This measure would designate April 18, 2012, as DMV/Donate Life California Day in the State of California, and April 2012 as DMV/Donate Life California Month in the State of California, and would encourage all Californians to be organ, tissue, and blood donors.
This measure would designate February 2012 as No Place for Hate (registered trademark) Month.
Existing law, contained in 2 initiative statutes, commonly known as the Three Strikes law, requires increased penalties for certain recidivist offenders in addition to any other enhancement or penalty provisions that may apply. Existing law requires that if a defendant has 2 or more prior violent or serious felony convictions, the term for the current felony conviction shall be an indeterminate term of imprisonment in the state prison for life with a minimum term to be served, as specified. This bill would provide that a defendant who has 2 or more prior violent or serious felony convictions shall receive the enhanced indeterminate life sentence only if the defendant's current conviction is for a serious or violent felony, as defined. The bill would provide that it would become effective only when submitted to, and approved by, the voters, and would require the Secretary of State to submit the measure to the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, unless an initiative measure amending these provisions is approved by the voters at the November 6, 2012, statewide general election, in which case the bill would provide that the Secretary of State shall not submit the measure to the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election.
This measure would honor and recognize the service and sacrifice made by members of the Armed Forces and their families on the occasion of Armed Forces Day on May 19, 2012.
Existing law provides that a prevailing party is entitled as a matter of right to recover costs in any action or proceeding, and specifies those items allowable as costs. This bill would require, in civil proceedings in which a pro per litigant is the prevailing party, that the court, upon motion, award reasonable compensation to the prevailing party for the time and effort required to litigate the matter. The bill would require the court to base the reasonable compensation on the standard rate of compensation for a paralegal assistant in the local market and any economic hardship suffered by the prevailing party in litigating the matter.
This measure would acknowledge the month of April 2012 as Child Abuse Prevention Month, and encourage the people of the State of California to work together to support youth-serving child abuse prevention activities in their communities and schools.
Existing law, in addition to the other fees imposed for the registration of a vehicle, authorizes a county to impose upon adoption of a resolution of its board of supervisors, an additional fee of $1 on all motor vehicles, and continuously appropriates the money to fund local programs relating to vehicle theft crimes. These provisions are repealed as of January 1, 2018. Existing law requires each participating county to issue a fiscal yearend report to the Controller, summarizing certain matters. This bill would authorize a county to impose an additional $3 fee for that purpose and would require, if the county is increasing the amount of the fee from $1 to $3, the resolution that imposes the fee to be submitted to the Department of Motor Vehicles at least 6 months prior to the operative date of the fee increase. This bill would add a new source of revenue to be deposited into a continuously appropriated fund, thereby making an appropriation. The bill would revise the information the fiscal yearend report is required to contain and would make technical and conforming changes.
This measure would call upon all Californians to observe César Chávez's birthday, March 31, as a day of public service, to recognize the hard work and self-sacrifice that farmworkers go through to feed all the families in our state, and to learn from César Chávez's life and his mission of nonviolence, social justice, and selfless service to others.
Existing law provides that a person who is under 18 years of age and who commits a crime is within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, as specified. Under existing law, the court may, in some cases, commit a ward of the juvenile court to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Juvenile Facilities. Additionally, existing law provides that a minor who is convicted in criminal court may be committed to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Juvenile Facilities. This bill would, as of January 1, 2013, prohibit the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Juvenile Facilities, from accepting wards and youthful offenders. Additionally, this bill would abolish the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Juvenile Facilities, as of June 1, 2014. The bill would create the Juvenile Justice Rehabilitation Best Practices Fund as of January 1, 2013, and would require counties to apply to the Board of State and Community Corrections for grants from that fund to contract with service providers and to renovate facilities to provide custodial and noncustodial rehabilitative services for juveniles. The Juvenile Justice Rehabilitation Best Practices Fund would be continuously appropriated from the General Fund. By increasing the duties of local officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would further establish the Juvenile Justice Realignment Fund as of January 1, 2013. The bill would continuously appropriate specific amounts from the General Fund to the Juvenile Justice Realignment Fund. Under the bill, each county would receive a quarterly allocation from this fund pursuant to a specified formula. The bill would also grant each county a minimum block grant beginning in the 2012–13 fiscal year. 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 these statutory provisions.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations, as defined. Existing law, adopted as part of electrical restructuring, requires the PUC to supervise the administration of certain low-income energy efficiency programs, in consultation with the Low-Income Oversight Board, with the programs being funded through a nonbypassable charge upon distribution that is collected on the basis of usage. Existing law requires the PUC to ensure that low-income ratepayers are not jeopardized or overburdened by monthly energy expenditures, recognizing that electricity is a basic necessity and that all residents should be able to afford essential electricity and gas supplies. Existing law authorizes energy expenditures to be reduced, for these purposes, through the establishment of different rates for low-income ratepayers, different levels of rate assistance, and energy efficiency programs. Existing law requires the PUC to allocate funds necessary to meet these low-income objectives. Pursuant to these low-income energy efficiency directives, the PUC has established the Energy Savings Assistance Program. This bill would require the PUC to expand the scope of the Energy Savings Assistance Program to increase its penetration in low-income communities, and specifically to include schools, small businesses, and community centers. By expanding the scope of programs funded through the nonbypassable charge on distribution adopted as part of electrical restructuring, the bill would constitute a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of 23 of the membership of each house of the Legislature. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill would be a part of the act and because a violation of an order or decision of the commission implementing its requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding what is a crime. 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.
