This measure would call on Congress to enact legislation that restores and strengthens the full protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and it would call on the President to sign the legislation.
(1) Existing law establishes priorities and procedures that any state agency disposing of surplus property is required to follow. Existing law requires the Department of Transportation to deposit proceeds from the sale of a surplus residential property from the department to a new owner into the SR-710 Rehabilitation Account. Existing law continuously appropriates the funds in the account to the department for the purpose of providing required repairs to certain surplus residential properties that are offered for sale, as provided. Existing law requires that the total funds maintained in the account not exceed a specified amount and that funds exceeding that amount, less any reimbursements due to the federal government, be transferred to the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund, to be used for allocation by the California Transportation Commission exclusively to fund projects located in specified cities and in the 90032 postal ZIP Code. Existing law also establishes the Affordable Housing Trust Account within the Housing Finance Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, and requires certain funds to be deposited in the account in accordance with specified provisions for the benefit of income restricted persons and families residing exclusively in the Cities of Pasadena, South Pasadena, Alhambra, La Cañada Flintridge, and the 90032 postal ZIP Code. Existing law sets forth an order of priority for the disposal of specified surplus residential property, including that a state agency disposing of single-family surplus residential property first offer the property at the appraised fair market value to former owners and present occupants, and then offer the property at an affordable price to other present occupants who have occupied the property for a specified number of years and who meet certain income levels. Existing law sets certain parameters for the calculation of an affordable price for purposes of these provisions based on, among other things, the fair market value of the property. This bill would, instead, require the first tier priority offer to be based on the appraised condition-adjusted price of the fair market value and would define "condition-adjusted price of the fair market value" to mean the fair market value of the property as of October 13, 2019, as determined by an independent appraiser and adjusted, as provided. The bill would revise the above-specified parameters for calculating an affordable price. The bill would establish requirements relating to the performance and cost of the inspection of the property, and define various terms for purposes of these provisions, including, among others, "guidelines." The bill would also, for surplus residential property sold at a condition-adjusted fair market value, exempt the selling agency from providing repairs to the property, as specified. This bill, among other changes, would authorize a present occupant or tenant purchasing a residence at an affordable price or condition-adjusted price of the fair market value to receive purchase assistance in accordance with certain procedures. The bill would provide that certain amounts repaid for those purposes constitute deferred proceeds from the department's sale of the property and would be deposited into the Affordable Housing Trust Account, as prescribed. (2) If the surplus residential property is not sold pursuant to the priorities described above, or pursuant to other specified priorities, existing law requires the property to then be sold at fair market value, with priority given first to purchasers who are present tenants in good standing, as provided, and then to former tenants who were in good standing at the time they vacated the premises, as provided. This bill would, instead, require the property to be sold to those present or former tenants at condition-adjusted fair market value. This bill would require the Department of Transportation, upon request, to provide certain documents related to the surplus residential property to all persons or entities offered or purchasing surplus residential property. The bill would require any surplus residential property purchased at the condition-adjusted price of the fair market value pursuant to the bill to be assessed at its condition-adjusted price of the fair market value for property tax purposes, as prescribed. (3) Existing law contains provisions that are specific to the sale of surplus residential property located in the City of Pasadena. Those provisions, among other things, contain a priority requiring surplus residential property located in the city to be offered at fair market value to specified present tenants who are in good standing, as provided. This bill would, instead, require the property to be offered to those present tenants at condition-adjusted price of the fair market value, as defined. Existing law also requires the City of Pasadena to commence the construction, or complete acquisition, of affordable units in an amount at least equal to 3 times the number of unoccupied homes acquired by the city by December 31, 2026. This bill would change the timing for this requirement to within 2 years from the date on which the proceeds from the subsequent sale of the unoccupied homes are received, as specified, and would make other related changes to these provisions. (4) Existing law contains provisions that are specific to the sale of surplus residential property located in the City of South Pasadena. Those provisions, among other things, contain a priority requiring surplus residential property located in the city to be offered at fair market value to specified present tenants who are in good standing, as provided. This bill would, instead, require the property to be offered to those present tenants at condition-adjusted price of the fair market value. Existing law also requires the City of South Pasadena to commence the construction, or complete acquisition, of affordable units in an amount at least equal to three times the number of unoccupied homes acquired by the city by July 1, 2028. This bill would, for unoccupied homes acquired by the City of South Pasadena after July 1, 2026, change the timing for this requirement to within 2 years from the date on which the proceeds from the subsequent sale of the unoccupied homes are received, as specified, and would make other related changes to these provisions. By requiring new deposits into a continuously appropriated account, the bill would make an appropriation. (5) This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Cities of South Pasadena and Pasadena. (6) By imposing new requirements on the Cities of South Pasadena and Pasadena, 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 declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 requires a state or political subdivision in which more than 5% of voting-age citizens, or more than 10,000 voting-age citizens, are members of a single language minority and limited-English proficient to provide certain election materials, including ballots, in the language of the applicable language minority group. Existing state law requires the Secretary of State to determine for each county and precinct whether it is appropriate to provide facsimile copies of the ballot and other election materials in languages other than English. If the Secretary of State determines the number of voting age residents in a county or precinct who are members of a single language minority, and who lack sufficient skills in English to vote without assistance, is 3% or more of the voting-age residents of the county or precinct, county elections officials must provide facsimile ballots and other election materials in the applicable language. This bill would require the Secretary of State, on or before December 15, 2031, and on or before December 15 in every year ending in 1 or 7 thereafter, to identify the counties where at least 10,000 voting age citizens, or 5% of voting age citizens, are limited English proficient and either members of a single language minority group or speak a shared language. The bill would require the elections official in an identified political subdivision to provide translated election materials in any language that meets those criteria or, for an election occurring before December 15, 2031, in any language in which the political subdivision is required to provide language assistance under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, within a specified period of time. The elections official would be required to translate, among other things, all official and sample ballots, voter registration forms, and election notices and instructions. The elections official would also be required to have a sufficient number of bilingual election workers to provide language assistance to any voter who needs it. If the Secretary of State or another state agency provides election-related forms, instructions, assistance, or other materials or services in an identified political subdivision, the bill would require the Secretary of State or other state agency to translate the materials or services into any language that meets the criteria within that political subdivision. Beginning January 1, 2027, the bill would also authorize the Secretary of State to require a political subdivision to provide translated election materials if interested citizens or entities provide the Secretary of State with a preponderance of evidence that a language group meets any of the above-described criteria. The bill would also make various conforming changes. By increasing the duties of local elections officials, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 13307 of the Elections Code proposed by SB 715 to be operative only if this bill and SB 715 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 the governing board of a community college district to enter into a College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) partnership with the governing board of a school district, a county office of education, or the governing body of a charter school for the purpose of offering or expanding dual enrollment opportunities for pupils who may not already be college bound or who are underrepresented in higher education, as provided. Existing law requires the partnership agreement to outline the terms of the partnership, as specified, and to establish protocols for information sharing, joint facilities use, and parental consent for high school pupils to enroll in community college courses. Existing law requires the protocols to only require a high school pupil participating in a CCAP partnership to submit one parental consent form and principal recommendation for the duration of the pupil's participation in the CCAP partnership. This bill would revise the CCAP partnership provisions to eliminate the requirement that the protocols require principal recommendation. Existing law requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to revise the special part-time student application process to allow a pupil to complete one application for the duration of the pupil's attendance at a community college as a special part-time student participating in a CCAP partnership agreement. This bill would require a CCAP partnership agreement to also establish protocols that authorize a pupil to complete one application for the duration of the pupil's attendance at a community college as a special part-time student participating in a CCAP partnership agreement. Existing law authorizes a community college district to allow a special part-time student participating in a CCAP partnership agreement to enroll in up to a maximum of 15 units per term in courses offered at the community college campus or the participating high school campus if certain circumstances are satisfied, including that the units constitute no more than 4 community college courses per term. This bill would eliminate the 4 community college courses per term limit for a special part-time student enrolling in up to 15 units under a CCAP partnership agreement. Existing law requires, for each CCAP partnership agreement, the affected community college district and school district, county office of education, or charter school to annually report specified information to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, including the total number of community college courses, by course category and type and by schoolsite, enrolled in by CCAP partnership participants. This bill instead would require the affected community college district and school district, county office of education, or charter school to annually report the total number of high school pupils who successfully completed 12 or more units of college coursework by graduation, completed a certificate, or completed the courses required for an associate degree or an associate degree for transfer.
The Political Reform Act of 1974 provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing, including imposing reporting requirements on elected officials and campaign committees. The act defines a behested payment as a payment that is made at the behest of a committee, an elected officer, a member of the Public Utilities Commission, or an agent thereof, under specified circumstances, including a payment that is made principally for personal, charitable, legislative, or governmental purposes. Under the act, elected officials and members of the Public Utilities Commission are required to report behested payments within 30 days of the payment or payments exceeding $5,000 in the aggregate from the same source in the same calendar year in which they are made. All subsequent behested payments for the calendar year made by that source must be disclosed within 30 days after the date the threshold was reached or the payment was made, whichever occurs later. The act exempts a behesting officer or member of the Public Utilities Commission from these reporting obligations if they make a public appeal for payment by television, radio, billboard, public message on an online platform, or a public speech, except as specified. This bill would instead require elected officials and members of the Public Utilities Commission to report behested payments within 30 days of the end of the calendar quarter, if the payment or payments exceed $5,000 in the aggregate from the same source in the same calendar year in which they are made. After the initial behested payment report has been filed, the bill would require that subsequent behested payments for the calendar year made by that source be reported within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter each time those payments equal or exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) in the aggregate. This bill would additionally require the behested payment report to include (1) if the payee is a nonprofit organization, a brief description of any relationship, as specified, of the nonprofit organization to the behesting officer, or a member of their immediate family, or member of their campaign or officeholder staff and (2) a brief description of any proceeding before the behesting officer at the time of a reported payment or within the 12 months before the reported payment in which the payer is the named party or subject of the decision, as specified. This bill would authorize a behesting officer to satisfy these reporting obligations by providing a good faith estimate of a behested payment amount, payment date, or both, if certain conditions are met, including that the elected officer or Public Utilities Commission member practiced reasonable efforts to obtain the required information and is unable to ascertain the exact amount or date of the behested payment from the payee before the reporting deadline. Existing law requires these behested payment reports to be filed by the behesting officer or member of the Public Utilities Commission with the officer's or member's agency. This bill would require these reports to be filed using the commission's electronic filing system for behested payment reports, and would require the filing system to issue an electronic confirmation to the filer immediately upon receipt of the report. The bill would permit an elected officer of a local government to file directly with their local filing officer if all behested payment reports filed by elected officers are posted publicly on the internet website of the local government within 10 days of receipt, as specified. Existing law makes a knowing or willful violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 a misdemeanor and subjects offenders to criminal penalties. By expanding the information required in a behested payment report, the bill would expand the scope of an existing crime 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. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.
The Equity in Higher Education Act provides, among other things, that all students have the right to participate fully in the educational process, free from discrimination and harassment. Existing law provides that sexual harassment of students is a form of prohibited sex discrimination and defines terms for purposes of the Equity in Higher Education Act. This bill would, commencing August 1, 2027, define additional terms for purposes of the act, including, among other terms, "digitized sexually explicit material," "sextortion," "technology-facilitated sexual harassment," and "affirmative consent." The bill would also revise the definitions of "sexual harassment" and "sexual exploitation," and make conforming changes. To the extent that the bill would impose new duties on community college districts, 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.
Existing law establishes the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families and individuals using federal, state, and county funds. Existing law establishes the CalWORKs Recipients Education Program (program) in the California Community Colleges under which community college districts are required to provide educational services and special services to recipients of aid under CalWORKs who are attending a community college, to the extent funding is provided in the annual Budget Act. Existing law requires special services for CalWORKs recipients to assist CalWORKs recipient students and those students transitioning off of CalWORKs in achieving long-term self-sufficiency through coordinated student services offered at a community college. Existing law authorizes those special services to include workstudy. Existing law prohibits program payments to an employer for workstudy from exceeding 75% of the wage for the workstudy positions and requires an employer to pay at least 25% of the wage for the workstudy positions. This bill would add direct aid designed to meet basic needs and services, as described, as a special service for which program funds may be used. The bill would also require special services for CalWORKs recipients to assist CalWORKs recipient students and those students transitioning off of CalWORKs in achieving economic mobility through coordinated student services offered at a community college. The bill would authorize programs to waive the requirement that an employer pay at least 25% of the wage for workstudy positions if the number of on-campus and off-campus workstudy positions will not decrease. By expanding program services, the 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.
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. Existing law sets forth a schedule of benefits covered under the Medi-Cal program, including acupuncture, but only to the extent that federal matching funds are provided for acupuncture. Under this bill, acupuncture would instead be a covered Medi-Cal benefit subject to utilization controls and the availability of federal financial participation. The bill would, if federal financial participation is not available for coverage of acupuncture services, make acupuncture a covered benefit subject to an appropriation and utilization controls. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 14132 of the Welfare and Institutions Code proposed by AB 1949 and AB 350 to be operative only if this bill and either or both AB 1949 and AB 350 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and independent institutions of higher education, as defined, as 4 segments of postsecondary education in the state. This bill, upon appropriation, would establish the Designation of California Hispanic-Serving Institutions to recognize campuses of those segments of postsecondary education that excel at providing academic resources to Latino students. The bill, upon appropriation, would establish a Designation of California Hispanic-Serving Institutions governing board to designate colleges and universities as California Hispanic-Serving Institutions. The bill, upon appropriation, would designate the office of the Chancellor of the California State University as the managing entity and would require it to, among other duties, develop the application processes and to process and present initial and renewal applications to receive this designation to the governing board, as specified, and would make an initial and renewal designation valid for 5 years.
Maddy summaryThis bill designates September 2026 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. It directly affects state agencies and organizations by encouraging them to recognize this specific month for awareness activities. The measure does not change laws or allocate funding but serves as a formal commemorative resolution.
