Existing law generally provides for the compensation of victims and derivative victims of specified types of crimes by the California Victim Compensation Board from the Restitution Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, for specified losses suffered as a result of those crimes. Existing law sets forth eligibility requirements and limits on the amount of compensation that the board may award, and requires the application for compensation to be verified under penalty of perjury. This bill would create a pilot program, the Trauma Healing and Resilience Investment for Victimized and Exposed Youth Act (T.H.R.I.V.E.) , to be administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the administration of grants to the County of Los Angeles to establish and administer a program to pay for mental health and counseling services for youth survivors of gun violence, as defined, who request those services and who reside in that county. The bill would require policies and procedures for distributing funds to meet certain requirements, including, among other things, allowing youth survivors of gun violence, or their parents or guardians for survivors who are minors, to attest to their experiences of gun violence without requiring external documentation of the gun violence incident. The bill would create the Trauma Healing and Resilience Investment for Victimized and Exposed Youth Fund to be used by the department for the purposes of this program, upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would make client information and records of mental health services provided to these provisions confidential. The bill would make implementation of these provisions contingent upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2032. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requires the State Air Resources Board to adopt regulations for greenhouse gas emissions limits and emissions reduction measures to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in furtherance of achieving the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit, as defined. The act authorizes that state board to include in those regulations the use of a market-based compliance mechanism, known as the California Cap-and-Invest Program, to comply with those regulations. Existing law requires moneys collected by the state board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of the California Cap-and-Invest Program to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and continuously appropriates a portion of the moneys in the fund for various purposes. Existing law requires the Natural Resources Agency, in collaboration with the state board, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Food and Agriculture, an expert advisory committee established, as provided, and other relevant state agencies, to determine an ambitious range of targets for natural carbon sequestration, and for nature-based climate solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions for 2030, 2038, and 2045 to support state goals to achieve carbon neutrality and foster climate adaptation and resilience. Existing law defines "nature-based climate solutions" for these purposes to mean activities, such as restoration, conservation, and land management actions, that increase net carbon sequestration or reduce greenhouse gas emissions in natural and working lands. This bill would annually appropriate the sum of $250,000,000 from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in the annual Budget Act each fiscal year from the 2027–2028 to the 2045–46 fiscal year, inclusive, to achieve nature-based climate solutions on natural, working, and urban lands, including $150,000,000 to be allocated to the Natural Resources Agency to fund nature-based climate solutions, as provided, and $100,000,000 to be allocated for nature-based climate solutions at the discretion of the Legislature, as provided. The bill would additionally appropriate, after those amounts are allocated, the sum of $150,000,000 from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in the annual Budget Act each fiscal year from the 2027–2028 to the 2045–46 fiscal year, inclusive, to the Department of Food and Agriculture to fund sustainable agricultural practices and nature-based climate solutions, as provided.
Existing law establishes the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) pilot program, which is administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections, to improve public safety and reduce recidivism by increasing the availability and use of social service resources while reducing costs to law enforcement agencies and courts stemming from repeated incarceration. Existing law requires the board to award grants, on a competitive basis, to up to 3 jurisdictions to establish LEAD programs and requires the board to establish minimum standards, funding schedules, and procedures for awarding grants. This bill would rename the program as the Alternatives to Arrest (ATA) pilot program. The bill would require the board to additionally award a grant or grants to the agency administering qualifying programs in the City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles, as well as in other jurisdictions to be identified by the board. Existing law allows a person to be referred to services through a program by a law enforcement officer as an alternative to arrest and through a social contact referral by a law enforcement officer if they believe the person is at high risk of arrest in the future for specified crimes relating to controlled substances and prostitution. Existing law requires those social contact referrals to meet specified criteria, including, among other things, verification that the individual has had prior involvement with low-level drug or prostitution activity and that the individual does not have a pending case in drug court or mental health court. This bill would remove these requirements for social contact referrals and instead authorize them if, absent probable cause to arrest, the officer believes the person would benefit from case management services and is at high risk of arrest in the future and the person expresses interest in voluntarily participating in the program. The bill would expand the offenses eligible for referral as an alternative to arrest to include, among other things, specified disorderly conduct crimes, shoplifting, or other violations identified by the local jurisdiction with agreement of the police chief or sheriff, the city attorney or district attorney, and the implementing public health or behavioral health agency administering case management services. Existing law requires the Board of State and Community Corrections to contract with a nonprofit research entity, university, or college to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, as specified. Existing law also authorizes the board to contract with experts for the purpose of providing technical assistance to participating jurisdictions. Existing law appropriated $15,000,000 from the General Fund for the program and authorized the board to spend up to $550,000 for the purposes of the evaluation contract and technical assistance. This bill would repeal those provisions and would require, upon appropriation by the Legislature for these programs, that the funds be granted to the entity responsible for LEAD or ATA in the City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles and agencies in other jurisdictions to be identified by the board. The bill would authorize the board to spend a portion of those funds on contracts with experts on the implementation of ATA or similar programs in other jurisdictions for the purpose of providing technical assistance to participating jurisdictions, as specified. The bill would require local jurisdictions to commit to using these funds and local resources to support ATA or LEAD planning, implementation, and services and not supplant local resources that had been previously dedicated to ATA or LEAD programs and services. The bill would require the board to report to the Legislature on the effectiveness of the program on or before September 1, 2031.
Except as provided, the California Constitution requires that all property be taxed in proportion to its full value and assessed at the same percentage of fair market value. The tax imposed pursuant to these provisions is commonly referred to as an ad valorem property tax. Existing property tax law, in accordance with the California Constitution, provides for a "welfare exemption" for property used exclusively for religious, hospital, scientific, or charitable purposes and that is owned or operated by certain types of nonprofit entities, if any of certain qualifying criteria are met, including that the owner of the property receives low-income housing tax credits pursuant to specified provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Under existing property tax law, property that meets these requirements that is used exclusively for rental housing and related facilities is entitled to a partial exemption, equal to that percentage of the value of the property that is equal to the percentage that the number of units serving lower income households represents of the total number of residential units, in any year that any of certain criteria apply. Existing property tax law, for the 2018–19 fiscal year through the 2027–28 fiscal year, in the case of an owner of property who is eligible for the federal low-income housing tax credit, requires that a unit continue to be treated as occupied by a lower income household if the occupants were lower income households on the lien date in the fiscal year in which occupancy of the unit commenced and the unit continues to be rent restricted, notwithstanding an increase in the income of the occupants of the unit to 140% of area median income. This bill would extend the above-described provision through the 2028–29 fiscal year. Existing property tax law establishes procedures for claiming the welfare exemption, including requiring the annual filing of a claim for the exemption with the county assessor, as provided. This bill would authorize the county assessor to accept electronic signatures for materials necessary to claim, maintain, or otherwise receive the welfare exemption. The bill would require the county board of supervisors to, if necessary and in collaboration with the county assessor, adopt any ordinances or resolutions to implement the electronic portal and submission authorization. The bill would require, as provided, every county to release all forms related to the annual recertification of tenant income necessary to receive the welfare exemption by November 15 of each calendar year prior to the due date for the forms. By imposing additional duties on counties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 214 of the Revenue and Taxation Code proposed by Assembly Bill 1294 to be operative only if this bill and Assembly Bill 1294 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. 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 authorizes various local governmental entities, subject to certain limitations and approval requirements, to levy a transactions and use tax for general or specific purposes, in accordance with the procedures and requirements set forth in the Transactions and Use Tax Law, including a requirement that the combined rate of all taxes that may be imposed in accordance with that law in any county not exceed 2%. This bill would authorize, until December 31, 2031, the County of Los Angeles, by an ordinance adopted by the county, to levy a tax pursuant to the Transactions and Use Tax Law at a rate not to exceed 0.5% for general and special purposes, subject to voter approval, as specified. The bill would also authorize, until December 31, 2031, the County of Contra Costa, by an ordinance adopted by the county, to levy a tax pursuant to the Transactions and Use Tax Law at a rate not to exceed 0.625% for general or specific purposes, subject to voter approval, as specified. The bill would authorize those taxes to exceed the 2% limit described above. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Contra Costa and Los Angeles. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing property tax law exempts from tax any real property that is reasonably and necessarily required for the parking of automobiles by persons engaged in religious activities. Existing law extends this exemption to apply to land and improvements regardless of whether the fee interest in the land and improvements is held by the religious organization using the land and improvements for parking purposes if certain requirements are met, including a requirement that the congregation of the church is no greater than 500 members. This bill would remove the requirements relating to the size of the congregation. By imposing additional duties on local tax officials, 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, 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. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
The California Constitution conditions the imposition of a special tax by a local government upon the approval of 23 of the voters of the local government voting on that tax, and prohibits these entities from imposing an ad valorem tax on real property or a transactions or sales tax on the sale of real property. The Supreme Court of California interpreted this provision and other provisions restricting the authority of local governments to impose, extend, or increase taxes as not restricting the authority of voters to impose taxes via initiative. This measure would, beginning January 1, 2027, prohibit a local government, including the electorate of a local government exercising the initiative power, from imposing, extending, or increasing any special tax, except as provided, unless and until that tax is submitted to the electorate and approved by a 23 vote. The measure would prohibit a local government, including the electorate of a local government exercising the initiative power, from imposing ad valorem taxes on real property, except as provided pursuant to specified constitutional provisions.
The California Constitution limits the amount of ad valorem taxes on real property to 1% of the full cash value of that property, defined as the county assessor's valuation of real property as shown on the 1975–76 tax bill and, thereafter, the appraised value of the property when purchased, newly constructed, or a change in ownership occurs after the 1975 assessment, subject to an annual inflation adjustment not to exceed 2%. Existing property tax law, pursuant to specified provisions of the California Constitution, provides that the purchase or transfer of real property that is the principal residence or a family farm, as those terms are defined, of an eligible transferor in the case of a purchase or transfer between parents and their children, or between grandparents and their grandchildren if all the parents of that grandchild or those grandchildren are deceased as of the date of purchase or transfer, is not a "purchase" or "change in ownership" for purposes of determining the "full cash value" of property for taxation, as provided. Existing law defines "transfer" for these purposes to include, but not be limited to, any transfer of the present beneficial ownership of property from an eligible transferor to an eligible transferee through the medium of an inter vivos or testamentary trust. Existing law authorizes the establishment of a special needs trust if a court makes specific determinations, including that the minor or person with a disability has a disability that substantially impairs the individual's ability to provide for their own care. This bill would revise the definition of "transfer" for purposes of the above-described property tax law provisions to require that a special needs trust, established as described above, be considered an eligible medium of transfer.
Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services, subject to an appropriation, to administer the California Guaranteed Income Pilot Program, until January 1, 2028, to provide grants to eligible entities for the purpose of administering pilot programs and projects that provide a guaranteed income to participants. Existing law requires the department to prioritize funding for pilot programs and projects California residents who age out of the extended foster care program at or after 21 years of age or who are pregnant individuals. Existing law requires the department, in determining the methodology and manner of distributing grants, to ensure that grant funds are awarded in an equitable manner to eligible entities in both rural and urban counties and in proportion to the number of individuals anticipated to be served by an eligible entity's pilot program or project. This bill would require the department to also prioritize pilot programs and projects that serve California residents who are parents of children between zero to 5 years of age, inclusive, or who are victims of domestic violence. The bill would remove the requirement that grant funds are awarded in proportion to the number of individuals anticipated to be served by an eligible entity's pilot program or project, and would require preference to be provided for eligible entities in regions where eligible entities have not yet been awarded grant funds pursuant to this program.
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. The Medi-Cal program is in part governed by, and funded pursuant to, federal Medicaid program provisions. Under existing law, a critical access hospital is eligible for supplemental payments for Medi-Cal covered outpatient services rendered to Medi-Cal eligible persons, as specified. This bill would appropriate $5,500,000 from the General Fund to the department for the purpose of providing supplemental payments for services covered under the Medi-Cal program, with the stated intent that these payments facilitate the maintenance of operations of the health care system in the County of Inyo and thereby prevent the closure of hospitals within the county. The bill would require that, of the appropriated moneys, $2,500,000 be distributed to the Northern Inyo Healthcare District and $3,000,0000 be distributed to the Southern Inyo Healthcare District. Under the bill, these payments would be in addition to any supplemental payments received by a hospital within the county pursuant to the above-described provision regarding critical access hospitals. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Inyo.
