Title
Consider recommendations from the Legislative Program Committee meeting of April 17, 2006, as follows:
a) Support H.R. 4782 (Capps) and S. 2294 (Boxer) The California Ocean and Coastal Protection Acts (identical bill introduced in the House and Senate) which would permanently prohibit oil and gas leasing off the coast of the State of California;
b) Oppose SB 1800 (Ducheny and Cedillo). SB 1800, sponsored by the California Building Industry Association, requires a City/County to adopt a Housing Opportunity Plan (HOP) that ensures adequate sites are zoned to meet 10-year housing needs for all income levels. Individual housing projects that are consistent with the HOP would be exempt from CEQA if environmental documents have been certified for the HOP and conditions have not substantially changed. Projects consistent with a HOP may only be denied or reduced in number by a 4/5 vote of the Board with written findings that the project would adversely impact public health or safety and no feasible mitigation exists;
c) Oppose AB 3050 (Committee on Judiciary (Jones, Chair)), which would require that liability for property damage or personal injury shall rest jointly with all state and local public entities that participate in the design, construction, operation, or maintenance of a flood control project that fails to function as intended resulting in property damage or personal injury, for new developments in previously undeveloped areas which were previously devoted to agricultural use or open space;
d) Oppose AB 2987 (Nunez) unless amended to maintain local control of franchise fees setting and collection, right-of-way management, and taxing authority. AB 2987 would eliminate all local oversight and management of video franchising and would instead establish a procedure for state-issued authorization for the provision of cable service or video services;
e) Support SB 1576 (Murray) in concept. SB 1576 will require the State to fully fund transitional housing placement for foster youth. Existing law provides that County's pay 60% of the cost and the State pays 40%. SB 1576 would provide 100% State funding for the program;
f) Support AB 2481 (Evans) which would increase the basic rate paid to foster parents by 5% effective January 1, 2007, and provide for future rate increases which would be tied to changes in the state cost-of-living based to the California Necessities Index. The full cost of the increase would be borne by the State; and
g) Support AB 2161 (Hancock) which would create a pilot project for 5 volunteer counties to participate in a unified and streamlined process for licensing and approving relatives, foster families, and adoptive parents who care for abused and neglected children. Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services has indicated an interest in piloting this project.
Body
[Enter body here.]