Sen. Tim Grayson

(1) Existing law requires each planning agency to prepare and the legislative body of each county and city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the county or city containing specified elements, including a housing element and a safety element for the protection of the community from any unreasonable risks associated with, among other things, wildland and urban fires, as prescribed. Existing law requires that upon the next revision of the housing element of the plan on or after January 1, 2014, the safety element be reviewed and updated as necessary to address the risk of fire for land classified as state responsibility areas, as defined, and land classified as very high fire hazard severity zones, as defined. This bill would instead require that the above-described safety element be reviewed and updated as necessary to address that fire risk concurrent with each revision of the housing element of a plan on or after January 1, 2019, and would authorize a local jurisdiction to review and update the safety element upon being classified as a very high fire hazard severity zone without revision of the housing element. (2) The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the State Air Resources Board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for greenhouse gas emissions reduction activities. The Budget Act of 2018 appropriated specified amounts of moneys payable from the fund to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to be used for specified resource management and fire prevention activities. This bill would require that the sum of $2,500,000 of the funds appropriated to the department pursuant to a specified item of the Budget Act of 2018 be made available to the University of California to be used to place science advisors in underserved counties located in, or adjacent to, a state responsibility area, to build capacity to deliver structural hardening, defensible space, forest fire resiliency, and carbon sequestration, in consultation with all interested public and private entities, as specified. The bill would authorize the department to require supplemental reporting on the use and outcomes of those moneys as a condition of release of the funds. (3) Existing law requires the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to adopt regulations implementing minimum fire safety standards related to defensible space that are applicable to state responsibility area lands and lands under the authority of the department, and specifies that these regulations apply to the perimeters and access to all residential, commercial, and industrial building construction within state responsibility areas approved after January 1, 1991. This bill would also require the board to adopt regulations implementing minimum fire safety standards that are applicable to lands classified and designated as very high fire hazard severity zones and would require the regulations to apply to the parameters and access to all residential, commercial, and industrial building construction within lands classified and designated as very high fire hazard severity zones, as defined, after July 1, 2021. The bill would further require the board to, on and after July 1, 2021, periodically update regulations for fuel breaks and greenbelts near communities to provide greater fire safety for the perimeters to all residential, commercial, and industrial building construction within state responsibility areas and lands classified and designated as very high fire hazard severity zones after that date. The bill would require the board, on or before July 1, 2022, to develop criteria and maintain a "Fire Adapted Community" list of local agencies located in a state responsibility area or a very high fire hazard severity zone that meet best practices for local fire planning.

This measure would, among other things, mark June 25, 2018, as the 68th anniversary of the Korean War and encourage participants in specified discussions regarding North and South Korea to have a sincere intention of achieving peace in the region.

Existing law authorizes a county, until January 1, 2023, with approval of the board of supervisors, to utilize construction manager at-risk construction contracts for the erection, construction, alteration, repair, or improvement of any building owned or leased by the county, subject to certain requirements, including that the method may only be used for projects that are in excess of $1,000,000. This bill would expand that authorization by authorizing a public entity, of which the members of the county board of supervisors make up the members of the governing body of that public entity, with the approval of its governing body, to utilize construction manager at-risk construction contracts. The bill would also authorize the county or public entity to utilize those contracts for the erection, construction, alteration, repair, or improvement of infrastructure owned or leased by the county or the public entity, as applicable, including, but not limited to, buildings, utility improvements associated with buildings, flood control and underground utility improvements, and bridges, but excluding roads.

This measure would recognize June 8 as World Oceans Day, and would declare that the Legislature intends to act decisively in 2018 in regard to passing legislation aimed at reducing plastic pollution in California rivers, beaches, and ocean, and would further declare that the State of California is determined to seek additional ways to curb plastic pollution on those waterways and beaches, and in other natural spaces and communities.

This measure would recognize June 12, 2018, as the 120th Anniversary of Philippine Independence and would call upon the people of the state to observe the month of June with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities.

Existing law requires local educational agencies to identify, locate, and assess individuals with exceptional needs and to provide those pupils with a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, with special education and related services as reflected in an individualized education program. Existing law requires local educational agencies to provide opportunities for braille instruction for pupils who, due to a prognosis of visual deterioration, may be expected to have a need for braille as a reading medium. Existing law defines braille for these purposes as the system of reading and writing through touch commonly known as "Standard English Braille, American Edition." This bill would instead define braille as the system of reading and writing through touch commonly known as Unified English Braille.

This measure would condemn the decision to end the Temporary Protected Status designation for El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Sudan. The measure would also urge the United States Congress to enact a bipartisan permanent solution for Salvadorans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, Hondurans, and Sudanese with Temporary Protected Status.

This measure would declare June 6, 2018, as California Nonprofits Day in recognition of the importance of nonprofit organizations to the economy and well-being of this state.