(1) Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations, as defined. Existing law requires the PUC, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) , to administer, until January 1, 2012, a self-generation incentive program for distributed generation resources. The program is applicable to all eligible technologies, as determined by the PUC and subject to certain air emissions and efficiency standards, until January 1, 2008, except for solar technologies, which the PUC is required to administer separately, after January 1, 2007, pursuant to the California Solar Initiative. Commencing January 1, 2008, until January 1, 2012, existing law limits eligibility for nonsolar technologies to fuel cells and wind distributed generation technologies that meet or exceed emissions standards adopted by the State Air Resources Board (state board) . Existing law authorizes the PUC, in administering the program, to include other ultraclean and low-emission distributed generation technologies, as defined. Pursuant to decisions of the PUC, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison, and Southern California Gas Company are the program administrators throughout their respective service territories and the Center for Sustainable Energy is the program administrator for the San Diego Gas and Electric Company service territory. The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requires the State Air Resources Board (state board) to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions levels in 1990, to be achieved by 2020. Existing law prohibits any load-serving entity, as defined, and any local publicly owned electric utility, as defined, from entering into a long-term financial commitment, as defined, unless any baseload generation, as defined, complies with a greenhouse gases emission performance standard. Existing law requires the commission, in consultation with the Energy Commission and the state board, to establish a greenhouse gases emission performance standard for all baseload generation of load-serving entities. This bill would authorize the commission to authorize the annual collection of not more than the amount authorized for the self-generation incentive program in the 2008 calendar year, through December 31, 2011. The bill would require the commission to extend the administration of the program until January 1, 2016, and, on that date, would require the commission to provide repayment of all unexpended funds collected to reduce ratepayer costs. The bill would limit the eligibility for incentives pursuant to the program to distributed energy resources that the commission, in consultation with the state board, determines will achieve reduction of greenhouse gas emissions pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The bill would require the PUC to ensure that distributed energy resources are made available in the program for all ratepayers. The bill would prohibit recovery of the costs of the program from ratepayers that participate in the California Alternative Rates for Energy (CARE) program. The bill would delete the authorization for the PUC, in administering the program, to include other ultraclean and low-emission distributed generation technologies. (2) Existing law requires the Energy Commission, by November 1, 2008, and in consultation with the PUC and state board, to evaluate the costs and benefits of providing ratepayer subsidies for renewable and fossil fuel ultraclean and low-emission distributed generation. This bill would delete that requirement. (3) Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the program that is extended under the provisions of this bill is within the act and a decision or order of the commission implements the program requirements, a violation of these provisions would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime. 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.
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Existing law authorizes a school district to enter into leases and agreements relating to real property and buildings to be used jointly by the district and any private person, firm, or corporation, pursuant to specified provisions. This bill would additionally authorize a school district to enter into leases and agreements relating to real property and buildings to be used jointly by the district and a local governmental agency, as defined.
Existing law requires a local agency to adopt a specified updated model ordinance regarding water-efficient landscapes or a water-efficient landscape ordinance that is at least as effective in conserving water as the updated model ordinance. Existing law allows certain water providers to take specified actions regarding water conservation. The Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act provides for the creation and regulation of common interest developments. The act provides that the architectural guidelines of a common interest development shall not prohibit or include conditions that have the effect of prohibiting the use of low water-using plants as a group. This bill would, instead, provide that a provision of any of the governing documents of a common interest development shall be void and unenforceable if it prohibits, or includes conditions that have the effect of prohibiting, the use of low water-using plants as a group, or if it has the effect of prohibiting or restricting compliance with a local water-efficient landscape ordinance or water conservation measure described above.
(1) Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to provide instruction to students at community college campuses. This bill would request community college campuses to give priority for housing to current and former foster youth. The bill would also request community college campuses that maintain student housing facilities open for occupation during school breaks, or on a year-round basis, to give first priority to current and former foster youth for residence in the housing facilities that are open for uninterrupted year-round occupation, and next give priority to current and former foster youth for housing that is open for occupation during the most days in the calendar year. (2) Existing law establishes the California State University and the University of California as 2 of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law imposes certain requirements on the California State University with respect to student housing. This bill would require a campus of the state university that maintains student housing facilities to give priority to current and former foster youth. The bill also would require a campus of the state university that maintains student housing facilities open for occupation during school breaks, or on a year-round basis, to give priority to current and former foster youth, as specified. The bill would apply similar provisions to the University of California except that the housing priority for foster youth would only apply for residence in housing facilities for which the foster youth are eligible. These provisions would apply to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California act, by resolution, to make them applicable.
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 existing Public Utilities Act prohibits, with certain exemptions, any public utility other than a common carrier by railroad, from selling, leasing, assigning, mortgaging, or otherwise disposing of or encumbering the whole or any part of specified property necessary or useful in the performance of the public utility's duties to the public, without first having either secured an order from the commission authorizing it to do so for qualified transactions valued above $5,000,000, or for qualified transactions valued at $5,000,000 or less, having filed an advice letter and obtained a resolution from the commission authorizing it to do so. Existing law requires the commission to determine the types of transactions valued at $5,000,000 or less that qualify for advice letter handling. Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that transactions with monetary values that materially impact a public utility's rate base, or transactions that would trigger the commission's review responsibilities under the California Environmental Quality Act, should not qualify for expedited advice letter review. This bill would delete the requirement, for qualified transactions valued at $5,000,000 or less, that the commission approve the advice letter by resolution. The bill would authorize the executive director of the commission or the director of the division of the commission having regulatory jurisdiction over the utility to approve the advice letter for qualified transactions valued at $5,000,000 or less for which an advice letter is filed that is uncontested. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature that transactions with monetary values that materially impact a public utility's rate base, or transactions that would trigger the commission's review responsibilities as lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act, should not qualify for expedited advice letter review. The bill would authorize the filing of an advice letter for transactions by the public utility if the lead agency has completed the appropriate review under the California Environmental Quality Act for the transaction, and the commission is the responsible agency under the act and approves the advice letter by resolution voted upon by the commission.
Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of that act a crime. Existing law prohibits health care service plans from charging premium, price, or charge differentials because of sex, but makes an exception for differentials based on specified statistical and actuarial data. This bill would eliminate that exception with respect to contracts issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2011. Because a willful violation of this provision by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law provides for the regulation of life and disability insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law prohibits life and disability insurers from engaging in certain discriminatory practices, but specifies that premium, price, or charge differentials because of sex are not prohibited when based on specified statistical or actuarial data or sound underwriting practices. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2011, prohibit health insurers from charging a premium, price, or charge differential because of the sex of specified individuals. 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 requires the Governor to proclaim certain days each year for specified reasons. Existing law also designates particular days each year as having special significance in public schools and educational institutions and encourages those entities to conduct suitable commemorative exercises on those dates. This bill would provide that the Governor proclaim May 22 of each year as Harvey Milk Day, and would designate that date as having special significance in public schools and educational institutions and would encourage those entities to conduct suitable commemorative exercises on that date. This bill would incorporate amendments to Section 37222 of the Education Code proposed by both this bill and AB 264, which would become operative only if both bills are enacted and become effective and this bill is chaptered last.
Existing law declares the duty of the state to care for and protect the children that it places into foster care. Under existing law, the State Department of Social Services has various powers and duties relating to ensuring that the needs of foster children are met. Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care Services, if, and to the extent that, all necessary federal approvals are obtained for federal financial participation, to implement a federal option to extend Medi-Cal benefits to independent foster care adolescents, as defined in federal law. Existing law provides for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly the Food Stamp Program) , under which each county distributes nutrition assistance benefits to eligible households. The SNAP is administered at the state level by the State Department of Social Services. This bill would require the department to propose a Transitional Food Stamps for Foster Youth demonstration project, effective July 1, 2010. The demonstration project would provide independent foster care adolescents, who are not eligible for CalWORKs or SSI benefits, with eligibility for food stamps without regard to income or resources. This bill would require the department to implement its provisions by all-county letter or similar instructions, and would prescribe additional duties of the department in connection with the transitional food stamp demonstration project, including obtaining necessary federal approvals. This bill would be implemented only to the extent that federal financial participation is available. By increasing county duties, 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.
(1) The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The state board is required to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020, and to adopt by January 1, 2011, greenhouse gas emission limits and emission reduction measures to achieve the maximum technological feasible and cost-effective greenhouse gas emission reductions. The act defines greenhouse gases to include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. This bill would also include in that definition nitrogen trifluoride. Because a violation of the act may be a crime and this bill would expand the scope of the act, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. (2) 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. (3) This bill would incorporate changes to Section 38505 of the Health and Safety Code proposed by both this bill and AB 1404, which would become operative only if both bills are enacted and this bill is enacted after AB 1404.
Existing law imposes a 40-foot limitation on the length of vehicles that may be operated on the highways, with specified exemptions. Existing law exempts from this limitation an articulated bus or trolley and a bus, except a schoolbus, that is operated by a public agency or passenger stage corporation that is used in a transit system if it is equipped with a folding device attached to the front of the vehicle that is designed and used exclusively for transporting bicycles, does not materially affect efficiency or visibility of vehicle safety equipment, and does not extend more than 36 inches from the front of the body of the bus or trolley when fully deployed. In addition, existing law prohibits a bicycle that is transported on the above-described device from having the bicycle handlebars extend more than 42 inches from the front of the vehicle. This bill would authorize the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District to install folding devices attached to the front of its buses that are designed and used exclusively for transporting bicycles as long as those devices meet certain requirements, including, but not limited to, extending not more than 40 inches from the front of the bus when fully deployed, and that the handlebars of the bicycles being transported extend not more than 46 inches from the front of the bus. If Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District installs the bicycle racks, the bill would require the district to report to the Assembly Committee on Transportation and the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing on or before December 31, 2014, regarding safety issues and mobility improvements. This bill would also require the district, prior to installing a folding device on a bus that is 45 feet in length, to establish a route review committee, as specified, in order to determine, by unanimous vote of the voting members, which routes proposed by the district are suitable for the safe operation of a 45-foot bus that is equipped with a front-mounted bicycle rack. The bill would require the committee's initial review to include a field review of the proposed routes. The bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute.