AB 178

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to enter into contracts with natural persons, corporations, partnerships, and associations for the construction, maintenance, and operation of concessions within units of the state park system. Existing law authorizes the awarding of a concession agreement at Will Rogers State Beach for up to 50 years in length without specific authorization by statute, as provided. This bill would require, notwithstanding any other law or any other agreement, in furtherance of specified concession agreements between the County of Los Angeles and a private entity at the state-owned Will Rogers State Beach, development or renovation of capital improvements, and related public access and recreation improvements, to be exempt from specified permits required by state law or municipal building and zoning codes or from approvals by municipal agencies and to be subject only to the approval by the County of Los Angeles and a coastal development permit or amendment to a coastal development permit from the California Coastal Commission. (2) Existing law, the California Tire Recycling Act, requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to administer a tire recycling program that promotes and develops alternatives to the landfill disposal of used whole tires. This bill would authorize the department to solicit and use expertise available in other state agencies and, if an existing state agency performs functions of a similar nature to the department's functions, to contract with, or cooperate with, that agency in carrying out the requirements of the California Tire Recycling Act. (3) Existing law prohibits a municipal utility district furnishing light, water, power, or heat from terminating residential service for nonpayment of a delinquent account unless the district gives notice of the delinquency and impending termination, as provided. Existing law requires the reviewing manager of a district to give a residential customer who has initiated a complaint or requested an investigation within 5 days of receiving a disputed bill, or made a request for extension of the payment period within 13 days of the mailing of the notice of delinquency and impending termination, an opportunity for review of the complaint, investigation, or request, including whether the customer is permitted to amortize the unpaid balance of the account over a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 12 months. This bill would instead specify that a reasonable period of time is generally 12 months, and authorize a district to grant a longer period of time if the district finds a longer period of time is necessary to avoid undue hardship to the customer based on the individual circumstances of the case. Existing law prohibits termination of the above residential utility services if a licensed physician and surgeon certifies that to do so would be life threatening to the customer and the customer is unable to pay for the service within the normal payment period and is willing to enter into an amortization agreement. Existing law requires a district to permit a customer that meets these requirements to amortize, over a period not to exceed 12 months, the unpaid balance of any bill asserted to be beyond the means of the customer to pay within the normal period for payment. This bill would delete the prohibition on the amortization period exceeding 12 months, instead specify that the normal period for payment is generally within 12 months, and authorize a district to grant a longer period if the district finds a longer period is necessary to avoid undue hardship to the customer based on the individual circumstances of the case. (4) Existing law allows an individual, until January 1, 2032, to designate on their personal income tax return that a specified amount in excess of their tax liability be contributed to the California Beach and Coastal Enhancement Account under a space on the tax return titled "Protect Our Coast and Oceans Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund." Existing law requires these moneys to be continuously appropriated and allocated to the Franchise Tax Board, the Controller, and the California Coastal Commission to support eligible programs awarded grants under the selection criteria established by the California Coastal Commission for the Whale Tail Grants Program. Existing law repeals these provisions on December 1, 2032, or on December 1 of the year that the minimum contribution amount of $250,000 is not met, as specified. This bill would reduce the minimum contribution amount to $200,000. (5) Existing law appropriates $553,900,000 from the General Fund, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, and the Toxic Substances Control Account and allocates that appropriation over the 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, and 2026–27 fiscal years, as prescribed, for specified purposes. Existing law specifies that the amount appropriated is available for encumbrance for 4 fiscal years after the fiscal year in which funds are released. Existing law requires a state agency, before expending moneys appropriated from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, to prepare a record, as provided. This bill would require that those moneys appropriated from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund be used for the purpose of facilitating the achievement of reductions of emissions of greenhouse gases in the state or to improve climate change adaptation and resiliency, or environmental quality and public health, of California communities, with an emphasis on disadvantaged or low-income households or communities. By expanding the purposes for which the moneys appropriated from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund may be used, the bill would make an appropriation. The bill would authorize the Department of Toxic Substances Control to comply with the requirement on the preparation of the record by describing how each proposed expenditure of those moneys appropriated from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will improve climate adaptation and resiliency, or environmental quality and public health, of disadvantaged communities or low-income households or communities. The bill would authorize the State Air Resources Board, in consultation with the department, to develop methodologies and collect metrics or other information related to the description of the proposed expenditure provided by the department. (6) The Salton Sea Restoration Act establishes the Salton Sea Restoration Fund, which is administered by the Director of Fish and Wildlife, and requires that the moneys in the fund be expended, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for environmental and engineering studies related to the restoration of the Salton Sea and the protection of fish and wildlife dependent on the sea, conservation measures necessary to protect the fish and wildlife species dependent on the Salton Sea, and the preferred Salton Sea restoration alternative, including administrative, technical, and public outreach costs related to the development and selection of that alternative, as specified. This bill would appropriate the sum of $3,098,000 from the Salton Sea Restoration Fund to the Department of Fish and Wildlife for the 2024–25 fiscal year to support projects at the Salton Sea. (7) This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for Will Rogers State Beach. (8) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.