Terms Used In California Codes > Corporations Code > Title 1 > Division 2 > Part 4 > Chapter 2 - Directors and Management

• Abstract of judgment: In a federal criminal proceeding, A certification from a U.S. District Court clerk that a judgment of restitution was entered against the defendant owing to the victim. If the defendant inherits, owns, or sells real property or holdings, these assets can then be attached at the state and local levels as well.
• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• Aggrieved: means and refers to any of the following persons or entities:

  California Civil Code 3427

• Aggrieved party: means a party entitled to pursue a remedy. See California Commercial Code 1201
• agreement: means the total legal obligation that results from the parties' agreement as determined by this code and as supplemented by any other applicable laws. See California Commercial Code 1201
• alternative certification program: is a program operated by a school district, county office of education, college or university, or other public education entity, individually or in collaboration with other public education entities in the region to be served, and designed to provide a concentrated program leading to a permanent teaching credential. See California Education Code 44381
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Animal: means any amphibian, bird, mammal or reptile. See California Civil Code 3504
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• assessed value: means 25 percent of full value to, and including, the 1980-81 fiscal year, and 100 percent of full value for the 1981-82 fiscal year and fiscal years thereafter. See California Government Code 25
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Baseline: Projection of the receipts, outlays, and other budget amounts that would ensue in the future without any change in existing policy. Baseline projections are used to gauge the extent to which proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would alter current spending and revenue levels.
• Bill of lading: means a document evidencing the receipt of goods for shipment issued by a person engaged in the business of transporting or forwarding goods. See California Commercial Code 1201
• candidate: includes any officeholder who is subject to a recall election. See California Elections Code 305
• City: includes "city and county" and "incorporated town" but does not include "unincorporated town" or "village. See California Government Code 20
• Clerk: means the county elections official, registrar of voters, city clerk, or other officer or board charged with the duty of conducting any election. See California Elections Code 307
• Clerk: means the clerk of the supervising authority. See California Government Code 58004
• Commercial blockade: means acts constituting the tort of commercial blockade, as defined in Section 3427. See California Civil Code 3427
• Commercial unit: means such a unit of goods as by commercial usage is a single whole for purposes of lease and division of which materially impairs its character or value on the market or in use. See California Commercial Code 10103
• Committee: means the Pooled Money Investment Board. See California Government Code 17220
• Committee membership: Legislators are assigned to specific committees by their party. Seniority, regional balance, and political philosophy are the most prominent factors in the committee assignment process.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Concurrent resolution: A legislative measure, designated "S. Con. Res." and numbered consecutively upon introduction, generally employed to address the sentiments of both chambers, to deal with issues or matters affecting both houses, such as a concurrent budget resolution, or to create a temporary joint committee. Concurrent resolutions are not submitted to the President/Governor and thus do not have the force of law.
• Conference committee: A temporary, ad hoc panel composed of conferees from both chamber of a legislature which is formed for the purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed both chambers. Conference committees are usually convened to resolve bicameral differences on major and controversial legislation.
• Consumer lease: means a lease that a lessor regularly engaged in the business of leasing or selling makes to a lessee who is an individual and who takes under the lease primarily for a personal, family, or household purpose. See California Commercial Code 10103
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• contract: means the bargain of the parties in fact, as found in their language or inferred from other circumstances, including course of performance, course of dealing, or usage of trade as provided in Section 1303. See California Commercial Code 1201
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• County: includes city and county. See California Government Code 19
• County: includes "city and county. See California Corporations Code 14
• County: includes "city and county. See California Public Resources Code 14
• creditor: means the state or the department or agency of the state seeking to collect the liability. See California Code of Civil Procedure 688.040
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• debtor: means the debtor from whom the liability is sought to be collected. See California Code of Civil Procedure 688.040
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Defensible space: means the area adjacent to a structure or dwelling where wildfire prevention or protection practices are implemented to provide defense from an approaching wildfire or to minimize the spread of a structure fire to wildlands or surrounding areas. See California Government Code 51177
• department: whenever used in this code , unless the context otherwise requires, means the State Department of Education. See California Education Code 89
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• Director: means the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection. See California Government Code 51177
• directors: means natural persons, designated in the articles or bylaws or elected by the incorporators, and their successors and natural persons designated, elected, or appointed by any other name or title to act as members of the governing body of the corporation. See California Corporations Code 5047
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Disrupting the normal functioning of a health care facility: means intentionally rendering or attempting to render a health care facility temporarily or permanently unavailable or unusable by a licensed health practitioner, the facility's staff, or patients. See California Civil Code 3427
• dissenting interest: means the interest of a limited partner that satisfies all of the following conditions:

  California Corporations Code 15911.21

• dissenting limited partner: means the recordholder of a dissenting interest, and includes an assignee of record of such an interest. See California Corporations Code 15911.21
• District: means a tax or assessment district. See California Government Code 58004
• economic opportunity: means any of the following:

  California Government Code 52200.2

• Election: means any election including a primary that is provided for under this code. See California Elections Code 318
• Elections official: means any of the following:

  California Elections Code 320

• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• executed: when used with respect to the documents filed pursuant to this code or pursuant to regulations adopted under this code, and presented to the Secretary of State, include a document bearing a signature under subdivision (a). See California Corporations Code 17.1
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Federal Reserve System: The central bank of the United States. The Fed, as it is commonly called, regulates the U.S. monetary and financial system. The Federal Reserve System is composed of a central governmental agency in Washington, D.C. (the Board of Governors) and twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks in major cities throughout the United States. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Finance lease: means a lease with respect to which (A) the lessor does not select, manufacture, or supply the goods, (B) the lessor acquires the goods or the right to possession and use of the goods in connection with the lease, and (C) one of the following occurs:

  California Commercial Code 10103

• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Flow line: means a pipeline that transports hazardous liquid substances from the well head to a treating facility or production storage facility. See California Government Code 51010.5
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Fuel: means any combustible material, including petroleum-based products, cultivated landscape plants, grasses, and weeds, and wildland vegetation. See California Government Code 51177
• General election: means either of the following:

  California Elections Code 324

• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• GIS mapping system: means a geographical information system that will collect, store, retrieve, analyze, and display environmental geographical data in a database that is accessible to the public. See California Government Code 51010.5
• Goods: means all things that are movable at the time of identification to the lease contract, or are fixtures (Section 10309), but the term does not include money, documents, instruments, accounts, chattel paper, general intangibles, or minerals or the like, including oil and gas, before extraction. See California Commercial Code 10103
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Grant of an open-space easement: means a grant by an instrument whereby the owner relinquishes to the public, either in perpetuity or for a term of years, the right to construct improvements upon the land except as may be expressly reserved in the instrument and which contains a covenant with the city or county, running with the land, either in perpetuity or for a term of years, not to construct or permit the construction of any improvements, except as that right is expressly reserved in the instrument and except for public service facilities installed for the benefit of the land subject to any covenant or public service facilities installed pursuant to an authorization by the governing body of the city or county or the Public Utilities Commission. See California Government Code 51051
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Health care facility: means a facility that provides health care services directly to patients, including, but not limited to, a hospital, clinic, licensed health practitioner's office, health maintenance organization, diagnostic or treatment center, neuropsychiatric or mental health facility, hospice, or nursing home. See California Civil Code 3427
• Hydrostatic testing: means the application of internal pressure above the normal or maximum operating pressure to a segment of pipeline, under no-flow conditions for a fixed period of time, utilizing a liquid test medium. See California Government Code 51010.5
• Improper means: includes theft, bribery, misrepresentation, breach or inducement of a breach of a duty to maintain secrecy, or espionage through electronic or other means. See California Civil Code 3426.1
• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Insolvent: means :

  California Commercial Code 1201

• Installment lease contract: means a lease contract that authorizes or requires the delivery of goods in separate lots to be separately accepted, even though the lease contract contains a clause "each delivery is a separate lease" or its equivalent. See California Commercial Code 10103
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
• Lease: means a transfer of the right to possession and use of goods for a term in return for consideration, but a sale, including a sale on approval or a sale or return, or retention or creation of a security interest is not a lease. See California Commercial Code 10103
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Lease agreement: means the bargain, with respect to the lease, of the lessor and the lessee in fact as found in their language or by implication from other circumstances including course of dealing or usage of trade or course of performance as provided in this division. See California Commercial Code 10103
• Lease contract: means the total legal obligation that results from the lease agreement as affected by this division and any other applicable rules of law. See California Commercial Code 10103
• Legal tender: coins, dollar bills, or other currency issued by a government as official money. ^{Source: U.S. Mint}
• Legislative body: as used in this division , means board of supervisors in the case of a county or city and county, and city council or board of trustees in the case of a city, unless the context otherwise requires. See California Government Code 50002
• legislative body: means board of trustees, city council, or other governing body of a city. See California Government Code 34000
• Lessee: means a person who acquires the right to possession and use of goods under a lease. See California Commercial Code 10103
• Lessor: means a person who transfers the right to possession and use of goods under a lease. See California Commercial Code 10103
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Local agency: as used in this division means county, city, or city and county, unless the context otherwise requires. See California Government Code 50001
• Local agency: means a city, county, city and county, or district responsible for fire protection within a very high fire hazard severity zone. See California Government Code 51177
• Lot: means a parcel or a single article that is the subject matter of a separate lease or delivery, whether or not it is sufficient to perform the lease contract. See California Commercial Code 10103
• Measure: means any constitutional amendment or other proposition submitted to a popular vote at any election. See California Elections Code 329
• Merchant lessee: means a lessee that is a merchant with respect to goods of the kind subject to the lease. See California Commercial Code 10103
• MESA programs: means Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement programs established at community colleges to help underserved and underrepresented students majoring in calculus-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics academic fields who seek to transfer to four-year higher education institutions. See California Education Code 88681
• Misappropriation: means :

  California Civil Code 3426.1

• Money: means a medium of exchange that is currently authorized or adopted by a domestic or foreign government. See California Commercial Code 1201
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Motion picture: means any motion picture, regardless of length or content, which is exhibited in a motion picture theater to paying customers, or is exhibited on television to paying customers or under the sponsorship of a paying advertiser. See California Civil Code 3504
• Motor vehicle fuel: includes gasoline, natural gasoline, blends of gasoline and alcohol, or gasoline and oxygenates, and any inflammable liquid, by whatever name the liquid may be known or sold, which is used or is usable for propelling motor vehicles operated by the explosion type engine. See California Government Code 51010.5
• mountainous lands: means all lands, irrespective of their angle of slope or other natural or manmade terrain features, within the territory of the conservancy that lie above the floor of the Coachella Valley, if there is no alluvial fan, or that lie above any alluvial fan extending onto the valley floor, as more specifically set forth in that certain map entitled "Coachella Valley Mountainous Lands Map" and dated ____ __, 1999, and placed on file with the Secretary of State, which map is hereby incorporated in this subdivision by this reference. See California Public Resources Code 33700
• National emergency: as used in this part means any period in which the United States is at war prior to the declaration by the Governor of a state military emergency. See California Government Code 18540.1
• natural community conservation lands: means all lands within the territory of the conservancy, the preservation of which is necessary to implement a natural community conservation plan that has been approved by the Department of Fish and Game pursuant to Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 2800) of Division 3 of . See California Public Resources Code 33700
• Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
• Notice: includes all papers and orders required to be served in any proceedings before any court, board, or officer, or when required by law to be served independently of such proceeding. See California Government Code 26660
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Owner: means any lessee or trustee, if the expiration of the lease or trust occurs at a time later than the expiration of the easement or any extension thereof. See California Government Code 51051
• Owner: includes joint owner, co-owner, guardian, executor, administrator, or other person holding property in trust under court appointment. See California Government Code 58004
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Party: means a political party or organization that has qualified for participation in any primary or presidential general election. See California Elections Code 338
• Person: includes any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, or company. See California Government Code 17
• Person: means individuals, corporations, associations, partnerships, limited liability companies, trustees, lessees, agents and assignees. See California Civil Code 3504
• Person: means a natural person, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision or agency, or any other legal or commercial entity. See California Civil Code 3426.1
• Person: means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity. See California Commercial Code 1201
• Person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• Person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See California Corporations Code 18
• personal property: include money, goods, chattels, things in action, and evidences of debt. See California Civil Code 14
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Pipeline: includes every intrastate pipeline used for the transportation of hazardous liquid substances or highly volatile liquid substances, including a common carrier pipeline, and all piping containing those substances located within a refined products bulk loading facility that is owned by a common carrier and is served by a pipeline of that common carrier, and the common carrier owns and serves by pipeline at least five of these facilities in the state. See California Government Code 51010.5
• Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• Present value: means the amount as of a date certain of one or more sums payable in the future, discounted to the date certain. See California Commercial Code 10103
• Principal act: means the law providing for the creation of a particular district or type of district. See California Government Code 58004
• Probate: Proving a will
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Process: includes a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings of either a civil or criminal nature. See California Government Code 22
• Project: means the work, improvement, or acquisition, or any combination thereof undertaken by a district. See California Government Code 58004
• property: includes property real and personal. See California Civil Code 14
• Property: includes both personal and real property. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
• Public drinking water well: means a wellhead that provides drinking water to a public water system as defined in §. See California Government Code 51010.5
• Purchase: includes taking by sale, lease, mortgage, security interest, pledge, gift, or any other voluntary transaction creating an interest in goods. See California Commercial Code 10103
• Purchaser: means a person that takes by purchase. See California Commercial Code 1201
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Recourse: An arrangement in which a bank retains, in form or in substance, any credit risk directly or indirectly associated with an asset it has sold (in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) that exceeds a pro rata share of the bank's claim on the asset. If a bank has no claim on an asset it has sold, then the retention of any credit risk is recourse. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Refunding warrants: refers to warrants drawn by the Controller on the General Fund pursuant to this article to provide funds for the payment of reimbursement warrants bearing a fixed maturity date or warrants issued pursuant to Section 17211. See California Government Code 17240
• Reimbursement warrants: refers to warrants drawn by the Controller on the General Fund pursuant to this article to reimburse the General Cash Revolving Fund for demands against the General Fund for which warrants were drawn against the General Cash Revolving Fund. See California Government Code 17240
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Remedy: means any remedial right to which an aggrieved party is entitled with or without resort to a tribunal. See California Commercial Code 1201
• Requisite number of petitioners: means the number of qualified petitioners prescribed by the principal act. See California Government Code 58004
• Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Right: includes remedy. See California Commercial Code 1201
• Right of offset: Banks' legal right to seize funds that a guarantor or debtor may have on deposit to cover a loan in default. It is also known as the right of set-off. ^{Source: OCC}
• Rural area: means a location that lies outside the limits of any incorporated or unincorporated city or city and county, or other residential or commercial area, such as a subdivision, a business, a shopping center, or a community development. See California Government Code 51010.5
• Security interest: includes any interest of a consignor and a buyer of accounts, chattel paper, a payment intangible, or a promissory note in a transaction that is subject to Division 9 (commencing with Section 9101). See California Commercial Code 1201
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Signature: includes either of the following:

  California Elections Code 354.5

• Signature: includes mark when the signer cannot write, such signer's name being written near the mark by a witness who writes his own name near the signer's name. See California Corporations Code 17
• solar collector: includes a fixed device, structure, or part of a device or structure that is used primarily to transform solar energy into thermal, chemical, or electrical energy and that is installed on the ground because a solar collector cannot be installed on the roof of the building receiving the energy due to inappropriate roofing material, slope of the roof, structural shading, or orientation of the building. See California Public Resources Code 25981
• Special election: is a n election, the specific time for the holding of which is not prescribed by law. See California Elections Code 356
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by §. See California Public Resources Code 12.2
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Government Code 18
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Education Code 77
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See California Commercial Code 1201
• State: includes the District of Columbia and the territories when applied to the different parts of the United States, and the words "United States" may include the district and territories. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• state agency: includes every state office, officer, department, division, bureau, board, and commission. See California Government Code 11000
• State military emergency: as used in this part , means an emergency declared and terminable by the Governor by proclamation during, but not limited to, such times as the United States is conscripting personnel for service in the armed forces. See California Government Code 18540.2
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
• STEM majors: means calculus-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics academic fields. See California Education Code 88681
• Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which the term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Government Code 10
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Subpoena duces tecum: A command to a witness to produce documents.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Supervising authority: means the board of supervisors of the county in which is situated all or most of the land in a district, or body authorized by law to initiate or hear proceedings for the creation of a district. See California Government Code 58004
• Supplier: means a person from whom a lessor buys or leases goods to be leased under a finance lease. See California Commercial Code 10103
• Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.
• Term: means a portion of an agreement that relates to a particular matter. See California Commercial Code 1201
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• third party: means a person that has engaged in a transaction or made an agreement subject to this code. See California Commercial Code 1201
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• Town: includes "unincorporated town" and "village. See California Government Code 21
• Trade secret: means information, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, or process, that:

  California Civil Code 3426.1

• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trust account: A general term that covers all types of accounts in a trust department, such as estates, guardianships, and agencies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Unapplied money: means money in the General Fund in the treasury for which outstanding warrants have not already been drawn and which would remain in the General Fund if all outstanding warrants theretofore drawn were paid. See California Government Code 17220
• Uniform Commercial Code: A set of statutes enacted by the various states to provide consistency among the states' commercial laws. It includes negotiable instruments, sales, stock transfers, trust and warehouse receipts, and bills of lading. ^{Source: OCC}
• vacation credits: means vacation credits accumulated by a state employee pursuant to §. See California Code of Civil Procedure 704.113
• Variable Rate: Having a "variable" rate means that the APR changes from time to time based on fluctuations in an external rate, normally the Prime Rate. This external rate is known as the "index." If the index changes, the variable rate normally changes. Also see Fixed Rate.
• Vegetation: means all plants, including trees, shrubs, grass, and perennial or annual plants. See California Government Code 51177
• Very high fire hazard severity zone: means an area designated as a very high fire hazard severity zone by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Section 51178 that is not a state responsibility area. See California Government Code 51177
• Voter: means any elector who is registered under this code. See California Elections Code 359
• Voter-nominated office: means a congressional or state elective office for which a candidate may choose to have his or her party preference or lack of party preference indicated upon the ballot. See California Elections Code 359.5
• Wildfire: means an unplanned, unwanted wildland fire, including unauthorized human-caused fires, escaped wildland fire use events, escaped prescribed fire projects, and all other wildland fires where the objective is to extinguish the fire. See California Government Code 51177
• will: includes codicil. See California Civil Code 14
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• Writing: includes printing, typewriting, or any other intentional reduction to tangible form. See California Commercial Code 1201
• Writing: includes printing and typewriting. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17