Existing law, the Digital Age Assurance Act, requires, beginning January 1, 2027, an operating system provider to provide an accessible interface at account setup that requires an accountholder to indicate the birth date, age, or both, of the user of that device for the purpose of providing a signal regarding the user's age bracket to applications available in a covered application store, among other things related to providing a uniform system for obtaining age information about a user of certain software applications. Existing law defines "user" for these purposes to mean a child that is the primary user of the device. This bill would establish the e-Safety Commission, as specified, and would require the commission to develop minimum age compliance guidelines for covered entities, as defined, review age assurance technologies used to implement the minimum age verification, and establish procedures for noncompliance investigations. The bill would require, on or before January 1 of each year, the commission to report to the Legislature and the Governor on its activities pursuant to the bill, as specified.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has the exclusive power to, among other things, determine and prescribe the manner and the terms of installation, operation, maintenance, use, and protection of railroad crossings. Existing law prohibits the construction of a public road, highway, or street across the track of any railroad corporation at grade and other specified actions with regard to railroad crossings without the permission of the commission. Existing law requires the commission to adopt an expedited review and approval process for ratesetting proceedings for an exempt railroad crossing application, as defined. Existing law requires the commission, upon initiating a ratesetting proceeding, to determine whether the proceeding is for an exempt railroad crossing application, and if so, to issue a proposed resolution pursuant to the expedited review and approval process. Existing law requires the proposed resolution to be publicly noticed on the commission's voting agenda and to be subject to public comment. This bill would additionally require the proposed resolution to be publicly noticed on a publicly accessible website.
Existing law establishes the Department of Transportation and requires the department to improve and maintain the state highways. This bill would require the department, in collaboration with the California Transportation Commission, to prepare a report to assess the services provided by the department to maintain and improve the state highway system, and the needs of state highway infrastructure, in the southeast portion of the County of Los Angeles. The bill would require the department to submit the report to the Legislature, and post the report on its internet website, on or before February 1, 2028. In preparing the report, the bill would require the department to provide an opportunity to comment on the topic of the report, as specified. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for County of Los Angeles.
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, among other things, to recommend to the Governor and the Legislature new state policies, programs, and actions to advance statewide economic goals and ensure that all state policies and programs conform to the adopted state economic and business development goals. This bill would require GO-Biz to establish and administer a pilot program to develop a model for delivering high-quality, workforce-centered artificial intelligence literacy instruction focused on careers in the entertainment industry. The bill would require the pilot program, among other things, to create a connected training pipeline that links learning directly to employment opportunities. The bill would require GO-Biz, among other things, to enter into partnerships with entertainment industry unions and guilds, entertainment industry employers, and film schools, among others, to support the pilot program, as specified. The bill would require the office, on or before January 1, 2029, to submit a report to the Legislature summarizing the results of the pilot program and providing recommendations for continuation, modification, or expansion of the pilot program, as specified. This bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2034.
Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, in cooperation with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, to submit a report to the Legislature, on or before March 1 of each year, that includes a review of the price of gasoline in the state and its impact on state revenues. Existing law authorizes the department to use any information that comes into its possession and to request from any person certain records, as specified. Existing law authorizes the commission to impose a civil penalty of $10,000 after receiving notification from the department that a person has failed or refused to provide information or records, as specified. This bill would increase the amount of that civil penalty to $15,000.
The California Constitution establishes the Commission on Judicial Performance and authorizes the commission to disqualify, suspend, retire, or censure a judge for specified acts of misconduct or for disability that seriously interferes with the performance of the judge's duties or that is, or is likely to become, permanent. The California Constitution requires the commission to make rules for the investigation of judges and authorizes the commission to provide for the confidentiality of complaints to, and investigations by, the commission. Existing statutory law also governs procedures for the conduct of these investigations. Existing law requires state and local departments and their employees to cooperate with the commission in an investigation conducted by the commission. This bill would authorize courts to display on their public internet website information that the Commission on Judicial Performance prepares and provides that clearly and concisely presents the Commission on Judicial Performance's mission, its process for submitting a complaint, and information about what constitutes a violation of the Code of Judicial Ethics.
Existing law establishes the Geologic Energy Management Division within the Department of Conservation under the direction of the State Oil and Gas Supervisor, who is required to supervise the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of oil and gas wells, and the operation, maintenance, and removal or abandonment of tanks and facilities attendant to oil and gas production within an oil and gas field so as to prevent damage to life, health, property, and natural resources. Existing law requires the operator of a well to file a written notice of intention to commence drilling with, and prohibits any drilling until approval is given by, the supervisor or district deputy. Existing law also requires an operator of a well to file a notice of intention with, and to receive approval from, the supervisor or a district deputy for the deepening or redrilling of wells, the plugging of wells, or the permanent altering of the casing of wells. Existing law prohibits the division from approving any notice of intention within a health protection zone, defined as the area within 3,200 feet of sensitive receptors, except for approvals necessary for specified purposes. Existing law defines sensitive receptors to include certain residential, educational, health care, detention, or business facilities, as provided. Existing law prohibits the construction or operation of new production facilities in health protection zones, except as provided. This bill would instead limit the prohibition on the division's approval of notices of intention within health protection zones to notices of intention for new wells, as defined. The bill would repeal the prohibition on the construction or operation of new production facilities in health protection zones. Existing law requires every operator who submits a notice of intention, except as provided, to submit a sensitive receptor inventory and map to the division or a statement certifying there are no sensitive receptors located within 3,200 feet of the wellhead location, as provided. This bill would instead limit that requirement to submit a sensitive receptor inventory and map or certification to an operator who submits a notice of intention for a new well. Under existing law, if a notice of intention is approved within a health protection zone in order to comply with a court order, the approval shall require the operator of the oil or gas well to provide an individual indemnity bond sufficient to pay the full cost of properly plugging and abandoning the operator's well or wells, and decommissioning any attendant production facilities in the health protection zone. This bill would instead limit that bonding requirement to a notice of intention for a new well that is approved within a health protection zone in order to comply with a court order, as provided.
Existing law, the California Retail Food Code (code) , authorizes the governing body of a city, county, or city and county that is designated as the enforcement agency to permit microenterprise home kitchen operations (MEHKOs) , and prohibits MEHKOs from operating unless they have obtained a permit from the enforcement agency. Existing law requires the permitting of MEHKOs to apply to all areas within a city, county, or city and county's jurisdiction, including to all cities within a county that authorizes MEHKOs. Existing law requires MEHKOs, as a restricted food service facility, to meet specified food safety standards. Existing law makes a violation of the code a misdemeanor. This bill would instead require the governing body of a city, county, or city and county that is designated as the enforcement agency to grant a nondiscretionary permit to use a residence as a MEHKO, and would prohibit a governing body of a city, county, or city and county that is designated as the enforcement agency from prohibiting MEHKOs from operating in any residential dwelling. The bill would prohibit the governing body of a city, county, or city and county from imposing a restriction on the number of MEHKOs permitted to operate within the governing body's jurisdiction or restrict operations based on geography. This bill would require the enforcement agency to issue a permit without a hearing and would prohibit the enforcement agency from requiring, among other things, additional permits, approvals, or discretionary review by any other local department or agency. The bill would require the enforcement agency to be the sole local permitting authority of a MEHKO, and would require the enforcement agency to make permits available no later than July 1, 2027. By expanding the scope of a crime for a violation of the code and by imposing additional duties on local enforcement agencies, 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 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.
Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations. Existing law authorizes the commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. Existing law prohibits a public utility from changing a rate or altering a classification, contract, practice, or rule that would result in a new rate, except upon a showing before the commission and a finding by the commission that the new rate is justified and the public utility notifying its customers of the rate change. This bill would require the commission to require an electrical corporation or gas corporation proposing to change a rate, or to alter a classification, contract, practice, or rule so as to result in a new rate based directly or indirectly on its request for return on invested capital, to include in its proposal certain studies, as provided. The bill would prohibit the commission from establishing an authorized return on equity for an electrical corporation or gas corporation that exceeds the rate on long-term debt issued by the federal government by more than 400 basis points. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the above provisions would be part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing the bill's requirements would be a crime, 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 authorizes the legislative body of any county or city to adopt ordinances that, among other things, regulate the use of buildings, structures, and land as between industry, business, residences, open space, including agriculture, recreation, enjoyment of scenic beauty, use of natural resources, and other purposes. Existing law requires every city, county, or city and county to, in consultation with the local fire department or district and the utility director, if the city, county, or city and county operates a utility, adopt an ordinance that creates an expedited, streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations, as provided. This bill would prohibit a local building authority from denying, withholding, or conditioning a certificate of occupancy to a nonprofit applicant solely on the basis that required vehicle charging stations are not fully operational, provided that certain conditions are met, including that the applicant has installed all vehicle charging infrastructure required by applicable law, regulation, or building code in the manner and to the specifications required. By increasing the duties of local officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. 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 Office to Housing Conversion Act, starting July 1, 2026, deems an adaptive reuse project, as defined, a use by right in all zones, regardless of the zoning of the site, and subject to a streamlined, ministerial review process, if the project meets specified requirements. Existing law authorizes a local government to adopt an ordinance implementing the act and specifying the process and requirements applicable to adaptive reuse projects. If a local agency does not adopt an above-described ordinance, existing law requires the local agency to ministerially, without discretionary review, approve or disapprove applications for a permit to create or serve an adaptive reuse project, as specified. Existing law, the authorizes a city or county, or city and county, commencing in the 2026–27 fiscal year, to establish an adaptive reuse investment incentive program. If a city or county, or city and county, establishes that program, existing law requires, upon approval of the governing body, the city or county, or city and county, to pay adaptive reuse investment incentive funds to the proponent of a qualified adaptive reuse project property, approved pursuant to the streamlined, ministerial process described above, to subsidize the affordable housing required under the Office to Housing Conversion Act, as specified. Existing law defines "qualified adaptive reuse project property" to mean an adaptive reuse project proposed pursuant to the Office to Housing Conversion Act that is located within the city or county. This bill would expand the definition of qualified adaptive reuse project property to include adaptive reuse projects that fall under the Office to Housing Conversion Act regardless of compliance with affordability criteria or labor standards specified in that Act, thereby expanding payment of adaptive reuse investment incentive funds to certain adaptive reuse projects that do not have the requisite affordability or labor standards as specified in the Act, as provided. The bill would also expand the requirement on those cities, counties, and cities and counties to pay adaptive reuse investment incentive funds to the proponent to, in addition to subsidizing affordable housing units, subsidize the project's housing units. Existing law authorizes a city or special district to pay to the city or county, or city and county, an amount equal to the amount of ad valorem property tax revenue allocated to that city or special district, but not the actual allocation, derived from the taxation of that portion of the total assessed value of that real property that is in excess of the property's valuation at the time of the proponent's initial request for funding, for the purpose of subsidizing the affordable housing units required pursuant to the Office to Housing Conversion Act. This bill would expand the authorization for a city or special district to pay to the city or county, or city and county, as described above, for the purpose of subsidizing the project's housing units.
The California Constitution delays for 30 days the implementation of any decision by the Board of Parole Hearings granting, denying, revoking, or suspending the parole of a person sentenced to an indeterminate term upon conviction of murder. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor, during this 30-day period, to affirm, modify, or reverse any such decision of the Board of Parole Hearings, and requires the Governor to report to the Legislature each parole decision affirmed, modified, or reversed, stating the pertinent facts and reasons for the action. This measure would additionally delay, and authorize the Governor to affirm, modify, or reverse, any decision of the Board of Parole Hearings for the granting of parole for any person receiving parole through any early parole program designated by the Legislature, if that person was convicted of a violent felony, as defined.
