Existing law, the State Bar Act, regulates the conduct of attorneys. Existing law provides that it is the duty of an attorney to, among other things, support the Constitution and laws of the United States and this state, and to maintain inviolate the confidence, and at every peril to the attorney to preserve the secrets, of the attorney's client. This bill would additionally require an attorney to execute and maintain, for a period of 7 years, an affidavit certifying whether generative artificial intelligence, as defined, was used in the drafting of each document that the attorney files, or intends to file, in a state or federal court within this state. The bill would require an attorney to, upon request or demand by a state or federal court within this state, file the affidavit with the court, provided that the 7-year retention period has not yet expired.
(1) Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations. The Public Utilities Act requires the commission, by December 31, 2020, to ensure that all eligible low-income electricity and gas customers are given the opportunity to participate in low-income energy efficiency programs, including customers occupying apartments or similar multiunit residential structures. Existing law requires these programs to be designed to provide long-term reductions in energy consumption at the dwelling unit based on an audit or assessment of the dwelling unit and authorizes these programs to include, among other things, energy-efficient appliances. This bill would require energy-efficient appliances provided pursuant to the Energy Savings Assistance Program to only replace natural gas appliances with electric appliances. The bill would also make various nonsubstantive changes. (2) Under existing law, a violation of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because a violation of a commission action implementing the above-described requirement 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 governs the seizure, rescue, adopting out, and euthanasia of abandoned and surrendered animals by animal control officers, law enforcement officers, animal shelters, and rescue organizations. Existing law requires the governing body of each city, city and county, or county to maintain or provide for the maintenance of an animal shelter system and a rabies control program. This bill would require the State Department of Public Health to collect certain rabies control program data from each city, city and county, or county, as outlined. By increasing the data collected from each city, city and county, and county, this 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, 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.
Existing law establishes the State Allocation Board and specifies its membership and duties. Existing law imposes specified duties on the board with respect to the allocation and expenditure of state funds for the construction of public school facilities. Existing law requires the board to obtain construction plans for school buildings appropriate for school districts in various climates and geographical conditions of the state and requires the plans to meet the needs of school districts that require school buildings of various sizes. Existing law authorizes these plans to include designs that promote, among other things, the efficient use of energy and water. This bill would expressly authorize the above-described plans to also include designs that promote the use of materials and strategies to address climate change. The bill also would make nonsubstantive changes.
Existing law requires the Department of General Services under the police power of the state to supervise the design and construction of any school building or the reconstruction or alteration of or addition to any school building, if not exempted, to ensure that plans and specifications comply with specified rules, regulations, and building standards and to ensure that the work of construction is performed in accordance with the approved plans and specifications, for the protection of life and property. Existing law establishes in the Department of General Services the Office of the State Architect and provides that the State Architect has general charge, under the Department of General Services, of the erection of all state buildings. This bill would require the Office of the State Architect to establish a program to provide technical assistance to public school districts to build housing for school employees.
Existing law establishes the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development to, among other duties, 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 imposes various requirements relating to the environmental review and governmental approval of certain types of projects, including renewable electricity generation projects. This bill would require the office, on or before January 1, 2026, to create and oversee a process for interagency coordination for all state and local agencies with known or likely environmental review or permitting jurisdiction relating to proposed renewable electrical generation facilities. The bill would request federal agencies with known or likely environmental review or permitting jurisdiction relating to proposed renewable electrical generation facilities to participate in the process.
Existing law provides deadlines for candidates at a primary election to deliver or file their nomination documents. Existing law generally requires a candidate to deliver their nomination documents to the county elections official no later than 5 p.m. on the 88th day before the primary election. Existing law provides an exception for specified state offices and for the offices of Member of the United States House of Representatives and United States Senator, whereby if the incumbent of one of those offices does not deliver nomination documents by 5 p.m. on the 88th day before the primary election, a person other than the incumbent may file nomination documents for that office until 5 p.m. on the 83rd day before the primary election. Existing law prohibits a candidate whose declaration of candidacy has been filed for a primary election to withdraw as a candidate at that primary election. This bill would permit a candidate whose declaration of candidacy has been filed for a primary election to withdraw their candidacy until 5 p.m. on the final day that nomination documents may be delivered or filed for that office at the primary election. The bill would also make conforming changes. By increasing the duties of local elections officials regarding the nomination of candidates for the primary election, 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, 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.
(1) Existing law prohibits a person from filing nomination documents for a party nomination and an independent nomination for the same office, or for more than one office at the same primary election. This bill would clarify that a candidate is prohibited from filing nomination documents for more than one office at the same primary election. (2) Existing law requires a candidate for state office, or for the office of Member of the United States House of Representatives or United States Senator, to deliver their nomination documents to the county elections official no later than 5 p.m. on the 88th day before the primary election. Existing law further provides that if the incumbent for specified state offices, or for the office of Member of the United States House of Representatives or United States Senator, does not deliver nomination documents to the county elections official by this deadline, then the deadline for a candidate other than the incumbent to file nomination documents for that office is extended to 5 p.m. on the 83rd day before the primary election. Existing law prohibits a candidate whose declaration of candidacy has been filed for any primary election from withdrawing as a candidate at that primary election. This bill would permit a candidate who has filed a declaration of candidacy for an office at a primary election to additionally file nomination documents for one of the offices specified above if a filing extension is granted for that second office because the incumbent has not filed nomination documents. The bill would provide that the candidate's act of filing for the second office constitutes an automatic withdrawal from candidacy for the first office. The bill would further provide that if the candidate who withdraws from the first office is the incumbent of that first office, the period to file nomination documents for that first office would be reopened until 5 p.m. on the 78th day before the primary election. By imposing additional duties on local elections officials, the bill would establish 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, 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.
Existing law prohibits the abuse or neglect of an elder or dependant adult, as specified. Under existing law a violation of these provisions is punishable as either a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the circumstances. Existing law, for purposes of these provisions, defines an "elder" as a person 65 years of age or older, and a "dependant adult" as a person between 18 and 64 years of age who has certain defined physical or mental limitations. This bill would, for purposes of the elder and dependant adult abuse and neglect provisions, define an "elder" as a person who is 60 years of age or older, and define a "dependant adult" as a person between 18 and 59 years of age who has certain defined physical and mental limitations. By redefining "elder," this bill would expand the applicability of these crimes and 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 requires the Secretary of Government Operations to develop a coordinated plan to, among other things, investigate the feasibility of, and obstacles to, developing standards and technologies for state departments to determine digital content provenance. For the purpose of informing that coordinated plan, existing law requires the secretary to evaluate, among other things, the impact of the proliferation of deepfakes, as defined. This bill would require the Department of Technology to issue regulations to establish standards for watermarks to be included in covered AI-generated material, as defined. The bill would require the department's standard to, at minimum, require an AI-generating entity to include digital content provenance in the watermarks. The bill would prohibit an AI-generating entity from creating covered AI-generated material unless the material includes a watermark that meets the standards established by the department. The bill would provide that the prohibition becomes operative on the date that is one year after the date on which the department issues the regulations to establish standards for watermarks. Under existing law, a person who knowingly uses another's name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness, in any manner, on or in products, merchandise, or goods, or for the purposes of advertising or selling, or soliciting purchases of, products, merchandise, goods, or services, without that person's prior consent is liable for any damages sustained by the person or persons injured as a result thereof and for the payment to the injured party of any profits attributable to that unauthorized use. This bill would provide that an AI-generating entity or individual that creates a deepfake using a person's name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness, in any manner, without permission from the person being depicted in the deepfake, is liable for the actual damages suffered by the person or persons as a result of the unauthorized use. This bill would provide that an AI-generating entity that violates the provisions of this act is subject to a civil penalty assessed by the department in an amount, as determined by the department, not less than $250 or more than $500.
Existing law prohibits a driver from operating a commercial motor vehicle for the rest of their life if they use a motor vehicle in the commission of a felony involving distribution, dispensing, or manufacturing a controlled substance. Existing law generally makes a violation of any provision of the Vehicle Code an infraction. This bill would similarly prohibit a driver if they use a motor vehicle in the commission of a felony involving human trafficking. Because a violation of this provision would be punishable as an infraction, this 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 establishes the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) in the Government Operations Agency to administer specified taxes. Existing law establishes in state government the Office of Tax Appeals (OTA) to conduct tax appeals hearings. Existing law requires that the director of the OTA administer and direct the day-to-day operations of the office, including that each hearing office is sufficiently staffed and that appeals hearings are heard and resolved in a timely and efficient manner. Existing law prohibits the director from being involved in the decisionmaking process of tax appeals panels. This bill would establish in the Government Operations Agency the California Department of Tax and Fee Board and the Office of Tax Appeals Board to control the CDTFA and the OTA, respectively, as specified. The bill would require each board to consist of the Controller, Director of Finance, and Chairperson of the State Board of Equalization. This bill would require the boards to appoint a director, subject to confirmation by the Senate. This bill would specify that the OTA is in the Government Operations Agency and prohibit the Office of Tax Appeals Board from interfering with the decisionmaking process of the tax appeals panels.
