(1) The Voting Modernization Bond Act of 2002 authorizes a county to apply to the Voting Modernization Board for money from the proceeds of the sale of bonds (1) to pay for or purchase new voting systems that are certified or conditionally approved by the Secretary of State, (2) to research and develop new voting systems, or (3) to manufacture the minimum number of voting system units reasonably necessary to test and seek certification or conditional approval of the voting system, or test and demonstrate the capabilities of a voting system in a pilot program.

This bill would require the Secretary of State to use funds appropriated to him or her in the Budget Act of 2018 for voting system replacement to award contracts to counties that would reimburse the counties for funds spent by the counties on activities similar to those described above, as specified. The bill would require the Secretary of State to allocate funds for those contracts based on specified criteria, and would require that the reimbursement match funds spent by a county on a dollar-for-dollar basis, up to the allocated amount.

(2) Existing law provides for the compensation of victims and derivative victims of specified types of crimes by the California Victim Compensation Board from the Restitution Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, for specified losses suffered as a result of those crimes. Existing law requires an application for compensation to be filed within certain time periods, as specified. Existing law authorizes the board to grant an extension of time based on certain criteria, and requires the board, in making this determination, to consider, among other factors, whether the victim or derivative victim incurs emotional harm or a pecuniary loss while testifying during the prosecution or in the punishment of the person accused or convicted of the crime.

This bill would also require the board to consider, until December 31, 2019, whether the victim or derivative victim incurs emotional harm or a pecuniary loss as a result of the identification of the “East Area Rapist,” also known as the “Golden State Killer,” a person suspected of committing certain homicide and sexual assault crimes. The bill would specify, for purposes of this provision, that “emotional harm” includes, but is not limited to, harm incurred while preparing to testify. By expanding the scope of provisions authorizing certain uses of continuously appropriated funds, the bill would make an appropriation.

(3) Existing law requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to prepare a master plan for the overall operations of the veterans’ home system, as specified, by no later than July 1, 2019. Existing law specifies that the development of the master plan should include a stakeholder process that includes, among other things, an assessment of the current and projected long-term care needs of California’s veterans and a discussion of how veterans with complex mental and behavioral health needs will be accommodated.

This bill would instead require the master plan to be prepared by December 31, 2019. The bill would require the master plan to be revised and updated every 5 years thereafter. The bill would additionally require the master plan to include consideration and discussion of certain specified elements.

(4) Existing law provides that whenever any person is arrested for certain offenses, including, among other things, an infraction involving vehicle equipment, the arresting officer is required to permit the arrested person to execute a notice, prepared by the officer in triplicate, containing a promise to correct the violation and to deliver proof of correction to the issuing agency, unless the arresting officer finds that a disqualifying condition exists.

Existing law requires every motor vehicle subject to registration to be equipped with an adequate muffler in constant operation and properly maintained to prevent any excessive or unusual noise and prohibits a muffler or exhaust system from being equipped with a cutout, bypass, or similar device. Existing law further prohibits the modification of an exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner that will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the motor of the vehicle so that the vehicle exceeds existing noise limits.

This bill would include, among those conditions that are disqualifying, a violation of the above-described requirements related to mufflers and exhaust systems.

(5) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.