Existing law, the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006, authorizes the issuance of $19.925 billion of general obligation bonds for specified purposes. Existing law requires the deposit of $1 billion of the bond proceeds in the Transit System Safety, Security, and Disaster Response Account to be used, upon appropriation, for capital projects that provide increased protection against a security and safety threat, and for capital expenditures to increase the capacity of transit operators to develop disaster response transportation systems that can move people, goods, and emergency personnel and equipment in the aftermath of a disaster impairing that movement. Existing law requires the allocation of 25% of these funds for capital expenditures to regional public waterborne transit agencies authorized to operate a regional public water transit system, as specified, and requires the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) to administer a grant application and award program for transit agencies eligible to receive the funds. Existing law requires Cal EMA to select eligible projects to receive those grants by February 1 of each fiscal year in which funds are appropriated for that purpose. This bill would additionally require Cal EMA, by February 1 of each fiscal year, in which funds are appropriated for that purpose, to provide the Controller with a list of projects and the sponsoring agencies eligible to receive an allocation. The bill would require the Controller, upon receipt of this information, to commence any necessary actions to allocate funds to those agencies, as specified.
Sponsored bills
This measure would designate the month of October 2009, and every October thereafter, as Filipino American History Month.
This measure would urge the State Air Resources Board to meet the statutory requirements of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 by ensuring that its analysis of specified emission reduction measures include prescribed components.
This measure would state the intent of the Legislature that the State of California generate sufficient funds for, and allocate sufficient funds to, education, so as to bring per-pupil spending up to or beyond the national average, and to a level that accounts for the actual cost of educating California's diverse pupil population.
This measure would request the President and the Congress of the United States to enact the Social Security Fairness Act of 2009, which would repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision from the Social Security Act.
Existing law generally regulates how criminal records are maintained. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2011, require the Department of Justice to establish, implement, and maintain a confirmation program to process fingerprint-based criminal record background clearances on individuals designated by an agency as a custodian of records. The bill would require agencies to designate a custodian of records, and to annually notify the department as to the identity of the agency's custodian of records. By imposing additional duties on local agencies, 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, 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 these statutory provisions.
Existing law subjects to a special motion to strike a cause of action against a person arising from any act of that person in furtherance of the person's right of petition or free speech under the United States Constitution or the California Constitution in connection with a public issue, unless the court determines that the plaintiff has established that there is a probability that the plaintiff will prevail on the claim. Existing law entitles a prevailing defendant on that special motion to strike to recover his or her attorney's fees and costs. This bill would prohibit that prevailing defendant from recovering attorney's fees and costs in the following actions: whenever it is made to appear by verified petition that certain public records are improperly being withheld from a member of the public, specified actions involving meeting provisions of the legislative body of a local agency or a state body, or an action to obtain a judicial determination that an action taken by a legislative body of a local agency or a state body is null and void, as specified. The bill would specify that nothing in that provision shall be construed to prevent a prevailing defendant from recovering attorney's fees and costs pursuant to specified provisions that allow a defendant to recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs in certain circumstances, such as when the court finds that the action is clearly frivolous.
This measure would acknowledge the history of the Chinese in California, recognize the contributions made to the State of California by Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants, and express regret for past discriminatory laws and constitutional provisions which resulted in the persecution of Chinese living in California.
This measure would designate July 2009 and July of every year thereafter as Microenterprise Development Month.