AB 127

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law, the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, among other things, requires a business that provides an online service, product, or feature likely to be accessed by children to comply with specified requirements, including a requirement to configure all default privacy settings offered by the online service, product, or feature to the settings that offer a high level of privacy, unless the business can demonstrate a compelling reason that a different setting is in the best interests of children, and to provide privacy information, terms of service, policies, and community standards concisely, prominently, and using clear language suited to the age of children likely to access that online service, product, or feature. Existing law establishes the California Children's Data Protection Working Group to deliver a report to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2024, and every 2 years thereafter, regarding best practices for the implementation of these provisions, as specified. Existing law requires the working group to select a chair and a vice chair from among its members and requires the working group to consist of 10 members, as specified. This bill would specify that the working group is within the Office of the Attorney General, and would require the report to, instead, be delivered on or before July 1, 2024, and every 2 years thereafter. The bill would instead require the working group to consist of 9 members, as specified. The bill would permit meetings of the working group to be conducted by means of remote communication, as specified. (2) The California Constitution generally prohibits the total annual appropriations subject to limitation of the state and each local government from exceeding the appropriations limit of the entity of government for the prior fiscal year, adjusted for the change in the cost of living and the change in population, and prescribes procedures for making adjustments to the appropriations limit. The California Constitution defines "appropriations subject to limitation" of the state to mean any authorization to expend during a fiscal year the proceeds of taxes levied by or for the state, exclusive of, among other things, state subventions for the use and operation of local government, except as specified. The California Constitution defines "appropriations subject to limitation" of an entity of local government to mean any authorization to expend during a fiscal year the proceeds of taxes levied by or for that entity and the proceeds of state subventions to that entity, except as specified, exclusive of refunds of taxes. Existing statutory provisions implementing these constitutional provisions establish the procedure for establishing the appropriations limit of the state and of each local jurisdiction for each fiscal year. Under existing law, revenues and appropriations for a local jurisdiction include subventions and with respect to the state, revenues and appropriations exclude those subventions. Existing law defines, for those purposes, "state subventions" as only including money received by a local agency from the state, the use of which is unrestricted by the statute providing the subvention. For fiscal years commencing with the 2020–21 fiscal year, existing law defines "state subventions" to additionally include money provided to a local agency pursuant to certain state programs and requires any money received by a local agency pursuant to that provision to be included within the appropriations limit of the local agency, up to the full appropriations limit of the local agency, as prescribed. This bill would require the Department of Finance to, no later than February 1 of each year, calculate the individual subvention amounts for each of those state programs and provide this information on an annual basis to the California State Association of Counties and the League of California Cities for distribution to local agencies. The bill would require local agencies to use the calculations provided for purposes of the above-described appropriations limit. By revising the duties of local officials with respect to the limitation of appropriations by local agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) Existing law, until January 1, 2027, establishes the Commission on the State of Hate in the state government, and specifies the goals of the commission, including providing resources and assistance to various state agencies, law enforcement agencies, and the public on the state of hate to keep these entities and the public informed of emerging trends in hate-related crime. Existing law provides for the appointment of 9 members, appointed by the Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the Senate Committee on Rules. Existing law requires nonlegislative members of the commission to receive reimbursement for per diem expenses while engaged in commission activities, upon appropriation by the Legislature, and prohibits legislative members, ex officio members, and nonmember advisers of the commission from receiving compensation. This bill would instead authorize appointed members of the commission to receive a per diem of $100 for each public meeting and community forum of the commission that they attend, and would also entitle those individuals to reimbursement for expenses incurred. The bill would provide that legislative members, ex officio members, and nonmember advisers of the commission are not entitled to any per diem or reimbursement for expenses incurred while engaging in commission activities. Existing law requires nonlegislative members of the commission to receive reimbursement for per diem expenses while engaged in commission activities, upon appropriation by the Legislature and prohibits legislative members, ex officio members, and nonmember advisers of the commission from receiving compensation. Existing law requires the commission to issue an annual State of Hate report to the Governor and Legislature by July 1 of each year that describes the activities from the previous year and the recommendations for the following year. Existing law requires that report to include prescribed information, including a comprehensive accounting of hate crime activity statewide and relevant hate crime trends and statistics. Existing law requires the first annual report to be made available by July 1, 2023. For the annual report due by July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, the bill would instead require the commission to include that above-described information in the report only to the extent that specified information is available. For any annual report due by and after July 1, 2026, the bill would instead require the commission to include that above-described information. (4) Existing law, the California Youth Empowerment Act, establishes the California Youth Empowerment Commission within the state government to advise on providing meaningful opportunities for civic engagement to improve the quality of life for California's disconnected and disadvantaged youth. Existing law establishes the Office of Planning and Research within the Governor's office, and sets forth its powers and duties. This bill would place the commission within the Office of Planning and Research. The bill would make conforming changes. Existing law requires the commission, on or before January 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, to publish an annual report to the Legislature, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Secretary of California Health and Human Services, and Governor detailing the activities, issues, demographics, budget, and outcomes of the commission. This bill would instead require the commission to publish the first annual report on or before May 30, 2025. Existing law requires the Governor to appoint an executive director of the commission to, among other duties, assist the commission in carrying out its work and hire commission staff, including hiring deputy directors. This bill would delete the duty to hire deputy directors from the executive director's duties. Under existing law, these provisions are to be implemented only if funds are made available in the budget or through gifts and grants. This bill would instead specify that these provisions are to be implemented upon appropriation by the Legislature. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2027. This bill would instead repeal them on January 1, 2030. (5) Existing law establishes an Office of Health Equity in the State Department of Public Health for purposes of aligning state resources, decisionmaking, and programs to accomplish certain goals related to health equity and protecting vulnerable communities. Existing law requires the office to develop departmentwide plans to close the gaps in health status and access to care among the state's diverse racial and ethnic communities, women, persons with disabilities, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning communities, as specified. Existing law requires the office to work with the Health in All Policies Task Force to assist state agencies and departments in developing policies, systems, programs, and environmental change strategies that have population health impacts by, among other things, prioritizing building cross-sectoral partnerships within and across departments and agencies to change policies and practices to advance health equity. Existing law establishes the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, with a Special Consideration for African Americans Who are Descendants of Persons Enslaved in the United States to, among other things, identify, compile, and synthesize the relevant corpus of evidentiary documentation of the institution of slavery that existed within the United States and the colonies. Existing law requires the task force to submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature. This bill, until January 1, 2030, would establish in state government a Racial Equity Commission. The bill would require the commission to be staffed by the Office of Planning and Research. The bill would require the commission to develop resources, best practices, and tools for advancing racial equity by, among other things, developing a statewide Racial Equity Framework that includes methodologies and tools that can be employed to advance racial equity and address structural racism in California. The bill would require the commission to prepare an annual report that summarizes feedback from public engagement with communities of color, provides data on racial inequities and disparities in the state, and recommends best practices on tools, methodologies, and opportunities to advance racial equity and to submit that report, on or after December 1, 2025, and no later than April 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, to the Governor and the Legislature, as specified. (6) Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, authorizes the Governor to proclaim a state of emergency when specified conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist. That act provides that the California Emergency Relief Fund is created as a special fund in the State Treasury to provide emergency resources or relief relating to state of emergency declarations proclaimed by the Governor. This bill would authorize the Department of Finance to transfer to the General Fund any unencumbered balance in the California Emergency Relief Fund of any appropriation for which the encumbrance period has expired. (7) Existing law, the Dixon-Zenovich-Maddy California Arts Act of 1975, establishes the Arts Council, consisting of 11 appointed members, and sets forth its powers and duties, including providing for the exhibition of art works in public buildings throughout California. This bill would require, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the Arts Council to establish the California Creative Economy Workgroup to develop a strategic plan for the California creative economy. The bill would provide for the membership of the workgroup and require the workgroup to, among other things, collect and analyze data on the state of the California creative economy. The bill would require the workgroup to publish a report detailing the findings and recommendations of the workgroup on the council's website, and submit the report to the appropriate committees of the Legislature by June 30, 2025. The bill would authorize the council to enter into a contract with a nonprofit organization to help facilitate workgroup meetings, compile information, and prepare a final report, as specified. The bill would repeal these provisions on July 1, 2025. (8) Existing law requires the Department of General Services, when authorized to sell or otherwise dispose of lands declared excess by a state agency and the department determines that the use of the land is not needed by any other state agency, to sell or otherwise dispose of the land in accordance with specified requirements. Existing law requires the net proceeds received from any real property disposition pursuant to those provisions to be paid to the Deficit Recovery Bond Retirement Sinking Fund Subaccount until the bonds issued pursuant to the Economic Recovery Bond Act are retired, and, thereafter, to be deposited in the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties. Notwithstanding that requirement, existing law requires the department to deposit into the General Fund the net proceeds of a lease entered into pursuant to certain provisions after specified deductions are made. This bill would authorize the department to deposit some or all of the net proceeds from the above-described real property dispositions into the Property Acquisition Law Money Account to maintain an operating reserve sufficient to continue redeveloping excess state properties as affordable housing, as defined. The bill would exempt those deposits necessary to maintain the operating reserve from the above-described requirement to deposit the net proceeds of leases into the General Fund. Existing law authorizes the department, with the consent of the state agency concerned, to let for a period not to exceed 5 years any real or personal property that belongs to the state if the director deems it to be in the best interest of the state. Existing law requires any money received pursuant to those provisions to be deposited in the Property Acquisition Law Money Account, and makes those funds available upon appropriation by the Legislature. This bill would exempt funds necessary to maintain an operating reserve sufficient to continue redeveloping excess state properties as affordable housing from the requirement that the funds be made available upon appropriation by the Legislature. (9) Existing law establishes the Department of Technology within the Government Operations Agency, under the supervision of the Director of Technology, also known as the State Chief Information Officer. Existing law establishes the Office of Information Security within the Department of Technology for the purpose of ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of state systems and applications and to promote and protect privacy as part of the development and operations of state systems and applications to ensure the trust of the residents of this state. Existing law requires an entity within the executive branch that is under the direct authority of the Governor to implement the policies and procedures issued by the office and authorizes the office to conduct, or require to be conducted, an independent security assessment of every state agency, department, or office, as specified. Existing law requires state agencies not covered by those above-described provisions to adopt and implement information security and privacy policies, standards, and procedures based upon standards issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Federal Information Processing Standards, as specified. Existing law requires these state agencies to certify, by February 1 annually, to the President pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the Assembly that the agency is in compliance with all adopted policies, standards, and procedures and to include a plan of action and milestones, as specified. Existing law requires the certifications to be kept confidential and requires the President pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the Assembly to consult with these state agencies on how to ensure confidentiality of the certifications and to determine the form required for certification. This bill would delete the above-described consultation requirements and would impose various security requirements, including, among others, restricting the transfer and storage methods of the certifications to electronic means. The bill would instead require these state agencies to submit the certifications to the Office of Information Security and would require the office to develop a form for this purpose. The bill would authorize the office to make recommendations and offer assistance to a state agency on completing the above-described plan of action and milestones, as specified. The bill would require the office to review the certifications and make an annual summary report available, by May 1, 2024, and by March 1 annually thereafter, to the appropriate legislative committees and the Legislative Analyst's Office. The bill would authorize a state agency, in lieu of complying with specified provisions, to instead annually submit a declaration to the Chief of the Office of Information Security, by January 15, confirming that the state agency is in compliance with those above-described provisions that apply to entities within the executive branch that is under the direct authority of the Governor. Because this declaration would be made under penalty of perjury, the bill would expand the crime of perjury, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. (10) Existing law establishes, within the Department of Technology, the Office of Broadband and Digital Literacy and requires the office, consistent with the appropriation in the Budget Act of 2021, to oversee the acquisition and management of contracts for the development and construction of, and for the maintenance and operation of, a statewide open-access middle-mile broadband network to provide an opportunity for last-mile providers, anchor institutions, and tribal entities to connect to, and interconnect with other networks and other appropriate connections to, the broadband network to facilitate high-speed broadband service, as specified. Existing law requires the office, where feasible, to consider a term of access to dark fiber for no less than a 20-year indefeasible right to use and to consider including excess conduit capacity in projects to ensure for potential growth of the statewide open-access middle-mile broadband network. This bill would, where available, authorize the Office of Broadband and Digital Literacy to enter into an agreement for the indefeasible right-to-use fiber only if the leased facilities and the number of fiber strands will deliver speeds comparable to those broadband facilities built or jointly built under the authority of the office. The bill would, upon execution of any contract for the lease, build, or joint-build of any portion of the middle-mile broadband network pursuant to these provisions, require the department within 60 days to update a map on its public internet website to identify those segments of this network that will be built, leased, or jointly built pursuant to those contracts. Existing law creates the Department of Technology Services Revolving Fund within the State Treasury to receive all revenues from the sale of technology or specified technology services, for other services rendered by the Department of Technology, and all other moneys properly credited to the Department of Technology and to be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for specified purposes with respect to the administration of the Department of Technology. This bill would create the State Middle-Mile Broadband Enterprise Fund. The bill would require internet service providers, governmental entities, and other users of the statewide open-access middle-mile broadband network to pay the Department of Technology fees for connection to the statewide open-access middle-mile broadband network, as provided. The bill would also require all revenues payable to the Department of Technology for activities undertaken for the maintenance, operation, repair, and expansion of the statewide open-access middle-mile broadband network to be deposited in the fund. The bill, until July 1, 2027, would continuously appropriate moneys in the fund to the Department of Technology for the maintenance, operation, repair, and expansion of the statewide open-access middle-mile broadband network, thereby making an appropriation. On or after July 1, 2027, moneys in the fund are available for expenditure upon appropriation by the Legislature. Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Existing law requires the commission to develop, implement, and administer the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) to encourage deployment of high-quality advanced communications services to all Californians that will promote economic growth, job creation, and the substantial social benefits of advanced information and communications technologies. Existing law requires the commission to establish specified accounts within the CASF, including, among other accounts, the Broadband Public Housing Account and the Federal Funding Account. Under existing law, of the $2,000,000,000 appropriated to the commission to fund last-mile broadband infrastructure in the Budget Act of 2021, the commission is required to allocate $1,000,000,000 for projects in rural counties and $1,000,000,000 for projects in urban counties, as specified. Existing law, until June 30, 2023, authorizes applicants to apply for and encumber specified allocated moneys for last-mile broadband projects, and would provide that any moneys not allocated pursuant to prescribed provisions shall be made available to the commission for the construction of last-mile broadband infrastructure anywhere in the state. This bill would require the commission to prioritize grants from the Broadband Public Housing Account to existing publicly supported housing developments that have not yet received a grant from the account and do not have access to free broadband internet service onsite. The bill would change the time period for applicants to apply for and encumber specified allocated moneys described above from June 30, 2023, to September 30, 2024. (11) Existing law establishes the Made in California Program within the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development for the purposes of encouraging consumer product awareness and fostering purchases of high-quality products made in this state. Existing law requires, in order to be eligible under the program, a company to establish that the product is substantially made by an individual located in the state and that the finished product could lawfully use a "Made in U.S.A." label, as provided. This bill would remove the requirement that a company establish that the finished product could lawfully use a "Made in U.S.A." label in order to be eligible under the program. Existing law requires the office to require each company to register with the office for use of the Made in California label and requires a company filing for registration to submit a qualified third-party certification, as defined, at least once every 3 years, as specified. This bill would remove the requirement that the certification described above be a qualified third-party certification. Existing law requires the office to report to the Legislature on January 1 each year regarding the office's expenditures, progress, and ongoing priorities with the program. This bill would change the reporting date to February 15 of each year and would additionally require the report described above to include, among other things, the number of companies registered for the Made in California label and any other information about the program that the office deems appropriate. (12) Existing law establishes the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, also known as GO-Biz, to serve the Governor as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth. Existing law prescribes the duties and functions of the Director of the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development. Existing law establishes the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) within GO-Biz to serve as the principal advocate on behalf of small businesses, including to represent the views and interests of small businesses, among other duties. Existing law establishes various grant programs within CalOSBA. Chapter 74 of the Statutes of 2021 created, and Chapter 68 of the Statutes of 2022 subsequently amended, the California Venues Grant Program within CalOSBA to provide grants, subject to appropriation by the Legislature, to certain independent live events that have been affected by COVID-19 in order to support their continued operation, as specified. The program was repealed on December 31, 2022. This bill would reenact the program and would repeal it on June 30, 2024. Existing law establishes, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the California Regional Initiative for Social Enterprises Program within CalOSBA to provide financial and technical assistance to employment social enterprises for purposes of accelerating economic mobility and inclusion for individuals who experience employment barriers. Existing law requires CalOSBA to administer the program to support employment social enterprises in the state through grants disbursed by one or more fiscal agents through June 30, 2024. This bill would remove the disbursement end date mentioned above. Existing law establishes the California Nonprofit Performing Arts Grant Program within CalOSBA for the purpose of providing grants to eligible nonprofit performing arts organizations, as defined, to encourage workforce development. Existing law repeals the program on June 30, 2023. Existing law establishes the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program within CalOSBA to assist qualified small businesses affected by COVID-19 through administration of grants, in accordance with specified criteria, including geographic distribution based on COVID-19 restrictions, industry sectors most impacted by the pandemic, and underserved small businesses. Existing law repeals the program on January 1, 2024. Existing law establishes the California Small Business and Nonprofit COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Relief Grant Program within GO-Biz and implemented by CalOSBA to assist qualified small businesses or nonprofits that are incurring costs for COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave. Existing law repeals the program on January 1, 2024. This bill would extend the repeal dates of the California Nonprofit Performing Arts Grant Program, the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program, and the California Small Business and Nonprofit COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Relief Grant Program to June 30, 2024. Existing law establishes, until June 30, 2023, the California Microbusiness COVID-19 Relief Grant Program within CalOSBA to assist qualified microbusinesses, as defined and certified under penalty of perjury, that have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as provided. Existing law requires CalOSBA to administer a request for proposal in no more than 2 rounds for a specified period of time per round for eligible grantmaking entities, defined as a county or consortium of nonprofit, community-based organizations, as specified, and, subject to appropriation by the Legislature, requires a grantmaking entity that receives an allocation to administer a county program to, among other things, award individual grants to qualified microbusinesses. This bill would extend the repeal date of the California Microbusiness COVID-19 Relief Grant Program to June 30, 2024, and make conforming changes. By extending a program that requires qualified microbusinesses to make specified certifications under penalty of perjury, the bill would expand the scope of the crime of perjury and would thereby impose a state-mandated local program. (13) Existing law, until January 1, 2025, establishes the California Small Agricultural Business Drought Relief Grant Program in the Office of the Small Business Advocate, under the authority of its director, to provide grants to qualified small agricultural businesses that have been affected by severe drought conditions, as prescribed. Existing law requires the office to allocate grants to qualified small agricultural businesses that meet the requirements of the program, upon appropriation of grant funds by the Legislature. Existing law defines a "qualified small business" for these purposes to mean a small business that meets specified criteria, including that the small business is a sole proprietor, independent contractor, C-corporation, S-corporation, cooperative, limited liability company, partnership, nonprofit, or limited partnership, with 100 or fewer full-time employees in the 2022 taxable year and has been affected by severe drought according to the United States Department of Agriculture drought monitor. Existing law requires the office to report to the Legislature, on or before December 31, 2024, on the number of grants and dollar amounts awarded for specified categories. This bill would rename the program as the California Small Agricultural Business Drought and Flood Relief Grant Program and would extend the program until January 1, 2027. The bill would expand the purpose of the program to additionally provide grants to qualified small agricultural businesses that have been affected by flood conditions. The bill would prescribe how program grant funds are to be allocated in the Budget Act of 2022 related to drought impacts and how those funds are to be allocated in the Budget Act of 2023 related to storm flooding impacts. The bill would update the definition of a qualified small business for these purposes to require that the small business be domiciled in California with 100 or fewer in the 2022 and 2023 taxable years. The bill would expand the definition of a qualified small business to include a small business that is within or serves a county that has a state or federal disaster declaration for flooding. The bill would authorize the office to amend an existing contract with a fiscal agent to meet the requirements of the bill's provisions, and would also authorize applicants to apply for relief grants under these provisions. The bill would require the office to report to the Legislature, on or before December 31, 2026, on the number of grants and dollar amounts awarded for specified categories. The bill would also make various conforming changes. (14) Existing law, the Financial Information System for California (FISCal) Act, requires the Department of Finance, the Controller, the Department of General Services, and the Treasurer to collaboratively develop, implement, and utilize a single integrated financial management system for the state, as prescribed. To facilitate the transition of the state's accounting book of record, existing law requires, on or before July 1, 2023, the Controller to provide the necessary system and interface requirements to the department to perform accounting functions and produce financial reports, as specified, and, on or before March 1, 2023, and with the department, to evaluate and develop a timeline to complete the original scope for the Controller's accounting book of record functionality. This bill would, instead, require the Controller to provide the above-described system and interface requirements and, with the department, evaluate and develop the above-described timeline on December 31, 2023, to facilitate the integration of the state's accounting book of record by July 1, 2026. (15) Existing law continues into existence the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) division within GO-Biz as the Zero-Emission Vehicle Market Development Office. Existing law requires the office to develop and adopt an equity action plan as part of the ZEV Market Development Strategy that considers optimizing for equity benefits in ZEV deployment. Existing law requires the equity action plan to include, among other things, recommendations on actionable steps and metrics to measure and improve access to ZEVs, infrastructure, and ZEV transportation options in low-income, disadvantaged, and historically underserved communities. Existing law also requires the office to assess progress towards the plan, as specified. This bill would instead require the equity action plan to include recommendations on actionable steps and metrics to measure and improve access to ZEVs, public and private charging infrastructure, and ZEV transportation options in low-income, disadvantaged, and historically underserved communities, including, but not limited to, shared vehicles and other alternatives to single-owner vehicle ownership. The bill would also require the assessment of progress towards the equity action plan to include metrics tracking state and federal subsidies for ZEVs and different ownership structures for ZEVs. (16) Existing law creates the Attorney General antitrust account in the General Fund, which is available to the Department of Justice for expenditure in carrying out the antitrust activities of the department and for refund of any money erroneously paid into the account. Money in the account is available for expenditure only upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Bill and if at any time the account exceeds $3,000,000, the excess is required to be transferred to the unallocated funds within the General Fund. This bill would delete the requirement that amounts in excess of $3,000,000 be transferred to the General Fund. Existing law generally makes the Attorney General responsible for representing state agencies in litigation matters. Under existing law, revenues in the Litigation Deposits Fund are continuously appropriated to the Department of Justice for litigation purposes. Existing law establishes the Legal Services Revolving Fund and requires state agency payments for legal services rendered by the Attorney General to be deposited therein. Existing law authorizes the Attorney General to expend the money in the Legal Services Revolving Fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for litigation activities. Existing law authorizes the Department of Justice to expend revenues transferred to the Legal Services Revolving Fund from the Litigation Deposits Fund only if approved by the Department of Finance. Existing law requires the Department of Justice to prepare and submit to specified individuals quarterly reports concerning the activity of the Litigation Deposits Fund that detail the number of deposits received, the receipt of interest income, disbursements to claimants, and the amount used for litigation costs of the department. This bill would, commencing July 1, 2023, require the Department of Justice to transfer deposited funds, with certain exceptions, to the General Fund or a state special fund subject to legislative oversight no later than 3 months after the receipt of funds, a final settlement agreement is signed by all involved parties, a court judgment has been entered, or all appeals have been exhausted, whichever is latest. The bill would require the Department of Justice to transfer funds deposited prior to July 1, 2023, for which a final settlement agreement has been signed by all involved parties, a court judgment has been entered, or for which all appeals have been exhausted by January 1, 2024. The bill would require the Department of Justice to provide specified information with the quarterly reports concerning the activity of the Litigation Deposits Fund, including the number of new deposits received as of the prior report, the amount of each deposit, the case associated with each deposit, the specific legal section or sections of the department pursuing the case, the date each case was initiated and closed, the estimated litigation costs associated with each case, whether the department specifically sought reasonable attorney's fees and costs and the amount awarded for these purposes, and the fiscal terms and statewide benefits associated with each case. (17) Existing law provides for various memorials and monuments on the grounds of the State Capitol. Existing law requires the Department of General Services to maintain state buildings and grounds. Existing law authorizes tribal nations in the Sacramento, California, region, in consultation with the Department of General Services, to plan, construct, and maintain a monument to the California Native people of the Sacramento, California, region on the grounds of the State Capitol. Existing law requires the planning, construction, and maintenance of the monument to be funded exclusively through private funding from the tribal nations in the Sacramento, California, region. This bill would instead require that the planning and construction of the monument be funded exclusively through private funding from the tribal nations in the Sacramento, California region, and require the Department of General Services to be responsible for regular maintenance of the monument, as specified. (18) Existing law authorizes a governing body of a political subdivision, as those terms are defined, to declare a shelter crisis if the governing body makes a specified finding. Upon declaration of a shelter crisis, existing law, among other things, suspends certain state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances to the extent that strict compliance would prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of the shelter crisis. Existing law establishes the Department of General Services within the Government Operations Agency and requires it to perform various functions and duties with respect to property within the state, including assisting in the development of permanent supportive housing and emergency shelters. This bill would authorize the Department of General Services to assist a political subdivision with delivery and installation of emergency sleeping cabins and related improvements, as defined, in prescribed cities and counties if the political subdivision has declared a shelter crisis. The bill would limit the authority granted under the bill to the delivery of up to 1,200 emergency sleeping cabins. The bill would require the Department of General Services to execute a prescribed written transfer agreement with the political subdivision. The bill would authorize the department, in providing assistance to political subdivisions, to utilize any delivery method it deems appropriate and advantageous. The bill would further authorize the department to carry out a project on real property that is not owned by the state, subject to the owner's consent and provided that a political subdivision leases or owns the site for the purposes of operating the cabins. The bill would exempt work performed by the Department of General Services under the bill from specified laws and regulations, including provisions relating to public contracts, state building standards, and, with certain exceptions, the California Environmental Quality Act. These provisions would be repealed as of January 1, 2025. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Sacramento, the City of San Jose, the County of San Diego, and the City of Los Angeles. (19) Existing law establishes the Office of Tax Appeals, and requires the office to publish a written opinion for each appeal decided by each tax appeals panel, as described. Existing law also requires the office to adopt regulations as necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of the office. Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, generally governs the procedure for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of regulations by state agencies and for the review of those regulatory actions by the Office of Administrative Law. Existing law exempts any standard, criterion, procedure, determination, rule, notice, or guideline established by the office from the requirements of the APA. This bill would restate the existing exemption from the Administrative Procedure Act to instead apply to any policy, procedure, notice, or guideline issued by the office. The bill would also exempt any final written opinion published by office from the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act. The bill would authorize the office to designate any published written opinion as precedential in any matter or proceeding before the office, unless overruled, superseded, or otherwise designated nonprecedential by the office. The bill would declare that the designation of an opinion as precedential is not a rulemaking within the meaning of the Administrative Procedure Act. (20) Existing law establishes the Litigation Deposits Fund, under the control of the Department of Justice and consisting of moneys received by the state as litigation deposits, as specified. Existing law authorizes the Controller to use money in the fund for cashflow loans to the General Fund, as specified. This bill would authorize the Department of Finance to authorize budgetary loans from the fund to the General Fund pursuant to the annual budget process, as specified. (21) Existing law authorizes the Adjutant General and the Military Department to establish support programs and educational programs for the benefit of the Military Department and its soldiers, airmen, and cadets, and their family members. Existing law establishes the California Military Department Support Fund to support those programs. Existing law also establishes the California National Guard Military Family Relief Fund as an account within the California Military Department Support Fund for the purpose of providing financial aid grants to eligible members of the California National Guard who are California residents and who have been called to active duty. This bill would repeal the California National Guard Military Family Relief Fund and deposit all remaining moneys from the fund into the California Military Department Support Fund. The bill would also remove the aid grant program funded by the California National Guard Military Family Relief Fund. (22) Existing law allows the Adjutant General of the Military Department to lease or authorize the use of armories that are built or acquired by the state and requires all revenues to be deposited in the Armory Discretionary Improvement Account. This bill would establish the Army Facilities Agreement Program Income Fund. The bill would require revenue received from nonfederal tenants' use of Military Department facilities to be deposited into the fund, and upon appropriation by the Legislature, made available for maintenance of Army National Guard facilities. (23) Under existing law, the Department of Parks and Recreation controls the state park system. Existing law provides that the General Fund consists of money received into the State Treasury not required by law to be credited to any other fund. This bill would create the Southeast Los Angeles Cultural Center Development Advisory Panel to provide advice to the state and the County of Los Angeles in the development of the Southeast Los Angeles Cultural Center. The bill would require the department to convene the panel within 60 days of completion of appointments to the panel. The bill would require the panel to be chaired by the Director of Parks and Recreation and would authorize the county supervisor of southeast Los Angeles for the 4th supervisorial district to cochair the panel, as provided. The bill would require the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, and would authorize the county supervisor, to appoint 9 panel members, as provided. The bill would require the panel to, among other things, by January 1, 2027, develop a recommended operations plan for the Southeast Los Angeles Cultural Center, which shall not include a commitment of ongoing state resources for operation and maintenance. The bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2032, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2033. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the southeast Los Angeles region. (24) The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. Existing law establishes the Office of Planning and Research in the Governor's office for the purpose of serving the Governor and the Governor's cabinet as staff for long-range planning and research and constituting the comprehensive state planning agency. This bill would exempt from CEQA the actions of the Office of Planning and Research and its subsidiary entities to provide financial assistance for planning, research, or project implementation related to land use or climate resiliency, adaptation, or mitigation if the project that is the subject of the application for financial assistance will be reviewed by another public agency pursuant to CEQA or by a tribe pursuant to an alternative process or program implemented by the tribe for evaluating environmental impacts. (25) Existing law establishes the Community Resilience Center Program, administered by the Strategic Growth Council in coordination with the Office of Planning and Research, to provide funding for the construction of new, or the retrofitting of existing, facilities that will serve as community resilience centers, as specified. Existing law authorizes the council, until July 1, 2025, to authorize advance payments on a grant awarded under the program in accordance with certain provisions that authorize specified state departments and authorities to make advance payments to community-based private nonprofit agencies under certain circumstances and subject to certain requirements. This bill would instead authorize the council, until July 1, 2025, to authorize advance payments on a grant awarded under the program in accordance with certain other provisions that authorize state agencies administering specified programs to advance payments to local agencies, nongovernmental entities, and other state agencies if certain criteria are met and subject to certain requirements. This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2025, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2026. (26) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. (27) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.