Sen. Nancy Skinner

Under existing law, there are programs providing assistance for, among other things, emergency housing, multifamily housing, farmworker housing, home ownership for very low and low-income households, and downpayment assistance for first-time home buyers. Existing law also authorizes the issuance of bonds in specified amounts pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law and requires that proceeds from the sale of these bonds be used to finance various existing housing programs, capital outlay related to infill development, brownfield cleanup that promotes infill development, and housing-related parks. This bill would enact the Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2024, which, if adopted, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $10,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law. Proceeds from the sale of these bonds would be used to finance programs to fund affordable rental housing and homeownership programs, including, among others, the Multifamily Housing Program, the CalHome Program, and the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program. This bill would provide for submission of the bond act to the voters at the March 5, 2024, statewide general election in accordance with specified law. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law establishes the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and sets forth its powers and duties regarding the administration of correctional facilities and the care and custody of inmates. Under existing law, the department succeeds to, and is vested with, all of the powers and duties exercised and performed by specified departments, boards, bureaus, commissions, and officers when those powers and duties are not otherwise vested by law. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.

Existing law provides that the sovereignty of the state resides in the people thereof, and all writs and processes shall issue in their name. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to these provisions.

This measure would proclaim the month of October 2023 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

This measure would declare the month of September 2023 as California Emergency Preparedness Month.

Existing law makes it unlawful for the owner of any housing accommodation to discriminate against or harass any person because of the race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income, disability, veteran or military status, or genetic information of that person or for any person to make any notice, statement, or advertisement, with respect to the rental of a housing accommodation that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination or an intention to make a preference, limitation, or discrimination, based on any of those factors. Existing law prohibits a landlord from making any inquiry regarding or based on the immigration or citizenship status of a tenant, prospective tenant, occupant, or prospective occupant of residential rental property or requiring that any tenant, prospective tenant, occupant, or prospective occupant of the rental property disclose or make any statement, representation, or certification concerning their immigration or citizenship status. This bill would prohibit a housing provider, as defined, from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history, requiring an applicant to disclose their criminal history, or requiring an applicant to authorize the release of their criminal history, unless they are complying with federal law, as specified. The bill would also prohibit a housing provider from basing any adverse action, in whole or in part, on information contained in an applicant's criminal history, if the housing provider received criminal history information about an applicant, unless they are complying with federal law. This bill would require California Housing Finance Agency to make available to housing providers a notice that informs applicants for housing of their rights pursuant to these provisions containing a description of the prohibitions and information about community and public resources available to assist an applicant in connection with a violation. The bill would give an applicant who suffers harm as a result of a violation of these provisions a private right of action for injunctive relief, and actual damages or statutory damages up to 3 times the amount of one month's rent that the housing provider charged for the unit in question at the time of the violation. The bill would authorize a court to award punitive damages if it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that a violation of this section was committed with oppression, fraud, or malice. This bill would require affordable housing providers to annually submit a certificate of compliance with the requirements of this section to the Civil Rights Department in a format determined by the department. By expanding the definition of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department to adopt or revise regulations to establish the format of the certification and the requirements and standards for determining compliance with this section. The bill would authorize the department to impose a civil penalty for failure to comply with this provision that does not exceed the reasonable enforcement costs of the department. 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 any person who purchases or receives a firearm, as specified, to possess a firearm safety certificate. Existing law requires the Department of Justice to develop a written test required for the issuance of a firearm safety certificate. Existing law makes the violation of specified requirements with regard to firearms a misdemeanor or a felony, as specified. This bill would, commencing on January 1, 2025, require a person who owns a firearm to obtain and continuously maintain in full force and effect a homeowner's, renter's, or gun liability insurance policy specifically covering losses or damages resulting from any negligent or accidental use of that firearm, including, but not limited to, death, injury, or property damage. This bill would require a person to keep written evidence of coverage in the place where a firearm is stored. The bill would also require the Insurance Commissioner to set the minimum coverage for a policy required by the bill and to develop a standardized form of evidence of liability coverage.

Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to develop a comprehensive strategy for the state's cement sector to achieve net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases associated with cement used in the state as soon as possible, but no later than December 31, 2045. This bill would set a policy for the state to purchase or specify, on a statewide basis, at least 10%, by volume, of cement and concrete, including supplementary cementitious materials, that meet a certain benchmark by 2030 and to exclude the purchase of all fossil-based supplementary cementitious materials from that 10% by 2035. The bill would specify that a supplementary cementitious material developed through the mineralization of emissions from fossil fuel combustion is not considered a fossil-based material. This bill would require, by March 31, 2024, the Department of Transportation, in consultation with the Department of General Services, to develop a model advance procurement agreement for the purchase or specification of low-carbon cement and low-carbon concrete products up to 10 years in advance that would facilitate the development of production of concrete, cement, and supplementary cementitious materials that meet or exceed the benchmark for low-carbon cement and low-carbon concrete, and would, in meeting the goals described above, authorize state agencies to use the model agreement for the purchase or specification of low-carbon cement and low-carbon concrete products. The bill would allow, for purposes of meeting the state policy described above, the volume of low-carbon cement or low-carbon concrete products agreed to be supplied under a model advance procurement agreement, but that was not actually supplied, to be counted for up to 5 years or until the state agency is able to obtain the missing materials, as specified.