Existing law defines "public works," for purposes of regulating public works contracts, as, among other things, construction, alteration, demolition, installation, or repair work that is performed under contract and paid for in whole or in part out of public funds. Pursuant to existing law, all workers employed on public works projects are required to be paid not less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages for work, except as specified. Existing law governing public works does not apply to specified work performed by a volunteer, a volunteer coordinator, or a member of the California Conservation Corps or a community conservation corps. These provisions are effective only until January 1, 2012, and as of that date are repealed. This bill would extend that repeal date to January 1, 2017, and make technical, nonsubstantive changes to that provision. Existing law also requires the Director of Industrial Relations to submit a report to the Legislature before January 1, 2011, regarding volunteers on public projects. This bill would repeal that provision. This bill also would make legislative findings and declarations regarding the intent of the bill.
Sponsored bills
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Existing law authorizes the establishment of community college districts under the administration of community college governing boards, and authorizes these districts to provide instruction at community college campuses throughout the state. Existing law authorizes the governing board of each district to impose various fees, including maximum fees for parking and transportation services. Existing law requires the transportation services fee limit to be annually increased, as specified. This bill would raise the maximum parking services fee limits, as specified, and authorize the governing board of each community college district to annually increase the parking and transportation services fee limits by the same percentage increase as the Implicit Price Deflator for State and Local Government Purchases of Goods and Services published by the United States Department of Commerce.
Existing law, the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000, sets forth the procedures for incorporations and changes of organizations of cities, including procedures for disincorporation. This bill would provide that every city with a population of less than 150 people as of January 1, 2010, would be disincorporated into that city's respective county as of 91 days after the effective date of the bill, unless a county board of supervisors determines, by majority vote within the 90-day period following enactment of these provisions, that continuing such a city within that county's boundaries would serve a public purpose if the board of supervisors determines that the city is in an isolated rural location that makes it impractical for the residents of the community to organize in another form of local governance. The bill would also require the local agency formation commission within the county to oversee the terms and conditions of the disincorporation of the city, as specified. The bill would become operative only if AB 781 of the 2011–12 Regular Session is enacted.
Existing law, as added and amended by various initiatives, including Proposition 7, approved by the voters at the November 7, 1978, statewide general election, provides for imposition of the death penalty for murder in the first degree if certain special circumstances are proved. Proposition 7 may only be amended by the Legislature by a statute that becomes effective only when approved by the electors. This bill would abolish the death penalty, and provide instead for imprisonment in the state prison for life without the possibility of parole. The bill would provide that, where a defendant or inmate was sentenced to death prior to the date of voter approval of the bill, upon voter approval of the bill, the defendant's or inmate's sentence would automatically be converted to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The bill would require persons sentenced pursuant to the provisions of the bill to work in a maximum security prison for the term of their imprisonment, as specified. The bill would state findings and declarations of the Legislature regarding the death penalty. The bill would provide that it would only become effective if certain of its provisions are submitted to and approved by the electors at the November 6, 2012, statewide general election.
(1) Existing law establishes the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and private, independent institutions of higher education as the 4 segments of postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes a higher education accountability program under which the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges are required to prepare a list of reports on a regular basis and submit them to the Legislature and to state agencies. Under the program, the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) is required to submit annually a higher education report to the Legislature and the Governor that provides information on significant indicators of the performance of public colleges and universities. This bill would repeal the existing higher education accountability program and require the state to establish a new accountability framework for achieving prescribed educational and economic goals. The bill would require the Governor to convene a task force by July 1, 2012, to review the framework and recommend a set of overarching goals for the state's higher education institutions, as specified. The bill would urge the task force to consider issues that include 6 statewide policy questions. The bill would require the task force to report to the Legislature and the Governor on the recommended statewide goals and indicators of progress for higher education, as specified. (2) Existing law requires the 3 public segments of postsecondary education to present annual statistical reports on transfer patterns via the CPEC to the Governor and the Legislature. This bill would repeal this requirement.
This measure would resolve that the month of April be designated as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, would recognize April 27, 2011, as Denim Day California, and would encourage everyone to wear jeans on that day to help communicate the message that there is no excuse for, and never an invitation to, rape or sexual assault.
Existing law imposes various requirements with respect to contracting by state agencies. This bill would require a state agency that accepts bids or proposals for a contract for goods, except for technology, to provide a preference of 5% to a California business meeting specified criteria. The bill would also require the Department of General Services to establish a process to verify that a business meets the criteria for the 5% preference. This bill would provide that these provisions may not be construed to require an affected state agency to compromise its immediate mission or ability to function and carry out its existing responsibilities.
Existing law, the Leroy Greene California Assessment of Academic Achievement Act (Greene Act) , requires each school district, charter school, and county office of education to administer to each of its pupils in grades 2 to 11, inclusive, certain achievement tests. This bill, commencing July 1, 2012, would exclude pupils in grade 2 from the standards-based achievement test requirement and make conforming changes. The bill would require the State Department of Education by November 1, 2012, to identify and make available to school districts information regarding existing assessments in language arts and mathematics for pupils in grade 2 for diagnostic use by classroom teachers. The bill would require these provisions to be implemented from the savings realized from the elimination of the grade 2 standards-based achievement testing. The bill would define, for purposes of the Greene Act, formative assessment, high-quality assessment, and interim assessment.
(1) Existing law provides for the establishment of partnership academies for pupils at risk of dropping out of school by participating school districts that meet specified eligibility requirements, and requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue grants to school districts for planning, establishing, and maintaining the partnership academies. This bill would request that the State Department of Education, using data collected from the yearly reports of the California Partnership Academies, provide an analysis of the partnership academies program components and make recommendations to the Legislature, as specified. The bill would also encourage the department to make recommendations that would be shared with the Senate Committee on Education and the Assembly Committee on Education at the beginning of each new 2-year regular session of the Legislature regarding the various types of partnership academies and the implications of program oversight by the department of multiple types of partnership academies. (2) Existing law requires the Superintendent to develop guidelines with respect to partnership academies, including, but not limited to, enrollment provisions, application procedures, and pupil eligibility. This bill would, for purposes of the guidelines relating to enrollment, authorize school districts to determine the number of pupils enrolled in a partnership academy. The bill would also require the guidelines to include strategies to encourage, establish, and fund partnership academies serving rural school districts. (3) Existing law limits the enrollment in partnership academies to pupils in grades 10 to 12, inclusive. This bill would authorize a school district to enroll grade 9 pupils, provided the school district complies with specified requirements. The bill would prohibit a school district from receiving partnership academy funding for the establishment or maintenance of grade 9 partnership academy courses. (4) The bill would require that, if funds are appropriated for the support of certain partnership academies in the annual Budget Act or any other measure, these funds be allocated in accordance with the provisions of law that govern partnership academies.
Existing law provides for statewide election of a slate of electors to vote in the electoral college for President and Vice President of the United States. Under existing law, each political party selects its slate of presidential electors in accordance with statutory procedures that differ by party. This bill would ratify a specified interstate compact that requires the chief election official of each signatory state to appoint the slate of presidential electors that was nominated in association with the presidential ticket that received the largest national popular vote total. This compact would only become effective if states cumulatively possessing a majority of the total electoral votes have ratified the compact.