Sen. Angelique Ashby

(1) Under existing law, once the Controller or county superintendent of schools makes a final determination that specified audits performed by a certified public accountant or public accountant were not performed in substantial conformity with provisions of an audit guide, or that the audit reports do not conform to the provisions of an audit guide, the certified public accountant or public accountant is ineligible to conduct specified audits for 3 years. Existing law requires the Controller to notify each school district and county office of education of those certified public accountants or public accountants determined to be ineligible pursuant to these provisions. This bill would extend the above-described rules related to the ineligibility of the certified public accountant or public accountant to audits of a nonclassroom-based charter school, as provided, and would additionally require the Controller to notify charter schools of those certified public accountants or public accountants determined to be ineligible to conduct these audits, as provided. (2) The Charter Schools Act of 1992 specifies the procedures for the submission, review, and approval or denial of a petition to establish a charter school. The act requires a petition for the establishment of a charter school to contain specified information, including a reasonably comprehensive description of the manner in which annual, independent financial audits will be conducted. Existing law, by not later than May 1 of each fiscal year, requires the governing board of each local educational agency to provide for an audit of the books and accounts of the local educational agency, as specified, or make arrangements with the county superintendent of schools to provide for that auditing. By January 31, 2025, and by January 31 of each year thereafter, this bill would require the governing body of a charter school to review, at a public meeting as an item on the agenda, the annual audit of the charter school for the prior fiscal year, any audit exceptions identified in that audit, the recommendations or findings of any management letter issued by the auditor, and any description of correction or plans to correct any exceptions or management letter issue. By imposing additional requirements on charter schools, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require an auditor of a nonclassroom-based charter school, when performing certain audits, to take certain actions, including the sampling of certain financial documents, the identification of transfers of funds or assets exceeding prescribed amounts, the identification of transactions that do not meet certain standards, and the preparation of a letter to be included with the audit report, as specified. (3) Commencing July 1, 2025, this bill would require a school district, county office of education, or charter school to only enter into an agreement for the provision or arrangement of educational enrichment activities with a vendor that is vetted and approved pursuant to the bill. The bill would authorize a local educational agency to expend public funds for the provision or arrangement of educational enrichment activities, provided that all educational enrichment activities, materials, and programs are nonsectarian. The bill would require the governing board or body of a local educational agency, in approving any contract for vendor services for educational enrichment activities, to establish specified policies and procedures to ensure educational value, pupil safety, and fiscal reasonableness, and would further require that these policies ensure that vendor services for educational enrichment activities meet designated criteria. The bill would require auditing of approval of, and compliance with, policies and procedures established under the bill to be included in designated annual audit reports. The bill would require a vendor contract that will exceed $100,000 in a fiscal year to be approved by the governing board or body of the local educational agency in an open public meeting. The bill would also require any educational enrichment activity provided by a school to be approved and verified by the pupil's assigned teacher as relevant to specific educational assignments and educationally appropriate for that pupil. (4) 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 measure would recognize the contributions of the aerospace, aviation, and defense industries to the history, economy, security, and educational system of California, its communities, and its citizens by proclaiming the day of June 5, 2024, as California Aerospace Day.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates May 2024 as Foster Youth Awareness Month to highlight the challenges faced by children in California's foster care system. The measure directly affects foster youth, their families, and organizations that support them by encouraging public recognition of their needs and experiences. It does not change laws or allocate funding but serves as a symbolic gesture to raise awareness about issues like homelessness, education gaps, and trauma among foster youth. The resolution is intended to foster community engagement and support for initiatives aimed at improving outcomes for these young people.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates April 18, 2024, as CASA Appreciation Day in California to honor Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers. These volunteers are trained community members appointed by judges to support children in the foster care system by advocating for their best interests in court. The measure serves as a formal recognition of the work these volunteers do to help children navigate the child welfare and legal systems.

This measure would acknowledge April 2024 as Child Abuse Prevention Month and encourage Californians to work together to support youth-serving child abuse prevention activities in their communities and schools.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 94 officially designates June 1, 2024, as California Adopt-a-Pet Day to encourage pet adoptions across the state. This proclamation aims to help shelters find homes for 2,024 animals during a special event organized by animal welfare groups. The resolution does not change any laws or policies but serves as a formal declaration to support a one-day campaign. It is intended to raise awareness and facilitate adoptions without altering existing regulations or funding.

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, establishes the Medical Board of California and the Osteopathic Medical Board of California to license and regulate the practice of medicine, and establishes examination, training, and other requirements for licensure as a physician and surgeon. A violation of the act is a misdemeanor. This bill, through November 30, 2024, would authorize a physician licensed to practice medicine in Arizona who meets certain requirements to practice medicine in California for the purpose of providing abortions and abortion-related care to patients who are Arizona residents traveling from Arizona, upon application for registration with the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, as applicable. The bill would prohibit the physician from providing care or consultation for other purposes or to other patients, except under specified circumstances. The bill would require an Arizona physician, before practicing in California, to submit specified information to the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, as applicable, including, among other information, written verification from the Arizona Medical Board or the Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine and Surgery, or documentation printed from an online licensing system, that the physician's Arizona license to practice medicine is in good standing and confers on the physician the authority to practice abortions and abortion-related care. The bill would require the applicant to provide an affidavit attesting that, among other things, the applicant meets all of the requirements for registration, as specified, and would make it a misdemeanor for a person to provide false information. The bill would limit the information the California boards are required to disclose about a registrant. The bill would deem a physician registered pursuant to the bill's provisions a licensee of the applicable board, would authorize the applicable board to take enforcement against a person registered pursuant to the bill's provisions, and would prohibit the applicable boards from collecting any fees for registration. By creating a new crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would repeal the bill's provisions on January 1, 2025. 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. 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.

The California Constitution entitles the victim of a crime to restitution. Existing law requires the court in each criminal case to order a convicted defendant to pay full restitution to the victim and a separate restitution fine, as specified. Existing law requires the order of restitution to include interest at the annual rate of 10%. Under existing law, certain delinquent payments, including payments for fines, fees, and restitution, may be referred to the Franchise Tax Board for collection. Existing law imposes interest on these delinquent payments. This bill would change the annual interest rate on restitution orders to the adjusted annual rate, as specified, and not to exceed 10%. The bill would cap the annual interest rate charged by the Franchise Tax Board on certain delinquent payments, including fines, fees, and restitution, to no more than 1%. The bill would additionally require the Franchise Tax Board, when issuing a withholding order for the purpose of fulfilling a restitution order, to use a sliding scale model that considers income and ability to pay to determine the amount to be withheld. The bill would also require an entity collecting money for restitution orders and fines to first use the money to fulfill any restitution order before using it to fulfill any restitution fine or any administrative costs of the agency.

(1) Existing law prohibits the false impersonation of another person in either their personal or official capacity with the intent to steal or defraud, as specified. This bill would define various terms related to artificial intelligence and synthetic content, and would clarify that use of such synthetic content, as specified, is deemed to be a false personation for purposes of these and other criminal provisions. (2) Existing law creates a civil cause of action against any person who knowingly uses the name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness of another person, without their consent, for specified purposes. This bill would clarify that, for purposes of this cause of action, a synthetic voice or likeness that a reasonable person would believe to be a genuine voice or likeness, is deemed to be the voice or likeness of the person depicted. (3) Existing law governs the admissibility of evidence in court proceedings. Existing law prescribes procedures for the authentication of photographs and audio and video recordings. This bill would require the Judicial Council, by no later than January 1, 2026, to review the impact of artificial intelligence on the introduction of evidence in court proceedings and develop any necessary rules of court to assist courts in assessing claims that evidence that is being introduced has been generated by or manipulated by artificial intelligence. (4) Existing law establishes the Department of Consumer Affairs the within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency to protect and promote the interests of consumers. Existing law places certain requirements on various specified businesses, including household movers, tanning facilities, video arcades, and tax preparers. This bill would require, by July 1, 2026, any person or entity that sells or provides access to any artificial intelligence technology that is designed to create synthetic content, as defined, to provide a consumer warning that misuse of the technology may result in civil or criminal liability for the user. The bill would require the Department of Consumer Affairs to specify the form and content of the consumer warning and post it on a publicly accessible page of its internet website by January 1, 2026. The bill would also impose a civil penalty for violations of the requirement.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution formally recognizes May as Maternal and Mental Health Awareness Month in California to highlight critical issues facing women and birthing people. The document draws attention to disparities in reproductive care, noting that many women lack access to hospitals with obstetrics services and that costs for fertility treatments remain a significant barrier. It also emphasizes the high prevalence of untreated mental health conditions among new mothers, particularly within communities of color and those with lower incomes. While the resolution does not create new laws, it serves to raise public awareness about the need for equitable access to both physical and mental health services during the reproductive years.