Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to classify lands within state responsibility areas into fire hazard severity zones, and, by regulation, designate fire hazard severity zones and assign to each zone a rating reflecting the degree of severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in the zone. Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to periodically review designated and rated zones and, as necessary, revise zones or their ratings or repeal the designation of zones. Existing law also requires the State Fire Marshal to identify areas in the state that are not state responsibility areas as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones based on consistent statewide criteria and based on the severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in those areas, and to periodically review and make recommendations relative to very high fire hazard severity zones. Existing law requires a local agency, within 30 days after receiving a transmittal from the State Fire Marshal that identifies those fire hazard severity zones, to make the information available for public review and comment, and, within 120 days of receiving recommendations from the State Fire Marshal, to designate, by ordinance transmitted to the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones in its jurisdiction. This bill would revise and recast the above-described provisions applicable to fire hazard severity zones in state responsibility areas and in areas that are not state responsibility areas. The bill would, as applied to areas in the state that are not state responsibility areas, require the State Fire Marshal, no less than once every 5 years, to both identify areas in the state as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones, and review and make recommendations relative to these designations, as provided. The bill would require the State Fire Marshal to provide an opportunity, pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, for the public to review and comment on the fire hazard severity zone maps of areas that are not state responsibility areas before the State Fire Marshal submits them to the local agency, and would require a local agency to transmit a copy of its ordinance to the State Fire Marshal instead of the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. The bill would also require the State Fire Marshal, as applied to lands within state responsibility areas, to review the fire hazard severity zone designations at least once every 5 years. This bill would, as applied to both state responsibility areas and lands that are not state responsibility areas, authorize the State Fire Marshal, in periods between the State Fire Marshal's review of areas of the state for recommendations regarding an area's fire hazard severity zone, to confer with entities, including, but not limited to, public agencies, tribes, and nonprofit organizations, on actions that may impact the degree of fire hazard in an area or the area's recommended fire hazard severity zone designation. The bill would authorize the State Fire Marshal to provide a written response to an entity on actions that may impact the degree of fire hazard, and would require this written response to be posted on the State Fire Marshal's internet website. The bill would authorize those entities to provide information to the State Fire Marshal on actions the entity has taken or plans to take before the next review that may impact the degree of fire hazard in an area or the area's fire hazard severity zone designation. The bill would authorize the State Fire Marshal to consider this information in the next review, and would require any documentation provided to the State Fire Marshal to be posted on the State Fire Marshal's internet website. The bill would authorize the State Fire Marshal to require a regulatory fee from an entity to cover the State Fire Marshal's costs associated with these processes. Existing law requires the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to adopt regulations implementing minimum fire safety standards related to defensible space, as provided. Under existing law, 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, and within lands classified and designated as very high fire hazard severity zones, that are not within state responsibility areas, after July 1, 2021, as provided. Existing law requires the board, on and after July 1, 2021, to periodically update regulations for fuel breaks and greenbelts near communities, as provided. This bill would, among other things, instead require the State Fire Marshal to adopt or amend regulations implementing the above-described minimum fire safety standards, as provided, applicable only to new building permits, or to parcel or tentative maps or other developments approved after the effective date of the regulations, as provided. The bill would also require the State Fire Marshal to periodically update regulations for fuel breaks and greenbelts near communities, as provided. The bill would provide that the above-described regulations adopted by the board before January 1, 2025, shall remain valid and in effect after that date, and would authorize the State Fire Marshal to amend the board's regulations and adopt new regulations after January 1, 2025, as provided. Existing law requires the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, on or before July 1, 2022, to develop criteria for and maintain a "Fire Risk Reduction Community" list of local agencies located in state responsibility areas, or a very high fire hazard severity zone that is not in a state responsibility area, that meet best practices for local fire planning, as provided. This bill would, among other things, instead require the State Fire Marshal to develop the above-described criteria for and maintain the above-described "Fire Risk Reduction Community" list of local agencies, as provided. The bill would provide that the above-described criteria adopted by the board before January 1, 2025, shall remain valid and in effect after that date, and would authorize the State Fire Marshal to amend the board's criteria and adopt new criteria after January 1, 2025. The bill would also require the State Fire Marshal to develop criteria for and maintain a "Fire Risk Reduction Community" list for neighborhoods or communities, not including public agencies, located in a state responsibility area or a very high fire hazard severity zone, that meet best practices for reducing wildfire risk, as provided. The bill would require the State Fire Marshal to post both of these lists on its internet website. Existing law requires a person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in, upon, or adjoining a mountainous area, forest-covered lands, shrub-covered lands, grass-covered lands, or land that is covered with flammable material to maintain a defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, as specified. Existing law also requires a person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains an occupied dwelling or occupied structure in, upon, or adjoining a mountainous area, forest-covered land, shrub-covered land, grass-covered land, or land that is covered with flammable material, which area or land is within a very high fire hazard severity zone designated by the local agency, to maintain a defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, as specified. A violation of either of these requirements is a crime. Existing law requires the persons described above to use more intense fuel reductions between 5 and 30 feet around the structure, and to create an ember-resistant zone within 5 feet of the structure, based on regulations promulgated by the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, as provided. Existing law requires the board, in consultation with the State Fire Marshal, to develop, periodically update, and post on its internet website a guidance document on fuels management, as provided. This bill would revise and recast these provisions by, among other things, instead requiring the State Fire Marshal to promulgate the regulations, as provided, related to fuel reductions between 5 and 30 feet around the structure and the creation of an ember-resistant zone within 5 feet of the structure. The bill would provide that the above-described regulations promulgated by the board before January 1, 2025, shall remain valid and in effect after that date, and would authorize the State Fire Marshal to amend the board's regulations and adopt new regulations after January 1, 2025, as provided. The bill would instead require the State Fire Marshal to develop, periodically update, and post on its internet website the above-described guidance documents on fuels management, and to develop guidance documents with suggestions for creating an ember-resistant zone within 5 feet of a structure, as provided. Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal or the local agency having jurisdiction over the property to provide notice to affected residents describing specified components of the above-referenced defensible space requirements before imposing penalties for a violation of these requirements, as provided. Under existing law, the requirements for an ember-resistant zone, as provided, do not take effect for new structures until the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection updates the applicable regulations and the guidance documents, as provided, and does not take effect for existing structures until one year after the effective date for the new structures. This bill would eliminate the State Fire Marshal's above-described duty to make reasonable efforts to provide notice to affected residents, as provided. The bill would provide that the above-described requirements for an ember-resistant zone do not take effect for new structures until (1) either the board updates the regulations and guidance documents, if updated before January 1, 2025, or (2) the State Fire Marshal updates the regulations and guidance documents, if after January 1, 2025. Existing law defines a person, for the above-described defensible space requirements applicable to a person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in, upon, or adjoining a mountainous area, forest-covered lands, shrub-covered lands, grass-covered lands, or land that is covered with flammable material, as a private individual, organization, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation. This bill would expand that definition of a person to also include a public agency. By imposing new requirements on local agencies, and because a violation of the requirements would be a crime or expand the scope of an existing crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would also make conforming changes. 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
The Planning and Zoning Law requires each county and city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan that includes, among other mandatory elements, a housing element. That law requires the city's or county's planning agency, after the legislative body has adopted a general plan, to submit an annual report to the legislative body, the Office of Planning and Research, and the Department of Housing and Community Development. Existing law, the Affordable Housing on Faith and Higher Education Lands Act of 2023 (the act) , requires a housing development project on certain lands owned by an independent institution of higher education or a religious institution to be a use by right if the development project satisfies specified criteria, including that a specified percentage of the development project's total units are for lower income households. This bill would require a local government to include in the annual report specified information relating to housing development projects under the act, including the number of applications submitted and the total number of building permits issued under the act. The bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development, by July 1, 2025, to develop and publish a list of existing state grants and financial incentives available for the planning, construction, and operation of very low, low-, and moderate-income housing on land owned by religious institutions and independent institutions of higher education, and a set of model partnership agreements that can be used by those institutions when they partner with an affordable housing builder. By requiring a local agency to include additional information in their annual reports, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law, the Child Care and Development Services Act, administered by the State Department of Social Services, establishes a system of childcare and development services for children up to 13 years of age. Existing law establishes the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) to serve the Governor as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth. Existing law authorizes the office to recommend to the Governor and the Legislature, among other things, new state policies, programs, and actions, and amendments to existing programs. This bill, the Childcare for Working Families Act, would establish the Childcare for Working Families Task Force for the purpose of submitting a report to the Legislature and the executive branch administration of the state, as specified, that recommends future comprehensive strategies aimed at addressing challenges faced by working families in accessing flexible, affordable, and quality childcare options. The bill would require the report to be completed by January 1, 2026. The bill would require the office to invite and convene the task force, as specified. The bill would require the office to assist the task force in carrying out its duties to the extent that funding is available. The bill would create the Childcare for Working Families Fund to receive moneys from nongovernment sources to support the implementation of the task force. This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2026, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2027.
Existing law, the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law, provides for the regulation of various subjects relating to the manufacturing, processing, labeling, advertising, and sale of food, drugs, and cosmetics, under the administration and enforcement of the State Department of Public Health (department) and in accordance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. A violation of the act is a crime. This bill would add kratom products, as defined, to the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law and require processors of kratom products to register with the department. The bill would authorize the department to establish an annual fee for processors and would authorize the fee to be based on certain criteria, including annual sales in California. The bill would prescribe specified quantities of alkaloids present in kratom products and would establish labeling and packaging requirements. The bill would require that kratom products be registered with the department annually, which would include certification by a laboratory specifying that the product meets certain qualifications. The bill would prohibit the sale of kratom leaf and kratom products to those under 21 years of age and would prohibit the sale and manufacture of a kratom product that is attractive to children or an inhalable kratom product. The bill would authorize the department to take various enforcement actions, including executing interagency agreements for the implementation of these provisions, among others. The bill would authorize a kratom processor who is operating in conformance with these provisions and in good faith compliance with their responsibilities to manufacture or sell kratom or kratom products without authorization until April 1, 2025. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would create 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law prohibits fixed and mobile internet service providers, as defined, that provide broadband internet access service, as defined, from engaging in specified actions concerning the treatment of internet traffic. This bill would define "digital discrimination of access" as policies or practices not justified by a legitimate business impediment, including genuine issues of technical or economic feasibility, that differentially impact consumers' access to broadband internet access service based on their race, ethnicity, color, religion, or national origin, or that are intended to have a differential impact. The bill would prohibit entities that provide, facilitate, and affect consumer access to broadband internet access service, including internet service providers, from engaging in digital discrimination of access, as specified. The bill would authorize only the Attorney General to bring a civil action against those entities for violating that prohibition, as provided.
Existing law, including the California Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly Act and the California Community Care Facilities Act, requires the licensure and regulation of certain residential health and care facilities and establishes specified rights for the residents of these licensees. Existing law makes a violation of certain of these provisions or a willful or repeated violation of any rule or regulation promulgated under these provisions a crime. This bill would enact the Resident Access Protection Act. The act would provide a resident of a long-term care facility with the right to in-person, onsite access to a visitor or a health care and social services provider during a public health emergency in which visitation rights of residents are curtailed by a state or local order, as specified. The act would prescribe how a resident may leave their long-term care facility on outings during a public health emergency. The act would require a long-term care facility, among other things, to provide safety protocols required of care staff, visitors, and health and social services providers during a public health emergency to the residents, resident representatives, and visitors in writing. A violation of the act would be a crime and subject to civil penalties. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would authorize a state or local government order to deny resident access to visitors and health care and social services providers for up to 7 days during a public health emergency and would authorize an extension of that order, as specified. The bill would authorize a state or local government order to supersede its provisions during a declared state of emergency, local emergency, health emergency, or local health emergency to limit the number of visitors or health care and social services providers who may simultaneously visit a resident, except as specified. The bill would authorize a state or local government order to specify the terms by which visitors or health care and social services providers can demonstrate their proficiency to follow the same safety protocols required by staff. The act would provide that its provisions may not otherwise be suspended, superseded, or modified, except by the Governor pursuant to their authority under the California Emergency Services Act, as specified. The bill would require certain facilities licensed pursuant to the California Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly Act and the California Community Care Facilities Act to comply with these requirements. By expanding the duties of these health care facilities, this bill would expand an existing crime, thereby imposing 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services, including certain dental services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Under existing law, one dental prophylaxis cleaning per year and one initial dental examination by a dentist are covered Medi-Cal benefits for beneficiaries 21 years of age or older. Under existing law, 2 dental prophylaxis cleanings per year and 2 periodic dental examinations per year are covered Medi-Cal benefits for beneficiaries under 21 years of age. Existing law conditions implementation of those provisions on receipt of any necessary federal approvals, the availability of federal financial participation, and, for beneficiaries 21 years of age or older, funding in the annual Budget Act. This bill would expand the above-described dental benefits, for beneficiaries 21 years of age or older, to at least 2 cleanings and at least 2 examinations per year when medically necessary, as specified in the Medi-Cal Dental Manual of Criteria. The bill would, for purposes of these provisions, include an individual's inability to maintain daily oral hygiene habits, susceptibility to oral health disease or decay, preoperative dental care, or as required by other specified provisions of law, in the definition of "medically necessary," and require the department to update the Medi-Cal Dental Manual of Criteria to conform with this inclusion.
Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, establishes the Office of Emergency Services (OES) within the office of the Governor, and sets forth its powers and duties relating to addressing natural, technological, or manmade disasters and emergencies, including responsibility for activities necessary to prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of emergencies and disasters to people and property. This bill would require the OES, to the extent permitted by federal law, to provide to local operational areas and urban areas the maximum local share of federal grant funding administered by the office from the Emergency Management Performance Grant Program. The bill would also require the OES, to the extent permitted by federal law, to provide specified legislative committees with copies of agreements entered into with local governments to spend the state share of federal grant funding administered by the office from specified federal grant programs, including the State Homeland Security Grant Program. The bill would authorize the office to retain up to 3% of the above-described federal grant funding for administrative purposes.
(1) Existing law establishes various programs, including, among others, the Emergency Housing and Assistance Program and the homeless youth emergency service pilot projects to provide assistance to homeless persons. This bill would, upon appropriation of the Legislature, establish the California Housing Security Program to provide counties with funding to administer a housing subsidy to eligible persons, as specified, to reduce housing insecurity and help Californians meet their basic housing needs. To create the program, the bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development, by January 1, 2026, to establish a 2-year pilot program, as specified, and to issue suggested guidelines to establish the program that include, among other things, criteria for program eligibility. The bill would specify that the subsidy would not be considered income for purposes of determining eligibility or benefits for any other public assistance program, nor would participation in other benefits exclude a person from eligibility for the subsidy. Under the bill, an undocumented person, as specified, who otherwise qualifies for the subsidy would be eligible for the subsidy. The bill would require the department, by January 1, 2026, to also provide each county selected to participate in the pilot program with a specified amount of funding for purposes of administering the housing subsidies. The bill would require, by July 1, 2026, a county participating in the pilot program, in consultation with specified entities, to perform prescribed duties, including reviewing the department's suggested guidelines and developing final guidelines to administer the housing subsidies based on the needs of the county. The bill would require participating counties, by January 1, 2027, to administer housing subsidies through the county and 2 or more grantees that are selected by the county to eligible persons, subject to specified requirements, including that the county is required to consider the final guidelines described above in selecting the grantees. The bill would provide that any resident of a county participating in the pilot program who meets specified eligibility requirements is eligible to apply for housing subsidies from the county or at least one of the selected grantees. Among other things, the bill would require a participating county to enter into a written agreement with the department to use program funds in a manner consistent with the bill's provisions, as specified, and would prohibit the department from providing program funds to a county that refuses or otherwise does not agree to use the funds in that manner. The bill would specify that a county is solely responsible for complying with the bill's provisions. The bill would define various terms for these purposes. (2) Existing law requires the department, on or before December 31 of each year, to submit an annual report to the Governor and both houses of the Legislature on the operations and accomplishments during the previous fiscal year of the housing programs administered by the department, as described, that includes specified information, including the number of individuals and households served and their income levels. The bill would additionally require the department, beginning January 1, 2028, and for the duration of the California Housing Security Program, to include specified programmatic performance metrics for the California Housing Security Program funds within that annual report. (3) This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange.
(1) Existing law establishes the Active Transportation Program in the Department of Transportation for the purpose of encouraging increased use of active modes of transportation, such as biking and walking, with specified available funds to be allocated to eligible projects by the California Transportation Commission and regional transportation agencies through the adoption of a program of projects. Existing law requires the commission to develop guidelines regarding, among other topics, project eligibility and project selection for the program of projects, as provided. Existing law establishes 4 classifications of bikeways and defines a "Class III bikeway" as a bikeway that provides a right-of-way on-street or off-street, designated by signs or permanent markings and shared with pedestrians and motorists. This bill would prohibit, on and after January 1, 2026, the commission from adding a project that creates a Class III bikeway or adds a specific road marking used to inform road users that bicyclists might occupy the travel lane to the program of projects, unless the bikeway or road marking is on a highway with a design speed limit of 25 miles per hour or less or the project will implement improvements to reduce the design speed limit to 25 miles per hour or less. (2) Existing law creates the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program to address deferred maintenance on the state highway system and the local street and road system. Existing law requires funds made available by the program to be used for projects that include, but are not limited to, road maintenance, safety projects, railroad grade separations, traffic control devices, and complete streets components. Existing law requires the department and cities and counties receiving funds under the program to incorporate complete streets elements into projects funded by the program, to the extent beneficial, cost effective, and practicable in the context of facility type, right-of-way, project scope, and quality of nearby alternative facilities. This bill would delete the factor relating to quality of nearby alternative facilities when the department and cities and counties are considering the benefit, cost effectiveness, and practicality of incorporating complete streets elements into projects funded by the program. The bill would require, where feasible, a bicycle facility that is identified for a street in an adopted bicycle plan or active transportation plan to be included in a project funded by the program that includes that street. If a planned bicycle facility is not constructed or if the bicycle facility that is constructed deviates from the adopted bicycle plan or the adopted active transportation plan, the bill would require the city, the county, or the department, as applicable, to document and publish the justification for the deviation. (3) Existing law requires the department to improve and maintain the state highways. This bill would establish the Bikeway Quick-Build Project Pilot Program within the department's maintenance program to expedite development and implementation of bikeways on the state highway system. The bill would require the department to develop guidelines for implementing bikeway quick-build projects. The bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2027, to identify and implement one bikeway quick-build project in each district.
Existing law establishes the California Interagency Council on Homelessness to oversee the implementation of Housing First guidelines and regulations, and, among other things, identify resources, benefits, and services that can be accessed to prevent and end homelessness in California. Existing law requires a state agency or department that funds, implements, or administers a state program that provides housing or housing-related services to people experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness to revise or adopt guidelines and regulations to include enumerated Housing First policies. Existing law specifies the core components of Housing First, including services that are informed by a harm-reduction philosophy that recognizes drug and alcohol use and addiction as a part of tenants' lives and where tenants are engaged in nonjudgmental communication regarding drug and alcohol use. This bill would authorize state programs to fund supportive recovery residences, as defined, that emphasize abstinence under these provisions as long as the state program meets specified criteria, including using at least 90% of its funds in each county for housing or housing-based services using a harm-reduction model. The bill would specify requirements for applicants seeking funds under these programs and would require the state to perform periodic monitoring of select supportive recovery residence programs to ensure that the supportive recovery residences meet certain requirements, including that core outcomes of the supportive recovery housing emphasize long-term housing stability and minimize returns to homelessness. The bill would also prohibit eviction on the basis of relapse, as specified. The bill would require, if a tenant is no longer interested in living in a supportive recovery residence or is at risk of eviction, that the supportive recovery residence secure the tenant a permanent housing unit at a partner or other housing program operated with harm-reduction principles. Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care Services to license and regulate facilities that provide residential nonmedical services to adults who are recovering from problems related to alcohol, drug, or alcohol and drug misuse or abuse, and who need alcohol, drug, or alcohol and drug recovery treatment or detoxification services. Existing law also requires the department to certify alcohol and other drug treatment recovery services, as specified. This bill would require the department to adopt the most recent standards approved by the National Alliance for Recovery Residences, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or other equivalent standards as the minimum standard for supportive recovery residences that receive public funds under these provisions. The bill would require the department to establish a separate process for determining if the supportive recovery residence complies with the core components of Housing First. The bill would authorize the department to charge a fee for certification of a supportive recovery residence in an amount not to exceed the reasonable cost of administering the program, not to exceed $1,000, and would establish the Supportive Recovery Residency Program Fund for collection of the fee.
Existing law establishes a prima facie speed limit of 25 miles per hour when approaching or passing a school building or grounds contiguous to a highway or when the school grounds are not separated from the highway, as specified. Existing law authorizes a local authority, by ordinance or resolution, to reduce the prima facie speed limit based on an engineering and traffic survey, as specified. This bill would, until January 1, 2028, instead establish a prima facie speed limit of 25 miles per hour in a school zone, as defined, subject to specified conditions, including, among others, when a school speed limit sign states "when children are present" and children are present, as defined, and when a school speed limit sign states specific hours, as specified. The bill would, notwithstanding the above provision and until January 1, 2028, authorize a local authority, by ordinance or resolution, to determine and declare a prima facie speed limit of 20 miles per hour in a school zone. The bill would, beginning on January 1, 2028, establish a prima facie speed limit of 20 miles per hour in a school zone, subject to conditions similar to those described above. By establishing new prima facie speed limits in school zones that would require changes to local speed limit signs, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law authorizes a local authority, by ordinance or resolution, to modify the prima facie speed limit based on distance from a school if the highways have a maximum of 2 traffic lanes and a maximum posted prima facie speed limit of 30 miles per hour immediately before and after the school zone, as specified. The bill would instead authorize a local authority, by ordinance or resolution, to determine and declare a prima facie speed limit of 15 miles per hour in a residence district on a highway with a posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour or slower in a school zone, or 25 miles per hour when approaching from a school zone at a distance of 500 to 1,000 feet, without the above-mentioned conditions, as specified. The bill would, for purposes of the above provisions, define "school zone" as an area of a highway within 500 feet of school grounds in any direction, unless otherwise posted, marked with appropriate signs giving notice of the area. Existing law defines a "speed trap," under certain circumstances, to mean, among other things, a particular section of a highway or state highway with a prima facie speed limit that is provided by law, as specified, if that prima facie speed limit is not justified by an engineering and traffic survey conducted within a certain specified time period, and enforcement of the speed limit involves the use of radar or another specified electronic device. Existing law exempts application of that definition to a local street, road, or school zone, senior zone, business activity district, or speed limit adopted by a local authority under certain conditions. This bill would change the definition of school zone for purposes of these provisions to conform with the definition of school zone described above. 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 the statutory provisions noted above.
