Existing law, the Political Reform Act of 1974, provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing, including requiring the reporting of campaign contributions and expenditures and imposing other reporting and recordkeeping requirements on campaign committees. Existing law additionally imposes disclosure statement requirements with respect to advertisements supporting or opposing a candidate or ballot measure paid for by donors making contributions of specified amounts or by independent expenditures and defines several terms and phrases for these purposes. Existing law makes a knowing or willful violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 a misdemeanor and subjects offenders to criminal penalties. This bill would repeal and recast several definitions. The bill would modify a committee identification requirement and a disclosure statement requirement relating to advertisements for or against any ballot measure paid for by a committee. The bill would impose new disclosure statement requirements for political advertisements regarding a ballot measure that are radio advertisements, prerecorded telephonic messages, television or video advertisements, or mass mailing or print advertisements that would require the identification of identifiable contributors, ballot measures, and other funding details, as specified. By introducing new disclosure requirements, the violation of which would be a misdemeanor, the bill would create a new crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. Existing law creates the Fair Political Practices Commission, and gives it primary responsibility for the impartial, effective administration and implementation of the Political Reform Act of 1974. The bill would require the Fair Political Practices Commission to promulgate regulations related to identifying and reporting persons who are the original sources of funds transferred through committees or other persons to determine identifiable contributors by January 1, 2016. The bill would require the Commission to promulgate regulations prohibiting a recipient of funds transferred by an identifiable contributor from depositing the funds until required applicable reports have been received by the recipient. This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 84511 of the Government Code proposed by A.B. 510, that would become operative only if A.B. 510 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2015, and this bill is chaptered 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 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 and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.
Sponsored bills
Existing law establishes the California State University, which is administered by the Trustees of the California State University, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law authorizes the trustees to, by rule, require all persons to pay fees, rents, deposits, and charges for services, facilities, or materials provided by the trustees to such persons, and requires the trustees to control and expend all money appropriated for the support and maintenance of the California State University. This bill would appropriate $22,000,000 to the California State University for purposes of enrolling additional students. The bill would express legislative intent that the appropriated funds be used for specified matters and would include legislative findings and declarations related to student enrollment.
(1) Existing law permits minors who are detained in juvenile hall for habitual disobedience, truancy, or curfew violation to be held in the same facility as minors who are detained for violating any law or ordinance defining a crime, if they do not come or remain in contact with each other. Existing law also permits the detention of minors in jails and other secure facilities for the confinement of adults if the minors do not come or remain in contact with confined adults and other specified conditions are met. Existing law authorizes the involuntary detention for a period of 72 hours for evaluation of persons, including minors, who are dangerous to self or others, or gravely disabled, as defined. This bill, commencing January 1, 2016, would generally prohibit a minor or ward who is detained in, or sentenced to, any juvenile facility or other secure state or local facility from being subject to solitary confinement, as defined, unless the minor or ward poses an immediate and substantial risk of harm to others or to the security of the facility, and all other less-restrictive options have been exhausted. The bill would permit the minor or ward to be held in solitary confinement only in accordance with specified guidelines, including that the minor or ward be held in solitary confinement for only the minimum time required to address the safety risk and for a period that does not compromise the mental and physical health of the minor or ward. The bill would prohibit a minor or ward from being placed in solitary confinement for more than 24 hours in a one-week period without obtaining specified written approval. The bill would require each local and state juvenile facility to document the usage of solitary confinement, as prescribed. By increasing the duties of local juvenile facilities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law establishes a juvenile justice commission in each county, but authorizes the boards of supervisors of 2 or more adjacent counties to agree to establish a regional juvenile justice commission in lieu of a county juvenile justice commission. Existing law specifies the membership of these commissions, including that 2 or more members shall be persons who are 14 to 21 years of age, inclusive, and that a regional juvenile justice commission shall consist of not less than 8 citizens. Existing law requires a juvenile justice commission to annually inspect any jail or lockup that, in the preceding calendar year, was used for confinement for more than 24 hours of any minor, and to report the results of the inspection, together with its recommendations based thereon, in writing, to the juvenile court and the Board of State and Community Corrections. Existing law authorizes a commission to recommend to any person charged with the administration of the Juvenile Court Law those changes as it has concluded, after investigation, will be beneficial, and to publicize its recommendations. This bill, commencing January 1, 2016, would require that 2 or more members of these commissions be parents or guardians of previously or currently incarcerated youth, and one member be a licensed social worker, licensed psychiatrist, or licensed psychologist with expertise in adolescent development, if there are available persons who meet those requirements, as specified. The bill also would increase from 8 to 10 the minimum number of members of a regional juvenile justice commission. The bill would authorize a juvenile justice commission to annually inspect any facility within the county other than a jail or lockup that, in the preceding calendar year, was used for confinement for more than 24 hours of any minor. The bill would authorize a juvenile justice commission to review the records of the jail, lockup, or other facility as to the use of solitary confinement, and to additionally report the results of the inspection, together with its recommendations based thereon, in writing, to the county board of supervisors. The bill would authorize the commission to present its report at an annual hearing on the condition of juvenile justice corrections as part of a regularly scheduled public meeting of the county board of supervisors, and to publish the report on the county government's Internet Web site. The bill would also authorize a commission to publicize its recommendations made to any person charged with administration of the Juvenile Court Law on the county government's Internet Web site. (3) 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.
Existing law, the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, includes provisions authorizing the forfeiture and seizure of property involved in, or purchased with the proceeds from, a controlled substance offense. Existing law authorizes the destruction of seized substances suspected to be controlled substances in excess of 10 pounds in gross weight, subject to specified requirements. Existing law requires that, prior to destruction of a suspected controlled substance, the law enforcement agency take at least 5 random and representative samples, for evidentiary purposes, from the total amount of suspected controlled substances to be destroyed in addition to the 10 pounds the law enforcement agency is required to retain. Existing law requires, when the suspected controlled substance consists of growing or harvested marijuana plants, at least one 10-pound sample (which may include stalks, branches, or leaves) and 5 representative samples consisting of leaves or buds to be retained for evidentiary purposes from the total amount of suspected controlled substances to be destroyed by the law enforcement agency. This bill would instead require that, prior to the destruction of growing or harvested marijuana plants, the law enforcement agency take at least one 2-pound sample and 5 random and representative samples, and would authorize the agency to destroy the remainder.
Existing law establishes the State Park and Recreation Commission within the Department of Parks and Recreation, and sets forth the commission's duties, including, among others, to evaluate and assess the department's deferred maintenance obligations, and to report annually to the Governor on recreational facilities, programs, and activities of the state park system. This bill would require the commission to also evaluate and assess the department's proposed capital outlay and infrastructure expenditures, and would require the commission's annual report to identify any budgetary requests of the commission for consideration by the Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, as specified. The bill would authorize the commission to conduct public meetings or hearings on all matters within the jurisdiction of the department, and would require the commission to meet at least quarterly and to achieve geographic balance in the locations at which meetings are held. The bill, if the department proposes to close a state park on or after the 2014–15 fiscal year, would require the department to first provide notice to the commission 6 months in advance, and would also require the Department of Finance to establish a separate line item in the annual Budget Act for any annual appropriations to the commission proposed by the Governor or appropriated by the Legislature. The bill would make various findings and declarations of the Legislature relating to the Department of Parks and Recreation.
The Personal Income Tax Law conforms to specified provisions of the federal Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, relating to the exclusion of the discharge of qualified principal residence indebtedness, as defined, from a taxpayer's income if that debt is discharged after January 1, 2007, and before January 1, 2010, as provided. The federal Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 extended the operation of those provisions to debt that is discharged before January 1, 2013. This bill would extend the operation of the exclusion of the discharge of qualified principal residence indebtedness to debt that is discharged on or after January 1, 2013, and before January 1, 2014. The bill would become operative only if SB 391 is enacted and takes effect. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law authorizes a pupil to be excused from school for specified reasons, including for the purpose of serving as a member of a precinct board for an election. Existing law provides that excused absence for those specified reasons are, nevertheless, absences for the purpose of computing average daily attendance and do not generate state apportionment payments. Existing law also requires that the attendance of pupils participating in independent study for 5 or more consecutive days, as specified, be included in computing the average daily attendance of the school district. This bill would specify that, for the purpose of computing average daily attendance for pupils in independent study, a pupil serving as a member of a precinct board for an election shall not be required to participate in that activity for 5 or more consecutive days if specified requirements are met, and would specify that an absence for those reasons shall not be considered an absence for purposes of generating state apportionment payments. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
(1) Existing law establishes the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. This bill would establish the California Higher Education Endowment Corporation (CHEEC) in state government. The bill would establish an oversight board to govern the CHEEC, and would require that board to appoint the chief executive officer of the CHEEC. The bill would require the CHEEC to annually allocate the moneys in the continuously appropriated California Higher Education Fund, which would be created by the bill, first to the Controller, and second to the California Community Colleges, the California State University, the University of California, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and to the California Health and Human Services Agency, in specified proportions and for expenditure as provided. The bill would require the board to submit a report to the Legislature, on or before April 1 of each year, on specified topics. (2) Existing law imposes various taxes, including taxes on the privilege of engaging in certain activities. The Fee Collection Procedures Law, the violation of which is a crime, provides procedures for the collection of certain fees and surcharges. This bill would, commencing July 1, 2015, impose an oil and gas severance tax for the privilege of severing oil or gas from the earth or water in this state for sale, transport, consumption, storage, profit, or use, as provided, at specified rates, calculated as provided. The tax would be administered by the State Board of Equalization and would be collected pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Fee Collection Procedures Law. The bill would require the board to deposit all tax revenues, penalties, and interest collected pursuant to these provisions into the California Higher Education Fund. Because this bill would expand the scope of the Fee Collection Procedures Law, the violation of which is a crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) This bill would include 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. (4) 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. (5) Funds appropriated by this bill and allocated to the California Community Colleges would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution. (6) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law vests in the State Department of Developmental Services jurisdiction over specified state hospitals, referred to as developmental centers, which provide residential care to persons with developmental disabilities. Existing law requires the State Department of Developmental Services to comply with procedural requirements when closing a developmental center, including submitting a plan to the Legislature and holding at least one public hearing. This bill would require the department to establish the Sonoma Developmental Center as the center of last resort for Northern California. The bill would require the department to confer and cooperate with the County of Sonoma to develop a detailed action plan, as specified, prior to establishing the Sonoma Developmental Center as a center of last resort and would require the County of Sonoma to ensure the inclusion and participation of certain community entities, including consumers living in the developmental center and the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. By imposing additional duties on the County of Sonoma, 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 these statutory provisions.
Existing federal law provides for allocation of federal funds through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program to eligible states. Existing law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program for the allocation of federal funds received through the TANF program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. Under existing law, for purposes of determining a family's maximum aid payment under the CalWORKs program, the number of needy persons in the same family is not increased for any child born into a family that has received aid under the CalWORKs program continuously for the 10 months prior to the birth of the child, with specified exceptions. This bill would repeal that exclusion for purposes of determining the family's maximum aid payment and would expressly prohibit the denial of aid or denial of an increase in the maximum aid payment if a child on whose behalf aid, or an increase in aid, is being requested was born into an applicant's or recipient's family while the applicant's or recipient's family was receiving aid under the CalWORKs program. The bill would specify that an applicant or recipient is not entitled to an increased benefit payment for months prior to January 1, 2014, as a result of the repeal of that exclusion or the enactment of that express prohibition. The bill would also prohibit the department from conditioning an applicant or recipient's eligibility for aid on the applicant or recipient's disclosure of specified information regarding rape, incest, or contraception, as specified. The bill would make related findings and declarations. Existing law continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county aid grant costs under the CalWORKs program. This bill would declare that no appropriation would be made for purposes of the bill. To the extent that this bill affects eligibility under the CalWORKs program, the bill would create 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 these statutory provisions.