Existing law, the Public Employees' Retirement Law (PERL) , creates the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) , which provides defined benefits to its members based on age at retirement, service credit, and final compensation. PERL vests the Board of Administration of PERS with management and control of the system. Existing law, the Public Employees' Medical and Hospital Care Act (PEMHCA) , which is administered by the Board of Administration of PERS, governs the funding and provision of postemployment health care benefits for eligible retired public employees and their families. PEMHCA authorizes an employee or annuitant, as those terms are defined, of the state to enroll in a health benefit plan approved or maintained by the Board of Administration of PERS. The act generally requires the state and each employee or annuitant to contribute a portion of the cost of providing the benefit coverage afforded under the approved health benefit plan in which the employee or annuitant is enrolled. PEMHCA also prohibits, among other things, employees, annuitants, and family members who become eligible to enroll on or after January 1, 1985, in Part A and Part B of Medicare from being enrolled in a basic health benefit plan. PEMHCA, however, permits the employee, annuitant, or family member to enroll in a Medicare health benefit plan if they are enrolled in Part A and Part B of Medicare. PEMHCA establishes the Public Employees' Contingency Reserve Fund for the purpose of funding health benefits and funding administrative expenses. This fund is continuously appropriated, except with respect to administrative purposes, as specified. PEMHCA also establishes the Annuitants' Health Care Coverage Fund, which is continuously appropriated, for the purpose of prefunding health care coverage for annuitants, including administrative costs. This bill would preclude a person who has retired under PERS and who obtains work with a subsequent employer from receiving any health benefits offered under PEMHCA if the person's subsequent employer offers health care coverage that provides reasonably comparable benefits. The bill would grant the person reinstatement rights upon termination of employment with the subsequent employer. The bill would authorize the board to request information regarding employment and health care coverage offered by a person's subsequent employer. The bill would also prohibit, except as provided and by January 1, 2023, persons who have retired under a public retirement system, as defined, annuitants of a public retirement system, and their beneficiaries who become eligible to enroll on or after January 1, 1985, in Part A and Part B of Medicare from being enrolled in a basic health benefit plan, as defined, offered by the public retirement system.
Existing law creates a city selection committee in each county that consists of 2 or more incorporated cities for the purpose of appointing city representatives to boards, commissions, and agencies. Under existing law, a quorum for a city selection committee requires a majority of the number of the incorporated cities within the county entitled to representation on the city selection committee. Existing law requires a city selection committee meeting to be postponed or adjourned to a subsequent time and place whenever a quorum is not present at the meeting. This bill, for the city selection committee in the County of Los Angeles, would reduce the quorum requirement to 13 of all member cities within the county for a meeting that was postponed to a subsequent time and place because a quorum was not present, as long as the agenda is limited to items that appeared on the immediately preceding agenda where a quorum was not established. Existing law requires a city selection committee to conduct regular meetings at the times specified by the committee in its rules and regulations, and to meet upon the call of its chairperson. Existing law authorizes the chairperson of the committee to call a special meeting of the committee at any time and requires the chairperson to call a special meeting upon the written request of 50% of the members of the city selection committee. This bill, for the city selection committee in the County of Los Angeles, would authorize a city selection committee meeting to be conducted by teleconferencing and electronic means. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Los Angeles.
Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care Services to license and regulate alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities serving adults. Existing law authorizes the department to certify qualified alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment programs, as prescribed. Under existing law, the department regulates the quality of these programs, taking into consideration the significance of community-based programs to alcohol and other drug abuse recovery and the need to encourage opportunities for low-income and special needs populations to receive alcohol and other drug abuse recovery or treatment services. This bill, commencing January 1, 2026, would require any substance use disorder treatment program to be licensed by the department, except as specified. The bill would require the department, in administering these provisions, to issue licenses for a period of 2 years for substance use disorder treatment programs that meet the requirements in these provisions. The bill would require the department to issue a license to a substance use disorder program once various requirements have been met, including an onsite review. The bill would authorize the department to renew a license, as provided. The bill would prohibit providing substance use disorder treatment services to individuals without a license. The bill would require a substance use disorder program licensed pursuant to these provisions to adopt written policies and procedures, as specified. The bill would require a person or entity applying for a license to submit, among other things, a licensure fee to the department. The bill would require various quality parameters of licensed substance use disorder treatment programs, including, among others, that patients admitted for treatment meet specified medical necessity criteria. The bill would require the department to conduct a site visit if a program is alleged to be in violation of those quality parameters and to provide written notice to the program, as specified. The bill would authorize a licensed substance use disorder treatment program to treat persons 12 to 17 years of age, inclusive, provided certain additional requirements are met, including that assessments include documentation of the person's unique abilities and strengths in the patient treatment plan. The bill would require certain minimum requirements for substance use disorder program administrators and staff who provide services pursuant to these provisions and would grant the department sole authority to establish qualifications that exceed those requirements. The bill would require the department to conduct onsite visits to ensure compliance at least once during the licensure period. The bill would authorize the department to conduct announced or unannounced site visits at any time. The bill would authorize the department to enter any building and inspect the premises and any records of a substance use disorder program to secure information regarding compliance with these provisions. The bill would authorize the Director of Health Care Services to suspend or revoke the license of a substance use disorder program for, among other things, a violation by the program. The bill would require that proceedings for the suspension, revocation, or denial of a license be conducted under specified procedures. The bill would terminate a license if various conditions occur, including, that the substance use program is sold or otherwise transferred. The bill would authorize the department to levy a civil penalty of not less than $250 and no more than $500 per day for each violation, except as specified. The bill would require additional penalties for a program with repeated violations, as specified. The bill would require the department to provide the substance use program with notice and an opportunity to correct the violation prior to assessing the civil penalty. The bill would require that all fees, fines, and penalties collected from substance use disorder programs be deposited in the Residential and Outpatient Program Licensing Fund, to be available upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would state that it is the intent of the Legislature to make General Fund money available for purposes of the program if moneys in the Residential and Outpatient Program Licensing Fund are insufficient to fund the regulatory functions of the department. The bill would require the department to adopt regulations to implement these provisions.
Existing law establishes the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council and specifies various goals for the council, including, among others, creating partnerships with specified entities, including the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Continuum of Care Program and identifying resources, benefits, and services that can be accessed to prevent and end homelessness in California. This bill would require the council to develop and publish an action plan to implement those provisions on or before June 1, 2022. The bill would require the council, on an annual basis, to review that action plan and hold a stakeholder meeting to determine whether the action plan's goals are being met. The bill would require the council to address the above-described specified goals on or before June 1, 2022. The bill would also require the council to collaborate with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to develop a statewide best practices guide that addresses and tackles homelessness to disseminate to local agencies and organizations that participate in the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Continuum of Care Program. The bill would require those agencies and organizations to follow those practices as a condition of receiving state funding.
Existing law regulates a person who performs certain home inspections for a fee in connection with a transfer of real property. Existing law provides that it is the duty of a home inspector who is not licensed as a general contractor, structural pest control operator, or architect, or registered as a professional engineer to conduct a home inspection with the degree of care that a reasonably prudent home inspector would exercise. Under existing law, contractual provisions that purport to waive this duty, or limit the liability of the home inspector to the cost of the home inspection report, are contrary to public policy and invalid. Existing law prohibits commencement of a legal action for breach of duty arising from a home inspection report more than 4 years from the date of the inspection. Under existing law, certain activities by a home inspector or a company that employs a home inspector constitute unfair business practices. This bill, commencing January 1, 2023, would enact the Home Inspectors License Act, which would revise and recast those provisions, and would make various substantive changes. The bill would establish the Bureau of Home Inspectors in the Department of Consumer Affairs. The bill would also establish the position of Chief of the bureau and would require the chief to administer the licensing program for home inspectors, as provided. The bill would delete the provisions concerning a home inspector's duty of care and unlawful business practices. The bill would authorize the chief to investigate the actions of any applicant for a home inspector license or a home inspector within the state and to administer specified disciplinary actions if the applicant or licensee commits an act or omission constituting cause for disciplinary action, including a willful departure in any material respect, except as provided, from accepted standards of practice and codes of ethics. The bill would require a complaint against a licensee alleging commission of any act or omission that may constitute grounds for legal action to be filed in writing with the chief within 4 years of the alleged act or omission. This bill would establish the Home Inspectors License Fund, and would require all fees, fines, and penalties collected pursuant to these provisions to be deposited into the fund, which the bill would make available for administration of these provisions, upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would authorize the bureau to set reasonable fees according to a specified fee schedule. This bill would require the chief to adopt regulations governing the process of applying for a license and any conditions on the maintenance of a license once issued, as provided. The bill would prohibit a person from acting or holding oneself out as a home inspector, by advertisement or otherwise, unless that person is licensed in accordance with the act, except as specified. The bill would make a willful violation of this provision a public offense punishable by imprisonment, by a fine not exceeding $10,000, or by both imprisonment and fine. By creating a new crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would make additional conforming changes. 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 establishes the Governor's Military Council that advises the Governor on efforts to retain military installations and operations within the state. Under existing law, members of the council are appointed by the Governor and include bipartisan representatives from both houses of the Legislature, as specified. Existing law repeals the law establishing the council on January 1, 2026. This bill would extend that repeal date to January 1, 2028.
Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation and local authorities to designate certain highway lanes for the exclusive or preferential use of high-occupancy vehicles (HOVs) , requires the department or local authorities to place signage advising motorists of the rules governing the use of those lanes, and prohibits the use of those lanes by motorists other than in conformity with the posted rules. Under existing law, the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle is exempt from various provisions of the rules of the road as contained in the Vehicle Code if, among other things, the vehicle is being driven in response to an emergency call, the driver of the vehicle sounds a siren, and the vehicle displays a lighted red lamp visible from the front as a warning to other drivers and pedestrians. This bill would additionally permit an authorized emergency vehicle to operate on an HOV lane if specified conditions are met, including, among others, that the vehicle is being driven while responding to, or returning from, an urgent or emergency call and the driver of the vehicle determines that the use of the HOV lane will likely improve the arrival time of the authorized emergency vehicle and its delivery of essential public safety services. Existing law provides for the exemption of authorized emergency vehicles, as defined, from the payment of a toll or charge on a vehicular crossing, toll highway, or high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane and any related fines, when the authorized emergency vehicle is being driven under specified conditions, including that the vehicle displays public agency identification and is being driven while responding to, or returning from, an urgent or emergency call. Under existing law, an authorized emergency vehicle returning from being driven under those specified conditions is not exempt from a requirement to pay a toll or other charge imposed while traveling on a HOT lane. This bill would remove that restriction so that an authorized emergency vehicle returning from being driven under those specified conditions is exempt from a requirement to pay a toll or other charge while traveling on a HOT lane.
The Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control Act establishes the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District and grants the district authority relating to flood control. The act requires that a contract entered into by the district for materials, supplies, or for the construction or repair of works or improvements that has a contract price exceeding $10,000 be let to the lowest responsible bidder in accordance with specified public bidding requirements, except as provided. The act authorizes the district to enter into a contract without public bidding if the contract price does not exceed $10,000. This bill would increase the contract price amount set forth in those provisions for a contract for materials or supplies from $10,000 to $25,000.
Existing law authorizes a governing body of a political subdivision, as those terms are defined, to declare a shelter crisis if the governing body makes a specified finding. Upon declaration of a shelter crisis, existing law, among other things, suspends certain state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances, including those prescribing standards of housing, health, or safety, to the extent that strict compliance would prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of the shelter crisis and allows a city, county, or city and county, in lieu of compliance, to adopt by ordinance reasonable local standards and procedures for the design, site development, and operation of homeless shelters and the structures and facilities therein. This bill would require every city, or every county in the case of unincorporated areas, to provide every person who is homeless, as defined, with temporary shelter, mental health treatment, resources for job placement, and job training until the person obtains permanent housing if the person has actively sought temporary shelter in the jurisdiction for at least 3 consecutive days and has been unable to gain entry into all temporary shelters they sought for specified reasons. The bill would require the city or county, as applicable, to provide a rent subsidy, as specified, if it is unable to provide temporary shelter. The bill would authorize a person who is homeless to enforce the bill's provisions by bringing a civil action. The bill would require a court to award specified remedies and penalties upon finding a violation of the bill's provisions, including by requiring the city or county, as applicable, to provide the person who is homeless with temporary shelter, mental health treatment, resources for job placement, and job training until the person obtains permanent housing. This bill would require every city, county, and city and county to adopt a plan, subject to approval by the Department of Housing and Community Development, to provide for temporary shelter for persons who are homeless in its jurisdiction, as specified. By imposing additional duties on cities and counties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. 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 requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue a driver's license to an applicant when the department determines that the applicant is lawfully entitled to a license. Existing law allows an in-person applicant for a driver's license or identification card to request the word "VETERAN" be printed on the face of the driver's license or identification card, subject to certain requirements, including, among others, verification of veteran status, as specified, and payment of a $5 fee, which the department is authorized to increase by regulation, in an amount not to exceed $15, as specified. This bill would require an application for a driver's license or identification card to allow a person to certify to the department that they have a developmental disability, as defined, that may make communication with law enforcement officers difficult. The bill would require the application to allow the person to request that some indicia of this certification be printed on their driver's license or identification card. The bill would require the department to charge a specified fee to the person requesting that indicia on their driver's license or identification card.
This bill would make appropriations for the support of state government for the 2021–22 fiscal year. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a Budget Bill.
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, including podiatric services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law does not require prior authorization for podiatric services provided on an outpatient or inpatient basis, but podiatric services are subject to the same Medi-Cal billing and services policies as required for a physician and surgeon, including a maximum numerical service limitation in any one calendar month. Existing law requires a health care provider applying for enrollment as a Medi-Cal services provider or a current Medi-Cal services provider applying for continuing enrollment, or a current Medi-Cal services provider applying for enrollment at a new location or a change in location, to submit a complete application package. Under existing law, a licensed physician and surgeon practicing as an individual physician practice or a licensed dentist practicing as an individual dentist practice, who is in good standing and enrolled as a Medi-Cal services provider, and who is changing the location of that individual practice within the same county, is eligible to instead file a change of location form in lieu of submitting a complete application package. This bill would make conforming changes to the provisions that govern applying to be a provider in the Medi-Cal program, or for a change of location by an existing provider, to include a doctor of podiatric medicine licensed by the California Board of Podiatric Medicine.
