Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue, upon the payment of an initial fee of $35 and a $20 fee for each renewal of registration, special interest license plates to firefighters who meet prescribed requirements. The revenue derived from the payment of these special fees for firefighter license plates, less the department's costs, are required to be deposited in the California Firefighters' Memorial Fund. This bill would increase those fees to $50 for the initial issuance of the special license plates and $35 for each renewal of registration of the vehicle. Existing law requires, upon the death of the person to whom the special firefighter license plates were issued, that the plates be transferred to the surviving spouse, if he or she requests it, or returned to the department within 60 days after the death of the plateholder or upon the expiration of the vehicle registration, whichever occurs first. This bill would instead authorize the surviving spouse to retain the plates and would require, except as provided below, upon the death of the surviving spouse, the plates to be returned to the department or destroyed within 60 days of the death or upon the expiration of the vehicle registration, whichever occurs first. The bill, in the absence of a surviving spouse or where the surviving spouse dies while in possession of the special license plates, would authorize a member of the deceased firefighter's family, as defined, to retain one of the special license plates as a family heirloom, subject to specified conditions.
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The California Retail Food Code provides for the regulation of health and sanitation standards for retail food facilities by the State Department of Public Health. Under existing law, a violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor. Local health agencies are primarily responsible for enforcing this law. This law generally requires food facilities, except temporary food facilities, to have an owner or employee who has successfully passed an approved and accredited food safety certification examination from an accredited food protection manager certification organization, except as specified. This bill would require at least one of the accredited food safety certification examinations to be offered online. This bill would also require, with specified exceptions, a food handler, as defined, who is hired prior to June 1, 2011, to obtain a food handler card on or before July 1, 2011. The bill would require food handlers hired after June 1, 2011, to obtain a food handler card within 30 days of his or her date of hire. It would require each food handler to maintain a valid food handler card for the duration of his or her employment as a food handler. This bill would exempt from compliance any food handler subject to an existing local food handler program that took effect prior to January 1, 2009, and would also require a food facility that employs food handlers to maintain records documenting that each food handler employed by the facility possesses a food handler card. The bill would require at least one food handler training course to cost no more than $15 and, if a training course is not available at that cost, would remove the requirement to obtain a food handler card. By creating a new crime and expanding the duties of local enforcement 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law provides that any person who, orally, in writing, or by wearing any military decoration, falsely represents himself or herself to have been awarded any military decoration, as specified, with the intent to defraud, is guilty of an infraction. This bill would instead provide that the offense is a misdemeanor, or in the case where the person committing the offense is a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States, an infraction or a misdemeanor, as specified, and would exempt face-to-face solicitations involving less than $10. The bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 19.8 of the Penal Code proposed by AB 451 and AB 1675, to be operative only if this bill and one or both of the other bills are chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2011, and this bill is chaptered last. By increasing the penalty for an existing offense, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act, requires that an owner of a separate interest in a common interest development provide certain items to a prospective purchaser prior to transfer of title, and prohibits an association, community service organization, or similar entity, as defined, from imposing or collecting any assessment, penalty, or fee in connection with a transfer of title or any other interest except the association's actual costs to change its records and a specified charge for providing certain information upon request. Existing law also requires an association, community service organization, or similar entity to make the accounting books and records and the minutes of proceedings of the association available for inspection and copying by a member of the association, or the member's designated representative, as provided. This bill would apply these provisions to a nonprofit entity that provides services to a common interest development under a declaration of trust, as provided, except as specified. This bill would also incorporate additional changes to Section 1368 of the Civil Code, as proposed by AB 1927, to be operative only if AB 1927 and this bill are both enacted, each bill amends Section 1368 of the Civil Code, and this bill is enacted after AB 1927.
The Personal Income Tax Law authorizes taxpayers to contribute amounts in excess of their tax liability for the support of specified funds. This bill would additionally allow individuals to designate on their tax returns that a specified amount in excess of their tax liability be transferred to the California Youth Leadership Fund, which would be created by this bill. The bill would require money in that fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature and depending on the amount of donations collected, to be allocated to specified nonprofit civic youth organizations as annual grants to operate civic education and mock legislative programs, as prescribed, and the balance of the money to the California YMCA Youth and Government Program, for the purpose of funding the activities of the California YMCA Youth and Government Model Legislature and Court Program and to the Joint Committee on Rules of the Legislature, for the purposes of funding the activities of the California Youth Legislature, as prescribed. The bill would require the Franchise Tax Board, when another voluntary contribution designation is removed, to revise the form of tax returns to provide for the designation created by this bill, and would allow, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the Franchise Tax Board, and the Controller to receive a portion of the funds designated to cover costs incurred in collecting and administering the funds. The bill would provide that these provisions would remain in effect only until January 1 of the 5th taxable year following the first appearance of the California Youth Leadership Fund on the tax return, but would further provide that if the Franchise Tax Board determines that the amount of contributions estimated to be received during a calendar year will not equal or exceed the minimum contribution amount, as defined, for the calendar year, these provisions would be repealed with respect to taxable years beginning on or after January 1 of that calendar year. This bill would become operative only if Senate Bill 516 of the 2009–10 Regular Session of the Legislature is chaptered and becomes operative.
(1) Existing law provides for the formation of the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan for automobile bodily injury and property damage liability insurance. The Insurance Commissioner, after a public hearing, is required to approve or issue a reasonable plan for the equitable apportionment, among insurers admitted to transact liability insurance, of those applicants for automobile bodily injury and property damage liability insurance who are, in good faith, entitled to but are unable to procure that insurance through ordinary methods. Notice of the public hearing is required to be published at least 60 days prior to the hearing or close of the public comment period on the adoption, amendment, or repeal of a regulation, in 2 newspapers of general circulation, one published in the City and County of San Francisco, and the other published in the City of Los Angeles. This bill would delete the notice requirement, and require that the hearings be conducted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. Existing law requires the assigned risk plan to provide for effective dates of coverage, consistent with the required elements, including execution of the application forms and an electronic effective date procedure established by the plan. The insurance application form is also required to include a disclosure regarding the effective date of coverage. This bill would modify the notice and the effective dates of coverage requirements, as provided. (2) Existing law establishes, within the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan, a low-cost automobile insurance program. Existing law establishes the low-cost automobile insurance program in several specified counties and makes the expansion to all other counties in California subject to a determination of need made by the commissioner following a public meeting, as specified. Existing law provides for the issuance of automobile liability policies pursuant to this program under specified terms and conditions, and provides that a policy so issued satisfies specified requirements regarding financial responsibility. Existing law provides that the low-cost automobile insurance program shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2011. This bill would provide that the low-cost automobile insurance program would remain in effect until January 1, 2016. Existing law requires the commissioner, on or before March 1 of each year, to prepare and propose a plan to the Senate Committee on Banking, Finance, and Insurance and the Assembly Committee on Insurance setting forth the methods the commissioner intends to implement to inform households eligible for the program about the availability of low-cost automobile insurance. The plan is required to contain specified information, including the most recent annual report to the Legislature on the status of the low-cost automobile insurance program from the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan. This bill would delete the most recent annual report to the Legislature on the status of the low-cost automobile insurance program from the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan from the information required to be contained in the plan. (3) Existing law, on and after January 1, 2011, makes certain automobile insurance proof of financial responsibility requirements no longer applicable to people in the County of Los Angeles and the City and County of San Francisco. This bill would extend the repeal date to January 1, 2016. (4) This bill would make conforming changes and delete obsolete provisions.
Existing law requires every employer to provide a reasonable amount of break time to accommodate an employee who desires to express breast milk for the employee's infant child. Existing law requires employers to make reasonable efforts to provide the employee with the use of a room, other than a toilet stall, for the employee to express breast milk, as specified. This bill would authorize an employer to use the designation "Breast-Feeding Mother-Friendly Workplace" in its promotional materials if the employer submits its workplace breast-feeding policy to the Labor Commissioner and the Labor Commissioner determines that the employer's policy provides for specified criteria.
(1) Existing law provides for various state programs and services for the purpose of attracting and retaining businesses in this state. Existing law creates the Office of Small Business Advocate in the Office of Planning and Research in the Governor's office. This bill would create the Office of Economic Development, which would be administered by a director appointed by the Governor. The bill would require that the office serve the Governor as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth, and make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature regarding policies, programs, and actions to advance statewide economic goals. The bill would create the California Business Investment Services Program, as specified, within the office, under the authority of the director, for the purpose of serving employers, corporate executives, business owners, and site location consultants who are considering California for business investment and expansion. The bill would also move the Office of Small Business Advocate to the Office of Economic Development. (2) Existing law requires the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development to lead the development of a biennial California Economic Development Strategic Plan and, in doing so, to review the recommendations of the California Economic Strategy Panel, which is created for this purpose. Existing law requires the secretary to convene a biennial economic strategy panel, conduct meetings, and submit a report to the Legislature regarding its findings and recommendations regarding developing a system of accountability, as specified. This bill would delete the date for the submission of the report described above and instead require that the report also be submitted to the Governor's Office of Economic Development after the necessary meetings have been held.
This measure would recognize March 31, 2010, as the anniversary of the birth of César Chávez, and would call upon all Californians to participate in appropriate observances to remember César Chávez as a symbol of hope and justice to all persons.
This measure would urge the United States Congress to oppose a free trade agreement between the United States and Colombia.