(1) Existing law establishes the Pierce's Disease Control Program in the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Pierce's Disease Management Account in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund. Existing law allows certain money in this account to be expended to combat Pierce's disease and its vectors, including the glassy-winged sharpshooter, and for purposes relating to other designated pests and diseases, as provided. Existing law makes these provisions inoperative on March 1, 2031. This bill would extend the operation of these provisions indefinitely, except that the bill would make these provisions inoperative on a specified date if the Secretary of Food and Agriculture finds that a favorable vote in a referendum has not been given for the continued implementation of the provisions regarding the Winegrape Pest and Disease Prevention Board, as described below. By extending the operation of a partially continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation. (2) Existing law creates in the department the Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board, which consists of specified members, and prescribes the functions and duties of the board with respect to implementation of the Pierce's disease program. Existing law provides for an annual assessment to be paid by grape processors, as defined, into the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund and continuously appropriates the collected funds for the purposes of, among other things, research and other activities related to the Pierce's disease program. Existing law repeals these provisions on March 1, 2031. This bill would change the name of the board to the Winegrape Pest and Disease Prevention Board. This bill would extend the operation of the provisions concerning the board indefinitely, except that this bill would require the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, no later than June 30, 2030, and at least once every 5 years thereafter, to hold one or more public hearings to determine whether the operation of these provisions should be continued. If the secretary makes a specified finding after one of those hearings, the bill would require the secretary to conduct a referendum on the continued operation of the board. If the secretary finds that a favorable vote in the referendum has not been given for the continued operation of the board, the bill would end the operation of the board as of March 1 of the calendar year immediately following the calendar year in which the referendum is held. By extending the date until which the assessments are collected and deposited into a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation. (3) Existing law, until March 1, 2031, requires the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to appoint an advisory task force for the purpose of advising the secretary on the control and management of Pierce's disease. This bill would also require the task force to advise the Secretary of Food and Agriculture on the control and management of other designated pests and diseases. The bill would extend the operation of the task force indefinitely, subject to becoming inoperative if the operation of the Winegrape Pest and Disease Prevention Board is discontinued. (4) 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.
Existing law establishes a motor vehicle inspection and maintenance (smog check) program that is administered by the Department of Consumer Affairs. The smog check program requires inspection of motor vehicles upon initial registration, biennially upon renewal of registration, upon transfer of ownership, and in certain other circumstances. Existing law exempts specified vehicles from being inspected biennially upon renewal of registration, including, among others, all motor vehicles manufactured prior to the 1976 model year. Existing law also exempts from specified portions of the smog test a collector motor vehicle that is insured as a collector motor vehicle, is at least 35 model years old, complies with the exhaust emissions standards for that motor vehicle's class and model year as prescribed by the department, and that passes a functional inspection of the fuel cap and a visual inspection for liquid fuel leaks. This bill would extend the above exemption from vehicles that were manufactured prior to the 1976 model year, to any motor vehicle that is 30 or more model years old.
Existing law requires the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than that driver, or in the death of a person, to immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident and provide specified personal information to the injured person or the occupants of the other vehicle and to any traffic or police officer at the scene of the accident. Under existing law, if a vehicle accident results in permanent, serious injury or death, a person who violates the requirement to stop is subject to punishment by imprisonment in the state prison for 2, 3, or 4 years, or in a county jail for not less than 90 days nor more than one year, or by a specified fine, or both the imprisonment and fine. Existing law requires a person who flees the scene of the crime after committing specified vehicle manslaughter while intoxicated or vehicle manslaughter to be punished for an additional term of imprisonment of 5 years in the state prison, upon conviction, and in addition and consecutive to the punishment prescribed. This bill would instead require a person who violates the requirement to stop to be subject to punishment by imprisonment in the state prison for 7, 8, or 9 years if the vehicle accident results in permanent, serious injury or death.
Existing law requires the Department of the California Highway Patrol to regulate the safe operation of certain vehicles, including, but not limited to, motortrucks of 3 or more axles that are more than 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating, truck tractors, and specified other motortrucks regulated by the department, the Department of Consumer Affairs, or the United States Secretary of Transportation. Existing law establishes the Office of Emergency Services within the office of the Governor and requires the office to be responsible for the state's emergency and disaster response services for natural, technological, or manmade disasters and emergencies. This bill would require the Office of Emergency Services, on or before January 1, 2027, to develop and post on its internet website an action plan for responding to electric commercial motor vehicle battery fires that covers specified topics, including best practices for reducing wildfire risk and mitigating the risk of battery reignition. The bill would require the office, in developing the action plan, to consult with certain stakeholders, including the Department of the California Highway Patrol, electric truck manufacturers, and labor organizations.
Existing law, the Bergeson-Peace Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank Act, authorizes the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, governed by a board of directors, to make loans, issue bonds, and provide other financial assistance for various types of infrastructure and economic development projects. Existing law establishes the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, to support the bank. This bill would enact the Golden State Infrastructure Corporation Act and would establish the Golden State Infrastructure Corporation, within the State Treasurer's Office, as a not-for-profit corporation for the purpose of administering the act and financing infrastructure projects. The bill would require the corporation to be governed by a board of directors, with a prescribed membership, and would require the business and affairs of the corporation to be managed by an executive director appointed by the Treasurer. This bill would prescribe the powers and duties of the corporation, including entering into financing transactions, borrowing money or issuing bonds, and setting and charging fees for obtaining financing from the corporation. Under the bill, the state would not in any way be liable for any obligation of the corporation, and the corporation would not be required to pay any taxes, except as provided. The bill would require the corporation, not later than January 1 of each year, to submit to the Governor, the Legislature, and the Legislative Analyst's Office a report for the preceding fiscal year containing information on the Golden State Infrastructure Corporation Fund, which the bill would create, and the corporation's activities, including specified information. This bill would authorize the corporation to extend financing to either an infrastructure company, a governmental entity, or a combination of those entities, as provided, if the board determines that the financing meets specified criteria. The bill would authorize the corporation, upon board approval, to issue revenue bonds, in a principal amount that the board determines to be necessary, convenient, or desirable to provide moneys for the corporation's purposes, which may include, among others, to provide financing to one or more governmental entities or infrastructure companies for infrastructure projects, as provided. The bill would prescribe requirements for issuing the bonds. The bill would require the board to approve operational policies prior to providing financing for any infrastructure project. The bill would, for purposes of the California Public Records Act, treat the corporation as a state agency, as defined. The bill would, however, exempt from disclosure under that act specified corporate financial records or critical infrastructure information, as defined, furnished to the corporation that have not previously been made public, and would authorize the board, notwithstanding the provisions of the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, to meet in closed session to review or discuss corporate financial records or critical infrastructure information necessary for the board to consider whether to approve or modify a financing, or to discuss the performance of any financing, provided to an infrastructure company for an infrastructure project. This bill would provide that all moneys in the Golden State Infrastructure Corporation Fund are continuously appropriated for the support of the corporation, to be available for expenditure for the purposes stated in the bill. 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.
Existing law provides that the Department of Food and Agriculture has general supervision of the weights and measures and weighing and measuring devices sold or used in the state, including devices used to measure electricity sold as a motor vehicle fuel. Existing law regulates the use and repair of weighing or measuring devices. Existing law authorizes a device to be placed in service only by a sealer or a service agency. Existing law prohibits, until January 1, 2028, requiring electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) to be retested or placed in service by a service agency or sealer, if the EVSE has previously been placed in service by a service agency or sealer, before the EVSE is used after receiving maintenance, as specified. This bill would authorize an EVSE that has been audited or tested by the manufacturer or supplier to be used commercially without further testing during the remainder of the inspection period adopted by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, but not until it has been sealed by a sealer. The bill would, among other things, require the county sealer to ensure that certain EVSE installed before January 1, 2026, are initially placed in service and tested by a sealer on or before January 1, 2027, at no additional cost other than the registration fees paid by the EVSE owner or operator. The bill would, until January 1, 2028, if an EVSE has previously been placed in service, no longer require the EVSE to be retested or placed in service by a service agency or sealer before the EVSE is used after receiving maintenance in a manner that does not affect the EVSE being correct. The bill would require the Division of Measurement Standards, on or before January 1, 2027, to issue guidance and develop statewide resources relevant to weights and measures for EVSE, as specified, and to consider and implement optional pathways for EVSE testing and placed-in-service requirements, including in-factory auditing or testing and certification by a factory- or supplier-registered service agency.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The act authorizes the state board to include in its regulation of those emissions the use of market-based compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Existing law continuously appropriates 25% of the annual proceeds of the fund to the High-Speed Rail Authority for certain purposes. This bill would eliminate the continuous appropriation of 25% of the annual proceeds of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to the High-Speed Rail Authority on June 30, 2026. The bill, beginning with the 2026–27 fiscal year, would instead require 25% of the annual proceeds of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to be transferred to the General Fund and for those moneys, upon appropriation, to be used to augment funding provided to local governments to improve infrastructure.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 establishes the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases. The act requires the state board to adopt rules and regulations to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective greenhouse gas emissions reductions to ensure that the statewide greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to at least 40% below the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit, as defined, no later than December 31, 2030. Pursuant to the act, the state board has adopted the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard regulations. This bill would void specified amendments to the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard regulations adopted by the state board on November 8, 2024.
(1) The Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax Law, administered by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, imposes a tax upon each gallon of motor vehicle fuel removed from a refinery or terminal rack in this state, entered into this state, or sold in this state, at a specified rate per gallon. Existing law requires the department to adjust the tax on July 1 each year by a percentage amount equal to the increase in the California Consumer Price Index, as calculated by the Department of Finance. Article XIX of the California Constitution restricts the expenditure of revenues from the Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax Law, Diesel Fuel Tax Law, and other taxes imposed by the state on fuels used in motor vehicles upon public streets and highways to street and highway and certain mass transit purposes. This bill would authorize the Governor to suspend an adjustment to the motor vehicle fuel tax, as described above, scheduled on or after July 1, 2025, upon making a determination that increasing the rate would impose an undue burden on low-income and middle-class families. The bill would require the Governor to notify the Legislature of an intent to suspend the rate adjustment on or before January 10 of that year, and would require the Department of Finance to submit to the Legislature a proposal by January 10 that would maintain the same level of funding for transportation purposes as would have been generated had the scheduled adjustment not been suspended. (2) The California Constitution provides for the establishment of the State Board of Equalization, which, before July 1, 2017, had primary responsibility for most of the state's duties, powers, and responsibilities regarding the administration of taxes and fees. Existing law, on July 1, 2017, transferred to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration various duties, powers, and responsibilities of the State Board of Equalization, including administration of the Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax Law and the Diesel Fuel Tax Law, as specified. This bill would also change references in these provisions of law from the "State Board of Equalization" to the "California Department of Tax and Fee Administration" or "department," as applicable, to reflect the transfer of the board's duties, powers, and responsibilities to the department. (3) This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Existing law establishes the Clean Transportation Program, administered by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, to provide funding to certain entities to develop and deploy innovative technologies that transform California's fuel and vehicle types to help attain the state's climate change policies. Existing law limits funding under the program to specified categories of programs and projects. Existing law creates the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund, to be administered by the commission, and requires the moneys in the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to be expended by the commission to implement the program. This bill would add to the categories of programs and projects eligible for funding under the Clean Transportation Program programs and projects to deter and combat vandalism of publicly available electric vehicle charging stations.
