Existing law establishes preschool programs and public and private elementary and secondary schools throughout the state. Existing law also establishes the State Board of Education and the State Department of Education to provide guidance and support to local educational agencies and other entities that operate schools and preschool programs, and further authorizes the establishment and operation of numerous educational programs on the state level that are administered by the state board, the department, or other state agencies. Existing law expresses the finding and declaration of the Legislature that there is a need to encourage the adoption of new or improved educational ideas, practices, and techniques in solving critical educational problems in preschool, elementary, and secondary schools throughout the state, but that there are a large number of permanent commissions, committees, and councils, some of which have overlapping duties and functions or that have been perpetuated in existence beyond the original need or purpose for which they were created. Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature to create 3 levels of educational advisory bodies, as specified. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes in these provisions.
Existing federal law, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) , requires each state to establish an American Health Benefit Exchange to facilitate the purchase of qualified health benefit plans by qualified individuals and qualified small employers. PPACA defines a "qualified health plan" as a plan that, among other requirements, provides an essential health benefits package. Existing state law creates the California Health Benefit Exchange, also known as Covered California, to facilitate the enrollment of qualified individuals and qualified small employers in qualified health plans as required under PPACA. Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, 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. This bill, the California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act, would create the California Guaranteed Health Care for All program, or CalCare, to provide comprehensive universal single-payer health care coverage and a health care cost control system for the benefit of all residents of the state. The bill, among other things, would provide that CalCare cover a wide range of medical benefits and other services and would incorporate the health care benefits and standards of other existing federal and state provisions, including the federal Children's Health Insurance Program, Medi-Cal, ancillary health care or social services covered by regional centers for persons with developmental disabilities, Knox-Keene, and the federal Medicare program. The bill would require the board to seek all necessary waivers, approvals, and agreements to allow various existing federal health care payments to be paid to CalCare, which would then assume responsibility for all benefits and services previously paid for with those funds. This bill would create the CalCare Board to govern CalCare, made up of 9 voting members with demonstrated and acknowledged expertise in health care, and appointed as provided, plus the Secretary of California Health and Human Services or their designee as a nonvoting, ex officio member. The bill would provide the board with all the powers and duties necessary to establish CalCare, including determining when individuals may start enrolling into CalCare, employing necessary staff, negotiating pricing for covered pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, establishing a prescription drug formulary, and negotiating and entering into necessary contracts. The bill would require the board, on or before July 1, 2024, to conduct and deliver a fiscal analysis to determine whether or not CalCare may be implemented and whether revenue is more likely than not to pay for program costs, as specified. The bill would require the board to convene a CalCare Public Advisory Committee with specified members to advise the board on all matters of policy for CalCare. The bill would establish an 11-member Advisory Commission on Long-Term Services and Supports to advise the board on matters of policy related to long-term services and supports. This bill would provide for the participation of health care providers in CalCare, including the requirements of a participation agreement between a health care provider and the board, provide for payment for health care items and services, and specify program participation standards. The bill would prohibit a participating provider from discriminating against a person by, among other things, reducing or denying a person's benefits under CalCare because of a specified characteristic, status, or condition of the person. This bill would prohibit a participating provider from billing or entering into a private contract with an individual eligible for CalCare benefits regarding a covered benefit, but would authorize contracting for a health care item or service that is not a covered benefit if specified criteria are met. The bill would authorize health care providers to collectively negotiate fee-for-service rates of payment for health care items and services using a 3rd-party representative, as provided. The bill would require the board to annually determine an institutional provider's global budget, to be used to cover operating expenses related to covered health care items and services for that fiscal year, and would authorize payments under the global budget. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would develop a revenue plan, taking into consideration anticipated federal revenue available for CalCare. The bill would create the CalCare Trust Fund in the State Treasury, as a continuously appropriated fund, consisting of any federal and state moneys received for the purposes of the act. Because the bill would create a continuously appropriated fund, it would make an appropriation. This bill would prohibit specified provisions of this act from becoming operative until the Secretary of California Health and Human Services gives written notice to the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the Assembly that the CalCare Trust Fund has the revenues to fund the costs of implementing the act, the people of California have approved the necessary revenue mechanisms, and the Legislature has approved implementation of the CalCare by statute. The California Health and Human Services Agency would be required to publish a copy of the notice on its internet website. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
Existing law provides that an individual who solicits, or who agrees to engage in, or who engages in, any act of prostitution with another person who is a minor in exchange for the individual providing compensation, money, or anything of value to the minor is guilty of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. Existing law requires persons convicted of specified sex offenses and certain acts of human trafficking for purposes of committing various sex offenses or extortion, or attempts to commit those offenses, to register with local law enforcement agencies while residing in the state or while attending school or working in the state. Willful failure to register, as required, is a misdemeanor, or a felony, depending on the underlying offense. This bill would require a person convicted of disorderly conduct, as described above, to register as a sex offender. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law allows a voter, at the time of registering to vote, to identify the voter's political party preference or decline to state a party preference. Existing law also allows a voter to register as a permanent vote by mail voter. A county elections official is required to mail a specified notice and application to every permanent vote by mail voter who has declined to disclose a party preference. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the latter provision.
Existing law establishes various public assistance programs to provide protection, care, and assistance to the people of the state who are in need of those services. Existing law defines "public assistance" and "public assistance programs" to refer to specified public social services programs, including, among others, the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, adult day health care programs, programs for the aged, blind, and disabled, and in-home supportive services. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to that definition.
Existing law requires a purchaser of English walnuts or almonds for processing or resale to record the name and address of the person from whom the walnuts or almonds were purchased and, if the walnuts or almonds are delivered to the purchaser by motor vehicle, either the license number of the vehicle or the driver's license number of the person who delivers the walnuts or almonds, as prescribed. Existing law makes any violation of these provisions a misdemeanor. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to that provision.
Existing property tax law authorizes a county board of supervisors to adopt ordinances that allow assessees whose property was damaged or destroyed to apply for a reassessment of that property, as provided, if certain conditions are met. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that provision.
Existing law provides for the acquisition of public park property and facilities and compensation for that transfer under specified circumstances. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation relating to park property.
The Personal Income Tax Law imposes taxes on taxable income, as provided, and defines various terms for those purposes, including "foreign country." This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to that definition.
Existing federal law, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, provides for the negotiation and execution of tribal-state gaming compacts for the purpose of authorizing certain types of gaming on Indian lands within a state. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to negotiate and conclude compacts, subject to ratification by the Legislature. Existing law ratifies a number of tribal-state gaming compacts between the State of California and specified Indian tribes. Existing law creates in the State Treasury the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund for the receipt and deposit of moneys received by the state from Indian tribes pursuant to the terms of gaming compacts entered into with the state. Existing law authorizes moneys in that fund to be available for appropriation by the Legislature for certain purposes. Existing law requires first priority for funding from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund to be made to the Indian Gaming Revenue Sharing Trust Fund to make payments of any shortfalls that may occur in that fund and requires 2nd priority for funding to be made to the Office of Problem Gambling for problem gambling prevention programs. This bill would require 2nd priority for funding from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund to be made to the Office of Problem Gambling for developing and providing, for the people of California, quality statewide prevention and treatment programs and services to address gambling disorder.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, independent institutions of higher education, and private postsecondary educational institutions as the segments of postsecondary education in the state. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation that would create clarity on a standard of care on COVID-19 safety and a temporary and targeted limitation on COVID-19 liability at postsecondary educational institutions in the state as they work to reopen for in-person instruction.
Existing law prescribes the contents of a paper affidavit of registration and requires affidavits of registration to inform voters that they may qualify for confidential voter status, among other requirements. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.
