Sen. Tim Grayson

This measure would designate April 1, 2018, to April 7, 2018, inclusive, as California Diversity in STEM and Tech Week and would encourage all citizens and community organizations to support the observance of California Diversity in STEM and Tech Week by encouraging and celebrating diversity in the STEM fields and in California's technology and innovation economy.

Existing law establishes the various funds in the State Treasury, including the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties. This bill would establish the Budget Deficit Savings Account in the State Treasury and would provide that funds in the reserve shall be available only for specified purposes, for appropriation by the Legislature in fiscal years in which there is a state budget deficit, as provided.

Existing law requires the Instructional Quality Commission to consider developing and recommending to the State Board of Education, on or before July 31, 2019, computer science content standards for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, and, in so doing, to consider existing computer science content standards and content standards that include, but are not necessarily limited to, standards for teaching coding. This bill would require the commission to also consider content standards that include standards for teaching digital literacy, as defined, when considering developing and recommending those computer science content standards.

Existing law establishes the California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program, administered by the State Department of Education, with the purpose of encouraging and maintaining the delivery of career technical education programs during implementation of the school district and charter school local control funding formula. Existing law appropriates specified amounts for the program from the General Fund for the 2015–16, 2016–17, and 2017–18 fiscal years, and provides minimum eligibility standards for grant applicants. This bill would require the department to use a portion of grant funding appropriated for the California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program to establish a carpenter's preapprenticeship pilot program. The pilot program shall award grants to school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, or regional occupational centers or programs operated by joint powers authorities that establish a carpenter's preapprenticeship program for high school pupils. The bill would require each applicant and its carpenter's preapprenticeship program to meet specified requirements, including all applicable requirements of the California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program, in order to receive a grant under the pilot program. The bill would require the department to commence awarding these grants to applicants by the start of the 2019–20 academic year. The bill would repeal its provisions on January 1, 2025.

This measure would proclaim the week of March 4, 2018, through March 10, 2018, inclusive, as Women in Construction Week.

The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, generally regulates the disposal, management, and recycling of solid waste. Existing law requires all rigid plastic bottles and rigid plastic containers sold in the state to be labeled with a code that indicates the resin used to produce the rigid plastic bottle or rigid plastic container, and designates the number "6" as the code number for polystyrene resin. This bill would enact the Expanded Polystyrene Food Service Packaging Recovery and Recycling Act, which would authorize expanded polystyrene food service packaging (PFP) manufacturers and polystyrene resin producers to form or designate an organization consisting of PFP manufacturers and resin producers, to be known as the Expanded Polystyrene Food Service Packaging Recycling Organization. If the PFP manufacturers and resin producers form or designate a PFP Recycling Organization, the bill would require each PFP manufacturer or resin producer that formed or designated the organization that sells expanded polystyrene food service packaging or polystyrene resin in this state to pay to the PFP Recycling Organization the expanded polystyrene food service packaging assessment fee established by the PFP Recycling Organization. The bill would require the collected fees to be used by the organization to carry out the requirements of the act and for appropriate projects and programs that would further the purposes of the act, including awarding grants to specified entities for programs designed to increase community access to PFP recycling, to promote efforts to recycle PFP, and to reduce or abate litter from PFP. The bill would impose civil penalties on the PFP manufacturers or resin producers that formed or designated the PFP Recycling Organization that fail to remit the PFP assessment fee, as specified, and would authorize the department to expend the civil penalty moneys to support its duties under the act.