the federal funds within 60 days of finalization of a cooperative agreement with the federal government. The bill would make legislative findings and declarations relative to federal funds to be made available to the state by ARRA for high-speed rail purposes. The bill would exempt the Transbay Transit Center project in San Francisco from these provisions. This bill would provide that it shall become operative only if A.B. 289 is also enacted.
Sponsored bills
Existing law authorizes a county board of supervisors or its executive director to extend the time that is fixed for the performance of any act, with respect to the assessment of property taxes, by the assessor or county board for not more than 30 days, or, in the case of public calamity, 40 days, as specified, and requires the executive director of the board, if an extension of time is granted, to give written notice, as specified. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to that provision.
The Personal Income Tax Law authorizes a credit against the taxes imposed by that law in an amount equal to the lesser of 5% of the purchase price or $10,000 in the case of the purchase of a qualified principal residence on and after March 1, 2009, and before March 1, 2010, but not to exceed an aggregate limitation of $100,000,000 for all credits allowable. Existing law requires a certification that the residence has never been occupied be provided to the Franchise Tax Board within one week of the sale of the qualified principal residence. This bill would limit the credit to taxpayers who purchased a qualified principal residence on and after March 1, 2009, and before July 3, 2009, and on and after the effective date of this bill and before March 1, 2010. This bill would also require the aggregate limitation of credits to be reduced by a specified amount per certification received by the Franchise Tax Board. (2) The bill would appropriate the sum of $44,000 from the General Fund to the Franchise Tax Board, in augmentation of a specified appropriation made in the 2009-10 Budget Act. (3) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to adopt regulations requiring the manufacturers of drugs to pay the department a rebate for the purchase of drugs for offenders in state custody that is equal to the rebate that would be applicable under the federal Social Security Act. Existing law also allows the department to establish cost-effective strategies for the procurement of drugs in cooperation with the Department of General Services. This bill would authorize the department to enter into demonstration contracts with manufacturers of medical supplies for the purpose of establishing rebate programs or other cost-saving mechanisms and achieving demonstrated cost savings in the purchase of medical supplies. The bill would require the department to maintain a list of supplies for which contracts have been executed pursuant to these provisions.
This measure would commend the Girl Scouts for 98 years of service and for inspiring millions of girls with the highest ideals of confidence, courage, and character.
This measure would recognize the week of April 18, 2010, through April 24, 2010, as Crime Victims' Rights Week.
This measure would proclaim the month of May to be Women Veterans Recognition Month.
Existing law requires that the Department of Water Resources annually prepare and submit to the Legislature a report that includes a description of the progress achieved by the department with regard to meeting the goals of the Bay-Delta Program and a related implementation schedule. The department also is required annually to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report with regard to the budget for the State Water Resources Development System. This bill would require the department to conduct a statewide inventory of local regional water supply projects and post the results of the inventory on the department's Internet Web site by January 1, 2012.
(1) Existing law, for purposes of a contract pursuant to the Williamson Act, requires the landowner to furnish the city or county with information that the city or county requires to determine the eligibility of the land involved in the contract. This bill would, on either an initial or ongoing basis, instead require the landowner to furnish the city or county with information that is directly related to the landowner's compliance with the act that the city or county requires to determine the eligibility of the land involved in the contract. (2) Existing law requires the legislative body of a city or county to deny approval of a tentative map, or a parcel map for which a tentative map was not required, if it finds that either the resulting parcels following a subdivision of that land would be too small to sustain their agricultural use, or the subdivision will result in residential development not incidental to the commercial agricultural use of the land, where the land is subject to, among others, a contract entered into pursuant to the Williamson Act.This bill would require the legislative body of a city or county to deny approval of a tentative map, or parcel map for which a tentative map is not required, for the proposed subdivision of land that is subject to a contract entered into pursuant to the Williamson Act, unless the legislative body finds, among other things, that each resulting parcel of land will be consistent with the local rules relating to that act, and each resulting parcel of land has an existing commercial agricultural use, an open-space use, or both, the agricultural improvements necessary to sustain a commercial agricultural use, an open-space use, or both, or a feasible plan exists for achieving those improvements, if necessary, as specified. The bill would also authorize the legislative body to impose any reasonable and necessary restrictions on the residential use of any resulting parcel. (3) Under existing law, if a city, county, or nonprofit organization serves written notice of nonrenewal of an open-space easement contract, a Williamson Act contract, or a farmland security zone contract, and the landowner fails to provide written notice of protest, the board of supervisors or the assessor is required to follow specified steps in assessing the annual value of the land immediately. This bill would instead provide that if a city, county, or nonprofit organization serves written notice of nonrenewal for cause, as defined, of an open-space easement contract, a Williamson Act contract, or a farmland security zone contract, or the city or county serves notice of nonrenewal and the landowner fails to provide written notice of protest, the board of supervisors or the assessor is required to follow specified steps in assessing the annual value of the land immediately.
Existing law generally regulates the transfer of real property, and imposes specified obligations on a seller of real property. Existing law authorizes a mortgagee or beneficiary under a deed of trust to sell property securing the mortgage or deed of trust at a foreclosure sale under certain circumstances. Existing federal law prohibits a seller of property that will be purchased with the assistance of a federally related mortgage loan from requiring the buyer to purchase insurance from a particular company. Existing law, the Buyer's Choice Act, prohibits, until January 1, 2015, a mortgagee or beneficiary under a deed of trust who acquired title to residential real property improved by 4 or fewer dwelling units at a foreclosure sale from requiring, directly or indirectly, as a condition of selling the property, that the buyer purchase title insurance or escrow services in connection with the sale from a particular title insurer or escrow agent. These provisions do not prohibit a buyer from agreeing to accept the services of a title insurer or an escrow agent recommended by the seller if written notice of the right to make an independent selection of those services is first provided by the seller to the buyer. This bill would expand the act to apply to property acquired at a short sale. The bill would require a seller to provide to a buyer a specified form containing a statement of the Buyer's Choice Act notification requirements, as specified. The bill would also revise the act to prohibit a seller from conditioning approval of the sale of residential real property acquired at a foreclosure sale or short sale on the selection made by the buyer as indicated on the Buyer's Choice Act form, as specified. The bill would specify the actions that may be taken by a seller when a buyer submits an offer, or selects service providers, and the actions that may be taken by a buyer when a seller accepts the buyer's offer.