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. Existing law, the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016, an initiative measure approved as Proposition 56 at the November 8, 2016, statewide general election, increases taxes imposed on distributors of cigarettes and tobacco products and requires all revenues to be deposited into the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016 Fund, a continuously appropriated fund. Proposition 56 requires the Controller to transfer 82% of those revenues to the Healthcare Treatment Fund, to be used by the department to increase funding for the Medi-Cal program and other specified health care programs and services in a way that, among other things, ensures timely access, limits geographic shortages of services, and ensures quality care. The act authorizes the Legislature to amend the provision relating to the allocation of revenues in the Healthcare Treatment Fund to further the purposes of the act with a 23 vote of the membership of each house of the Legislature. Existing law, until January 1, 2026, establishes the Proposition 56 Medi-Cal Physicians and Dentists Loan Repayment Act Program, which requires the department to develop and administer the program to provide loan assistance payments to qualifying, recent graduate physicians and dentists who serve beneficiaries of the Medi-Cal program and other specified health care programs using moneys from the Healthcare Treatment Fund. Existing law requires this program to be funded using moneys appropriated to the department for this purpose in the Budget Act of 2018, and requires the department to administer 2 separate payment pools for participating physicians and dentists, respectively, consistent with the allocations provided for in the Budget Act of 2018. For purposes of that program, and by January 1, 2022, this bill would require the department to exclusively provide loan assistance payments to Medi-Cal physicians and dentists who maintain a patient caseload composed of a minimum of 30% Medi-Cal beneficiaries and who meet one or more of specified requirements relating to practicing in areas, or serving populations, with provider shortages. The bill would make this provision inapplicable to an individual who enters into, and maintains compliance with, an Awardee Agreement to receive loan assistance payments before January 1, 2022. The bill would require the department to annually verify that participating providers continue to meet the program requirements, as specified. The bill would require the program to post any annual report prepared by it on its internet website. The bill would delete the provision making this program inoperative on January 1, 2026, would delete the references to the Budget Act of 2018, and would instead refer to the annual Budget Act. By extending the operation of this program and the authority to allocate revenues in the fund for this authorized expenditure, the bill would amend Proposition 56.
Existing law establishes a system of workers' compensation in which an employer is required to provide medical treatment and compensation, among other benefits, in the event an employee is injured as a result of their employment. Existing law prescribes the ways in which an employer, except the State, is require to secure compensation for their injured employees. This bill would clarify that an employer is not limited in its ability to insure against an act of domestic terrorism or to provide benefits in excess of those required by existing law following an act of terrorism. Existing law requires the employer to provide medical, surgical, chiropractic, acupuncture, and hospital treatment that is reasonably required to cure or relieve the injured worker from the effects of the injury. Existing law requires every employer to establish a utilization review process, and defines "utilization review" as utilization review or utilization management functions that prospectively, retrospectively, or concurrently review and approve, modify, delay, or deny, based in whole or in part on medical necessity to cure and relieve, treatment recommendations by physicians, prior to, retrospectively, or concurrent with providing medical treatment services. This bill would clarify that when an employer approves a request for medical treatment from a treatment provider, without modification, the employer has completed utilization review under the law. Existing law establishes the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board, which has jurisdiction to adjudicate claims relating to workers' compensation. Existing law creates the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers' Compensation, who has specified powers and duties relating to the workers' compensation trial process. Existing law requires the administrative director to establish a priority calendar for specified issues requiring an expedited hearing, such as entitlement to medical treatment, a medical treatment appointment or medical-legal examination, or entitlement to temporary disability indemnity payments. This bill would require that if a claim for injury resulting from a domestic terror attack is set for expedited hearing on the priority calendar, that claim be heard before any others. Existing law requires that a claim for workers' compensation be made within a year of the date of injury, the payment of indemnity, or the provision of medical treatment, whichever is later. This bill would exempt from that provision claims alleging injury from the December 2, 2015, attack on the Inland Regional Center in the City of San Bernardino, and instead allow claims based on that attack to be filed until January 1, 2025.
Existing law creates the Employment Development Department within the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, which is vested with the duties, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction regarding job creation activities. Existing law requires the Director of Employment Development to prepare a biennial report to the Legislature on the department's automation plans, including recommendations for improvements, as specified, and transmit the report to specified individuals and legislative entities on or before February 1 of each even-numbered year. This bill would instead require the report to be prepared and transmitted annually on or before March 31 of each year.
Under existing law, various measures provide funds for water facilities and programs. Existing law authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board to establish the Water and Wastewater Loan and Grant Program, to the extent funding is made available, to provide funding to eligible applicants for specified purposes relating to drinking water and wastewater treatment. This bill would appropriate $20,000,000 from the General Fund to the board for the purpose of improving water treatment. The bill would require the board to grant $20,000,000 to a specified joint powers authority for a water treatment facility to be operated by the joint powers authority.
Existing law generally regulates classes of insurance, including residential and commercial property insurance. Existing law requires an admitted insurer with written California premiums totaling $10,000,000 or more, as specified, to submit a biennial report to the Insurance Commissioner on its residential property experience data for the previous 2 years for policies written in California and to include in the report information on fire- or wildfire-incurred losses, as specified. Existing law prohibits an insurer, for one year after the declaration of a state of emergency, from canceling or refusing to renew a residential property insurance policy solely because the property is in an area in which a wildfire occurred. This bill would create the California Wildfire Insurance Authority to serve as a marketplace for catastrophic wildfire insurance. The bill would require the authority to be formed as a nonprofit entity that is privately funded and publicly managed. Under the bill, the authority would be governed by a 3-member governing board consisting of the Governor, the Treasurer, and the Insurance Commissioner, or their designees. The bill would also require the Speaker of the Assembly and the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Rules, or their designees, to serve as nonvoting, ex officio members of the board. The bill would require the authority to be advised by an advisory panel consisting of members appointed by the Governor, the commissioner, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Rules, as specified. This bill would require the Department of Insurance to promulgate regulations to govern the approval and regulation of catastrophic wildfire insurance policies and would prohibit, on and after January 1, 2023, a policy of residential or commercial property insurance from being issued, amended, or renewed by an insurer unless the named insured is offered coverage for loss or damage caused by a catastrophic wildfire. The bill would require an insurer to provide a discount of up to 20% on catastrophic wildfire insurance policy premiums to a residential or commercial property owner who hardens their property and would authorize the policy to contain a deductible. The bill would require the commissioner to approve all catastrophic wildfire insurance policy rates, discounts, and deductibles. This bill would establish the Catastrophic Wildfire Insurance Fund to provide a stable and ongoing source of reimbursement to participating insurers for their catastrophic wildfire losses. Under the bill, the fund would be financed by state contributions, revenue bonds, assessments, and other investment strategies approved by the commissioner. This bill would establish the California Wildfire Protection Program to provide home inspections for residential property owners who own homes located in high fire risk areas, and to provide recommendations on how to harden those homes to protect against wildfires. Under the bill, the program would offer grants to residential property owners for costs associated with the recommended home hardening improvements.
Existing law requires the State Lands Commission to enter into a memorandum of agreement by April 1, 2012, with the United States Secretary of the Interior to facilitate land exchanges that consolidate school land parcels into contiguous holdings that are suitable for large-scale renewable energy-related projects. Existing law requires, after the memorandum of agreement is entered into, the commission to make best efforts to consolidate all school land parcels in the California desert into contiguous holdings for large-scale renewable energy-related projects. Existing law requires the commission to report to the Legislature by January 1 of each year on the status of the memorandum of agreement and school land consolidation efforts in the California desert. Existing law provides that these requirements are contingent on the cooperation of the United States Secretary of the Interior. Existing law defines "California desert" for these purposes to mean the California Desert Conservation Area as described pursuant to specified federal law. This bill would also include as part of the definition of "California desert" any other additional areas included in a specified United States Bureau of Land Management amendment, as provided.
Existing law, until January 1, 2027, authorizes the governing board of a community college district to enter into a College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) partnership with the governing board of a school district or the governing body of a charter school with the goal of developing seamless pathways from high school to community college for career technical education or preparation for transfer, improving high school graduation rates, or helping high school pupils achieve college and career readiness. This bill would require the State Department of Education and the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in consultation with experts in the field of CCAP partnerships, to identify best practices for CCAP partnerships and appropriate financial incentives for school districts and community college districts to participate in CCAP partnerships, and to distribute the best practices to school districts and community college districts on or before September 1, 2023. The bill would also require, on or before September 1, 2023, the department and the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in consultation with experts in the field of CCAP partnerships and other key stakeholders, to develop a statewide pupil- and parent-centered communication and marketing strategy that includes specified outreach and information, in order to increase the visibility of the CCAP partnerships for all secondary pupils in California.
Existing law establishes the Historic State Capitol Commission for the purpose of, among others, reviewing and advising the Legislature on any development, improvement, or other physical change in any aspect of the historic State Capitol, as defined to include Capitol Park upon the adoption of a master plan regarding Capitol Park by the Joint Rules Committee. This bill would require any development, improvement, or other physical change in any aspect of Capitol Park to be approved by the Joint Rules Committee regardless if a master plan regarding Capitol Park has been adopted by the Joint Rules Committee, as specified.
Existing law establishes various programs intended to promote the development of affordable housing, including the Multifamily Housing Program, under which the Department of Housing and Community Development provides financial assistance in the form of deferred payment loans to pay for the eligible costs of certain housing development activities. The Planning and Zoning Law requires each county and city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for its physical development, and the development of certain lands outside its boundaries, that includes, among other mandatory elements, a housing element. Existing law requires that the housing element include, among other things, an inventory of land suitable and available for residential development that identifies sites that can be developed for housing within the planning period and that are sufficient to provide for the jurisdiction's share of the regional housing need for all income levels, as specified. This bill would require the department to develop and implement a bonus point system for competitive grant and loan programs that are administered by the department and that facilitate the development of housing. The bill would require the department to award bonus points to proponents of housing development projects that meet specified requirements including that the project has received all necessary local agency approvals to begin construction, and the local agency determines that the project will meet or exceed the local agency's requirement to satisfy the local agency's share of regional housing need for at least one household income level, as specified. The bill would require the department to award bonus points to an applicant that is the proponent of a housing development project that is located on a site identified in the local agency's inventory of land suitable and available for residential development, and the project meets or exceeds the local agency's share of regional housing need at a designated household income level, as specified. The bill would require the bonus point system to also award bonus points to applicants for competitive grants or loans awarded for the purposes of constructing infrastructure necessary for the development of housing that satisfies the local agency's share of regional housing need.
Existing law, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, administered by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, regulates the application, issuance, and suspension of licenses for the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages. Existing law provides for the issuance of licenses for which various fees, including renewal fees, are charged depending upon the type of license issued. This bill would require, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the department to refund new permanent license fees and license renewal fees for specified license types. The bill would limit the refund to licenses that were active for any period between March 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021. The bill would authorize a licensee to request a refund in the manner provided by the department and would require the licensee to certify, under penalty of perjury, that they qualify for the refund. The bill would require the department to establish and publish on its internet website the requirements and guidelines for submitting a license fee refund request and the manner of certification, and would exempt these requirements, guidelines and the manner of certification for refunds from the Administrative Procedure Act. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would also make findings and declarations related to a gift of public funds. 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, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of that act a crime. Existing law also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law imposes certain requirements on health care service plans and health insurance policies, including requirements relating to coverage for ambulance services, as specified. This bill would require a health care service plan or a health insurance policy that is issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2022, that provides coverage for emergency health care services to include coverage for services performed by a mobile stroke unit, as defined by the bill. Because a willful violation of the bill's requirement by a health care service plan would be a crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The California Constitution, whenever the Legislature or a state agency mandates a new program or higher level of service on any local government, including school districts, requires the state to provide a subvention of funds to reimburse the local government, unless an exception applies. Statutory provisions that establish procedures for making that reimbursement include a requirement that no claim shall be made or paid unless it exceeds $1,000. This bill would change the minimum claim amount to $900.
