(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, as defined. Existing law requires the PUC to require the state's 3 largest electrical corporations, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas and Electric, and Southern California Edison, to identify a separate electrical rate component to fund programs that enhance system reliability and provide in-state benefits. This rate component is a nonbypassable element of local distribution and collected on the basis of usage. Existing PUC resolutions refer to the nonbypassable rate component as a "public goods charge." The public goods charge moneys are collected to support cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation activities, public interest research and development not adequately provided by competitive and regulated markets, and renewable energy resources. The existing Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) . Existing law establishes the Renewable Resource Trust Fund as a fund that is continuously appropriated, with certain exceptions for administrative expenses, in the State Treasury and requires that certain moneys collected to support renewable energy resources through the public goods charge are deposited into the fund and authorizes the Energy Commission to expend the moneys pursuant to the Renewable Energy Resources Program. The program states the intent of the Legislature to increase the amount of electricity generated from eligible renewable energy resources per year so that amount equals at least 20% of total retail sales of electricity in California per year by December 31, 2010. This bill would revise the Renewable Energy Resources Program to state the intent of the Legislature to increase the amount of electricity generated from eligible renewable energy resources per year, so that amount equals at least 33% of total retail sales of electricity in California per year by December 31, 2020. The bill would revise certain terms used in the program and revise certain eligibility criteria for a renewable electrical generation facility, as defined, pursuant to the program. The bill would require the Energy Commission, by May 31, 2010, to report to the Legislature whether out-of-state, run-of-river hydroelectric generating facilities should be considered renewable electric generating facilities, as defined. (2) Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature, in establishing the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (RPS program) , to increase the amount of electricity generated per year from eligible renewable energy resources, as defined, to an amount that equals at least 20% of the total electricity sold to retail customers in California per year by December 31, 2010. This bill would express the intent that the amount of electricity generated per year from eligible renewable energy resources be increased to an amount that equals at least 20% of the total electricity sold to retail customers in California per year by December 31, 2013, and 33% by December 31, 2020. (3) The Public Utilities Act imposes various duties and responsibilities on the PUC with respect to the purchase of electricity and requires the PUC to review and adopt a procurement plan and a renewable energy procurement plan for each electrical corporation, as defined, pursuant to the RPS program. The RPS program requires that a retail seller of electricity, including electrical corporations, community choice aggregators, and electric service providers, but not including local publicly owned electric utilities, purchase a specified minimum percentage of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources in any given year as a specified percentage of total kilowatthours sold to retail end-use customers each calendar year. The RPS program requires the PUC to implement annual procurement targets for each retail seller to increase its total procurement of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources by at least an additional 1% of retail sales per year so that 20% of its retail sales of electricity are procured from eligible renewable energy resources no later than December 31, 2010. Existing law requires the PUC to make a determination of the existing market cost for electricity, which PUC decisions call the market price referent, and to limit an electrical corporation's obligation to procure electricity from eligible renewable energy resources, that exceeds the market price referent, to an amount collected through the renewable energy public goods charge. This bill would instead require the PUC to require that a retail seller procure the following percentages of electricity from eligible renewable energy resources by the following dates: (A) Until December 31, 2012, the same percentage as actually achieved by the retail seller during 2009; (B) 20% by December 31, 2013; (C) 25% by December 31, 2016; and (D) 33% by December 31, 2020. The bill would authorize the PUC to permit a retail seller to delay compliance with (B) or (C) procurement levels when specified circumstances are present, but would not authorize the PUC to permit a retail seller to delay compliance with the (D) procurement level. The bill would delete the existing market price referent provisions and instead require the PUC to establish a methodology to determine the market price of electricity for terms corresponding to the length of contracts with eligible renewable energy resources, in consideration of, and reflecting, certain matters. The bill would require the PUC to establish a limitation on the annual expenditures made above the market price, by an electrical corporation, in order to achieve the procurement levels established by the PUC. The bill would require the PUC to permit an electrical corporation to limit its procurement of electricity from eligible renewable energy resources to that quantity that can be procured at or below the market prices established by the PUC, up to the limitation. The bill would delete an existing requirement that the PUC adopt flexible rules for compliance for retail sellers. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the PUC is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill are within the act and require action by the PUC to implement its requirements, a violation of these provisions would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the definition of a crime. (4) Under existing law, the governing board of a local publicly owned electric utility is responsible for implementing and enforcing a renewables portfolio standard for the utility that recognizes the intent of the Legislature to encourage renewable resources, while taking into consideration the effect of the standard on rates, reliability, and financial resources and the goal of environmental improvement. This bill would repeal this provision and instead make certain of the requirements of the RPS program, as discussed below, applicable to local publicly owned electric utilities. By placing additional requirements upon local publicly owned electric utilities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (5) Existing law requires the Energy Commission to certify eligible renewable energy resources, to design and implement an accounting system to verify compliance with the RPS requirements by retail sellers, and to develop tracking, accounting, verification, and enforcement mechanisms for renewable energy credits, as defined. This bill would require the Energy Commission to design and implement an accounting system to verify compliance with the RPS requirements by retail sellers and local publicly owned electric utilities. The bill would require the Energy Commission, among other things, to adopt regulations specifying procedures for enforcement of the RPS requirements that include a public process under which the Energy Commission is authorized to issue a notice of violation and correction with respect to a local publicly owned electric utility and for referral to the State Air Resources Board for penalties imposed pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The bill would require that the RPS established for a local publicly owned electric utility require it to procure the following percentages of electricity from eligible renewable energy resources by the following dates: (A) Until December 31, 2012, the same percentage as actually achieved by the utility during 2009; (B) 20% by December 31, 2013; (C) 25% by December 31, 2016; and (D) 33% by December 31, 2020. The bill would provide that the local publicly owned electric utility retains discretion with respect to certain matters in complying with the RPS, would require that certain notices be given by the utility when adopting and periodically revising its procurement plan, and would require the utility to report certain information relative to RPS compliance to the Energy Commission and its customers. (6) Existing law requires the PUC to prepare and submit to the Governor and the Legislature a written report annually before February 1 of each year on the costs of programs and activities conducted by an electrical corporation or gas corporation that have more than a specified number of customers in California. The bill would require the PUC to prepare and submit to the policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, annually before February 1 of each year, a report on (A) all electrical corporation revenue requirement increases associated with meeting the renewables portfolio standard, (B) all cost savings experienced, or costs avoided, by electrical corporations as a result of meeting the renewables portfolio standard, (C) all costs incurred by electrical corporations for incentives for distributed and renewable generation, (D) all cost savings experienced, or costs avoided, by electrical corporations as a result of incentives for distributed generation and renewable generation, (E) specified costs for which an electrical corporation is seeking recovery in rates that are pending determination or approval by the PUC, (F) the decision number of each PUC decision in the prior year authorizing an electrical corporation to recover costs incurred in rates, and (G) any changes in the prior year in load serviced by an electrical corporation. (7) This bill would appropriate $322,000 from the Public Utilities Commission Utilities Reimbursement Account to the PUC for additional staffing to identify, review, and approve transmission lines reasonably necessary or appropriate to facilitate achievement of the renewables portfolio standard. (8) 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 specified reasons.
Sponsored bills
The Planning and Zoning Law establishes the Planning Advisory and Assistance Council in the Office of Planning and Research, and prescribes the membership and duties of the council. This bill would change the designated membership, as specified, of the Planning Advisory and Assistance Council and would require that the council work with the Strategic Growth Council, regional agencies, and cities and counties to facilitate the implementation of regional blueprint plans. The bill would also require the council to develop and propose recommendations to specified state agencies to facilitate coordination between regional blueprint plans, state growth and infrastructure funding plans, and programs that facilitate the implementation of regional blueprint plans. The bill would further require the council to report to the Legislature on regional performance measures, as specified, and on the manner in which state agencies are implementing the 5-year infrastructure plan. The bill would require the council to begin to perform the above functions and duties when sufficient funding, as determined by the council, exists from the revenue transmitted to it by metropolitan planning organizations, councils of governments, or county transportation commissions and subregional councils of governments jointly preparing subregional sustainable communities strategies. Existing law authorizes a local air quality management district, except the Sacramento district, that has been designated by the State Air Resources Board as a state nonattainment area for any pollutant emitted by motor vehicles to levy a fee of up to $6 on motor vehicles registered within the district, subject to specified conditions. Existing law also authorizes the board of the Sacramento district, subject to specified provisions of law or with the approval of the board of supervisors of each county included, in whole or in part, within the district, to adopt a surcharge, not to exceed $6, on the motor vehicle registration fees applicable to all motor vehicles registered in those counties within the Sacramento district whose boards of supervisors have adopted a resolution approving the surcharge, subject to additional specified conditions. The bill would require, upon the request of a municipal planning organization, as defined, a council of governments, as defined, or a county transportation commission and a subregional council of governments jointly preparing a subregional sustainable communities strategy, the Department of Motor Vehicles to increase the fee on motor vehicles within the district, or the surcharge on motor vehicles registered in those counties within the Sacramento district, as the case may be, by $1 or $2. The bill would require the department to transmit the additional fee revenue to the respective entity requesting the increase. The bill would authorize the additional fee amount to be authorized only if the metropolitan planning organization, the council of governments, or the county transportation commission and the subregional council of governments jointly preparing a subregional sustainable communities strategy adopts a resolution, as specified, authorizing the additional fee. The additional fee would be required to apply to an original vehicle registration occurring on or after 6 months following the adoption of the resolution, as specified, and to a renewal of registration with an expiration date on or after that 6-month period. The bill would require that all revenue received by the metropolitan planning organization, the council of governments, or a county transportation commission and a subregional council of governments jointly preparing a subregional sustainable communities strategy pursuant to the above provisions be used solely to develop a sustainable communities strategy or a regional blueprint plan to identify land use strategies to reduce the use of motor vehicles in its jurisdiction and to carry out applicable transportation-related activities necessary to implement the plan, in order to achieve a specified greenhouse gas emission reduction target. The bill would also require that the additional fee revenue that exceeds $1 in specified jurisdictions be used to provide grants to cities, counties, cities and counties, and congestion management agencies for planning and projects related to the implementation of a regional blueprint plan, and 5% of all the revenue it receives from the first $1 of the additional fee to be transmitted to the council for performance of specified functions. The bill would make conforming changes to existing law. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature to update the duties and composition of the Planning Advisory and Assistance Council to assist in the state's land use planning processes by providing funding to support the development and implementation for regional blueprints and related planning and to work with state agencies providing funding for resource protection and local infrastructure to facilitate coordination between state planning and funding decisions and regional blueprints.
Existing law establishes the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) in state government as a means of resolving disputes and enforcing the statutory duties and rights of employers and employees under the Educational Employment Relations Act, the Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act, the Ralph C. Dills Act, and the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act. Existing law includes within PERB's jurisdiction resolving disputes alleging violation of rules and regulations adopted by a public agency, as defined, concerning unit determinations, representations, recognition, and elections, as specified. Existing law requires bargaining unit determinations and representation elections to be determined and processed in accordance with rules adopted by a public agency, as specified. Existing law requires, in a representation election, a majority of the votes cast by the employees in the appropriate bargaining unit. Existing law requires PERB to enforce and apply rules adopted by a public agency concerning unit determinations, representation, recognition, and elections. Existing law also requires specified complaints to be processed as an unfair practice charge by PERB. Existing law does not apply the above provisions to persons who are peace officers, as defined. This bill would also exclude from those provisions a bargaining unit which is comprised of a majority of persons who are peace officers, as defined.
Existing law, upon application for registration of a vehicle previously registered outside this state, requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to grant full faith and credit to the currently valid certificate of title describing the vehicle, the ownership thereof, and the liens thereon, issued by the state in which the vehicle was last registered. Existing law also requires the department to require, upon registration of a motor vehicle previously registered outside this state, a valid certificate of compliance, or a certificate of noncompliance, with California's emission regulations. Existing law additionally requires specially constructed vehicles, depending on various criteria, to be subject to different emission inspection and control requirements based on the engine model-year, the vehicle model-year, or the calendar year in which the application for vehicle registration is submitted. This bill would require a specially constructed vehicle, that was previously registered outside this state, to be assigned the same model-year as the calendar year in which the vehicle was first registered outside this state for purposes of determining emission inspection requirements for the vehicle, except as specified. If the department is unable to establish the year the vehicle was originally registered, the bill would require the department to assign the same model-year as the calendar year in which the application for registration was submitted.
The California Public Records Act requires state and local agencies to make their records available for public inspection and to make copies available upon request and payment of a fee unless those records are exempt from disclosure. The act defines the terms "local agency" and "state agency" for purposes of the act. This bill would revise the definition of the term "local agency" to additionally include specified auxiliary organizations established for the purpose of providing support services and specialized programs for the general benefit of a community college. This bill would revise the definition of the term "state agency" to additionally include specified auxiliary organizations and other specified entities. The bill would exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act the names of individuals who donate to specified entities if those individuals request anonymity. However, the bill would provide that this exemption does not apply if a donor, in a quid pro quo arrangement, receives anything that has more than a nominal value in exchange for the donation. This bill would also provide that it is the intent of the Legislature to reject the court's interpretation of state law regarding the application of the act to auxiliary organizations, such as the CSU Fresno Association, at issue in California State University, Fresno Assn., Inc. v. Superior Court (2001) 90 Cal.App.4th 810. The bill would also provide that it is the intent of the Legislature that specified organizations be included in the definition of "state agency" solely for the purposes of the California Public Records Act.
Existing law establishes the University of California, which is administered by the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, which is administered by the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, which is administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law authorizes the regents, the trustees, and the board to employ officers and other employees. This bill would prohibit the trustees from increasing the monetary compensation, as defined, of, or approving a monetary bonus for, any executive officer, as defined, of the California State University in any fiscal year in which the General Fund appropriation to the California State University in the annual Budget Act is less than, or equal to, the General Fund appropriation to the university in the annual Budget Act for the immediately preceding fiscal year. The bill would request the regents to not increase the monetary compensation of, or approve a monetary bonus for, any executive officer, as defined, of the University of California, in any fiscal year in which the General Fund appropriation to the University of California in the annual Budget Act is less than, or equal to, the General Fund appropriation to the university in the annual Budget Act for the immediately preceding fiscal year.
Under existing law, a person who is a voter or is qualified to register to vote in this state may circulate an initiative or referendum petition, and a person who is a voter may circulate a recall petition. This bill would provide that it is a misdemeanor for a person to pay or to receive money or any other thing of value based on the number of signatures obtained on a state or local initiative, referendum, or recall petition and would prescribe penalties for doing so. By creating a new crime, the 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 California Lighting Efficiency and Toxics Reduction Act prohibits, on and after January 1, 2010, except for certain specified circumstances, a person from manufacturing, selling, or offering for sale in the state specified general purpose lights that contain levels of hazardous substances prohibited by the European Union pursuant to the RoHS Directive, as specified. This bill, on and after January 1, 2011, would prohibit the sale or offering for sale in this state of luminaires and lighting fixtures that are intended for general lighting purposes and contain preheat ballasts for operation of preheat linear fluorescent lamps. The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, administered by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, requires reduction, recycling, and reuse of solid waste generated in the state to the maximum extent feasible in an efficient, cost-effective manner to conserve water, energy, and other natural resources. This bill would prohibit the distribution of moneys from energy efficiency investment funds or any other funds generated from usage-based charges on electricity distribution that are provided by California's retail sellers of electricity to any manufacturer for the purchase and distribution of compact fluorescent lamps, unless the compact fluorescent lamps meet certain specifications, and the manufacturer of the compact fluorescent lamps, individually, collectively with other manufacturers, or through a stewardship organization, has implemented a residential fluorescent lamp recycling program for each residential fluorescent lamp, as defined, sold by retailers selling the manufacturer's subsidized lamps. The bill would prohibit the distribution of moneys from funds generated from usage-based charges on electricity distribution that are provided by California's retail sellers of electricity to a retailer, except moneys provided to a retailer through a manufacturer, unless the retailer has agreed to provide the public an in-store collection opportunity for the recycling of residential fluorescent lamps. The bill would prohibit manufacturers and retailers from using funds generated from usage-based charges on electricity distribution that are provided by California's retail sellers of electricity for recycling activities. The bill would require the manufacturers of residential fluorescent lamps sold in this state, individually, collectively with other manufacturers, or through a stewardship organization, to establish and maintain a residential fluorescent lamp recycling program containing specified elements within 90 days of receiving the funds generated from usage-based charges. The bill would require a manufacturer, individually, collectively with other manufacturers, or through a stewardship organization, to submit an annual report on the implementation of the residential fluorescent lamp recycling program. The bill would require the board to establish an administrative fee, not to exceed $5,000 per manufacturer and bearing a reasonable relationship to actual costs, to be paid by the manufacturers to cover the cost of reviewing and approving the annual report and of oversight and enforcement of the program.
Existing law proscribes specified acts against animals and imposes criminal penalties for a violation. This bill would make it a misdemeanor for any person to have more than a combined total of 50 adult unsterilized dogs and cats, in the state, for breeding or raising them for sale as pets, as specified. The bill would also prohibit a business entity, as defined, from having more than a combined total of 50 adult unsterilized dogs and cats, in the state, for breeding or raising them for sale as pets, as specified. The bill would make it a misdemeanor to act in concert with another person or to voluntarily assist a business entity in violating these provisions. The bill would authorize certain officers to lawfully take possession of an animal kept in violation of those provisions, as specified. Because this bill would create a new crime, it 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.
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 Insurance 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 name the program the "Martha Escutia and Jackie Speier low-cost automobile insurance program." The bill would also provide that the low-cost automobile insurance program would remain in effect until January 1, 2016.