Rep. Connie Conway

This measure would call on the President of the United States to use his executive authority to find innovative ways to provide more water for agriculture in California.

This measure would urge the President and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to comply with all requests related to congressional inquiries related to IRS misconduct in a full and transparent manner, and ensure that all government employees are made available for questions relating to the application of tax exempt status for religious organizations. This measure would also urge the appointment of an independent counsel to investigate the actions of the IRS.

Existing law, the California High-Speed Rail Act, creates the High-Speed Rail Authority to develop and implement a high-speed rail system in the state. Existing law, the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century, approved by the voters as Proposition 1A at the November 4, 2008, general election, provides for the issuance of $9 billion in general obligation bonds for high-speed rail purposes and $950 million for other related rail purposes. Article XVI of the California Constitution requires measures authorizing general obligation bonds to specify the single object or work to be funded by the bonds and further requires a bond act to be approved by a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and a majority of the voters. This bill would provide that no further bonds shall be sold for high-speed rail purposes pursuant to the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century, expect as specifically provided with respect to an existing appropriation for high-speed rail purposes for early improvement projects in the Phase I blended system. The bill, subject to the above exception, would require redirection of the unspent proceeds received from outstanding bonds issued and sold for other high-speed rail purposes prior to the effective date of these provisions, upon appropriation, for use in retiring the debt incurred from the issuance and sale of those outstanding bonds. The bill, subject to the above exception, would also require the net proceeds of other bonds subsequently issued and sold under the high-speed rail portion of the bond act to be made available, upon appropriation, to fund projects in the State Transportation Improvement Program, the State Highway Operation and Protection Program, and the state's freight plan. The bill would make no changes to the authorization under the bond act for issuance of $950 million for rail purposes other than high-speed rail. These provisions would become effective only upon approval by the voters at the next statewide general election. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

(1) Existing law, the Safe, Clean, and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2012, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $11,140,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a safe drinking water and water supply reliability program. Existing law provides for the submission of the bond act to the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election. This bill would repeal these provisions. (2) Under existing law, various measures have been approved by the voters to provide funds for water supply and protection facilities and programs. Existing law, the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006, an initiative measure approved by the voters as Proposition 84 at the November 7, 2006, statewide general election, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $5,388,000,000 for the purposes of financing safe drinking water, water quality and supply, flood control, natural resource protection, and park improvements. Existing law, the Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond Act of 2006, approved by the voters as Proposition 1E at the November 7, 2006, general statewide election, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $4,090,000,000 for the purposes of financing disaster preparedness and flood prevention projects. Existing law, the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Act of 2002, an initiative measure approved by the voters as Proposition 50 at the November 5, 2002, statewide general election, authorizes, for the purposes of financing a safe drinking water, water quality, and water reliability program, the issuance of bonds in the amount of $3,440,000,000. Existing law, the Costa-Machado Water Act of 2000, approved by the voters as Proposition 13 at the March 7, 2000, statewide primary election, authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $1,970,000,000 for the purposes of financing a safe drinking water, clean water, watershed protection, and flood protection program. Existing law, the Safe, Clean, Reliable Water Supply Act, approved by the voters as Proposition 204 at the November 5, 1996, statewide general election, authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $995,000,000 for the purposes of financing a safe, clean, reliable water supply program. Existing law, the Water Conservation and Water Quality Bond Law of 1986, approved by the voters as Proposition 44 at the June 3, 1986, statewide primary election, authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $150,000,000 for the purposes of financing a water conservation and water quality program. This bill would enact the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, which, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $7,120,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a water quality, supply, and infrastructure improvement program. This bill, upon voter approval, would reallocate $425,000,000 of the unissued bonds authorized for the purposes of Propositions 1E, 13, 44, 50, 84, and 204 to finance the purposes of a water quality, supply, and infrastructure improvement program. This bill would provide for the submission of these provisions to the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election. (3) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing property tax law, with a specified exception, requires tax sales of defaulted property to be held at public auction with the sale to the highest bidder. Existing law authorizes the tax collector to require a person to submit a deposit, by specified method, as a condition to submitting a bid on property that is being sold or as a payment toward specified property that is being sold, or both. This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to that deposit provision.

This measure would declare that the Legislature joins the County of Riverside in opposing base realignment and closure affecting the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona Division, and March Air Reserve Base.

(1) Existing law, the Safe, Clean, and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2012, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $11,140,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a safe drinking water and water supply reliability program. Existing law provides for the submission of the bond act to the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election. This bill would repeal these provisions. (2) Under existing law, various measures have been approved by the voters to provide funds for water supply and protection facilities and programs. This bill would enact the Safe, Clean, and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2014, which, if adopted by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $8,035,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a safe drinking water and water supply reliability program. This bill would provide for the submission of the bond act to the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election. (3) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

(1) The Economic Revitalization Act establishes the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, also known as "GO-Biz," 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 authorizes the director of GO-Biz to establish and terminate international trade and investment offices outside of the United States as he or she determines is appropriate, if specific requirements are met. Existing law establishes the Economic Development and Trade Promotion Account, a continuously appropriated account, to accept private moneys to fund international trade and investment offices. This bill would, notwithstanding provisions authorizing the director of GO-Biz to establish and terminate international trade and investment offices outside of the United States if specified conditions are satisfied, and to the extent private moneys are available, require the director of GO-Biz, on or before January 1, 2016, to establish and operate, or to create a public-private partnership to establish and operate, an international trade and investment office in Mexico City, Mexico. This bill would require the director of GO-Biz to include information regarding the Mexico City trade and investment office in existing reporting requirements relating to an International Trade and Investment Program, as specified. This bill would require GO-Biz to accept and administer private moneys through the Economic Development and Trade Promotion Account. By expanding the use of a continuously appropriated account, this bill would make an appropriation. This bill would require the Mexico City trade and investment office to, among other things, promote the export of California goods and services into Mexico and facilitate access to educational exchange programs between California and Mexico. (2) Existing law requires the director of GO-Biz to develop an International Trade and Investment Program for the state and to submit the strategy and business plan for the International Trade and Investment Program to the Chief Clerk of the Assembly, the Secretary of the Senate, the Speaker of the Assembly, the President pro Tempore of the Senate, the chair of the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy and the chair of the Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development, or respective successor committees, with jurisdiction over the international trade and economic development programs. This bill would also require the director of GO-Biz to submit the strategy and business plan to the Senate Select Committee on California-Mexico Cooperation.

Existing law provides for the certification of nurse assistants by the State Department of Public Health. Existing law requires the department to maintain a registry of all certified nurse assistants that includes their certification status and the status of any proposed or completed disciplinary actions. This bill would require the department to post the registry on its Internet Web site and would require the department to include additional information in the registry, as specified.

This measure would declare the support of the Legislature for federal tax policies designed to encourage growth, incentivize corporations to remain in the United States, and reduce competitive disadvantages for companies based in the United States, particularly those in the biomedical and life sciences industry. The measure would further urge the President and Congress to enact specified tax strategies to encourage domestic economic growth.