Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law sets forth various provisions for Medi-Cal coverage of community health worker services, enhanced care management, and community supports, subject to any necessary federal approvals. Under existing law, these benefits are designed to, respectively, provide a link between health and social services and the community; address the clinical and nonclinical needs on a whole-person-care basis for certain target populations of Medi-Cal beneficiaries, including individuals experiencing homelessness; and provide housing transition navigation services, among other supports. This bill would set forth provisions regarding field medicine, as defined, under the Medi-Cal program for persons experiencing homelessness, as defined. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature that the field medicine-related provisions coexist with, and not duplicate, other Medi-Cal provisions, including, but not limited to, those regarding community health worker services, enhanced care management, and community supports. The bill would authorize a Medi-Cal managed care plan to elect to offer Medi-Cal covered services through a field medicine provider, as defined. Under the bill, a managed care plan that elects to do so would be required to allow a Medi-Cal member who is experiencing homelessness to receive those services directly from an in-network, contracted field medicine provider, regardless of the member's in-network assignment, as specified. The bill would also require the managed care plan to allow an in-network, contracted field medicine provider enrolled in Medi-Cal to directly refer a member who is experiencing homelessness for covered services within the appropriate network, as specified. The bill would require a managed care plan to have appropriate mechanisms, procedures, or protocols to ensure timely communication between the in-network, contracted field medicine provider, the Medi-Cal member's plan or independent practice association, and the member's primary care provider for purposes of care coordination and to prevent the duplication of services. The bill would require a managed care plan to provide a method for a Medi-Cal member to inform the managed care plan online, in person, or via telephone that the member is experiencing homelessness. The bill would require the department to inform a managed care plan if a member has indicated that they are experiencing homelessness based on information furnished on the Medi-Cal application. In the case of a Medi-Cal beneficiary who is experiencing homelessness and who receives services within the fee-for-service delivery system, the bill would require the department to reimburse a field medicine provider enrolled in Medi-Cal for providing Medi-Cal covered services. The bill would condition implementation of the above-described provisions on receipt of any necessary federal approvals and the availability of federal financial participation. The bill would require, on or before January 1, 2027, that the standard application form for insurance affordability programs include an optional question for an applicant to identify whether they are experiencing homelessness. The bill would make conforming changes to related provisions under existing law regarding the application process. The bill would also remove obsolete references within related provisions. To the extent that the bill would create new duties for counties with regard to data sharing under Medi-Cal, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
The California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 provides the Division of Occupational Safety and Health within the Department of Industrial Relations with the power, jurisdiction, and supervision over all employment and places of employment necessary to enforce and administer all occupational health and safety laws and to protect employees. The act grants to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, an independent entity within the department, exclusive authority to adopt occupational safety and health standards within the state. Beginning July 1, 2018, and every 5 years thereafter, the act requires the board, in consultation with the department, to complete a comprehensive review of all revisions to National Fire Protection Association standards pertaining to certain personal protective equipment (PPE) and requires the board to consider modifying existing safety orders and to render a decision regarding the adoption of necessary changes to safety orders, or other applicable standards and regulations, no later than July 1 of the subsequent year, if the review finds that the revisions to applicable National Fire Protection Association standards provide a greater degree of personal protection than the safety orders. This bill would, in addition to the above-described requirement, require the board to consider modifying its existing safety order regarding firefighter personal protective equipment by January 1, 2028, to address National Fire Protection Association performance standards for PPE that are not relevant or applicable to how firefighters utilize their PPE and that result in the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, fluoropolymers, flame retardants, and other hazardous substances in firefighting personal protective garments and auxiliary firefighting PPE, as provided. The bill would also require, by July 1, 2026, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health to report on progress toward implementation of the modified PPE safety standards, as provided. The bill would also make related findings and declarations.
Existing law establishes the Health Care Benefits Fund to support the University of California's implementation of the California Health Benefit Review Program. Under the program, the University of California assesses legislation proposing to repeal or mandate a benefit or service requirement on health care insurance plans or health insurers. Under the program, the University of California provides a written analysis that includes, among other data, financial impacts of legislation on publicly funded state health insurance programs, including the Medi-Cal program and the Healthy Families Program. Existing law imposes an annual charge on health care service plans and health insurers for the 2022–23 to 2026–27 fiscal years, inclusive, as specified, to be deposited into the fund. Existing law prohibits the total annual assessment on health care service plans and health insurers from exceeding $2,200,000. Under existing law, the fund and the program become inoperative on July 1, 2027, and are repealed as of January 1, 2028. This bill would extend the operation of the California Health Benefit Review Program and the Health Care Benefits Fund through July 1, 2033, and would authorize the continued assessment of the annual charge on health care service plans and health insurers for that purpose for the 2026–27 to 2032–33 fiscal years, inclusive. The bill would increase the allowable total annual assessment on health care service plans and health insurers to $3,200,000. The bill would remove the Healthy Families Program as an example of the publicly funded state health insurance programs within an analysis of financial impacts of legislation. This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2033, and would repeal it as of January 1, 2034. This bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of 23 of the membership of each house of the Legislature.
The Political Reform Act of 1974 permits the Fair Political Practices Commission, upon mutual agreement between the commission and the governing body of a local government agency, to assume primary responsibility for the administration, implementation, and enforcement of a local campaign finance or government ethics law passed by the local government agency. The act authorizes the commission with respect to the local campaign finance or government ethics law to, among other things, provide advice, investigate possible violations, and bring civil actions. If such an agreement is executed, the act further requires the commission to report to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2025 with specified information, including legislative recommendations, regarding the performance of the agreement. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2026. The act authorizes the commission to enter into a similar agreement with the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Bernardino. This bill would additionally authorize the commission to conduct audits with respect to the local campaign finance or government ethics law. The bill would delete the requirement for the commission to report to the Legislature and remove the January 1, 2026 repeal date, thereby indefinitely extending the operation of the provisions described above. The bill would repeal the provisions pertaining to the County of San Bernardino. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.
Under existing law, a pedestrian control signal showing a "WALK" or approved "Walking Person" symbol means a pedestrian may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal. Under existing law, a pedestrian facing a flashing "DON'T WALK" or "WAIT" or approved "Upraised Hand" symbol with a "countdown" signal, as specified, means a pedestrian may start crossing the roadway in the direction of the signal but requires the pedestrian to finish crossing prior to the display of the steady "DON'T WALK" or "WAIT" or approved "Upraised Hand" symbol, as specified. Upon the first placement or replacement of a traffic-actuated signal, as specified, existing law requires that traffic-actuated signal to be installed and maintained to detect bicycle or motorcycle traffic on the roadway. For these purposes, existing law defines a traffic-actuated signal as an official traffic signal, as specified, that displays one or more of its indications in response to traffic detected by mechanical, visual, electrical, or other means. Upon the first placement or replacement of a state-owned or -operated traffic-actuated signal, existing law requires that the traffic-actuated signal to be installed and maintained to have a leading pedestrian interval (LPI) and include the installation, activation, and maintenance of an accessible pedestrian signal (APS) and detector that complies with certain sections of the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD) . At crosswalks with state-owned or -operated traffic-actuated signals and pedestrian hybrid beacons with pedestrian signal heads, this bill would require the walk indication and other visual signals to comply with CA MUTCD. The bill would require these pedestrian signal heads to have an APS pushbutton or touch-free APS that activates "WALK" or "DON'T WALK" intervals and other visual signals at signalized intersections in nonvisual formats. The bill would require touch-free APS to be installed at new signalized pedestrian crossings on capital projects on the state highway system, encroachment projects, and highway maintenance-funded projects, as specified. The bill would require, as soon as practicable, all existing state-owned or -operated traffic signals located in certain areas to be identified and recorded in the Department of Transportation management system (TMS) inventory database to assist future annual operational review requirements and coordination with local agencies for delegated signals. The bill would require LPIs to be implemented at these existing state-owned or -operated traffic signals locations at the next opportunity for regularly scheduled operational reviews. The bill would require local agencies to report the implementation of LPIs at locations where local agencies are operating state-owned traffic-actuated signals so these locations can be included in the TMS inventory database. By placing new requirements on local agencies, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law provides that it is the intent of the Legislature that all public schools, teaching kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, operated by a school district, in cooperation with specified entities and individuals, develop a comprehensive school safety plan, as provided. Existing law provides that school districts and county offices of education are responsible for the overall development of a comprehensive school safety plan for each of its schools, as provided. Existing law requires a comprehensive school safety plan to, among other things, identify appropriate strategies and programs that will provide or maintain a high level of school safety and address the school's procedures for complying with existing laws related to school safety. Existing law requires the governing board of a school district, a county board of education, and the governing body of a charter school to, by July 1, 2026, develop and adopt a policy to limit or prohibit the use by its pupils of smartphones while the pupils are at a schoolsite or while the pupils are under the supervision and control of an employee or employees of that school district, county office of education, or charter school. Existing law, however, specifies circumstances in which a pupil may not be prohibited from possessing or using a smartphone, including, among others, in the case of an emergency or in response to a perceived threat of danger. This bill would instead authorize the prohibition on the use of a smartphone by a pupil in the case of an emergency or in response to a perceived threat of danger if that circumstance is explicitly addressed in a comprehensive school safety plan.
Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) , establishes the Civil Rights Department to enforce civil rights laws with respect to housing and employment and to protect and safeguard the right of all persons to obtain and hold employment without discrimination based upon specified characteristics or status. The FEHA makes certain discriminatory employment and housing practices unlawful, and authorizes a person claiming to be aggrieved by an alleged unlawful practice to file a verified complaint with the department. The FEHA requires the department to make an investigation in connection with a filed complaint alleging facts sufficient to constitute a violation of the FEHA, and requires the department to endeavor to eliminate the unlawful practice by conference, conciliation, and persuasion. Existing law authorizes a complaint to be filed by an aggrieved person or the department on behalf and as representative of a group or class if the alleged unlawful practice adversely affects, in a similar manner, a group or class of persons of which the aggrieved person is a member. This bill would define the term "group or class complaint" for purposes of the FEHA. Existing law tolls the time for a complainant to file a civil action alleging a violation of specified civil rights provisions commencing with the filing of a complaint with the department until the department files a civil action for the alleged violation or until one year after the department issues written notice that it has closed its investigation without filing a civil action. This bill would additionally toll the time for a complainant to file a civil action if the complainant timely appeals to the department the closure of their complaint until one year after the department issues written notice that it remains closed following the appeal. Existing law authorizes the director to bring a civil action in the name of the department, acting in the public interest, on behalf of an aggrieved person if conference, conciliation, mediation, or persuasion fails to eliminate an unlawful practice. Existing law imposes a deadline of one or 2 years for the department to bring a civil action, as specified. Existing law requires those deadlines to be tolled during a dispute resolution proceeding. This bill would additionally require those deadlines to be tolled pursuant to a written agreement by the complainant and the department, during the pendency of a petition to compel, and for the duration of an appeal to the department for the closure of a complaint. Under existing law, if the department does not file a civil action, the department is required to promptly issue the person claiming to be aggrieved a right-to-sue notice upon request, as specified, or upon completion of its investigation and not later than one year after the filing of the complaint. For a complaint treated as a group or class complaint, existing law requires the department to issue a right-to-sue notice upon completion of its investigation and not later than 2 years after the filing of the complaint. Existing law requires these deadlines to be tolled during a dispute resolution proceeding. Under this bill, if the department determines that an aggrieved person's complaint relates to a complaint filed in the name of the director or a group or class complaint, as specified, the department would be required to issue a right-to-sue notice after the director's or group or class complaint has been fully and finally disposed of and all administrative proceedings, civil actions, appeals, or related proceedings have terminated. The bill would require this deadline and the above-described deadlines relating to issuing a right-to-sue notice to additionally be tolled pursuant to a written agreement by the complainant and the department, during the pendency of a petition to compel, and for the duration of an appeal to the department for the closure of a complaint. Existing law authorizes the department, in the case of failure to eliminate specified violations relating to housing discrimination that have occurred, or that are about to occur, as specified, to bring a civil action in the name of the department. Existing law authorizes the action to be filed in any county where the unlawful practice is alleged to have been committed, the records relevant to that practice are maintained and administered, the aggrieved party would have resided, or the defendant's residence or principal office is located, as specified. This bill would remove the above-described provisions specifying the counties where the civil action may be filed.
Existing law, for policy years beginning on or after January 1, 2024, requires student health insurance coverage, as defined, to be considered individual health insurance coverage. Existing law, except as specified, requires a blanket disability insurance policy that meets the definition of student health insurance coverage to comply with insurance provisions that are applicable to nongrandfathered individual health insurance, including, among others, essential health benefits requirements and annual limits on out-of-pocket expenses. Existing law exempts student health insurance coverage from certain requirements otherwise applicable to health insurers and health benefit plans, including the establishment of specified enrollment periods, guaranteed availability and renewability, specified coverage level requirements, and single risk pool rating requirements. Existing law requires a notice to be provided in the student health insurance enrollment materials stating that California requires residents and their dependents to obtain and maintain health coverage, either through student health insurance, or through a different method, including Medi-Cal, Covered California, or, if under 26 years of age, their parent's coverage. This bill would, commencing July 1, 2026, authorize a student certificate holder to request to terminate their student health insurance coverage during the policy year if the student graduates, takes a leave of absence, or is no longer enrolled at the institution of higher education. The bill would require the request to be provided to the institution of higher education at least 30 days before the effective date of termination and would, upon receipt of the request to terminate coverage, require the institution to terminate coverage effective within the same calendar month if feasible, but no later than the last day of the calendar month in which the 30-day period ends. The bill would authorize the student to pay only the premium through the date of the termination, as specified. The bill would require a student or dependent of a student to be notified of premium liability to them, if any, if they choose not to terminate coverage pursuant to these provisions. The bill would, commencing July 1, 2026, if a student requests a waiver from student health insurance coverage, require the waiver to be granted if the student obtains or maintains health coverage that is minimum essential coverage, as specified. The bill would prohibit charging the student a fee or premium if the waiver is granted. Existing law requires a health insurer to file with the Department of Insurance all required rate information for grandfathered individual and specified group health insurance policies at least 120 days before implementing any rate change. This bill would authorize the department to prohibit a requested rate change if the insurer fails to comply with the above-described timelines. This bill would also authorize the Insurance Commissioner to exercise their existing authority to enforce the above-described provisions and prohibits an administrative penalty, if assessed, from exceeding $5,000 for each violation, or $10,000 for a willful violation. The bill would also state the intent of the Legislature to encourage self-funded student health coverage offered by the University of California Student Health Insurance Plan and the University of California Voluntary Dependent Plan to maintain or exceed coverage standards of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and to comply with the above described provisions.
The California State Lottery Act of 1984 authorizes a California State Lottery and provides for its operation and administration by the California State Lottery Commission and the Director of the California State Lottery. The act establishes the State Lottery Fund as a continuously appropriated fund for carrying out the purposes of the act and requires the fund to receive all proceeds from the sales of lottery tickets or shares, the temporary line of credit for initial startup costs, and all other moneys credited to the lottery from any other source. Existing law authorizes the California State Lottery to draw funds from its continuous appropriation for the purpose of making immediate payment through its revolving fund to lottery prizewinners of $1,000 or less, provided that regulations to support the action are adopted by the commission. This bill would increase the amount that may be paid immediately to lottery winners under these provisions to $100,000.
The Outdoor Advertising Act regulates placement of advertising displays adjacent to and within specified distances of highways that are part of the national system of interstate and defense highways and federal-aid highways. The act prohibits a person, as defined, from placing an advertising display within the areas affected by the act without a permit. The act authorizes the Director of Transportation to adopt regulations for the enforcement of the act. Pursuant to that authority, existing regulations only require the Department of Transportation to process an application for placing a new advertising display along a new alignment of an interstate or primary highway if the application is accepted on or after the date that the department accepts the highway project for the new alignment as complete. This bill would prohibit the department from denying or delaying the acceptance of a permit application for a new advertising display along a portion of a new alignment of an interstate or primary highway on the basis that the highway project has not been accepted as complete if the section of highway is open to the use of the public for vehicular travel within 1,000 feet of the location specified in the permit application.
Existing law establishes the California Board of Accountancy, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs, and requires the board to license and regulate accountants in this state. Existing law, the Tax Preparation Act, provides for the registration and regulation of tax preparers by the California Tax Education Council. The act requires a tax preparer to register with the California Tax Education Council and, among other things, requires a tax preparer to provide specified written disclosures to a client in connection with tax preparation services. Existing law exempts certain persons from these requirements, including, among others, a person with a current and valid license issued by the California Board of Accountancy. This bill would instead exempt an individual with a current and valid license issued by the board, as described above. The bill would additionally exempt an individual who is authorized to practice public accountancy pursuant to specified law and a firm, including the firm's partners, shareholders, owners, or employees, provided the firm has a current and valid license issued by the board. The bill would apply these changes to tax returns prepared for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.
Proposition 117, an initiative measure approved by the electors at the June 5, 1990, direct primary election, enacted the California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990. The act creates the Habitat Conservation Fund and requires the moneys in the fund to be used for specified purposes generally relating to the acquisition, enhancement, or restoration of wildlife habitat. The act requires the Controller, until June 30, 2020, to annually transfer $30,000,000 from the General Fund to the Habitat Conservation Fund, less any amount transferred to the Habitat Conservation Fund from specified accounts and funds. The act, until July 1, 2020, continuously appropriates specified amounts from the Habitat Conservation Fund to the Department of Parks and Recreation, the State Coastal Conservancy, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, and the California Tahoe Conservancy, and continuously appropriates the balance of the fund to the Wildlife Conservation Board. Chapter 31 of the Statutes of 2019 requires the Controller to continue to annually transfer $30,000,000 from the General Fund, less any amount transferred to the Habitat Conservation Fund from specified accounts and funds, to the Habitat Conservation Fund until June 30, 2030, and continuously appropriates that amount on an annual basis in the same proportions to the specified entities until July 1, 2030. This bill would require the Controller to continue to annually transfer $30,000,000 from the General Fund, less any amount transferred to the Habitat Conservation Fund from specified accounts and funds, to the Habitat Conservation Fund until June 30, 2035, and would continuously appropriate that amount on an annual basis in the same proportions to the specified entities described above until July 1, 2035.
