Terms Used In California Codes > Government Code > Title 2 > Division 5 > Part 3 > Chapter 13 > Article 1 - General Provisions

• 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.
• Amortization: Paying off a loan by regular installments.
• 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.
• 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
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Circulating title and summary: means the text that is required to be placed on a petition for signatures that is either one of the following:

  California Elections Code 303.5

• Conservation easement: means an interest in real property as defined in §. See California Public Resources Code 5902
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• County: includes city and county. See California Government Code 19
• County: includes "city and county. See California Public Resources Code 14
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• District: means any regional park or open-space district formed pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 5500) of Chapter 3 of Division 5 and any recreation and park district formed pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 5780) of Division 5. See California Public Resources Code 5902
• 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

• 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.
• 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.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• 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.
• Fund: means the California Wildlife, Coastal, and Park Land Conservation Fund of 1988 created pursuant to Section 5906. See California Public Resources Code 5902
• General election: means either of the following:

  California Elections Code 324

• 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.
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• 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.
• 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}
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Local coastal program: means any program created under Section 30108. See California Public Resources Code 5902
• Measure: means any constitutional amendment or other proposition submitted to a popular vote at any election. See California Elections Code 329
• Natural lands: means an area of relatively undeveloped land which (1) has substantially retained its characteristics as provided by nature or has been substantially restored, or which can be feasibly restored, to a near-natural condition, and which has outstanding wildlife, scenic, open-space, or park resources, or a combination thereof, or (2) meets the definition of open-space land in §. See California Public Resources Code 5902
• Nonprofit organization: means any charitable organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code, which has among its primary purposes the conservation and preservation of wetlands or of lands predominantly in their natural, scenic, historical, agricultural, forested, or open-space condition. See California Public Resources Code 5902
• 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.
• Park: means a tract of land with outstanding scenic, natural, open-space, or recreational values, set apart to conserve natural, scenic, cultural, or ecological resources for present and future generations, and to be used by the public as a place for rest, recreation, education, exercise, inspiration, or enjoyment. See California Public Resources Code 5902
• Person: includes any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, or company. See California Government Code 17
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• 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
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Riparian habitat: means lands that contain habitat which grows close to and which depends upon soil moisture from a nearby freshwater source. See California Public Resources Code 5902
• 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

• 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 Government 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 agency: includes every state office, officer, department, division, bureau, board, and commission. See California Government Code 11000
• Statewide election: is a n election held throughout the state. See California Elections Code 357
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Stewardship: means the development and implementation of major programs for the protection, rehabilitation, restoration, and enhancement of the basic natural systems and outstanding scenic features of the state park system. See California Public Resources Code 5902
• 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.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Voter: means any elector who is registered under this code. See California Elections Code 359
• Wetlands: means lands which may be covered periodically or permanently with shallow water and which include saltwater marshes, freshwater marshes, open or closed brackish water marshes, swamps, mudflats, fens, and vernal pools. See California Public Resources Code 5902
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.