The Political Reform Act of 1974 regulates mass mailings, known as slate mailers, that support or oppose multiple candidates or ballot measures for an election. The act requires that each slate mailer identify the slate mailer organization or committee primarily formed to support or oppose one or more ballot measures that is sending the slate mailer, and to contain other specified information in specified formatting. The act requires that each candidate and each ballot measure that has paid to appear in the slate mailer be designated by an asterisk. This bill would instead require that a candidate or ballot measure appearing in the slate mailer be designated by an asterisk if the slate mailer organization or committee primarily formed to support or oppose one or more ballot measures that is sending the slate mailer has received payment to include the candidate or ballot measure in the slate mailer. The bill would also recast the language of the prescribed notice to voters that must be included on a slate mailer. The act also regulates advertisements, which are defined as any general or public advertisement that is authorized and paid for by a person or committee for the purpose supporting or opposing a candidate for elective office or a ballot measure or ballot measures. The act places certain disclosure requirements on advertisements for or against any ballot measure, including that the advertisement disclose any person who has made cumulative contributions of $50,000 or more, as prescribed. The act places more specific disclosure requirements on broadcast or mass mailing advertisements that are paid for by independent expenditures that support or oppose a candidate or ballot measure. This bill would repeal provisions relating to disclosures for advertisements paid for by an independent expenditure and required disclosures of persons who have made cumulative contributions of $50,000 or more. This bill would, instead, impose specified disclosure requirements on radio, television, and video advertisements, and certain mass mailing and print advertisements that support or oppose a candidate or ballot measure or solicit contributions in support of those purposes. The bill would require radio, television, and video advertisements that are authorized by a candidate or agent of the candidate to include a statement in which the candidate identifies himself or herself and states that he or she approves the message, as specified. The bill would require radio, television, video, and certain mass mailings and print advertisements that are not authorized by a candidate or an agent of the candidate to disclose, in a prescribed format, the 3 largest identifiable contributors, as defined, of the committee that paid for the advertisement. The bill would require mass mailings or print advertisements that are paid for by certain persons who are not committees to disclose the name of that person as the funder of the mass mailing or print advertisement. The bill would also require that certain committees establish and maintain a committee disclosure Internet Web site, as defined, which discloses the top 10 identifiable contributors and provides a link to either the Internet Web site maintained by the Secretary of State for campaign finance disclosures of the committee, or a page on the committee disclosure Internet Web site that discloses all identifiable contributors to that committee, as specified. The bill would require these advertisements to identify the address for the committee disclosure Internet Web site. Existing law makes a knowing or willful violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 a misdemeanor and subjects offenders to criminal penalties. This bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating additional crimes. 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 Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the act may be amended by a statute that becomes effective upon approval of the voters. This measure would call a special statewide election to be consolidated with the statewide general election scheduled for November 4, 2014. It would provide for the submission to the voters of the provisions of this bill amending the Political Reform Act of 1974, as summarized above, at that election. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an act calling an election.
Sponsored bills
(1) Existing law generally requires secondhand dealers and coin dealers, as defined, to report specified transactions involving tangible personal property, on forms provided or approved by the Department of Justice, to the local law enforcement agency where their businesses are located. Existing law defines "tangible personal property" for these purposes, and excludes from that definition, among other items, commercial grade ingots defined to include, among other items, 0.99 fine ingots of gold, silver, or platinum. This bill would revise the definition of commercial grade ingots to include 0.99 fine or finer ingots of gold, silver, palladium, or platinum. Under existing law, secondhand dealers and coin dealers are required to report the information described above using an electronic reporting system 12 months after the Department of Justice develops that system. This bill would eliminate the electronic filing requirements for coin dealers, and would instead require that secondhand dealers report this information using the single, statewide, uniform electronic reporting system on and after the date that the system is implemented, as specified. (2) Existing law requires a local law enforcement agency to issue a license to engage in the business of a secondhand dealer or pawnbroker to an applicant who meets designated criteria. Existing law authorizes the local licensing authority and the Department of Justice to charge an initial licensure fee and a renewal fee, as specified. This bill would require the Department of Justice to charge a licensure fee and a renewal fee of no more than $300, as specified. The bill would also require licensees issued a license before the effective date of this bill to pay an additional fee of no more than $288 for the purpose of funding the single, statewide, uniform electronic reporting system, with payment due within 120 days of the enactment of this bill. The bill would require that the fees assessed by the department be deposited in the Secondhand Dealer and Pawnbroker Fund, which the bill would create in the State Treasury. The bill would require that the money in the fund be used by the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the purpose of paying for specified regulatory costs, including the cost of implementing, operating, and maintaining the single, statewide, uniform electronic reporting system. The bill would also require applicants for a license to submit fingerprint images relative to a required criminal background check, with associated fee revenue to be deposited in the Fingerprint Fee Account, and would make those revenues available to the Department of Justice, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for these purposes. This bill would make findings and declarations of the Legislature, and state the intent of the Legislature, with regard to these matters. The bill would make other related conforming changes. The bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law, with certain exceptions, prohibits the possession of an assault weapon, as defined, and makes violations subject to criminal penalties. Existing law defines a firearm as an assault weapon, in part, based upon whether it has a detachable magazine. This bill would define "detachable magazine" for this purpose to mean any ammunition feeding device that can be removed from the firearm without disassembly of the firearm action, and to include a magazine that may be detached from the firearm by depressing a button on the firearm either with the finger or by use of a tool or a bullet. The bill would declare that these amendments are declaratory of existing law, would direct the Attorney General to adopt regulations, and would make these amendments operative July 1, 2013. By expanding the definition of existing crimes, 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.
This measure would proclaim June 2012 as Scleroderma Awareness Month.
(1) Except as specified, existing law makes it a crime to manufacture, import, keep for sale, offer or expose for sale, or give or lend, any large-capacity magazine. This bill would make it a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed 6 months, or by both that fine and imprisonment, to knowingly manufacture, import, keep for sale, offer or expose for sale, or give or lend, any device that is capable of converting an ammunition feeding device into a large-capacity magazine. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law establishes a program of postrelease community supervision for certain persons who are released from prison or whose sentence has been deemed served after serving a prison term for a felony. Existing law requires that these persons enter into a postrelease community supervision agreement as a condition of their release, and that the agreement include certain conditions, including a requirement that the person shall not possess, use, or have access to specified weapons, including, among other things, a large-capacity magazine. This bill would also condition release on postrelease community supervision on the requirement that the person shall not possess, use, or have access to any device that is capable of converting an ammunition feeding device into a large-capacity magazine. (3) Existing law prohibits any person, corporation, or dealer from selling ammunition to a person under 18 years of age, selling ammunition designed for use in a handgun to a person under 21 years of age, or providing possession of any ammunition to any minor who the person, corporation, or dealer knows is prohibited from possessing that ammunition at that time. Existing law prohibits a person, corporation, or firm from giving possession or control of ammunition to any person who he or she knows is prohibited by law from possessing ammunition. Existing law also regulates handgun ammunition vendors and provides that a handgun ammunition vendor shall not permit any employee who the vendor knows or reasonably should know is a person who has been convicted of a felony or other specified crimes to handle, sell, or deliver handgun ammunition in the course and scope of employment. This bill would require a handgun ammunition vendor who sells, supplies, delivers, or gives possession of more than 1000 rounds of ammunition to an individual in any 5 consecutive day period to report the transaction to the local law enforcement agency where that individual resides within 24 hours, with exceptions as provided. The bill would make a failure to comply with this provision a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed 6 months, or by both that fine and imprisonment. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing provisions of the California Constitution establish the University of California as a public trust under the administration of the Regents of the University of California. The University of California system includes 10 campuses, which are respectively located in Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. This measure would require the University of California system to modify admissions so that commencing with the 2013–14 academic year, out-of-state undergraduate students, as defined, would constitute no more than 10% of an incoming class, and no more than 10% of the total undergraduate enrollment, in the University of California system.
Existing law provides that no monetary liability and no cause of action arises against a psychotherapist, as defined, for failing to warn and protect from a patient's threatened violent behavior except if the patient has communicated to the psychotherapist a serious threat of physical violence against a reasonably identifiable victim or victims. Existing law also specifies that no monetary liability and no cause of action shall arise against a psychotherapist who, under those circumstances, discharges his or her duty to warn and protect by making reasonable efforts to communicate the threat to the victim or victims and to a law enforcement agency. This bill would revise these provisions by removing any duty to warn. The bill would also express the intent of the Legislature that this bill changes only the name of the duty described above from a duty to warn and protect to a duty to protect.
Existing law prohibits a person, for amusement or gain, from causing, permitting on his or her premises, or aiding and abetting in the fighting of specified animals, including bears and dogs. A violation of this prohibition is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a period not to exceed one year, or by a fine not to exceed $5,000, or by both. This bill would raise the fine to $10,000. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to knowingly be present as a spectator at any place, building, or tenement for an exhibition of animal fighting or for preparations for that act. A violation of this prohibition is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a period not to exceed 6 months, or by a fine not to exceed $1,000, or by both. This bill would raise the fine to $5,000. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to manufacture, buy, sell, barter, exchange, or for a person to have in his or her possession any of the implements commonly known as gaffs or slashers, or any other sharp implement designed to be attached in place of the natural spur of a gamecock or other fighting bird. A violation of this prohibition is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a period not to exceed one year, by a fine not to exceed $5,000, or by both, and upon conviction, in addition to any judgment or sentence imposed by the court, forfeiture of possession or ownership of those implements. This bill would raise the fine to $10,000. Existing law prohibits a person from owning, possessing, keeping, or training any bird or other animal with the intent that it be used or engaged by himself or herself, by his or her vendee, or by any other person in an exhibition of fighting. A person who violates this prohibition is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a period not to exceed one year, by a fine not to exceed $5,000, or by both. This bill would raise the fine to $10,000.
Existing law establishes various boards that license and regulate healing arts practitioners, including physicians and surgeons, chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists. Existing law provides for the voluntary certification of certain practitioners, including the voluntary certification of massage therapists by the California Massage Therapy Council, a nonprofit organization. Existing law prescribes specified educational and other requirements for an applicant to obtain a massage therapy certificate. This bill would establish the California Traditional Chinese Medicine Traumatology Council as a nonprofit organization to provide for the certification and regulation of the practice of California traditional Chinese Medicine traumatologists, as defined. The bill would require the council to issue a certificate to practice as a California traditional Chinese Medicine traumatologist to an applicant who meets certain training and clinical experience requirements, passes a written examination, and pays a specified fee. The bill would require the council to develop, and report to the Legislature by January 1, 2015, its standards for approving education programs, its standards for evaluating the education, training, and clinical experience of applicants, the written examination, and a continuing education program for California traditional Chinese Medicine traumatologists. The bill would make the meetings and deliberations of the council subject to the open meeting requirements that apply to state bodies. This bill would set forth procedures for the renewal of a certificate to perform California traditional Chinese Medicine traumatology and would establish specified fees in that regard. This bill would prohibit treatment that constitutes the practice of medicine or chiropractic procedures, as defined. This bill would also make it an unfair business practice to use the title of "California certified traditional Chinese Medicine traumatologist" without meeting these certification requirements and would authorize the board to suspend or revoke a certificate for unprofessional conduct, certain fraudulent acts, or specified crimes committed by the certificate holder. This bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2017, unless legislation is enacted before that date to remove or extend that deadline.
(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities and can establish its own procedures, subject to statutory limitations or directions and constitutional requirements of due process. The Public Utilities Act requires the commission to investigate the cause of all accidents occurring upon the property of any public utility or directly or indirectly arising from or connected with its maintenance or operation, resulting in loss of life or injury to person or property and requiring, in the judgment of the commission, investigation by it, and authorizes the commission to make any order or recommendation with respect to the investigation that it determines to be just and reasonable. This bill would require that any order or recommendation made by the commission and any accident report filed with, or generated by, the commission pursuant to these requirements be made available and ready for public review in compliance with the California Public Records Act and these provisions. (2) The Public Utilities Act prohibits the commission or an officer or employee of the commission from disclosing any information furnished to the commission by a public utility, a subsidiary, an affiliate, or corporation holding a controlling interest in a public utility, unless the information is specifically required to be open to public inspection under the act, except on order of the commission or a commissioner in the course of a hearing or proceeding. The act provides that any present or former officer or employee of the commission who divulges this information is guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would require the commission, for those records subject to public disclosure, to determine, prior to disclosing any record, whether any exemptions to the California Public Records Act or other law restricting disclosure applies to that record. This bill would require the commission to create a list of safety-related reports submitted by gas corporations or electrical corporations that the commission would, upon completion of the reports, automatically disclose to the public. The bill would require the commission, prior to disclosing any record, to determine whether any exemptions to the California Public Records Act or other law restricting disclosure apply to that record. The bill would require the commission to post certain information on its Internet Web site.