1995 Significant Legislation
Pages 300-399
Index by Bill Number
[PAGE 300]
Index by Bill Number
Declares legislative intent to empower the parents of schoolage children and to foster the freedom of those parents to make the educational choices that are best for their children.
(In Senate Education Committee)
SB 958 (Watson-D) - School Food Programs: Snacks
Establishes a pilot program, commencing January 1, 1996, under which school-sponsored after-school activities may qualify for reimbursement for costs of providing snacks to participating children. Provides that funding would come from unspent funds from the Pregnant/Lactating Minors program. Sunsets June 30, 1999.
Vetoed by the Governor
SB 966 (Johnston-D) - Pupils
Expands the list of offenses for which pupils must be recommended for expulsion and expelled; expands the pool of expelled pupils eligible to enroll in a community school; requires that a governing board refer an expelled pupil to an alternative instructional program; and increases the length of time for which a pupil must be expelled for specific acts.
Chapter 972, Statutes of 1995
SB 972* (Johnston-D) - School District Reorganization
Designates who is eligible to vote in the Folsom-Cordova Unified School District proposed district reorganization election.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
SB 995 (Haynes-R) - Education: Overcrowded Schools
Creates the Overcrowded School Relief Program in which school districts could provide limited reimbursement to parents who enroll their children in private schools, rather than in designated overcrowded public schools.
(Failed passage in Senate Education Committee)
[PAGE 301]
SB 1005 (Dills-D) - Vehicles: Driver Training
Suspends, for 1 year, the driver training requirement for issuance of a license, if funding to reimburse school districts and county offices of education for the cost of providing driver training programs is not received by September 30 of any year.
(In Senate Education Committee)
SB 1006 (Dills-D) - Driver Education and Training: Model Curriculum
Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop a model curriculum framework for driver education and training.
Chapter 447, Statutes of 1995
SB 1007 (Dills-D) - Driver Education and Training
Requires the State Department of Education to review public school driver training courses as part of the annual coordinated compliance review, if federal funding was available for this purpose.
Vetoed by the Governor
SB 1019* (Johnston-D) - School Districts: Tracy Unified School District
Provides an abbreviated process for reviewing and approving a school district reorganization in the Tracy Joint Union High School District in San Joaquin County.
(Held under submission in Assembly Appropriations Committee)
SB 1043* (Hughes-D) - Crime and Violence on School Campuses: Grant Program
Makes a number of technical and substantive changes in the law relating to the administration of the Conflict Resolution and School Violence Reduction Program enacted last year.
Chapter 770, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 302]
SB 1078 (Johnston-D) - Vocational Education
Makes technical changes in provisions relating to cooperative vocational education programs, community classrooms, and joint venture agreements.
(In Senate Education Committee)
SB 1130 (Dills-D) - Education
Repeals the Miller-Unruh Basic Reading Program Act of 1965 which provides funds for school districts to hire reading specialists to prevent and correct reading problems among K-6 students, and the bill replaces it with a similar Miller-Unruh Reading and Language Arts Act of 1997. Requires the State Department of Education (SDE) to apportion funds based on need with first priority given to districts which have a continuing need for services and second priority given to districts with the highest incidence of reading difficulties and the lowest base revenue limits.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)
SB 1169 (Lockyer-D) - Prevention of Teenage Pregnancy
Establishes a public awareness campaign concerning teen pregnancy targeted at high-risk minors.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)
SB 1170 (Lockyer-D) - Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Grant Program
Establishes the Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Grant Program targeted at pupils in elementary and secondary schools.
Chapter 311, Statutes of 1995
SB 1184 (O'Connell-D) - Reading: Action Plan
Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to convene a panel to develop recommendations to improve reading instruction in California schools.
(In Assembly Education Committee)
[PAGE 303]
SB 1226 (Haynes-R) - Bilingual Education
Repeals current bilingual education program provisions and declares legislative intent to establish a new bilingual program that is consistent with federal law and meets the needs of pupils of limited English proficiency and pupils whose primary language is English.
(In Senate Education Committee)
SB 1235 (Hayden-D) - Environmental Education Instruction
Authorizes any school district to apply to the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to establish an interdisciplinary environmental education pilot project in K-12, as specified. Requires the SPI to select up to nine pilot projects in specified geographical regions in the state.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
SB 1302 (Peace-D) - Vehicular Emissions Reduction: Schoolbuses
Authorizes establishment of a fund to receive public and private revenues for the replacement and retrofitting of schoolbuses with vehicles that produce low or zero emissions.
Chapter 862, Statutes of 1995
SCA 8 (Greene-D) - Superintendent of Public Instruction
Eliminates, effective January 1, 2002, the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and provides that the executive director appointed by the State Board of Education shall serve as the Director of the State Department of Education.
(In Senate Education Committee)
SCA 17 (Greene-D) - State Board of Education
Eliminates, as of January 1, 2002, the State Board of Education and, instead, provides for the establishment of the State Advisory Board on Education to advise the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
(In Senate Education Committee)
[PAGE 304]
SCA 25 (Greene-D) - Superintendent of Public Instruction: Secretary of Education
Eliminates, effective January 1, 2002, the elected office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and, in its place, provides that a Secretary of Education, appointed by the Governor, shall be Director of the State Department of Education.
(In Senate Education Committee)
AB 20 (Archie-Hudson-D) - Education: Foreign Language Literacy
Creates the Elementary Foreign Language Development Act of 1995. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop a Master Plan for Foreign Language Development on or before January 1, 2001, which may include a pilot program or a graduated implementation of the master plan.
(Failed passage on Assembly Floor; reconsideration granted; on Assembly Inactive File)
AB 22 (Archie-Hudson-D) - Instructional Materials: Textbooks
Requires each school district to provide each student, from amounts received from the State Instructional Materials Fund, with the required textbook or other basic instructional materials, as appropriate, for use in the classroom and for after-school study on or off campus, as specified. Makes technical changes by adding the contributions of persons with disabilities and men and women along with updating the language with respect to the contributions of minorities.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 34 (W. Murray-D) - School Districts: Employees
Prohibits a member of a school district governing board from voting on any personnel matter, except as specified, that uniquely affects a relative of that board member.
Chapter 22, Statutes of 1995
AB 39 (Mazzoni-D) - Charter Schools
Increases the number of authorized charter schools to 300 statewide, and makes various technical and substantive changes in the charter schools law to address issues related to the petition process and apportionment of funds.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
[PAGE 305]
AB 49 (Hawkins-R) - Pupils: Expulsion
Amends state law to comply with the requirements of the federal Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 relating to expelling students who bring a firearm to school.
Chapter 973, Statutes of 1995
AB 56* (Allen-R) - Schools: Testing
Reinstates the Education Code language prohibiting the administration of tests or surveys asking K-12 students about beliefs of practices regarding sex, religion, family life or morality without prior written parental permission.
Chapter 275, Statutes of 1995
AB 66 (Goldsmith-R) - Home Rule Districts
Provides for the establishment of "home rule" school districts defined as a school district operating under a single charter that incorporates all of the schools within the district.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 84 (W. Murray-D) - Parental Choice Scholarship Plot Project.
Creates the Parental Choice Scholarship Pilot Project, to permit certain pupils whose parent or legal guardian resides in 1 of 3 qualifying school districts to receive a scholarship to attend any participating private, nonsectarian school in the County of Los Angeles that meets specified criteria.
(Failed passage in Assembly Education Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 86 (Cortese-D) - Youth
Permits the Eastside Union High School District to establish a Family Wellness Institute that would provide training to families through the Wellness Model, and train teams from around the state so that the program can be replicated.
(In Senate Education Committee)
[PAGE 306]
AB 101 (Conroy-R) - Pupils: Corporal Punishment
Reinstates corporal punishment in schools subject to rules and policies adopted by the governing board. Exempts staff from criminal or civil liability except in the case of excessive force or cruel and unusual punishment.
(In Assembly Education Committee)
AB 105 (Hannigan-D) - Special Education: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Requires the State Department of Education and the State Department of Health Services to jointly develop and disseminate information on chronic fatigue syndrome and chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome that can be used by local education agencies in recognizing the symptoms of this disease in order that appropriate educational services can be provided.
Vetoed by the Governor
AB 107 (Boland-R) - School Districts: Reorganization
Reduces the number of signatures required to initiate a reorganization proposal in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Also deletes the requirement that governing boards must consent to specified reorganizations.
Chapter 267, Statutes of 1995
AB 112* (W. Murray-D) - Education: Emergency Loans
Requires a state-appointed administrator who has assumed control of a school district as a result of a "bailout" loan to consider the advice of various community groups.
Chapter 50, Statutes of 1995
AB 170* (Alpert-D) - Instructional Materials
Requires the State Board of Education to ensure that adopted mathematics and reading textbooks include phonics, spelling and basic computational skills.
Chapter 765, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 307]
AB 174 (W. Murray-D) - Compton Unified School District
Requires that pupils in the Compton Unified School District who attend the three lowest performing elementary schools and pupils in grades 3-5 who are at least two years below grade level attend at least 219 schooldays per year, rather than the 180 schooldays more commonly offered in the state.
Chapter 870, Statutes of 1995
AB 198 (Caldera-D) - Charter Schools
Increases the number of authorized charter schools to 300 statewide, and establishes the Charter Schools Start-up Fund with specified federal funds.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 246 (Morrow-R) - Pupil Expulsion
Allows school districts to suspend or expel students who have exhibited dangerous behavior away from any school activity.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 262 (Vasconcellos-D) - Parenting Education
Requires school district, juvenile court schools, and the California Youth Authority to provide courses on parenting education, until January 1, 2000, to certain students and wards. Requires the Department of Health Services to convene a summit and develop a master plan for parenting education in nonschool settings by January 1, 1997. Requires the State Department of Education to evaluate the programs.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 265 (Alpert-D) - California Assessment of Academic Achievement Act
Establishes the California Assessment of Academic Achievement Act and specifies legislative intent to create a system for individual assessment of pupils that assists pupils, parents, and teachers to identify academic strengths and weaknesses, in order to improve teaching, as specified, and to determine the effectiveness of school districts and schools.
Chapter 975, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 308]
AB 309 (Alpert-D) - Public Library Learning and Literacy Expansion Act of 1996
Authorizes the issuance of state general obligation bonds in the amount of $500 million for the purposes of providing grants to local agencies for the acquisition, construction or improvement of public libraries. Provides for the bond act to be submitted to the voters at the November 12, 1996 statewide general election.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee)
AB 331* (Alpert-D) - Bonds: School Facilities and Technology Funding
Places a state general obligation (GO) bond measure on the November 1996 ballot, authorizing the issuance of $2 billion of GO bonds for the following purposes: (1) $1.9 billion for deposit in the State School Building Lease-Purchase Fund, $100 million of which shall be used for seismic retrofit projects of existing school facilities; (2) $100 million for deposit in the Education Technology Fund, $75 million of which shall be deposited in the Education Technology Retrofit Account and $25 million in the Education Technology Hardware Account.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 352 (McDonald-D) - Education Code: Revision
Establishes the Commission to Revise the Education Code to meet the need for increased flexibility in the way school districts operate.
(In Assembly Education Committee)
AB 391 (Bustamante-D) - State Instructional Materials Fund
Redirects half of any increased state funding for textbooks (over the amount needed to fund cost of living and enrollment growth) to the existing Pupil Textbook and Instructional Materials Incentive Program, which is designed to encourage school districts to provide textbooks to every student.
Chapter 325, Statutes of 1995
AB 440 (House-R) - Schools: English-Only Classes
Permits parents to remove their children from classes where English is not the only language used for instruction.
(In Assembly Education Committee)
[PAGE 309]
AB 442 (Alpert-D) - Extended Schoolday Activities and Violence Reduction Act
Establishes 2 new programs of grants to extended schoolday (after school) activity providers for elementary and junior high aged children. Sunsets January 1, 1999.
Chapter 775, Statutes of 1995
AB 466 (Vasconcellos-D) - California Partnership Academies
Allows the Superintendent of Public Instruction to fund up to 100 additional Partnership Academies over the next four years, at the rate of 25 new academies per year.
(On Senate Inactive File)
AB 513 (Cannella-D) - Delhi Unified School District: Reorganization
Permits the newly unified Delhi Unified School District to maintain its unified status until it acquires the facilities to serve its high school students.
Chapter 90, Statutes of 1995
AB 536 (Archie-Hudson-D) - Educational Technology
Authorizes the issuance of revenue bonds to finance the acquisition of educational technology infrastructure, to be repaid from dedicated State Lottery revenues.
Chapter 869, Statutes of 1995
AB 575 (Knox-D) - Special Education: Nonsectarian Schools
Authorizes eligibility for certification as nonpublic, nonsectarian schools to hospitals that were, in the 1994-95 calendar year, providing special education pursuant to a waiver to individuals with exceptional needs.
Chapter 976, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 310]
AB 603 (Knight-R) - Pupil Testing: High School Proficiency Examination
Requires the State Department of Education (SDE) to periodically review the effectiveness of the California High School Proficiency Examination, and permits SDE to charge an application fee sufficient to recover the administrative costs.
Chapter 450, Statutes of 1995
AB 618 (Morrow-R) - Pupils: Expulsion
Authorizes governing boards of school districts to issue subpoenas for the personal appearance of witnesses at expulsion hearings.
Chapter 937, Statutes of 1995
AB 620 (Gallegos-D) - Pupil Expulsion
Authorizes school boards to provide for the involvement of a pupil's parent in the pupil's rehabilitation program as a condition of suspension of the pupil's expulsion.
Chapter 95, Statutes of 1995
AB 624 (Allen-R) - Schools: Gun Free Zones
Makes various changes in penalties in cases that violate the Gun-Free School Zone Act of 1995.
Chapter 659, Statutes of 1995
AB 625* (Allen-R) - Education
Reinstates specified dropout prevention and recovery programs that sunsetted on January 1, 1995.
Chapter 643, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 311]
AB 659 (Kuykendall-R) - Capital Projects: Schools: Volunteers
Authorizes a school district to use community volunteers for capital projects valued at less than $20,000 if the school district governing board adopts a resolution which declares the projects have been delayed due to budgetary constraints, could not be accomplished without the help of volunteers, and the use of volunteers will not reduce the district work force.
(Failed passage in Assembly Education Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 687* (Goldsmith-R) - School Districts: Residency of Pupils
appropriates $147,575 from the General Fund for the Imperial County and the San Diego County superintendents of schools to assist school districts adjacent to the Mexican border with pupil residency verification activities.
Adds provisions relating to the allocation of excess funds in the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund to county superintendents of schools for special education programs.
Chapter 309, Statutes of 1995
AB 692 (Napolitano-D) - School Safety: Local Alternative Education Programs
Permits school districts to establish Local Alternative Education programs as educational placements for K-8 pupils who may otherwise be suspended or expelled. Provides that participating school districts are to receive funding, in addition to the school district revenue limit, equal to 65 percent of the difference between the cost of enrolling a pupil in a county community school and the school district revenue limit.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)
AB 721 (Baldwin-R) - Charter Schools
Increases, from 100 to 300, the number of charter schools that may operate in the state, and revises the method by which a charter school may be established. Places certain restrictions on charter schools operating home-independent-study programs.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
[PAGE 312]
AB 727 (Richter-R) - Education: Race Neutral Determinations
Prohibits a public educational institution, except as ordered by a court, from considering race when deciding on matters of admittance, financial aid, or a person's academic performance.
(Failed passage in Assembly Higher Education Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 781 (McDonald-D) - Limited-English-Proficient Pupils
Declares the intent of the Legislature to establish the California Language Resources Act of 1995, to enable the state's population, and especially schoolage children, to become proficient in the English language and foreign languages.
(In Assembly Education Committee)
AB 782 (McDonald-D) - Education Technology
Creates the California Center for Educational Technology, to be administered jointly by the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the President of the California Public Utilities Commission and shall consist of 11 other members, as specified. (Its purpose is to provide financial incentives for the development of hardware and software to be used in public schools.)
(In Assembly Education Committee)
AB 783 (McDonald-D) - Vocational Education
Establishes the Urban School-to-Work Initiative Program Act of 1995, to be administered by the State Department of Education. Makes a legislative finding that young people do not possess the basic academic and occupational skills necessary for entering the workforce.
(In Assembly Education Committee)
AB 784 (McDonald-D) - Urban School Districts
Establishes the McDonald Urban Education Quality Act of 1995 to implement specified basic principles in urban school districts. Also includes teacher training reforms.
(In Assembly Education Committee)
[PAGE 313]
AB 789* (Alpert-D) - High-risk Pupils
Appropriates $100,000 from the General Fund to the Office of Criminal Justice Planning for grants for midnight basketball in San Diego and Los Angeles Counties. Each county would receive a $50,000 grant.
(Failed passage in Senate Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 790 (Cannella-D) - Schools: Intradistrict Attendance Policies
Clarifies existing law as it relates to intradistrict open enrollment policies for K-12 districts.
Chapter 89, Statutes of 1995
AB 797* (Archie-Hudson-D) - Bonds: Educational Technology Infrastructure
Enacts the Educational Technology Infrastructure Bond Act of 1996, placing a $500 million general obligation bond measure before the voters at the March 26, 1996, statewide election. Allocates $400 million for public school districts (the School Technology Account) and $100 million to public higher education institutions (the Higher Education Technology Accounts).
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)
AB 813* (Allen-R) - Alternative Education and Work Centers for School Dropouts
Provides for the sharing of costs associated with alternative education and work centers.
Chapter 649, Statutes of 1995
AB 835 (Weggeland-R) - Pupils: Adult Education
Allows the Riverside Unified School District to serve high school pupils in both a continuation school and a vocational training program conducted by the district's adult education program.
(On Senate Inactive File)
[PAGE 314]
AB 839 (Ducheny-D) - Adult Education: Delineation of Functions Agreements
Creates a method for resolving disputes between K-12 and community college districts regarding which agencies should provide adult education services.
Vetoed by the Governor
AB 844 (Alby-R) - Schools: Attendance Accounting
Allows school districts and county offices of education (local education agencies) to receive apportionment funding for pupils who are absent from school for the purpose of accompanying a parent or guardian to his/her workplace, as part of a program established to teach pupils about the activities of a workplace. Limits such absences to no more than one day in each school year.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 870 (Baldwin-R) - School Districts: Contracts for Services
Authorizes a school district to contract for janitorial and building maintenance services. Authorizes a school district to contract for food service, including, but not limited to, management consulting services or the preparation, delivery, and service of meals at schools within the district.
(Failed passage in Assembly Public Employees Retirement and Social Security Committee)
AB 922 (Friedman-D) - Pupils: Expulsion: Alternative Placement
Requires school districts, when they expel a pupil, to ensure an alternative placement for a pupil subject to mandatory expulsion (all others are subject to Budget Act provisions), to recommend a plan of rehabilitation; and to readmit the pupil if the conditions of the rehabilitation plan are met.
Chapter 974, Statutes of 1995
AB 927 (Battin-R) - Pupil Records: Privacy: Release to Peace Officers
Allows access to pupil records by peace officers conducting a criminal investigation of alleged criminal conduct of the pupil on school district property or at a school-sponsored activity.
(In Senate Education Committee)
[PAGE 315]
AB 934 (Woods-R) - Schools: Staff Development
Increases to six the number of "pupil-free days" that a county office of education may use for staff development and still receive full average daily attendance.
(Failed passage in Senate Education Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 951 (Knight-R) - Special Education: Assessment: IQ Testing
Provides that a test that measures the intelligence quotient of a pupil may be administered upon request of a pupil's parent or guardian, with respect to the initial placement of a special education pupil. Provides that race shall not be a factor in determining whether or not a test is administered.
(In Assembly Education Committee)
AB 958 (Knight-R) - Public Records: Exemption
Requires the Department of Education to permit Members of the Legislature or the Governor to view questions or material included in any statewide assessment of public school pupils.
Chapter 777, Statutes of 1995
AB 967 (Ducheny-D) - Education
Contains the annual "technical cleanup" to the Education Code sponsored by the State Department of Education.
Chapter 530, Statutes of 1995
AB 975 (McDonald-D) - Schools: Crisis Management Teams
States that school districts may establish a school crisis management team to develop a detailed action plan for managing crises and provide prevention, intervention and post-crisis services.
(Failed passage on Assembly Floor; reconsideration granted)
[PAGE 316]
AB 978 (Thompson-R) - Education Code: Revision
Establishes the Commission to Revise the Education Code, composed of 21 members, appointed as specified, by March 31, 1996. Requires the commission to report to the Legislature on or before January 1, 1997 with recommendations for the revision of the Education Code.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 984 (Firestone-R) - Charter Schools: Petition
Authorizes the governing board of a school district to require petitioners, who file on and after January 1, 1996, to specify the procedures by which disputes between the charter school and the school district are to be resolved.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 1001 (Kuehl-D) - Education: Sexual Orientation: Nondiscrimination
Named the Dignity for All Students Act, expands the scope of all non-discrimination statutes applying to public educational institutions to include sexual orientation.
(Failed passage in Assembly Education Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 1030 (Firestone-R) - Education: Parental Involvement
Specifies the rights of parents and guardians of each pupils enrolled in public school, and provides for the greater involvement of parents in the public schools by requiring the State Department of Education to develop a guide for parental involvement in schools.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)
AB 1031 (Firestone-R) - High School Equivalency Certificate
Requires persons who are issued a high school equivalency certificate to be U.S. citizens.
(In Assembly Education Committee)
[PAGE 317]
AB 1039 (Bustamante-D) - Instructional Materials: Rebinding Textbooks
Permits the use of state instructional materials funding to rebind state-adopted textbooks to extend their useful life.
Chapter 534, Statutes of 1995
AB 1041 (Alpert-D) - Bilingual Education
Creates a new, flexible local program option under which school districts may serve a portion of their limited-English-proficient students.
(In Senate Education Committee)
AB 1088 (Morrow-R) - Schools: Driver Training Instruction
Increases the licensing standards for school district driver training instructors, and requires that all school district driver training courses include at least 6 hours of behind-the-wheel driving instruction.
(In Senate Education Committee)
AB 1178 (Cunneen-R) - High School Graduation: Governor's Diploma
Creates the Governor's Diploma to recognize outstanding achievement by high school graduates in at least six subject matter areas.
(Held under submission in Senate Appropriations Committee)
AB 1187 (Takasugi-R) - Employment of Pupils: Tax Credits
Authorizes a regional occupational center or program (ROC/P) to arrange for the employment of pupils, and allows a tax credit to the employer for pupils enrolled in an ROC/P or work experience program.
(In Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee)
[PAGE 318]
AB 1201 (Gallegos-D) - Local Education Agencies: Board Members' Compensation
Allows community college, county office of education and school district board members to be absent from specially scheduled board meetings without having their monthly compensation reduced.
(On Senate Inactive File)
AB 1214 (Villaraigosa-D) - Special Education: Transportation
Changes the state funding formula for special education transportation costs to provide 100 percent reimbursement from the state in the 1996-97 fiscal year.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 1215 (Villaraigosa-D) - Education Technology Funding
Modifies the allocation mechanism for educational technology funding to K-12 schools and county offices of education, beginning in 1996-97 and thereafter.
Vetoed by the Governor
AB 1216 (Knox-D) - Special Education: Nonpublic, Nonsectarian Schools
Authorizes eligibility for certification as nonpublic, nonsectarian schools to hospitals that were, in the 1994-95 calendar year, providing special education to individuals with exceptional needs pursuant to a waiver.
Vetoed by the Governor
AB 1273 (McDonald-D) - School Districts: Pupil Attendance Alternatives
Allows residents of the City of Carson to enroll their children in Los Angeles Unified School District schools, rather than in Compton Unified School District schools.
Chapter 323, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 319]
AB 1290 (Kaloogian-R) - School Reform: Grades K-12 School Reform Act
Enacts the Grades K-12 School Reform Act, making changes in numerous areas, the intention being to (1) reduce bureaucracy and cause more tax dollars to be used for educating pupils in the classroom, (2) increase parental involvement, (3) increase the accountability of educators receiving tax dollars through the use of testing, (4) create smaller, more responsive school districts, and (5) encourage the private sector to work in partnership with state government and local school districts to reduce burden to taxpayers as it relates to spending per pupil.
(In Assembly Education Committee)
AB 1302* (K. Murray-D) - Education Technology
Amends the Morgan-Farr-Quackenbush Educational Technology Act of 1992. Requires the Public Utilities Commission to order that $17.5 million in Pacific Telesis "spin-off" monies be deposited in the Education Technology Trust Fund, and appropriates that sum for education technology, in benefit of public schools.
Chapter 767, Statutes of 1995
AB 1334 (Sweeney-D) - Parental Responsibility: Pupil-school-parent Compact
Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), in consultation with the State Board of Education (SBE), to develop and recommend effective ways to increase parental responsibility and involvement in their children's learning activities. Also requires the SPI to develop a model pupil-school-parent compact for the SBE to adopt which indicates steps parents may take to increase their children's prospects for success in school.
Chapter 485, Statutes of 1995
AB 1335 (Sweeney-D) - Education Benchmarks Commission
Establishes a 16-member Education Benchmarks Commission to develop broad goals, a long-range strategy to achieve goals, and benchmarks to track progress to goals for the state's public education system. Requires the commission to maximize public participation in the process and encourages the use of informal facilitated workshops, town hall meetings and interactive teleconferences.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)
[PAGE 320]
AB 1342 (Sweeney-D) - Public Schools: Focus Schools
Establishes an alternative procedure for the Superintendent of Public Instruction to use in identifying focus schools, defined as low-performing schools eligible for special assistance to improve their academic programs. Also eliminates the program's sunset date.
(Held under submission in Senate Appropriations Committee)
AB 1438 (Campbell-D) - Special Education: Nonpublic, Nonsectarian Schools or Agencies
Eliminates the ability of the superintendent to not certify or decertify a nonpublic, nonsectarian school or agency that does not submit the list of uniform tuition fees for services by June 30, 1996. Provides that uniform tuition fees are based on the per-day costs of providing special education and designated instruction and services, as specified, that are contained in the total operating budget of a school or agency.
(Failed passage in Assembly Education Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 1439 (Woods-R) - Parental Rights Act
Establishes the Parental Rights Act and makes the legislative declaration that Goals 2000 is an unwarranted intrusion on parents and unreasonably interferes with the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children.
(Failed passage in Assembly Education Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 1443 (Baldwin-R) - Pupil Assessments
Creates the Commission on Academic Standards and Accountability in Assessment.
(In Assembly Education Committee)
AB 1489 (Gallegos-D) - Early Reading Intervention Teacher Training Act of 1995
Creates the Early Reading Intervention Teacher Training Act of 1995 for early reading assistance to the lowest-performing first grade pupils. Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to award one-time grants, not to exceed $6,500, for the actual cost of training one teacher in early reading intervention strategies and for the purchase of readers and tutorial materials needed for tutorial sessions in English or other languages.
(Held under submission in Senate Appropriations Committee
[PAGE 321]
AB 1498 (Baldwin-R) - Academic Standards
States legislative intent that rigorous academic standards be adopted for all students.
Chapter 274, Statutes of 1995
AB 1504 (Burton-D) - Instructional Materials: Spelling
Specifies that the instructional materials adopted by the State Board of Education in language arts for use in kindergarten through grade 8 must include spelling.
Chapter 764, Statutes of 1995
AB 1513 (Villaraigosa-D) - Pupils
Establishes a School Safety Incentive Grant Program for the purpose of funding alternative educational placements for pupils expelled and at risk of expulsion.
(Held under submission in Senate Appropriations Committee)
AB 1519* (Morrow-R) - Education Technology
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to order that $17.5 million in Pacific Telesis "spin-off" monies be deposited in the Education Technology Trust Fund, created in this bill, and appropriates that sum for education technology, in benefit of public schools.
(In Assembly awaiting concurrence)
AB 1591 (Alpert-D) - Health Start Support Services for Children Act
Authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction to award one-time transition grants of up to $50,000 to local education agencies or consortiums that received a Healthy Start program operation grant in 1992, total awards not to exceed $2 million.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)
[PAGE 322]
AB 1612 (Friedman-D) - Schools: Food Sales
Provides that a minimum of 80% of the food offered for sale, including package food distributors and fast food franchises, is required to be selected from a specified list of foods.
(In Assembly Education Committee)
AB 1634 (Alpert-D) - Education Code: Consolidation
Streamlines the Education Code: (1) Repeals unjustified permissive statutes found in the code, (2) limits new additions to the code to those that are necessary to achieve a statewide policy, (3) removes findings, purpose and intent language from the code, and (4) provides a "safe harbor" mechanism for the SDE to issue rulings.
(Failed passage on Assembly Floor; reconsideration granted; on Assembly Inactive File)
AB 1641 (Knox-D) - Middle College High School Programs
Directs the California Community Colleges and the Department of Education to enter into a joint agreement for the creation of a statewide system of "middle college high schools" located on community college campuses.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 1682 (Bates-D) - Pupils: Basic Proficiency
Permits district-adopted basic skills proficiency standards to meet alternative criteria related to responsible citizenship, future learning, and productive employment.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)
AB 1698 (Firestone-R) - Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education
Makes numerous minor and technical changes to the Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education Reform Act of 1989.
Chapter 533, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 323]
AB 1721 (Ducheny-D) - Student Records
Expands and clarifies the responsibilities of community college districts and school districts as regards furnishing student information in response to court orders or lawfully issued subpoenas.
(In Senate Education Committee)
AB 1726 (Campbell-D) - Suspension and Expulsion of Pupils
Requires school districts to maintain a disclosable public record of suspension including the terms of the suspension, and the gender, age, race or ethnicity of the pupil, and requires teachers to allow suspended students to complete assignments and tests missed and to give full credit to the students for accomplishing those tasks.
(In Assembly Education Committee)
AB 1767 (Takasugi-R) - Education: Public Contracts: Competitive Bidding
Allows a school district to award a contract for the purchase of materials or supplies to other than the lowest responsible bidder, under specified circumstances.
(On Senate Inactive File)
AB 1792 (Lee-D) - Education: Academic Core Curriculum
Expressly specifies that all pupils have the right to an academic core curriculum and requires a course of study relating to admission to postsecondary education institutions be offered to all pupils in grades 7-12.
(In Assembly Education :Committee)
AB 1802 (V. Brown-D) - Child Abduction and Child Abuse: Programs and Curricula
Requires the State Department of Education to identify and distribute information to public schools designed to teach children to recognize and prevent child abduction and child abuse, if federal or private funds are made available for that purpose.
Chapter 269, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 324]
AB 1835 (Figueroa-D) - Pupils: Certificates of Initial Mastery
Creates the "High Standards and Universal Achievement Act," whose purpose is to develop a process to certify that a student has achieved a solid academic foundation in all of the core subject areas and is ready to proceed to the next career pathway.
(In Assembly Education Committee)
[PAGE 325]
ELECTIONS AND REAPPORTIONMENT
NOTE: *DENOTES URGENCY LEGISLATION
[PAGE 326]
Political Reform
SB 24 (Kopp-I) - Late Filing Contributions
Increases the fines levied for violating the 24-hour filing requirement regarding late contribution reports, late independent expenditure reports, and late slate mailer payment reports from $10 per day to 10 percent per day of the total amount being reported. The total fine imposed cannot exceed the total amount being reported.
(In Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)
SB 62 (Hayden-D) - Local Agencies: Investment Advisors
Prohibits brokers, securities firms, and investment advisors from contributing to the reelection campaigns of local agency officials who award contracts, and requires more disclosure from local officials, agencies' treasurers, and brokers and dealers.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
SB 68 (Hayden-D) - Campaign Statements
Requires, by January 1, 1998, electronic filing of campaign statements by committees receiving contributions or making expenditures totaling more than $30,000 in a calendar year, as specified.
(Held under submission in Senate Appropriations Committee)
SB 198 (Kopp-I) - State Ballot Measure Disclosure Act
Enacts the State Ballot Measure Disclosure Act requiring committees making expenditures to support or oppose a state measure to disclose major contributors, whose cumulative contributions total $50,000 or more, in advertisements regarding a measure, as specified.
Vetoed by the Governor
SB 524 (Kopp-I) - Lobbying Firms
Expands the definition of "lobbying firm" to create the new category of "indirect communication firm."
(On Assembly Third Reading File)
[PAGE 327]
SB 701 (Craven-R) - Gifts and Honoraria
Reorganizes the gift and honoraria sections of the Political Reform Act of 1974 so that both state and local officials comply with the same requirements and restrictions.
Chapter 690, Statutes of 1995
SB 704 (Beverly-R) - Monetary Limitations and Reporting
Amends those provisions of the Political Reform Act of 1974 relating to various monetary thresholds which require disclosure of campaign contributions and expenditures.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee; reconsideration granted)
SB 753 (Lockyer-D) - Contribution Limitations
Imposes various limitations on the amount that may be contributed to a candidate for statewide elective office, as specified.
(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
SB 754 (Lockyer-D) - Political Reform: Late Contributions
Limits the amount of any contribution or loan to a candidate, or a committee controlled by a candidate, during the late contribution period in a campaign to no more than $1,000 in total. Excludes contributions of personal funds into one's own campaign.
(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
SB 834 (Hayden-D) - Lobbyists
Changes the definition of "lobbyist" to mean any individual who receives $1,000 or more in economic consideration in a calendar year, or whose principal duties as an employee are to communicate directly or through his or her agents with any elective state official, agency official or legislative official, for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action.
(Failed passage in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee; reconsideration granted)
[PAGE 328]
SB 904 (Leslie-R) - Political Reform: Late Contributions
Requires any candidate or committee which makes a late, in-kind contribution to notify the recipient in writing of the value of the in-kind contribution.
Chapter 77, Statutes of 1995
SB 913 (Polanco-D) - Political Reform Act Clarifications
Makes a number of changes in the Political Reform Act of 1974 relating to conflict-of-interest code reviewing body, lobbyist certification and disclosure statements.
(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
SB 1076 (Mountjoy-R) - Political Reform: Foreign Nationals: Contributions
Prohibits foreign governments, foreign nationals and foreign principals from making any contribution, expenditure or independent expenditure for or against any state or local initiative or referendum measure.
(Failed passage on Assembly Floor; reconsideration granted; on Assembly Inactive File)
SB 1308 (Campbell-R) - Campaign Contributions
Prohibits a candidate for elective office of a local agency from knowingly soliciting a contribution from an officer or employee of that agency. Does not prohibit the solicitation if the solicitation was made to a significant segment of the public.
Chapter 653, Statutes of 1995
AB 338 (Vasconcellos-D) - Slate Mailers
Requires additional notice on slate mailers¸ including information on how many people the organization authorizes to select the candidates or ballot measures that are endorsed and whether these persons are from the organization's general membership, board of directors, or otherwise.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee; reconsideration granted)
[PAGE 329]
AB 424 (Speier-D) - Political Reform: Sponsored Committees
Makes changes in the definition of sponsored committees by including two or more associations, committees, corporations or unions, or any combination thereof, acting in concert from the definition of "person" unless those corporations or organizations are members of a single industry, trade or profession,.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 497 (Horcher-I) - Political Reform: Campaign Communications
Provides for Truth in Campaigning standards.
(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 1043 (Speier-D) - Political Reform: Honest Election Act
Creates the Honest Election Act requiring a person to register if the person is promised or paid more than $10,000 in a calendar year to plan, organize or direct a campaign concerning the election or defeat of a candidate or measure. Prohibits a registered campaign consultant from being on a state payroll in the same year in which the person is so registered.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 1085 (Martinez-D) - Political Reform: Committees
Expands the definition of a "primarily formed committee" to include any committee formed to support or oppose either a group of candidates in a same multicounty election, or two or more measures being voted on in the same multicounty election.
Chapter 295, Statutes of 1995
AB 1090 (Martinez-D) - Political Reform: Gifts and Income
Relieves political candidates and officials from the gift limitations and the requirement of disclosing payments for disaster aid received from state, local or federal government agencies and programs, or from bona fide charitable, nonprofit organizations, when those payments relate to or arise from a Governor-proclaimed state of emergency.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
[PAGE 330]
AB 1391 (W. Brown-D) - Fair Political Practices Commission
Prohibits the Fair Political Practices Commission from adopting any rule or regulation that abridges freedom of speech or of the press, as determined by the state or federal courts in their interpretations of the U.S. Constitution.
(Failed passage on Assembly Floor; reconsideration granted; on Assembly Inactive File)
AB 1468 (Cunneen-R) - Political Reform: Committees
Sets up standards relative to identifying committees supporting or opposing candidates for office.
(Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 1710 (McPherson-R) - Political Reform: Lobbyist Photos
Deletes the requirement that lobbyist photos be black and white, and makes other non-substantive and technical changes.
Chapter 346, Statues of 1995
AB 1712 (McPherson-R) - Political Reform: Slate Mailers
Requires every slate mailer sent by a slate mail organization using as a part of its name the name of a qualified political party or derivative to contain a notice in at least 10-point roman boldface type stating: "NOT AN OFFICIAL PARTY DOCUMENT." Requires the notice to appear below the name of the slate mailer organization.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 1769 (McPherson-R) - Political Reform: Conflict of Interest
Specifies that the presiding judges of specified courts (i.e., Supreme Court, court of appeals, superior court, municipal court, justice court), or their designees, are responsible for reviewing the conflict of interest code of any court within the administrative supervision of each respective court.
Chapter 587, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 331]
AB 1806 (Poochigian-R) - Political Reform: Statements of Economic Interest
Makes the period of time for filing statements of economic interest consistent for individuals elected, appointed or nominated to office.
Vetoed by the Governor
AB 1871 (Mazzoni-D) - Postgovernment Employment Restrictions
Expands existing prohibitions regarding post-government employment to include an appearance or communication that is made for the purpose of influencing any legal enforcement proceeding.
(Failed passage on Assembly Floor)
[PAGE 332]
Campaign Financing
SB 473 (Maddy-R) - Campaign Contribution Limits
Repeals the campaign finance provisions that were enacted by Proposition 68 at the June 7, 1988 primary election but which were superseded by Proposition 73 because the latter received more votes. Changes campaign contribution limits of Proposition 73 from a fiscal-year basis to a per election basis.
(In Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)
SB 752 (Lockyer-D) - Campaign Financing Reform
Enacts the Campaign Financing Reform Act of 1996, which (1) limits contributions to candidates for legislative office, (2) provides partial public funding of general election nominees for legislative office, (3) limits the general election campaign expenditures of candidates for legislative office who accept public funds, (4) regulates independent expenditures, and (5) allows taxpayers to designate part of their tax liability to a Legislative Election Fund.
(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 1814 (Bowen-D) - Campaign Finance Reform
Enacts the Campaign Finance Report Act of 1995, which imposes limitations on contributions to candidates for elective office, as specified; and sets up a Legislative Election Fund to which taxpayers can designate part of their tax liability.
(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment & Constitutional Amendments Committee)
Similar legislation is AB 1816 (Bowen-D), which failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment & Constitutional Amendments Committee.
[PAGE 333]
Elections
SB 2 (Kopp-I) - Governing Bodies: Term Limits
Authorizes any city council, county board of supervisors, or the governing bodies of county boards of education, school districts, community college districts or special districts, or the residents of the governing entities, to submit a term limit proposal to the voters. Includes a statement that enactment by the Legislature shall not prejudice any legal claims made by members of the Legislature concerning Proposition 140.
Chapter 432, Statutes of 1995
SB 61 (Kopp-I) - City and County Charters: Initiative Amendments
Revises the petition signature requirements for initiatives to amend city charters from 15% of the registered voters in the city to 15% of those persons voting for Governor in the city.
Vetoed by the Governor
SB 82 (Kopp-I) - Schools: Use of Funds for Elections
Prohibits the use of local educational agency funds for purposes of urging the support or defeat of any ballot measure or candidate, as is the law with respect to state, county, city and special district funds.
Chapter 879, Statutes of 1995
SB 244 (Hurtt-R) - Payments for Voting
Makes it a felony offense to receive or induce another person to receive any money, gift, loan, office, employment or other valuable consideration for voting.
(Failed passage in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee; reconsideration granted)
SB 259 (Russell-R) - Proof of Voter Eligibility
Requires voters who have registered by mail and who have never voted in the county to cast his or her ballot in person. Requires voters who registered in person to provide evidence of his or her identity and residence at the polling place prior to receiving a ballot.
(Failed passage in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)
[PAGE 334]
SB 279 (Lewis-R) - Statewide Ballot Measures
Prohibits public officials at both state and local levels from expending public funds to bring legal actions to prevent statewide ballot measures from being placed on the ballot or from being implemented after being approved by the voters.
(Failed passage on Senate Floor; reconsideration granted; placed on Senate Inactive File)
Similar legislation is ACA 24 (Baldwin-R) which is in Assembly Local Government Committee, and AB 5 (Boland-R) which faileld passage in Assembly Local Government Committee; reconsideration granted.
SB 379 (Polanco-D) - Elections
Requires the Secretary of State to produce an audiocassette recorded version of the state ballot pamphlet. Allows county election officials to cancel the registration of a voter upon proof that he/she is otherwise ineligible to vote. Requires local officials to provide specified reapportionment information and statistics to the Legislature after each statewide election.
Chapter 896, Statutes of 1995
SB 394* (Polanco-D) - Democratic Presidential Delegates
Specifies the changes in the procedures for selection of Democratic delegates to conform with the early March 1996 presidential primary election.
(Failed passage on Assembly Floor; motion to reconsider pending)
SB 418 (Hurtt-R) - Voter Registration
Prohibits a person, company or other organization that pays any person to assist in the registration of voters from paying that person on a per-affidavit basis. Makes violation of this prohibition punishable as a misdemeanor.
(Failed passage on Senate Floor)
[PAGE 335]
SB 581* (Polanco-D) - Voter Registration
Deletes the requirement that the affidavit of registration to show the affiant's occupation and, instead, requires the affidavit to include a place for the affiant's California driver's license number, California identification card number, or other identification number as specified by the Secretary of State. States that no voter shall be denied the right to register because of his or her failure to provide this number. Requires the Secretary of State to establish a statewide system to facilitate the removal of duplicate or prior registrations, to facilitate the reporting of election results and voter and candidate information, and to otherwise enhance election administration. Requires that the statewide system not replace county voter registration systems or processes. Double-joined with AB 1701.
Chapter 912, Statutes of 1995
SB 755 (Lockyer-D) - Candidates for Governor: Debate
Creates a Gubernatorial Debate Commission to develop a debate format to perform duties in a nonpartisan manner to develop a debate format to facilitate the discussion of substantive issues by gubernatorial candidates. Makes participation by candidates in the debate voluntary. Sunsets January 1, 2000.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)
Similar legislation is AB 1045 (Speier-D) which failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee.
SB 925 (Costa-D) - Initiative Measures
Provides for a mechanism by which initiative proponents may amend initiatives after they have qualified for the ballot, and reduces the upper limit threshold percentage relative to the statistical sampling of the number of valid signatures needed to qualify an initiative.
(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
A companion measure is SCA 22 (Costa-D) which is on Senate Third Reading File.
SB 986 (Polanco-D) - Elections: Candidate Statements
Allows candidates for statewide office to include a candidate's statement and photograph in the state ballot pamphlet.
(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
[PAGE 336]
SB 1094 (Kopp-I) - Voter Registration
Provides identification by persons executing a voter registration affidavit. Deletes the requirement that a voter include his or her occupation on the affidavit. Requires notice on the affidavit portion of the voter registration card that the inclusion of a phone number is optional. Joined with SB 581 (Polanco-D) and AB 1701 (McPherson-R).
(In Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)
Similar provisions were included in SB 75 (Polanco-D) which was used later for another purpose.
SB 1200* (Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee) - Elections
Makes additional conforming and non-administrative changes to provisions of the Elections Code which began in 1994 with the reorganization of the Elections Code. Makes other changes in the law concerning the conduct of elections.
(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
SB 1251 (Russell-R) - Voter Registration Cards
Makes it a misdemeanor for anyone to willfully mark, stamp or complete (either fully or partially) the affidavit portion of a voter registration card without the consent of the elector.
(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
SB 1313 (Mountjoy-R) - Voters Residency Confirmation
Sets up a procedure to confirm election residency confirmation.
(On Senate Inactive File)
SB 1361* (Johnson-R) - Political Reform: Campaign Statements
Accelerates the campaign reporting requirements due to the March 26, 1996 presidential primary election.
Chapter 470, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 337]
SCA 9 (Leonard-R) - Initiatives: Identified Revenue Source
Requires initiative measures to identify a source of revenue to fund any costs that would be incurred by state or local governments in implementing the initiative measure.
(In Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)
SCA 12 (Greene-D) - Governor and Lt. Governor: Joint Election
Requires candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor of each party to appear jointly at the statewide general election.
(In Senate Rules Committee)
SCA 18 (Lewis-R) - Ballot Measures
Prohibits ballot measures from conditioning their application in a political subdivision based on the votes cast in the jurisdiction.
(In Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)
SCA 22 (Costa-D) - Initiatives: Legislative Review
Prescribes procedures for the Legislature to hear, amend and adopt initiatives which have qualified for the ballot. Provides for removal from the ballot of initiatives which do not require voter approval, if the Legislature enacts the provisions of the initiative, as specified.
(On Senate Third Reading File)
AB 10 (Hoge-R) - Voting: Proof of Citizenship
Sets up standards relative to persons showing proof of citizenship before registering to vote or being provided a ballot.
(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
[PAGE 338]
AB 17 (Speier-D) - Elections: None of the Above
Allows the designation of "none of the above" as a choice for people to vote for in statewide general elections.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
Similar language was contained in SB 24 (Kopp-I) which was later used for another purpose.
AB 51 (Johnson-R) - Qualifications for Office
Requires county officials to determine if documentation submitted by candidates demonstrates that the candidate meets the qualifications of the office for which he or she is filing, as specified.
Chapter 729, Statutes of 1995
AB 314 (McDonald-D) - Mail Ballot Precinct
Allows county election officials to establish a polling place within city limits for voters who have received absent voter ballots.
(Failed passage on Assembly Floor)
AB 500 (Bowen-D) - Voting: Residency Confirmation
Sets up new procedures for election residency confirmation.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee; reconsideration granted)
Similar legislation is AB 672 (K. Murray-D) which is in Assembly Transportation Committee.
AB 544 (Vasconcellos-D) - Elections: Campaign Reform
Creates a Commission on Campaign Decency, which would be responsible for formulating a Decent Campaign Pledge that candidates for legislative and statewide office could voluntarily sign under penalty of perjury, as specified.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee; reconsideration granted)
[PAGE 339]
AB 677 (Conroy-R) - Elections: Registration
Requires that affidavits of registration form contain certain warnings regarding the eligibility of a person to register to vote.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 680 (Mazzoni-D) - Ballot Pamphlet Information
Requires committees that make expenditures of $50,000 or more to qualify state initiative measures for the ballot to provide to the Secretary of State the names of the persons who made the 5 highest contributions to the committee for the measure's qualification efforts and the total contributions made by each of these contributors, as specified.
(Failed passage on Senate Floor; placed on Senate Inactive File)
AB 1206 (Gallegos-D) - Recall Elections
Revises the percentage of the votes required to sign a recall petition against an officer of a city, county, school district, community college district, county board of education or resident voting district.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 1492 (Gallegos-D) - Elections
Allows an elections official to appoint not more than two 16- or 17-year-old high school students to serve under the direct supervision of precinct board members designated by the elections official, as specified. Prohibits a person, company or other organization that pays any person to assist in the registration of voters to distribute applications for absent voter ballots, or to circulate petitions to place measures on the ballot on the basis of the number of voter affidavits or applications, or signatures obtained.
(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
Similar legislation is AB 1856 (McPherson-R) which is in the same committee.
[PAGE 340]
AB 1532 (K. Murray-D) - Voter Registration
Specifies procedures for people (those who receive payment are commonly referred to as "bounty hunters") who assist others to register to vote by receiving completed affidavits of registration from electors, for the people or companies which pay bounty hunters, and for counties.
Chapter 946, Statutes of 1995
AB 1701* (McPherson-R) - Voter Registration
Deletes the requirement in existing law that the affidavit of registration to show the affiant's occupation and, instead, requires the affidavit to include a place for the affiant's California driver's license number, California identification card number, or other identification number as specified by the Secretary of State. Requires the Secretary of State to establish a statewide system to facilitate the removal of duplicate or prior voter registrations, to facilitate the reporting of election results and voter and candidate information, and to otherwise enhance election administration. Requires that the statewide system not replace county voter registration systems or processes. Appropriates $5 million as a loan to the Secretary of State to implement and administer the statewide voter file. Double-joined with SB 581 (Polanco-D).
Chapter 913, Statutes of 1995
AB 1703 (McPherson-R) - Absentee Ballots
Makes various revisions in the law concerning the return of absentee ballots and the card, and clarifies that various campaign personnel may not be in the residence or presence of an absent voter.
(In Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)
AB 1704 (McPherson-R) - Declaration of Candidacy
Revises the format of the declaration of candidacy form to permit candidates to request that their residence address or home phone not be published as part of a candidate list. Allows a candidate to furnish a mailing address on the declaration, as specified.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
[PAGE 341]
AB 1705* (McPherson-R) - Voter Registration: Confidentiality
Reinstates the provisions regarding court-ordered confidentiality of voter registration information which were inadvertently repealed with the enactment of SB 1518 of 1994.
Chapter 344, Statutes of 1995
AB 1706 (McPherson-R) - Write-In Candidates
Requires that the statement of write-in candidacy contain a declaration by the candidate stating that he or she meets all of the statutory and constitutional qualifications for the office sought, including, but not limited to, citizenship, residency and party affiliation, if required.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 1707 (McPherson-R) - Elections: Ballot Arguments
Requires that in cases where either pro or con arguments for a ballot measure have not been prepared and filed, the Secretary of State shall issue a general press release at least 120 days prior to the election soliciting the voters to supply ballot arguments regarding any ballot measure.
Chapter 345, Statutes of 1995
AB 1708* (McPherson-R) - Election Procedures: Judges
Deletes several provisions of law which require county elections officials to forward nomination and other documents related to candidates for Superior Court offices to the Secretary of State, who certifies them and then returns the documents to the county elections officials.
Chapter 736, Statutes of 1995
AB 1711 (McPherson-R) - Elections: Ballots and Results
Establishes 35 days as the number of days after an election in which local election officials must forward to the Secretary of State, a copy of all returns relating to state candidates and measures, federal candidates and specified judicial candidates. States that no provisional ballot shall be rejected if the voter cast his or her ballot in the wrong precinct provided the candidates and measures voted on are identical to the voter's assigned precinct.
Chapter 451, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 342]
AB 1713 (McPherson-R) - Elections: Provisional Ballots
Conforms state statutes with provisions of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 regarding registration on election day for specified voters.
Chapter 919, Statutes of 1995
AB 1714 (McPherson-R) - Voter Registration
Provides procedures for confirming a voter's continuing residency at a given address.
(In Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)
AB 1872 (Gallegos-D) - Elections: Precinct Boards
Reduces the minimum number of clerks for a precinct board to one.
(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 1873 (Gallegos-D) - Elections: Consolidated Precincts
Limits the size of consolidated precincts in a special election for a legislative or congressional office to 650 voters.
(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 1874 (Gallegos-D) - Elections: Absent Voter Ballots
Expands the list of designated persons who can return an ill or physically disabled voter's absentee ballot to include a member of a registered campaign committee.
(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 1875* (Gallegos-D) - Presidential Primary: Presidential Electors
Makes necessary changes to implement the Democratic Party plan for electing party delegates to the 1996 national convention. Repeals the law providing per diem for each presidential elector.
(On Senate Third Reading File)
[PAGE 343]
AB 1894 (Horcher-I) - Student Voting Rights
Requests the Regents of the University of California, and requires the Trustees of the California State University, the Board of Governors of the California Maritime Academy and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to provide election materials on campus and to establish polling places on these campuses.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 1924 (Conroy-R) - Initiatives: Signature Qualifications
Changes the threshold percentage of signatures required for qualifying an initiative, from 95% to 92%.
(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 1926 (McPherson-R) - Special Elections
Extends the sunset date on the law concerning the costs of special elections, from January 1, 1996 to January 1, 2000.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 1936 (Rainey-R) - Elections: Judicial Candidates
Requires the Secretary of State's Office to expand the explanation of the terms of office for justices of the Supreme Court and courts of appeal in the ballot pamphlet. Requires county elections officials to modify slightly the heading which appears on the ballot for justices.
(In Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee)
Similar legislation is AB 1026 (Aguiar-R) which failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee; reconsideration granted.
[PAGE 344]
ACA 23 (Speier-D) - Elections: Voting Age
Lowers the voting age from 18 to 14.
(In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
HR 18 (Bowler-R) - Recall Costs: Assembly Races
Specifies that reimbursement of Assembly recall elections to counties comes from the Assembly Operating Fund.
(In Assembly Rules Committee)
AB 58XX (Gallegos-D) - Recall Elections: Payment of Costs
Requires that expenses incurred in the conduct of a recall election of a State Senator or Assemblymember be paid by the state.
(In Assembly Rules Committee)
[PAGE 345]
ENERGY AND UTILITIES
NOTE: *DENOTES URGENCY LEGISLATION
[PAGE 346]
Energy
SB 956 (Leonard-R) - Energy Resources: Federal Oil Overcharge Funds
Declares legislative intent to appropriate $2.1 million in Petroleum Violation Escrow Account monies as follows: (1) $1 million to the California Energy Commission for the CALSTART program for the development of clean fuel vehicles, (2) $200,000 to the Junction Elementary School District in Shasta County for a long-distance-learning pilot program, (3) $400,000 to the City of Redding for construction of a pedestrian bridge across the Sacramento River at Turtle Bay, and (4) $500,000 to the City of Santa Ana for the costs of construction of an underground tunnel connecting the Santa Ana Holding Facility to the Orange County Sheriff's Intake and Release Center.
(In Assembly Transportation Committee)
SB 960 (Leonard-R) - Public Utilities Commission: California Energy Commission
(1) Abolishes the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and the California Energy Commission, and creates the Utilities Exchange Commission (UEC); (2) structures and models the UEC according to the Warren-Alquist Act (Public Resources Code); (3) transfers the jurisdictional authority within the Public Utilities Code to the UEC, (4) creates an accountable decision-making process at the UEC, and (5) designates the UEC's mission as preparing for and being responsive to the evolving competitive environment for the delivery of essential utility services to Californians. Becomes operative only if SB 1322 (Calderon-D) is enacted and SCA 21 (Peace-D) is approved by the voters.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)
SB 1065 (Peace-D) - Energy Conservation Assistance
Authorizes the California Energy Commission to use repayments from existing loans made from the Energy Conservation Assistance Account and the Local Jurisdiction Energy Assistance Account as collateral for a revenue bond issuance.
Chapter 611, Statutes of 1995
SB 1139* (Peace-D) - Electricity: Generation Market
Describes the Legislature's policy direction for the restructuring of the electric services industry.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)
[PAGE 347]
SB 1164 (Leslie-R) - California Propane Education, Research and Safety Council
Creates the California Propane Education, Research, and Safety Council within the California Energy Commission (CEC), delineates the council's composition and membership requirements, and provides its purpose. Additionally, directs the CEC to collect fees from propane companies to fund the council's operation.
(Failed passage in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee; reconsideration granted)
SR 30 (Alquist-D) - GRP 2
Rejects the Governor's Reorganization Plan No. 2 which abolishes the Energy Commission and places its functions under a new Department of Conservation and the Public Utilities Commission, and recommends that the plan be assigned to the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee.
Adopted by the Senate
AB 557 (Baca-D) - Economic Development: Norton Air Force Base
Modifies existing law to authorize the use of Petroleum Violation Escrow Account funds to rehabilitate non-Department of Defense Finance and Accounting Service Center-related structures at Norton Air Force Base.
Chapter 953, Statutes of 1995
AB 930 (Harvey-R) - Joint Powers Entities: Energy Acquisition
Authorizes a joint powers entity that is composed of public water agencies to exercise specified powers for the purpose of energy acquisition.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
AB 1145 (Morrissey-R) - Energy Conservation: Federal Overcharge Funds
Allocates Petroleum Violation Escrow Account funds to a variety of member-requested projects.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
[PAGE 348]
AB 1667 (Olberg-R) - Gas Rates: Solar Electric Generation Station Technology Projects
Extends the sunset date on the special gas rates for solar electric general projects until January 1, 2001, and limits that rate specifically to projects that were operating on January 1, 1995.
Chapter 960, Statutes of 1995
AB 1671* (Katz-D) - Energy Resources: Federal Oil Overcharge Funds
Appropriates $17,216,000 in Petroleum Violation Escrow Account funds for state energy-efficiency-related projects. Represents consensus among the Assembly, Senate and Administration to fund priority projects selected during negotiations.
Chapter 980, Statutes of 1995
AB 1778 (Conroy-R) - Energy Resources
Revises and recasts the powers and duties of the California Energy Commission (CEC); reorganizes, consolidates and eliminates specified programs administered by the CEC.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
AB 1867 (Katz-D) - Energy Resources
Allocates Petroleum Violation Escrow Account funds to a variety of member-requested projects.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
Essentially abolishes the State Energy Commission and shifts most of its powers and duties to a newly created Department of Energy and Conservation. Also transfers all functions of the Department of Conservation to the new department. Establishes a 5-member State Energy Facilities Siting Board, within the new department, vested with the same energy facility siting responsibilities of the former Energy Commission.
SR 30 rejected the GRP 2 and was adopted by the Senate July 30, 1995.
(Re-referred to Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
[PAGE 349]
Utilities
SB 25 (Leonard-R) - Electric Utilities: Generation Capacity
Prohibits the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) from requiring electric utilities to purchase specified resource additions in the future; however, the PUC continues to reserve the ability to conduct reasonableness reviews of those generation resource additions. Does not apply to municipal electric utilities.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)
SB 184 (Kopp-I) - San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District
Requires any electric utility regulated by the Public Utilities Commission that owns and operates transmission and distribution facilities that deliver electricity to the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), upon request by BART, to deliver preference power purchased from a federal power marketing agency. Also requires the electric utility (Pacific Gas and Electric Company) to bill BART as though all of the electricity purchased were metered by a single meter at one location.
Chapter 681, Statutes of 1995
SB 185* (Kopp-I) - Public Utilities: Carriers
Shifts the regulation of motor carrier registration, insurance and safety requirements from the Public Utilities Commission to the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Motor Vehicles. Imposes an excise tax on diesel fuel, and imposes fees on motor carriers of property to cover the cost of the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Fund. Also imposes a uniform business license tax on motor carriers of property to be deposited in the Motor Carriers Uniform Business License Tax Account for disbursement to cities and counties.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
SB 207 (Russell-R) - Telephone Corporations: Cellular Telephone Service
Prescribes certain business practices to be followed by providers of wireless telephone service.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)
[PAGE 350]
SB 248 (Hayden-D) - Public Utilities and Rates
Expands the class of customers eligible for a lower electric and gas rate (i.e., higher baseline quantities) to include residential customers who are medically certified as suffering from a life-threatening illness or have a compromised immune system.
Chapter 75, Statutes of 1995
SB 355 (Campbell-R) - Public Utilities: Public Benefit Programs
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to identify "public benefit" programs, as defined, and determine the cost of such programs as they pertain to gas and electricity service by July 1, 1996. Beginning October 1, 1996, deletes these costs from the rates for gas and electric service and recovered from a separate surcharge on all retail gas and electric service delivered over the public utility's transmission and distribution network.
(Failed passage in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee; reconsideration granted)
SB 448 (Haynes-R) - Public Utilities: Enterprise Zones: Military Bases
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to authorize specified rate discount programs to companies or industries whose facilities are located on a federal military base that has been scheduled to be or actually closed or realigned since January 1, 1992. Sunsets on January 1, 1999.
Chapter 969, Statutes of 1995
SB 585 (Craven-R) - Public Utilities Commission: Water Supplies
Extends indefinitely the January 1, 1995 sunset of an existing Public Utilities Code section that established Public Utilities Commission jurisdiction over the complaints of tenants of mobilehome parks that provide water service to their own residents through their own facilities.
Chapter 689, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 351]
SB 606 (Mountjoy-R) - Unclaimed Property
Exempts utilities regulated by the Public Utilities Commission from current escheat laws which require that any unclaimed customer deposits or overpayments be transferred to the state. Requires that the unclaimed monies be used to offset the ratepayer portion of the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)
SB 610 (Leonard-R) - Consumer Contracts: Cable Television
Establishes a statutory late fee provision for cable television services. Provides for a $5 late fee if specified requirements are met.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
SB 621 (Peace-D) - Public Utilities: Telegraph and Telephone Lines
Articulates legislative intent that local governments have the ability to exercise reasonable control in the management of local streets and waterways with regard to construction projects by telephone companies.
Chapter 968, Statutes of 1995
SB 656 (Alquist-D) - Public Utilities: Energy Metering
Requires every electric utility in the state that offers residential service to develop a standard tariff providing for net energy metering to eligible customer-generators. Applies only to those systems that produce up to 10 KW and is restricted to 0.1 percent of a utility's peak demand.
Chapter 369, Statutes of 1995
SB 664* (Russell-R) - Telecommunications: Customer Service
Extends indefinitely the authority of the Public Utilities Commission to decline to offer billing and collection service to "harmful matter" providers, and makes related changes.
Chapter 170, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 352]
SB 665 (Russell-R) - Public Utilities: Telecommunications
Permits the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to waive the current requirement that telephone corporations obtain a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the PUC and, instead, requires the telephone corporation to register with the PUC. Defines "telephone corporations" as all corporations which own or control a telephone line or related equipment for compensation.
Chapter 74, Statutes of 1995
SB 678 (Polanco-D) - Public Utilities: Natural Gas Surcharge: Public Policy Programs
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to determine annually a surcharge rate for each class of customer to provide sufficient revenue to fund specified natural gas-related programs.
(On Assembly Inactive File)
SB 960 (Leonard-R) - Public Utilities Commission: California Energy Commission
(1) Abolishes the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and the California Energy Commission, and creates the Utilities Exchange Commission (UEC); (2) structures and models the UEC according to the Warren-Alquist Act (Public Resources Code); (3) transfers the jurisdictional authority within the Public Utilities Code to the UEC; (4) creates an accountable decision-making process at the UEC; and (5) designates the UEC's mission ads preparing for and being responsive to the evolving competitive environment for the delivery of essential utility services to Californians. Becomes operative only if SB 1322 (Calderon-D) is enacted and SCA 21 (Peace-D) is approved by the voters.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)
SB 1025 (Peace-D) - Public Utilities: Water Corporations
Allows California's investor-owned water utilities to use the proceeds, and the interest thereon, from the sale of "non-used and useful" property to upgrade its infrastructure, plant, facilities and properties.
Chapter 431, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 353]
SB 1032 (Calderon-D) - Telephones: Mobile Radios
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to study and report to the Legislature, by January 1, 1998, on the effects of disparate state regulation of commercial mobile radio services.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)
SB 1035 (Peace-D) - Public Utilities: Telecommunications Infrastructure
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to ensure that a modern telecommunications infrastructure is available to all Californians on a timely and non-discriminatory basis.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)
SB 1048 (Campbell-R) - Public Utilities: Hours of Business
Requires gas, electric, water, and telephone corporations to provide a reasonable and convenient alternative to persons unable to make a required appearance during usual business hours.
Chapter 614, Statutes of 1995
SB 1090 (Russell-R) - Public Utilities: Telecommunications Services
States legislative support for the policies of the Public Utilities Commission which promote switch-based cellular resale and the "unbundling" of wholesale cellular telephone rates.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)
SB 1123 (Costa-D) - Public Utilities: Electrical Transmission
Requires Public Utilities Commission-regulated utilities that own transmission facilities to provide transmission service to power producers which wish to move power from where it is produced to other facilities at a standard price.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
[PAGE 354]
SB 1132 (Calderon-D) - Public Utilities: Electricity
States legislative intent regarding the regional electric marketplace; states that changes in California law not be made unless changes to federal and adjoining state laws are made to assure equitable competitive opportunities in the regional electric marketplace.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
SB 1141* (Costa-D) - Electricity: Policies
States legislative intent to reduce electric rates to all consumers at the earliest possible time, to simplify regulation of the electric industry, to preserve the safety and reliability of the electric system, and to preserve environmental protection. In pursuit of these goals, articulates legislative intent to address a specific set of issues.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)
SB 1142* (Peace-D) - Public Utilities: Carriers
Declares legislative findings that Public Law 103-305, which preempted the state's economic regulation of the trucking industry, except household goods carriers, does not affect the state's authority over license and safety matters of these carriers. Grants to the Public Utilities Commission the clear authority to continue to enforce existing laws in the truck safety area until new legislation is enacted to implement recommendations ofd the Governor's Task Force regarding potential reorganization of trucking safety regulation.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)
SB 1310 (Campbell-R) - Public Utilities Commission: Open Meetings
Provides specific exemptions for Public Utilities Commission members from the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act. Exempts commissioners from any restrictions on deliberations after the issuance of a proposed decision, with limited exceptions.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
SB 1317 (Calderon-D) - Public Utilities: Municipal Gas Service
Requires the Southern California Gas Company to provide wholesale rates and status to the City of Vernon in abrogation of a Public Utilities Commission decision which affords the same result but with conditions that maintain ratemaking parity within a wholesale customer class.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Commerce Committee)
[PAGE 355]
SB 1322 (Calderon-D) - Public Utilities Commission: Judicial Review
Grants to courts of appeal jurisdiction to review Public Utility Commission (PUC) decisions. Broadens the bases for judicial review and reversal of quasi-judicial PUC decisions, as specified. Provides that a party affected by a PUC decision is able to file an appeal with the Court of Appeal if the PUC has granted a rehearing in the case but has failed to render a decision within 120 days of granting the rehearing request.
(On Assembly Third Reading File)
SCA 21 (Peace-D) - Public Utilities Commission: Election of Members
Eliminates the Public Utilities Commission, and establishes in its place an Energy, Utilities and Communications Commission, consisting of 5 members, 4 to be elected to 4-year staggered terms and 1 to be appointed by the Governor to preside over the commission.
(In Senate Constitutional Amendments Committee)
SR 30 (Alquist-D) - GRP 2
Rejects the Governor's Reorganization Plan No. 2 which abolishes the Energy Commission and places its functions under a new Department of Conservation and the Public Utilities Commission, and recommends that the plan be assigned to the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee.
Adopted by the Senate
AB 118 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities: Insurance Documents
Provides that it is a "wobbler" to knowingly and willfully file fictitious insurance documents portraying evidence of mandated insurance coverage to the Public Utilities Commission. Exempts the felony portion from the "Three Strikes" law.
(On Assembly Inactive File awaiting concurrence in Senate Amendments)
[PAGE 356]
AB 119 (Baca-D) - Public Utilities: Acquisition or Control: Approval of Public Utilities Commission
As it relates to the Public Utilities Commission's approval of proposed mergers or acquisitions of specified utilities, removes the existing criteria of net benefits to ratepayers and, instead, requires the proposals to provide short and long-term economic benefits to ratepayers, to equitably allocate the forecasted economic benefits between both shareholders and ratepayers, and to provide that ratepayers shall receive not less than 50% of those benefits.
Chapter 622, Statutes of 1995
AB 202 (Conroy-R) - Paging Systems: Regulation
Exempts any one-way paging service that is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission from Public Utilities Commission regulation. Also requires the Director of Consumer Affairs to receive complaints from consumers regarding such services.
Chapter 357, Statutes of 1995
AB 311 (Baca-D) - Dump Truck Carriers
Moves requirements for payment from a contractor to a dump truck driver from Public Utilities Commission regulations to the Contractor's License Law.
Chapter 37, Statutes of 1995
AB 376 (Bustamante-D) - Public Agencies: Investigations of Violations
Authorizes special districts (community service, public utility, irrigation and county, municipal and state water districts) to enter onto private property to investigate violations of an ordinance of the district, either with the consent of the owner or pursuant to an inspection warrant.
Chapter 798, Statutes of 1995
AB 515 (Alpert-D) - Public Utilities: Oil Pipeline Corporations: Rates
Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to adopt rules that would allow oil pipeline corporations to change their shipping rates without prior PUC approval. Provides a 30-day notice requirement before the rate change and limited PUC disallowance authority after the rate has been changed. Substantially alters existing consumer protections afforded shippers by the PUC's advice letter and protest procedures.
Chapter 802, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 357]
AB 609 (Morrissey-R) - Carrier: Passenger Stage Corporations
Prohibits a passenger stage corporation from operating after the Public Utilities Commission revokes the corporation's Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity.
Chapter 362, Statutes of 1995
AB 622 (Conroy-R) - Electric and Gas Service: Master-Meter Customers
Creates a Master-Meter Task Force, composed of specified representatives, to research and recommend a phase-in, shared cost program for the takeover by utilities of manufactured housing community and mobilehome park gas and electric systems.
(In Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee)
AB 648* (Cannella-D) - Electricity: Rates for Food Processors
Establishes an experimental 3-year program giving qualified food processors the authority to purchase power directly from available power producers, rather than from the Public Utilities Commission-regulated utilities; and allows the electricity to be "wheeled" over the existing transmission and distribution system of the regulated electrical corporation.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)
AB 671 (K. Murray-D) - Passenger State Corporations
Requires passenger stage corporations (PSC's) to undergo a California Highway Patrol (CHP) inspection and to pay a fee for the inspection prior to operating on California's roadways. Also requires those PSC's operating tour buses to undergo an annual bus terminal inspection conducted by the CHP for a fee.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
[PAGE 358]
AB 689 (McPherson-R) - Household Goods Carriers
Requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to annually investigate every households goods carrier listed in every classified telephone directory to determine whether or not those businesses are operating with the proper authorization. For those businesses in violation of operating laws, requires the PUC to have the telephone utility disconnect the telephone service to those businesses.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)
AB 828 (Conroy-R) - Telecommunications: Service Options
Permits the Public Utilities Commission to partially or completely exempt certain telephone corporations from tariffing requirements.
Chapter 809, Statutes of 1995
AB 845 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities: Electric and Gas-fueled Vehicles
Prohibits the Public Utilities Commission from allowing a public utility to use funds paid by ratepayers for rebates on the purchases of electric vehicle batteries and/or electric vehicles.
(In Assembly Transportation Committee)
AB 877 (Conroy-R) - Carriers
Requires the Public Utilities Commission, when establishing or approving maximum rates for household goods carriers, to use a specified index number methodology and to adjust the maximum rates at least once annually.
Chapter 361, Statutes of 1995
AB 993* (Escutia-D) - Electricity: Rates
Requires the Public Utilities Commission, in any proceeding that restructures the provision of electrical services, to provide for a more competitive market and to follow specified guidelines designed to protect ratepayer interests.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
[PAGE 359]
AB 1048 (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities: Electrical Corporations
Requires every electrical corporation regulated by the Public Utilities Commission to provide transmission service to a non-regulated power producer on terms and at rates comparable to its own use.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
AB 1095 (Martinez-D) - Public Utilities: Gas Corporations: Public Disclosure
Allows gas utilities to keep confidential specific information contained in contracts negotiated with ratepayers in competitive markets, where the terms and conditions differ from the rates and terms on file with the Public Utilities Commission.
(On Senate Inactive File)
AB 1121 (Conroy-R) - Telephone Corporations: Cellular Services
Removes a requirement on the Public Utilities Commission that requires every telephone corporation furnishing cellular radio telephone service to establish specified pricing systems. Also provides that this provision is permissive.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
AB 1123* (Sher-D) - Public Utilities: Electrical Corporations
Provides mechanisms for the continuation of the environmental and social programs presently subsidized by surcharges to ratepayer bills. Also ensures that equal access will be provided to all ratepayers without regard to the source of the power, whether provided by a utility or an independent power producer.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
AB 1130 (Morrissey-R) - Public Utilities Commission: Railroad Corporation Fees
Caps at $3 million the Public Utility Commission's (PUC) allocation from the railroad corporation fee, and restricts the use of these funds to those personnel directly involved in inspecting and enforcing rail safety regulations. Shifts responsibility for conducting an annual audit report on the expenditure of railroad corporation fees from the PUC to the Bureau of State Audits.
Chapter 616, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 360]
AB 1202 (Woods-R) - Public Utilities: Electrical Generation
Requires the Public Utilities Commission, municipal utilities, special district and other regulatory agencies to direct 1.5% of all electrical generation capacity to be provided exclusively by biomass-fueled electricity generating plants located in California.
(On Assembly Inactive File)
AB 1451* (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities: Carriers
Declares legislative findings that Public Law 103-305, which preempted the states' economic regulation of the trucking industry, except household goods carriers, does not affect the states' authority over license and safety matters of these carriers.
Grants to the Public Utilities Commission the clear authority to continue to enforce existing laws in the truck safety area until new legislation is enacted to implement recommendations of the Governor's Task Force regarding potential reorganization of trucking safety regulation.
Chapter 915, Statutes of 1995
AB 1465 (Morrissey-R) - Telephone Corporations
Changes the process (known as "slamming") by which a telephone corporation may authorize another telephone corporation to change a customer's provider of telephone service (e.g., AT&T authorizing Pacific Bell to switch your long-distance carrier to AT&T from Sprint).
Chapter 664, Statutes of 1995
AB 1575 (K. Murray-D) - Telephone Services Tax: Report
Centralizes the collection of information regarding local taxes on long-distance telephone companies.
Chapter 280, Statutes of 1995
AB 1576 (Escutia-D) - Public Utilities Commission: Proceedings
Prohibits ex parte communications by parties to specified Public Utilities Commission proceedings and commission decisionmakers, and provides penalties for violation.
(In Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee)
[PAGE 361]
AB 1683* (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities: Carriers
Transfers the trucking safety regulation, except household goods carriers, from the Public Utilities Commission to the California Highway Patrol, and creates a new fund source to support the new program.
(In Senate Transportation Committee)
AB 1768 (Martinez-D) - Public Utilities Commission: Reports
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to submit to the Legislature a report of all of the commission's transactions and proceedings for the preceding fiscal year, along with suggestions and recommendations it deems of value, by December 1st of each year. (This is the same report sent to the Governor each year.)
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
AB 1770 (Kuykendall-R) - Telecommunications
Adds to existing law a declaration that a policy for telecommunications is to remove regulatory barriers hindering fair, unbiased, competition and foster an open, free, competitive marketplace in the wireless industry.
(In Senate Rules Committee)
AB 1785 (Brewer-R) - Public Utilities: Services for Tenants
Prohibits municipal utilities from charging a subsequent tenant for a previous tenant's non-payment of bills for any utility service, with specified exceptions. Also prohibits municipal utilities from charging a landlord for a previous tenant's non-payment of bills.
Vetoed by the Governor
AB 1852* (Sher-D) - Electricity: Competition
Authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to issue decisions to facilitate competition in the production, transmission and distribution of electricity.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
[PAGE 362]
AB 1889 (Conroy-R) - Telephone Call Identification Service: Privacy
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to permit telephone corporations to offer call identification services, and permits the withholding of the display of the caller's telephone number on a per-call basis, or a per-line basis at the customer's option.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 1890* (Conroy-R) - Public Utilities: Restructuring
Provides a vehicle for restructuring the electric service industry. States legislative intent addressing the primary purpose of restructuring the electric industry, which includes reducing electric rates to all consumers, fostering a competitive electric service industry through reduced regulation, preserving the safety and reliability of the electric system, ensuring all existing contracts will be honored, and consumers eventually have the ability to choose an electric service provider.
(In Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
AB 1914 (Escutia-D) - Public Utilities: Gas Corporations
Requires gas corporations to conduct safety inspections, as specified, and makes related changes.
(Failed passage in Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee; reconsideration granted.
Essentially abolishes the State Energy Commission and shifts most of its powers and duties to a newly created Department of Energy and Conservation. Also transfers all functions of the Department of Conservation to the new department. Establishes a 5-member State Energy Facilities Siting Board, within the new department, vested with the same energy facility siting responsibilities of the former Energy Commission.
SR 30 rejected the GRP 2 and was adopted by the Senate July 30, 1995.
(Re-referred to Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee)
[PAGE 363]
ENVIRONMENT
NOTE: *DENOTES URGENCY LEGISLATION
[PAGE 364]
Air Pollution
SB 37 (Kelley-R) - Motor Vehicles
Requires the Air Resources Board to conduct specified tasks before adopting or amending any standard or regulation relating to motor vehicle fuel specifications.
Chapter 930, Statutes of 1995
SB 163 (Johannessen-R) - Motor Vehicle Fuels: Penalties
Creates, until January 1, 1999, a 4-tiered system of civil penalties pertaining to fuel requirements and standards. Allows the Air Resources Board (ARB) to impose civil penalties administratively if the ARB has adopted specified rules and regulations. Requires the prosecuting agency to include a claim for an additional penalty designed to eliminate economic benefits from noncompliance. Requires revenues collected to be expended for environmental cleanup, abatement or pollution prevention technology. Requires the ARB to report to the Legislature on all violations, settlements reached and rate of compliance.
Chapter 966, Statutes of 1995
SB 257 (Killea-I) - Congestion Relief Programs: Funding
Requires the San Diego Air Pollution Control District to allocate, until July 1, 1999, a specified portion of revenues from local vehicle registration air pollution fees for purposes of congestion relief programs. Requires an annual allocation of $1 million to $1.25 million for the congestion programs, and makes any increase in the local vehicle registration fee contingent upon the adoption of a detailed expenditure plan.
(In Senate Transportation Committee)
SB 382 (Lewis-R) - Trip Reduction: Parking
Prohibits, except as specified, an air district and any local or regional agency from imposing a requirement on any private entity to reduce shopping trips or to require the imposition of parking charges or the elimination of existing parking spaces at retail facilities.
Chapter 368, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 365]
SB 437 (Lewis-R) - Trip Reduction
Prohibits air districts, congestion management agencies and other public agencies from requiring an employer to implement an employee trip reduction program unless the program is expressly required by federal law and elimination of it will result in the imposition of federal sanctions.
Chapter 607, Statutes of 1995
SB 456 (Kelley-R) - Best Available Control Technology
Changes the South Coast Air Quality Management District's process for establishing and revising their best available control technology.
Chapter 837, Statutes of 1995
SB 490 (Solis-D) - Particulate Matter
Requires the Air Resources Board to study the health and environmental effects of particulate matter air pollution from rock quarries and hold a public hearing on findings by July 1, 1998. Also requires the South Coast Air Quality Management District to develop a pilot project to report and forecast particulate matter levels exceeding state standards.
(Failed passage in Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
SB 501 (Calderon-D) - Vehicles: Retirement
Creates the Accelerated Light-Duty Vehicle Retirement Program which authorizes private companies to retire vehicles with excess emissions, and thereby to generate marketable emission reduction credits. Authorizes the Governor to select a state agency to oversee the program.
Chapter 929, Statutes of 1995
SB 709 (Maddy-R) - Variances: Legislative Intent
Establishes specific procedures for granting variances from motor fuel specifications adopted by the Air Resources Board.
Chapter 675, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 366]
SB 772 (Hurtt-R) - South Coast Air Quality Management District
Prohibits the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) from adopting or enforcing any rule or regulation which requires any employer to submit a trip reduction plan. Authorizes the SCAQMD to require employers with 100 or more employers at a single worksite to provide ride-matching and transit information to employees.
Chapter 858, Statutes of 1995
SB 807 (Monteith-R) - Compliance
Authorizes an air pollution control district or air quality management district to enter into a compliance agreement or mutual settlement agreement with noncomplying facilities in lieu of the imposition of criminal or civil penalties.
(In Senate Local Government Committee)
SB 811 (Monteith-R) - Districts: Organization
Changes the structure and governance of air pollution control districts and air quality management districts.
(Failed passage in Senate Local Government Committee)
SB 812 (Monteith-R) - Particulate Matter
Limits particulate matter in specified provisions to 3.5 microns or less. Prohibits the Air Resources Board (ARB) from adopting or revising particulate matter standards while the EPA is considering criteria of standards for particulate matter. Requires the ARB to develop and implement a research program and report to the Legislature.
(In Senate Governmental Organization Committee)
SB 836 (Lewis-R) - Employer-Based Trip Reduction: Definitions
Allows the Air Resources Board to adopt regulations which define specified terms relating to employer-based trip reduction. Requires these terms to be used by air quality districts, county congestion management agencies, and other local agencies with employer-based trip reduction regulations or ordinances.
(On Assembly Inactive File)
[PAGE 367]
SB 962 (Russell-R) - Fee Schedule
Prohibits the South Coast Air Quality Management District Board from increasing and indexing fees, as specified.
Chapter 831, Statutes of 1995
SB 1039 (Rogers-R) - Emission Reductions: Offsets
Authorizes a stationary source to mitigate emission increases by obtaining offsetting emission reduction from a source located in any other area of the state.
(In Senate Governmental Organization Committee)
SB 1089 (Polanco-D) - Control Districts: Rules and Regulations
Permits air pollution control districts to exclude socioeconomic impact analyses of rates and regulations in some instances.
Chapter 855, Statutes of 1995
SB 1098 (Dills-D) - Market-Based Incentive Program
Specifies the way in which emission reduction credits for certain sources must be calculated by local air pollution control districts. Applies to the South Coast Air Quality Management District and Ventura County until January 1, 1999, and statewide thereafter.
Chapter 856, Statutes of 1995
SB 1115 (Monteith-R) - Fines and Penalties
Requires all fines and penalties collected by or on behalf of an air pollution district or air quality management district or the Air Resources Board to be paid to the county treasurer for deposit in the general fund of the county in which the violation occurred.
(Failed passage in Senate Criminal Procedure Committee)
[PAGE 368]
SB 1116 (Monteith-R) - Air Toxics "Hot Spots"
Modifies the Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Information and Assessment Act to eliminate reporting requirements for specified facilities and reduce fees used to support the program.
(Held under submission in Senate Appropriations Committee)
SB 1175 (Killea-I) - Motor Vehicles: Fees
Authorizes the Air Resources Board to impose an unspecified vehicle registration fee on vehicles in non-attainment areas to fund programs to reduce mobile source pollution.
(In Senate Transportation Committee)
SB 1302 (Peace-D) - Vehicular Emissions Reduction: Schoolbuses
Authorizes establishment of a fund for the replacement retrofitting of schoolbuses with vehicles that produce low or zero-emissions.
Chapter 862, Statutes of 1995
SJR 2 (Russell-R) - Employer Trip Reduction Plans
Memorializes Congress to amend the federal Clean Air Act to eliminate provisions mandating an employer trip reduction program in specified areas and allow states to pursue other alternatives to solve their air quality problems.
Resolution Chapter 68, Statutes of 1995
SJR 5 (Kopp-I) - Federal Clean Air Act
Memorializes the President and Congress to amend the federal Clean Air Act to:
1. Retain the clean air standards, but remove specific programmatic requirements such as vehicle inspection and maintenance (smog check) and trip reduction requirements.
2. Require the United States Environmental Protection Agency to re-evaluate the methodology and science used to measure the inventory of emissions and the effectiveness of components of the state clean air plans in complying with the goals of the federal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.
Resolution Chapter 57, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 369]
AB 259 (Escutia-D) - South Coast Air Quality Management District
Requires the South Coast Air Quality Management District to use a portion of its existing fee revenues to provide technical assistance to cities when they develop and implement programs to reduce vehicle emissions.
Chapter 812, Statutes of 1995
AB 339 (Richter-R) - Removal of High Polluters
Expresses legislative intent to establish an incentive for automobile manufacturers to remove vehicles that are high polluters from highway use in lieu of producing electric vehicles.
(In Assembly Transportation Committee)
AB 414 (Sher-D) - Vehicles
Revises the conditions for the use of revenues from a $4 surcharge on vehicle registration.
Chapter 950, Statutes of 1995
AB 421 (Olberg-R) - Mojave Desert Air Basin: Establishment
Requires the Air Resources Board to adopt regulations by January 1, 1997 that would establish the Mojave Desert Air Basin and designate its territory.
Chapter 113, Statutes of 1995
AB 526 (Sher-D) - Indirect Sources: Vehicles
Specifies that, for the purpose of reducing indirect source air pollution, additional vehicle trips are those trips created by an indirect source that would not otherwise occur.
Chapter 949, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 370]
AB 531 (Morrissey-R) - Engines
Requires the Air Resources Board to establish an optional registration program for all portable internal combustion engines.
Chapter 817, Statutes of 1995
AB 533 (Morrissey-R) - Equipment: Nonvehicular Pollution Control
Exempts from nonvehicular air pollution control requirements any equipment carried by or attached to emergency and specialized vehicles.
Chapter 235, Statutes of 1995
AB 564 (Cannella-D) - Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Exemptions
Exempts a facility from further regulation and fees under the air toxics "hot spots" program if, at any step during the period the facility is under evaluation by the program, it is shown that the facility is not a toxic "hot spot" -- that is, it is determined that toxic emissions from the facility are not a significant risk to the surrounding community.
(Failed passage in Senate Toxics and Public Safety Management Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 712 (Conroy-R) - Zero-Emission Motor Vehicles: Study
Requires the Secretary of Trade and Commerce to prepare, by January 1, 1997, a study of the anticipated economic impact on the state resulting from the implementation of specified zero-emission standards.
(In Assembly Transportation Committee)
AB 795 (Goldsmith-R) - Retrofit Control Technology
Requires air districts to perform incremental cost effectiveness analyses on rules and regulations for best available retrofit control technologies.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
[PAGE 371]
AB 1027 (Aguiar-R) - Attainment Plans: Reports
Requires the Air Resources Board to establish, by July 1, 1996, a uniform methodology which may be used by districts in assessing the exposure of people to air that does not meet pollution standards and to establish the means by which reductions in population exposures may be achieved.
Chapter 713, Statutes of 1995
AB 1198 (Takasugi-R) - Particulate Matter Research
Enacts the Particulate Matter Research Act of 1995 to require the Air Resources Board to implement a particulate matter research program evaluating methods of reducing exposure to particulate matter. Creates the California Particulate Matter Advisory Committee to advise the board on the research program.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
AB 1240 (Bordonaro-R) - Commercial Space Launch
Exempts from air contaminant regulations specified commercial space launch facilities.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
AB 1318* (Kuehl-D) - Zero Emission
Provides a partial sales tax exemption from the sales of specified zero-emission vehicles.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 1522 (Brewer-R) - South Coast Air Quality Management District
Lowers the vote required for city representatives to the South Coast Air Quality Management District to not less than a majority of the cities in the portion of the county within the district having not less than a majority of the population of all the cities in the portion of the county within the district.
Chapter 84, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 372]
AB 1675 (Goldsmith-R) - Diesel Vehicles
Prohibits the Air Resources Board from adopting emission standards for heavy-duty diesel vehicles that would be more stringent than corresponding federal standards, except as specified.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
AB 1777 (Brewer-R) - Emission Reduction Credits
Requires the Air Resources Board to develop and adopt a methodology to ensure the interchangeability of emission reduction credits from stationary, mobile, indirect and areawide sources.
Chapter 805, Statutes of 1995
AB 1849 (Sher-D) - Emission Limits
Prohibits any air quality control entity from imposing a discharge requirement on emissions of visible smoke, as specified, from any diesel engine or generator used exclusively to operate a drinking water system in specified circumstances. Makes technical changes to existing law governing volatile organic compounds in consumer products and prohibits regulations from requiring the elimination of any existing product form.
(In Senate Governmental Organization Committee)
AB 1855 (Sher-D) - Emission Limits
Prohibits any air quality control entity from imposing a discharge requirement on emissions of visible smoke, as specified, from any diesel engine or generator used exclusively to operate a drinking water system in specified circumstances.
(On Assembly Inactive File)
[PAGE 373]
Solid Waste Management
SB 174 (Killea-I) - Reorganization
Transfers jurisdiction over the Beverage Container Recycling Program as well as specified statutes and programs for the collection and recycling of used oil, dry cell batteries, plastic waste and fiber glass from the Department of Conservation to the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB). Reduces the membership of the 6-member CIWMB to 5 members. Revises provisions related to the Market Development Loan Program.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)
A similar bill is SB 1163 (Leslie-R), in Assembly Natural Resources Committee.
SB 177 (Hughes-D) - Glass Container Manufacturers
Provides glass manufacturers with a credit toward their minimum recycled content for glass diverted from the waste stream to other than the manufacturer of new glass containers.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
SB 387 (Mountjoy-R) - Material Recovery Facility
Prohibits a local enforcement agency from issuing a permit for a material recovery facility that meets certain conditions unless the cities involved enter into a joint powers agreement.
(Failed passage in Senate Governmental Organization Committee; reconsideration granted)
SB 439 (Ayala-D) - Diversion Requirements
Makes solid waste diversion requirements applicable to regional agencies.
(In Senate Governmental Organization Committee)
SB 605 (Mello-D) - Rigid Plastic Packaging Containers
Extends indefinitely an existing exemption from certain manufacturing requirements for rigid plastic packaging containers used in the shipment of hazardous materials.
Chapter 171, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 374]
SB 637 (Haynes-R) - Composting: Air Contaminants
Makes provisions of law prohibiting discharge of air contaminants inapplicable to odors emanating from composting facilities. Requires an inspection of a facility that is the target of a complaint and appropriate enforcement action.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
SB 1023 (Johnston-D) - Transfer Stations: Fees
Imposes a new fee on solid waste handled at a transfer station for disposal outside the state and requires that the fee reflect only those reasonable and necessary costs associated with administering and regulating the solid waste while it is in California. Requires that the revenue from these fees, after payment of administrative costs of collection, be deposited in the Integrated Waste Management Account.
(In Senate Governmental Organization Committee)
SB 1026 (Dills-D) - Tire Recycling
Requires Caltrans to request that the U.S. Department of Transportation revise its minimum recycled materials requirement for asphalt pavement containing rubber if Caltrans finds that using waste tires as fuel at cement manufacturing plants is a highly valuable method to augment waste reduction when compared to the federal recycled rubber requirements.
Chapter 605, Statutes of 1995
SB 1155 (Costa-D) - Rigid Plastic Packaging
Authorizes the California Integrated Waste Management Board to allow certain fines and penalties to be paid in installments.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
[PAGE 375]
SB 1178 (O'Connell-D) - Beverage Containers
Amends the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act by (1) making various substantive changes to the beverage container recycling program which would impact processing fees, the payment of handling fees, scrap values for glass and plastic beverage containers, and subsidies to local curbside programs; (2) establishing two new processing fee accounts for plastic containers and bimetal containers; (3) reducing recycling program expenditures each year for three fiscal years; and (4) extending the sunset date for the payment of processing fees and handling fees from January 1, 1996 to January 1, 1999. Makes other technical changes.
Chapter 624, Statutes of 1995
SB 1320 (Calderon-D) - Beverage Containers
Adds distilled spirits containers to the beverage recycling program. Requires a container with 24 ounces or more to be considered as two containers for the purpose of calculating processing fees.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
SB 17XX* (Craven-R) - Solid Waste Handling
Grants Orange County a onetime exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act, with specific conditions, if the county's ordinance is amended to accept solid waste from out of the county.
Chapter 4, Statutes of 1995-96 Second Extraordinary Session
AB 59* (Sher-D) - Solid Waste Facilities: Permits: Enforcement
Revises and recasts various permitting and enforcement provisions of the California Integrated Waste Management Act. Gives new authority to local enforcement agencies (LEA's) and the Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) to impose administrative civil penalties. Expands CIWMB appellate review of LEA's enforcement decisions. Streamlines various permitting procedures and imparts greater due process to administrative enforcement actions.
Chapter 952, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 376]
AB 242 (Sher-D) - Nonyard Wood Waste Diversion
Requires the California Integrated Waste Management Board to assess civil penalties, as specified, against a member of a rural regional agency, instead of imposing the penalty on the entire rural regional agency.
(Held at Senate Desk)
AB 362 (Setencich-R) - Disposal Sites: Federal Regulations
Prohibits the State Water Resources Control Board and the Integrated Waste Management Board from adopting or enforcing any regulations for solid waste disposal sites that exceed the requirements established by the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act relating to design criteria or groundwater monitoring.
(In Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee)
AB 381 (Baca-D) - Diversion Requirements
Revises the definition of "good faith efforts" in meeting waste diversion goals.
Chapter 219, Statutes of 1995
AB 626 (Sher-D) - Reporting Requirements
Repeals and revises the reporting provisions of the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989; makes legislative findings and declarations regarding the need for adequate funds in the Solid Waste Disposal Site Cleanup; requires the California Integrated Waste Management Board to conduct a cost-benefit study, extends the State Assistance for Recycling (STAR) Markets Act of 1989 provisions indefinitely, and deletes obsolete provisions.
(In Senate Governmental Organization Committee)
AB 926 (Rainey-R) - Solid Waste Management Reorganization
Abolishes the California Integrated Waste Management Board and creates the Division of Integrated Waste Management in the Resources Agency.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
[PAGE 377]
AB 961 (Gallegos-D) - Facilities: Permits
Prohibits an enforcement agency from issuing, modifying or revising a solid waste facilities permit for a disposal facility located within 2,000 feet of family residences, hospitals, day care centers, nonindustrial structures or schools.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
AB 1071 (Morrow-R) - Waste Tires: Cement Manufacturing Plant
Allows a cement factory to keep up to a one-month supply of tires on hand for fueling its kilns, and still be exempt from waste tire facility permitting requirements, provided that specified conditions are met.
Chapter 191, Statutes of 1995
AB 1649 (Cannella-D) - Diversion Goals
Provides that nothing in the California Integrated Waste Management Act shall prohibit a city or county from engaging in "other environmentally sound activities" that are designed to exceed source reduction and recycling goals.
(In Senate Governmental Organization Committee)
AB 1851 (Sher-D) - Trash Bags
Makes changes in the law concerning recycled plastic postconsumer material content requirements for plastic trash bags by changing the material content percentage from 30% to 20% in 1966. Also specifies that current law concerning the 30% requirement becomes operative on and after January 1, 1997.
Chapter 821, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 378]
AB 1902 (McPherson-R) - State Agencies
1. Requires each state agency to implement an integrated waste management program (by October 1, 1996) to comply with the solid waste diversion requirements of 25% by 1995 and 50% by the year 2000, and the Governor's Executive Order W-7-91 requiring all state agencies to implement a number of recycling and reuse diversion practices.
2. Requires each state agency to complete a waste audit (by April 1, 1996) to determine the amount of materials that can be source reduced, recycled composted or reused under the program.
3. Authorizes state agencies to utilize previously initiated diversions (that occurred prior to January 1, 1996) to meet the intended diversion requirements.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)
AB 1932 (Sweeney-D) - Diversion Requirements
Authorizes the California Integrated Waste Management Board to grant an adjustment to a local agency for failure to achieve diversion goals if a "regional diversion facility", as defined, located within the host jurisdiction accepts material generated outside the jurisdiction and the conversion or processing of that material results in solid waste that cannot be feasibly diverted. Also states legislative intent not to exempt any solid waste facility or handling operation from specified reporting and permitting requirements of the California Integrated Waste Management Act.
Chapter 665, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 379]
Coastal Resources
SB 654 (Craven-R) - Beach Replenishment
Appropriates $700,000 for the 1996-97 fiscal year from the state Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund to the San Diego Association of Governments for reimbursing the U.S. Navy for transporting dredged sands from the San Diego Bay to area beaches for sand replenishment. Conditions the appropriation on certification of specified testing of the sand, and the results of which made public. Also appropriates $344,000 without regard to fiscal year for a local assistance grant to the City of Stockton for construction costs at the Buckley Cove boat launching facility.
Chapter 606, Statutes of 1995
SB 787* (Mello-D) - California Coastal Commission
Includes the Secretary of Trade and Commerce as a nonvoting member of the California Coastal Commission. Also restores an inadvertent deletion of a subsection of the Coastal Act in statute since 1976.
Chapter 208, Statutes of 1995
SB 846 (Thompson-D) - State Coastal Conservancy
Authorizes the State Coastal Conservancy to provide technical assistance to support local grassroots activities to restore rivers and watersheds if certain conditions are met. Authorizes the conservancy to carry out actions to preserve agricultural lands outside the coastal zone if necessary to protect such land within the coastal zone.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
AB 1303 (McPherson-R) - Coastal Development Permit Applications
Waives the public hearing requirement for coastal development permit applications for "minor developments" if certain conditions are met. Clarifies procedures amended into the Coastal Act in 1993 in relation to "patently frivolous appeals."
Chapter 669, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 380]
AB 1431 (Firestone-R) - Local Government: Financial Assistance
Increases the amount of funding the state is able to provide local coastal governments for projects related to offshore energy development by:
1. Making available annually for appropriation by the Secretary for Resources, 50% of the 8(g) funds received by the state that are in excess of the amount received in calendar year 1996.
2. Increasing the state's match requirement for each project grant from 50% to 90%.
(Held under submission in Senate Appropriations Committee)
[PAGE 381]
Environmental Quality
SB 57 (Leonard-R) - Environmental Quality
Exempts from the California Environmental Quality Act any project modification, process change or new equipment meeting specified criteria.
(Failed passage in Senate Governmental Organization Committee; reconsideration granted)
SB 151 (Mountjoy-R) - Environmental Regulation
Prohibits any state or local air quality regulation from limiting product production as long as the regulated manufacturer uses the latest proven technology available to maintain air quality. Also authorizes an income tax credit of 10% on environmental quality expenses as specified for a period of 5 taxable or income years beginning January 1, 1995.
(Failed passage in Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
A similar measure is AB 177 (Mountjoy-R) which is in Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee.
SB 200 (Maddy-R) - Environmental Permits: Oversight
Creates the Office of Permit Oversight in the California Environmental Protection Agency to monitor and upon request intercede in the processing of environmental permits.
(In Senate Governmental Organization Committee)
SB 216 (Haynes-R) - Lead Agency Determinations
Specifies that lead agency determination of whether an environmental impact report, a negative declaration, or a mitigated negative declaration is required for a project shall be sustained if it is supported by substantial evidence in light of the whole record.
(In Senate Judiciary Committee)
[PAGE 382]
SB 841 (Hayden-D) - Environmental Impact Reports: Code of Ethics
Requires the Secretary of the Resources Agency to convene a task force for the purpose of developing a code of ethics for preparers of environmental impact reports, negative declarations, or environmental impact statements.
(Failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee; reconsideration granted)
SB 1071 (Calderon-D) - Environmental Quality
Adds a declaration to the California Environmental Quality Act that approving development projects is a delicate task which requires a balancing of interests.
(Failed passage in Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee; reconsideration granted)
SB 1180 (Calderon-D) - Environmental Quality
Allows a lead agency responsible for the preparation and certification of a closed military base reuse plan to use the physical conditions present at the time the closure decision was made as a "baseline" for evaluating environmental impacts, requiring the consideration of the plan's effects relative to that baseline so as to grandfather in existing conditions on the base. Requires the lead agency to hold a public hearing and to comply with other specified requirements.
Chapter 861, Statutes of 1995
SB 1299 (Peace-D) - Environmental Protection: Permits
Requires the Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency to adopt regulations to establish the permit consolidation zone pilot program. Enables cities and counties, which are approved to participate in the program, to establish permit consolidation zones in which environmental permits could be substituted with facility compliance plans.
Chapter 872, Statutes of 1995
SB 17XX* (Craven-R) - Solid Waste Handling
Grants Orange County a onetime exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act, with specific conditions, if the county's ordinance is amended to accept solid waste from out of the county.
Chapter 4, Statutes of 1995-96 Second Extraordinary Session
[PAGE 383]
AB 165 (Richter-R) - Action and Proceeding
Prohibits responsible agencies or public agencies from maintaining an action or proceeding for noncompliance with provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act relating to the preparation of an environmental impact report unless the scope and content of the germane environmental information is specified to the lead agency.
(In Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee)
AB 298 (Rainey-R) - Environmental Quality
Specifies that the environmental document prepared for a regional transportation plan or congestion management program may serve as master environmental impact report for the analysis of later congestion management plans.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
AB 333 (Sher-D) - Environmental Quality
Amends Public Resources Code Section 21167 limiting the time period for the commencement of an action or proceeding on the grounds of noncompliance with the California Environmental Quality Act for persons making a written request to a public agency for a copy of a specified notice prior to the date of the public agency's decision to carry out or approve the project.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
AB 423 (Olberg-R) - Environmental Quality: Air Pollution
Exempts the issuance, modification, amendment or renewal of any permit, as specified, by an air district from the California Environmental Quality Act in cases where the permit would not authorize a physical or operational change to the facility.
(On Senate Third Reading File)
AB 678 (Woods-R) - Restoration of Land: Disasters
Provides an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act process for repairing damage to land and structures damaged by a natural or manmade disaster.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
[PAGE 384]
AB 793 (Setencich-R) - Comment Response
Authorizes a lead agency to respond to comments received after close of the public review period for an environmental impact report only if the comments present previously unanalyzed factual information or present new information that alters the document's conclusion.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
AB 794 (Setencich-R) - Actions and Proceedings
Revises provisions relating to court actions and proceedings under the California Environmental Quality Act.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
AB 1241 (Richter-R) - California Environmental Quality Act
Rescinds specified funding in the Budget Act of 1995 for the Governor's Office of Planning and Research until California Environmental Quality Act guidelines have been updated.
(On Senate Inactive File)
AB 1329 (Olberg-R) - Environmental Quality: Projects
Exempts from the definition of "project" activities relating to the extension, renewal, reissuance or transfer by a public agency of a lease, permit, license, certificate, or other entitlement for use.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
AB 1330 (Olberg-R) - Environmental Impact Reports: Exemption
Exempts from the California Environmental Quality Act the certification by the State Water Resources Control Board of nationwide permits for the discharge of dredged or fill material into navigable waters issued pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
[PAGE 385]
AB 1332 (Sweeney-D) - Public Water Systems
Amends the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to require a lead agency to consult with a public water system with 3,000 or more service connections that may be affected by a proposed project, as specified. To obtain water supply information, the lead agency must treat the water system the same way it treats responsible agencies under the CEQA. If a state or local agency consults with a public water system, requires the water system to provide 9 types of information.
(In Senate Housing and Land Use Committee)
AB 1487 (Pringle-R) - Environmental Quality: Pipelines
Broadens an existing California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption applicable to pipeline repair and maintenance projects of less than 1 mile in length within a public right-of-way by extending the exemption to 6 miles, both on public and private rights-of-way, including surface and subsurface facilities. Also extends an existing CEQA exemption for the installation of new pipeline projects of less than 1 mile in length within a public street or public right-of-way to include new pipeline projects on a private right-of-way.
(In Senate Governmental Organization Committee)
AB 1630 (Olberg-R) - Environmental Filing Fees
Exempts from environmental filing fees, those projects which are within the boundaries of a valid and existing habitat conservation plan or natural community conservation plan if those projects are in compliance with the approved plan.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
AB 1782 (Brewer-R) - Action or Proceeding: Injunction or Stay
Prohibits the court, in any action or proceeding on the grounds of noncompliance with the California Environmental Quality Act, from granting any injunction or stay prohibiting the project from being carried out or approved unless there is a reasonable likelihood that the person requesting the injunction or stay will prevail ultimately on the merits.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
[PAGE 386]
AB 1800 (Alby-R) - Airports: Land Use Commissions
Exempts comprehensive airport land use plans adopted by an airport land use commission from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
AB 1860 (Allen-R) - Actions and Proceedings
Repeals language which authorizes plaintiffs to obtain a brief extension of the statute of limitations under the California Environmental Quality Act. Also sets forth new requirements regarding the service of respondent's statements of issue.
Chapter 801, Statutes of 1995
AB 1930 (Sweeney-D) - Permit Streamlining
Amends the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by reducing the time limits, as specified, for lead agencies to approve or disapprove projects once the environmental impact reports have been certified or negative declarations have been adopted. Also makes other changes to existing law to streamline the CEQA process.
(In Senate Appropriations Committee)
AB 1935 (Sweeney-D) - Environmental Quality
Exempts from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act projects relating to levee maintenance and the construction of high occupancy vehicle lanes and prisons, as specified. Provides that where the federal government has accepted responsibility for the removal and disposal of contaminated soil at a federal military base, this action could be deemed a feasible mitigation pursuant to the Hazard Waste Control Act.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
AB 1943* (Bordonaro-R) - Environmental Protection: General Permits
Authorizes specified environmental agencies to issue standardized permits and to certify the efficiency of environmental technology.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
[PAGE 387]
Forestry
SB 220 (Haynes-R) - Forest Practices: Rules and Regulations
Provides that logging rules and regulations adopted or revised pursuant to the forest practice act would become effective on the next January 1 that is not less than 30 days from the date of approval of those rules or regulations by the Office of Administrative Law. Provides that when emergency regulations are subsequently adopted as nonemergency rules or regulations, the rules or regulations shall become effective 30 days from the date of approval by the Office of Administrative Law.
Chapter 425, Statutes of 1995
SB 358 (Campbell-R) - Timber Operations: Rules and Regulations
Authorizes a county with an urban density zone to recommend additional rules or regulations regarding timber operations and requires the Board of Forestry to so adopt unless certain findings are made.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
SB 626 (Johannessen-R) - Forest Practices: Exemptions
Exempts from the Forest Practices Act the cutting and removal of trees by the thinning method to reduce the threat of wildfire. Requires stocking standards for the selection regeneration method to be met upon completion of timber operations. Authorizes the Board of Forestry to adopt regulations that it determines necessary to implement the exemption.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
SB 1104 (Hayden-D) - Timber Harvesting Plans
Extends the public comment period of timber harvest plans from 15 to 30 days.
(Failed passage in Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
[PAGE 388]
SB 1282 (Leslie-R) - Environmental Quality: Exemptions
Deletes existing Forest Practice Act exemptions which allow cutting or removal of trees to reduce flammable materials and maintain a fuelbreak for up to 150 feet on each side of specified structures. Creates a broader exemption that allows the cutting of trees to create defensible space from wildfires for structures.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
SB 1283 (Leslie-R) - Timber Harvesting Plans
Requires an agency that reviews timber harvesting plans (THPs) to provide comments on THPs and cite its statutory authority for any mitigation measures that are requested. If the agency fails to respond within the end of the public comment period, it would be presumed that the agency had no comments. Requires each agency to maintain a list of written information that it disseminates on THPs under review. Provides that only the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Director or his/her designee have final authority to determine whether or not a THP is in conformance with forest regulations.
Chapter 612, Statutes of 1995
AB 169 (Richter-R) - Timber Harvesting Plans
Increases the effective period for a timber harvesting plan from 3 to 10 years.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
AB 711 (Richter-R) - Nonindustrial Timber Management Plans
Lifts the 2,500 acre ownership limit on use of a long-term timber management plan of unlimited duration and repeals the existing restriction on use of clearcutting harvest methods under such plans.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
AB 802 (Sher-D) - Forest Resources: Headwaters Forest
Requires the Secretary for Resources to begin negotiations for the acquisition of the Headwaters Forest in Humboldt County, and causes that process to be completed by May 1, 1996. Additionally, requires the secretary to submit a plan for acquisition to the Legislature by May 1, 1996.
(On Assembly Inactive File)
[PAGE 389]
AB 931 (Richter-R) - Timber Harvesting Plans
Exempts 6 new types of timber operations from the California Environmental Quality Act and timber harvest plan requirements.
(Failed passage in Assembly Natural Resources Committee; reconsideration granted)
AB 938 (Sher-D) - Emergency Regulations: Coho Salmon
Requires emergency adoption of regulations protecting watercourses and streams if Coho salmon is listed under the federal Endangered Species Act.
(On Senate Inactive File)
AB 996* (Sher-D) - Fire Suppression and Emergency Revegetation
Appropriates $33,469,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to cover an estimated budget deficiency for wildland fire suppression in the 1994-95 fiscal year.
Chapter 10, Statutes of 1995
AB 1099 (Sher-D) - Timber Operations
Requires harvests in ancient forests to protect significant natural resource values and to be subject to specified limitations. Requires timber harvesting and road construction in old growth forests to ensure that a multistoried canopy is retained. Limits the amount of acreage in size allowed for certain harvests and the amount of removal allowed in any ancient or old growth forests.
(In Assembly Natural Resources Committee)
AB 1357 (Knowles-R) - Forest Practices: Exemptions
Exempts commercial timber operations involving "green" trees from timber harvest plan requirements, if the logging is done via thinning and conducted for the purpose of reducing the spread, duration and intensity of wildfires.
(Failed passage in Assembly Natural Resources Committee; reconsideration granted)
[PAGE 390]
AB 1937 (Olberg-R) - Forest Practices: Sustained Yield Plan
States that any sustained yield plan that is prepared and approved in accordance with Board of Forestry rules or regulations shall be effective for a period of not more than 10 years. Requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to hold a public hearing if requested by an interested party, as specified.
Chapter 601, Statutes of 1995
[PAGE 391]
Endangered Species
SB 131 (Maddy-R) - The California Endangered Species Act
Repeals the California Endangered Species Act and replaces it with a new act that changes the listing and recovery process. Also repeals the Native Plant Protection Act, limits habitat maintenance districts and creates voluntary conservation partnerships.
(Failed passage in Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee; reconsideration granted)
SB 883 (Hayden-D) - Endangered Species
Provides that "take," for the purposes of the California Endangered Species Act, in addition to the meaning set forth in the general definition, includes the degradation of wildlife habitat so as to significantly disrupt essential behavioral patterns of the affected species.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
SB 1120 (Costa-D) - Accidental Take
Prohibits penalizing the accidental take of candidate, threatened, or endangered species resulting from inadvertent or ordinary negligent acts that occur in the course of otherwise lawful activities.
(On Assembly Inactive File)
SB 1177 (Killea-I) - Incidental Take
Authorizes the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to issue an incidental take permit to public entities and private persons to kill threatened and endangered species under specified conditions. Subjects the permits to judicial review. Authorizes DFG to charge a permit fee to cover administrative costs.
(In Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee)
[PAGE 392]
AB 137 (Olberg-R) - Endangered and Threatened Species
Changes the process to list a threatened or endangered species so that species could only be listed by statute enacted by the Legislature and only if the benefits from the listing exceed the estimated costs associated with protecting the species. Requires "just compensation" to be paid to landowners whose property values decline by 20 percent or more due to listing or other endangered species actions.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
AB 350 (Bustamante-D) - Endangered Species
Establishes additional requirements for submission of a valid petition to delist or list a threatened or endangered species. Requires the Department of Fish and Game to conduct additional procedures in preparation of recommendations.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
AB 874 (Campbell-D) - Endangered Species
Requires all notices mandated by the California Endangered Species Act to be expressed in clear, common language. Requires notice to cities, counties and special districts if their boundaries may fall within a proposed habitat management area.
(In Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee)
AB 1086 (Katz-D) - Endangered Species
Specifies that any individual may obtain judicial review of any final decision regarding a listing or delisting of any species. Authorizes any person to bring an action to require the Department of Fish and Game to enforce the terms and conditions of permits or memorandums of understanding issued for the managed take of endangered species.
(In Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee)
AB 1428 (Woods-R) - Liability: Public Officials
Places personal liability on any public officer or employer who causes economic damage to a business by an official act, if that act was taken in reliance on scientific information relating to a species that cannot be scientifically verified.
(In Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee)
[PAGE 393]
AJR 16 (Setencich-R) - Federal Endangered Species Act
Makes findings relating to the federal Endangered Species Act and memorializes Congress and the President to pass the Endangered Species Management Act of 1995.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
[PAGE 394]
Miscellaneous
SB 6 (Hayden-D) - Water Quality
Allows citizens to bring a state civil action for violation of water pollution laws in ocean and coastal waters and enclosed bays and estuaries.
(On Senate Inactive File)
SB 28 (Leslie-R) - Wildlife: Mountain Lions
Places an initiative measure on the March 26, 1996, primary election ballot which would allow any provision of the California Wildlife Protection Act that regulates the take, injury, possession, transport, import or sale of the mountain lion to be amended or repealed by the Legislature, by a majority vote of the membership of both houses.
Requires the Fish and Game Commission and the Department of Fish and Game to regulate and manage mountain lions in the same manner as it regulates and manages mammals that are not rare, endangered, or threatened species. Requires the department to prepare a mountain lion management plan. Authorizes the take or removal of mountain lions perceived to be an imminent threat to public health or safety or livestock by the department or designee, as specified.
Chapter 779, Statutes of 1995
SB 55 (Kopp-I) - Wild Animals: Domestic Ferrets
Allows domestic ferrets to be imported and owned as pets without a permit. Requires all ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies and those sold from retail stores to be spayed or neutered.
(Failed passage in Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee; reconsideration granted)
SB 123* (Thompson-D) - Fish and Game Violations
Increases fines and penalties for commercial poaching and sets standards for the use of commercial hook and line fishing gear in specified areas. Also authorizes a hunting license to be issued to a person holding a current hunting license issued by another state or province.
Chapter 827, Statutes of 1995
Similar legislation is SB 39 (Thompson-R), in Assembly Appropriations Committee.
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SB 153* (Beverly-R) - Oil Spills: Financial Responsibilities
Changes scheduled increases in the amount of financial responsibility that will be required of oil tankers operating in California.
Chapter 25, Statutes of 1995
SB 157 (Kelley-R) - Grass Carp: Aquatic Weed Control
Requires the Department of Fish and Game to adopt regulations to provide for the control of aquatic plant pests using artificially introduced triploid grass carp.
Chapter 249, Statutes of 1995
SB 172 (Beverly-R) - Recycled Water
Allows cities that currently provide a separate plumbing system using sea water to flush residential toilets to instead use recycled water for that purpose.
Chapter 78, Statutes of 1995
SB 190 (Costa-D) - San Joaquin River Conservancy
Authorizes the San Joaquin River Conservancy to make grants to federal, state, and local public agencies and nonprofit organizations to acquire real property within the San Joaquin River Parkway.
Chapter 610, Statutes of 1995
SB 273 (Leslie-R) - Surface Mining Operations: Exempt Activities
Provides an exemption from the Surface Mining and Recovery Act of 1975 for excavations and gradings to obtain materials for roadbed construction and maintenance conducted in connection with timber operations or forest management on land owned by the same person or entity.
Chapter 680, Statutes of 1995
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SB 383 (Haynes-R) - Off-Highway Motor Vehicles
Extends the repeal date of the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Act until January 1, 2003 and similarly extends a January 1, 1998 repeal date, currently applicable to the collection and disposition of certain related fees, to January 1, 2003. Deletes a current requirement that the State Auditor General prepare and submit a program performance audit on the implementation of the act and, instead, requires the Secretary of the Resources Agency to prepare and submit an environmental review of the act on or before January 1, 1998, and every 5 years thereafter. Requires the Legislature to appropriate from the Off-Highway Vehicle Trust Fund an amount to cover the cost of preparing the environmental review.
Chapter 970, Statutes of 1995
SB 426 (Leslie-R) - Environmental Advertising
Repeals the California Truth in Environmental Advertising Law and, instead, makes it unlawful for a person to make an untruthful, deceptive, or misleading environmental marketing claim, whether explicit or implied, that does not meet or exceed the standards or is not consistent with the examples contained in the Guides for Use of Environmental Marketing Claims published by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on July 27, 1992. Requires the FTC guidelines to be used as a defense in any suit regarding these types of claims.
Chapter 642, Statutes of 1995
Similar legislation is AB 227* (Sher-D), which failed passage in Assembly Consumer Protection, Governmental Efficiency and Economic Development Committee)
SB 458 (Beverly-R) - Commercial Fishing
Makes it unlawful to remove shark fins from sharks. Allows the take of specified sharks using drift gill nets. Also allows the use of round haul nets to take live bait in Santa Monica Bay.
Chapter 371, Statutes of 1995
SB 582 (Solis-D) - Wildlife Corridors
Requires that a portion of funds established to mitigate natural habitat loss due to landfill expansion, administered by the Puente Hills Landfill Preservation Association, be allocated to the Wildlife Corridor Conservation Authority for the purpose of purchasing wildlife corridor parcels determined to be critical by the authority.
(In Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee)
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SB 739 (Polanco-D) - Environmental Regulations
Prevents the State Water Quality Control Board and the California Integrated Waste Management Board from adopting a regulation which is stronger and/or different than a federal regulation, unless, among other criteria, the different regulation is the most cost-effective of all available regulatory alternatives.
(Failed passage in Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee; reconsideration granted)
SB 746 (Hayden-D) - Sportfishing: White Croaker
Prohibits the take of sport caught White Croaker within a specified area of Los Angeles County. Specifies that the closure is terminated if the Director of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment determines there is no longer a health risk.
(Failed passage in Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee; reconsideration granted)
SB 749* (Hayden-D) - Bond Act
Enacts the $300 million California Parks, Natural Resources and Wildlife Bond Act of 1996 for the acquisition, development, rehabilitation, enhancement, restoration or protection of park, beach, wildlife and natural resources. Provides for submission of the bond act to the voters at the March 26, 1996 general election.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
SB 859 (Rogers-R) - Owens Lake
Authorizes the State Lands Commission to award grants for projects or activities to abate fugitive dust on Owens Lake and to implement the Lower Owens River Project. Creates the Owens Lake and Owens River Environmental Fund.
(In Senate Governmental Organization Committee)
SB 872 (O'Connell-D) - Oil Spills: Response
Requires, upon request by an affected local jurisdiction, and authorizes, at his/her discretion, the administrator for oil spill response to establish a unified incident command team when responding to an oil spill, as specified.
Vetoed by the Governor
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SB 885 (Mountjoy-R) - Commercial Longline Fishing
Allows no more than 25 fishing vessels to land at California ports with fish caught by longline far offshore. Requires such boats to have non-transferable and revocable permits, available only to vessels operating far offshore this year. Requires boats landing at California ports to offload fish caught far offshore to file notifications before departure and upon arrival, and carry equipment designed to allow monitoring of their position.
(Failed passage in Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
SB 893 (Leslie-R) - Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund
Requires the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to make annual reports to the Legislature on the allocation and expenditure of funds from the Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund and of funds transferred from the Motor Vehicle Fuel Account to DPR.
(In Assembly Appropriations Committee)
SB 1083 (Beverly-R) - Oil Spills: Response
Essentially authorizes the administrator for oil spill response to conduct "in situ" burning as an acceptable method for remediation of an oil spill and places primary authority for certification of dispersants and oil spill agents with the administrator, instead of the State Water Resources Control Board.
Chapter 265, Statutes of 1995
SB 1084 (Beverly-R) - Oil Spills: Financial Responsibility
Provides for the establishment of a Marine Facility Oil Spill Protection Committee to study oil spill clean-up and damage information in order to determine the true cost of clean-up and damages caused by oil spills from marine facilities. Prohibits the administrator for oil spill response from requiring a marine facility to demonstrate the ability to pay an amount greater than $10,500 per barrel of oil that could be released during a reasonable worst-case oil spill.
(In Senate Judiciary Committee)
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SB 1122 (Mountjoy-R) - Small Businesses: Environmental Regulations
Provides that state or local environmental regulations may not be applied to small business if they materially impede the businesses' current level of production or employment. Stipulates that regulations applied to small business must tailor to the individual needs of each small business. States that fines for pollution violations be applied only in the event of "significant noncompliance" and only if the noncomplying business has received both a prior warning and an offer of assistance with compliance from a regulatory agency.
(In Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee)
SB 1176 (Mello-D) - Commercial Fishing: Hook and Line Gear
Prohibits the use of more than 150 hooks a day or more than 15 hooks attached to any one line to take fish in waters within 3 miles of the shore in Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties. Restricts the number of lines and hooks that may be used commercially within San Francisco, San Pablo and Tomales Bays. Also extends the sunset on ocean ranching from January 1, 1996 to January 1, 2001.
Chapter 677, Statutes of 1995
SB 1258 (Johannessen-R) - Fish and Game: Accidental Taking
Exempts the accidental taking of a bird, mammal, reptile or amphibian by a collision with a motor vehicle on any road or highway from being a violation of any provision of the Fish and Game Code and specifies that possession under those circumstances is not authorized. Does not apply to the accidental taking of endangered species.
Chapter 694, Statutes of 1995
SB 1264* (Peace-D) - Park and Open-Space Lands
Authorizes a portion of lands in the Tijuana River Valley acquired with 1988 state park bond funds to be used as a floodway. Authorizes the City of Long Beach to convert to a different use up to 25 acres of parkland at Shoreline Aquatic Park which was partially developed with state bond funds.
Chapter 231, Statutes of 1995