Existing federal law provides for allocation of federal funds through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program to eligible states. Existing law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which, through a combination of state and county funds and federal funds received through the TANF program, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. Existing law provides for state-subsidized childcare programs and childcare for recipients of benefits under the CalWORKs program and establishes 3 stages of childcare services managed by county welfare departments and agencies contracting with the State Department of Social Services. Existing law, the Child Care and Development Services Act, establishes a system of childcare and development services for children up to 13 years of age. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to contract with local contracting agencies for alternative payment programs for childcare services to be provided throughout the state. This bill would specify that nothing prohibits an administrator of an alternative payment program or agency administering CalWORKs Stage One or Stage Two programs, serving children, as specified, from utilizing funds for administrative and support services to provide families at risk of homelessness or escaping domestic abuse a referral pathway to secure stable childcare placement. The bill would also authorize the administrator to provide the services in coordination with, and not supplant, services provided by county human services agencies. The bill would also authorize the administrator to partner with specified agencies to provide those services.
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 and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of disability insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law imposes various requirements and restrictions on health care service plans and disability insurers, including, among other things, a requirement that every group health care service plan contract or disability insurance policy that is issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 1990, offer coverage for the treatment of infertility, except in vitro fertilization. This bill would require large and small group health care service plan contracts and disability insurance policies issued, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2025, to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility services. With respect to large group health care service plan contracts and disability insurance policies, the bill would require coverage for a maximum of 3 completed oocyte retrievals, as specified. The bill would revise the definition of infertility, and would remove the exclusion of in vitro fertilization from coverage. The bill would also delete a requirement that a health care service plan contract and disability insurance policy provide infertility treatment under agreed-upon terms that are communicated to all group contractholders and policyholders. The bill would prohibit a health care service plan or disability insurer from placing different conditions or coverage limitations on fertility medications or services, or the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility services, than would apply to other conditions, as specified. The bill would make these requirements inapplicable to a religious employer, as defined, and specified contracts and policies. Because the violation of these provisions 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.
Existing law designates specific days as holidays in this state, including the date corresponding with the 2nd new moon following the winter solstice, or the 3rd new moon following the winter solstice should an intercalary month intervene, known as "Lunar New Year." The Donahoe Higher Education Act sets forth the missions and functions of California's public segments of higher education and their respective institutions of higher education. The California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, are 2 of the segments. Existing law authorizes the Trustees of the California State University to provide, by rule, for the holidays to be observed by their appointees and employees. Provisions of the act apply to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California act, by appropriate resolution, to make them applicable. This bill would authorize each campus of the California State University, and would request each campus of the University of California to be authorized, to observe Lunar New Year as a holiday and to be closed on that day, and to replace observing and closing on another prescribed holiday with observing Lunar New Year as a holiday. The bill would require a campus of the California State University, and request a campus of the University of California, if the campus observes the Lunar New Year holiday and Lunar New Year falls on another prescribed holiday that is not being replaced with the Lunar New Year holiday, to observe the Lunar New Year holiday on the preceding or following weekday. The bill would provide that if a campus observes the Lunar New Year holiday, employees of each campus of the California State University are entitled to, and employees of each campus of the University of California are requested to be entitled to, a paid holiday on that day if they are in a paid status during any portion of the working day immediately preceding or succeeding the Lunar New Year holiday.
Existing law requires property taxes to be refunded to the taxpayer or last recorded owner under specified circumstances, as provided, and requires that a refund only be made pursuant to a claim for refund, except as provided. This bill would require the county auditor, if the cancellation of taxes will result in a refund, to either process the refund to the payer of the tax or notify the payer in writing of the requirements for obtaining a refund, as specified. The bill would require that a claim for a refund under this provision be deemed timely filed if it is filed within 60 days of the notice, as specified. This bill would also authorize an order for refund of taxes or assessments to be paid to the assessee of a property, as specified, without a claim for refund filed, if certain conditions are met, including, among other requirements, that the amount of the refund is less than $10,000. By placing new duties upon county auditors, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing property tax law authorizes refund of taxes or assessments as a result of a reduction in the value of taxable property or specified corrections to be paid to the latest recorded owner of that property as shown on the tax roll, as specified, if there has been no transfer of the property during or since the fiscal year for which the taxes subject to refund were levied and the amount of the refund is less than $5,000. Under existing law, if the county adopts a resolution or ordinance approving this provision, an order for refund of taxes or assessments is authorized to be paid to the assessee of that property, as specified, without a claim for refund filed, if there has been no transfer of the property during or since the fiscal year for which the taxes subject to refund were levied and the amount of the refund is less than $5,000. This bill would revise the above-described conditions to instead include that the amount of the refund is less than $10,000. The California Constitution authorizes, and existing property tax law establishes, a veterans' exemption for a disabled veteran in the amount of $100,000 or $150,000 for the principal place of residence of a veteran or a veteran's spouse, including an unmarried surviving spouse, if the veteran, because of an injury incurred in military service, is blind in both eyes, has lost the use of 2 or more limbs, or is totally disabled, as those terms are defined, or if the veteran has, as a result of a service-connected injury or disease, died while on active duty in military service. Existing law requires the payment of interest on property tax refunds at the greater of 3% per annum or the county pool apportioned rate. Existing law requires the computation of interest to terminate as of a date within 30 days of the date of mailing or personal delivery of the refund payment. This bill would authorize the county auditor to send notice of the refund to the taxpayer, as specified, whenever there is a refund due and a claim for refund is required under these provisions. This bill would authorize an order for refund of taxes or assessments to be paid to a disabled veteran or veteran's surviving spouse, without a claim for refund filed, if the refund is due to the disabled veterans' exemption. 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 Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act requires plastic beverage containers sold by a beverage manufacturer, as specified, to contain a specified average percentage of postconsumer recycled plastic per year. The act requires the manufacturer of a beverage sold in a plastic beverage container subject to the California Redemption Value to report to the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery certain information about the amounts of virgin plastic and postconsumer recycled plastic used for plastic beverage containers subject to the California Redemption Value for sale in the state in the previous calendar year. Existing law provides that a violation of the act or a regulation adopted pursuant to the act is a crime. This bill would authorize certain beverage manufacturers to submit with other beverage manufacturers a consolidated report, in lieu of individual reports, that identifies the postconsumer recycled plastic content for beverage containers and the amounts of virgin plastic and postconsumer recycled plastic used in beverage containers, as specified. The bill would require the consolidated report to be submitted under penalty of perjury and pursuant to standardized forms prescribed by the department. The bill would authorize the department to adopt regulations to implement the bill's provisions, as specified. Because these provisions would expand the scope of a crime and would create a new perjury 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law requires the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection to establish a statewide program to allow certain entities, including counties and other political subdivisions of the state, that have completed a specified training program, to support and augment the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in its defensible space and home hardening assessment and education efforts. Existing law requires the director to establish a common reporting platform that allows defensible space and home hardening assessment data, collected by the qualified entities, to be reported to the department. Existing law requires the department to establish a local assistance grant program for fire prevention and home hardening education activities and provides that local agencies, among others, are eligible for these grants. Existing law describes eligible activities under the local assistance grant program as including, among other activities, development and implementation of public education and outreach programs. This bill would authorize those public education and outreach programs to include new technologies and game elements to enhance and accelerate the education of property owners. Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to identify areas of the state as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones based on specified criteria. Existing law requires a local agency to designate, by ordinance, the State Fire Marshal's moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones in its jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving recommendations from the State Fire Marshal, and authorizes a local agency, at its discretion, to include additional areas within the jurisdiction of the local agency as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones. This bill would require the department, when reviewing applications for the local assistance grant program, to give priority to any local governmental entity that is qualified to perform defensible space assessments in very high and high fire hazard severity zones and that reports that information using the common reporting platform, as provided. Existing law requires a person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in, upon, or adjoining a mountainous area, forest-covered lands, shrub-covered lands, grass-covered lands, or land that is covered with flammable material to maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side of the structure, with more intense fuel reductions between 5 and 30 feet around the structure and an ember-resistant zone required within 5 feet of the structure, based on regulations adopted by the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. Existing law requires fuels to be maintained and spaced in a condition so that a wildfire, burning under average weather conditions, would be unlikely to ignite the structure. Existing law provides that the requirement for an ember-resistant zone shall take effect for existing structures one year after the effective date for new structures. A violation of these requirements is a crime. Existing law requires the board to classify state responsibility areas, defined by reference to certain conditions of forest and vegetation cover and excluding municipal and federal areas, where preventing and suppressing fires is the state's financial responsibility. This bill would instead, without reference to weather conditions, require fuels to be maintained and spaced in a condition so that a wildfire would be unlikely to ignite the structure. The bill would require a person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in the state responsibility area, regardless of location or forest and vegetation cover, to maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side. The bill would authorize regulations to alter the fuel reduction required between 5 and 30 feet to integrate the ember-resistant zone, and would provide that the requirement for the ember-resistant zone shall instead take effect for existing structures 3 years after the effective date for new structures, as specified. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also make conforming changes with respect to a person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains an occupied dwelling or occupied structure that is within a very high fire hazard severity zone designated by a local agency. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 4124.5 of the Public Resources Code proposed by SB 675 to be operative only if this bill and SB 675 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. 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.
Under existing law, in any civil action that contains allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or sexual battery, opinion evidence, reputation evidence, and evidence of specific instances of a plaintiff's sexual conduct with someone other than the alleged perpetrator, is not admissible by the defendant in order to prove consent by the plaintiff or the absence of injury to the plaintiff. This bill would also make the specified types of evidence inadmissible in such civil actions when being used to attack the credibility of the plaintiff's testimony on consent or absence of injury. Under existing law, in any sexual battery civil action involving a minor and an adult who is in a position of authority, as specified, evidence of the plaintiff minor's sexual conduct with the defendant adult is not admissible to prove consent by the plaintiff or the absence of injury to the plaintiff. Existing law authorizes evidence of the minor plaintiff's sexual conduct to be introduced only to attack the credibility of the plaintiff or to prove something other than consent by the plaintiff if, upon a hearing of the court out of the presence of the jury, the defendant proves that the probative value of that evidence outweighs the prejudice to the plaintiff, as specified. This bill would remove the requirement, in cases involving a minor and an adult who is in a position of authority, that prior to the introduction of specified types of evidence, a court hold a hearing out of the presence of the jury, where the defendant bears the burden to prove that the probative value of the evidence outweighs the prejudice. The introduction of evidence relating to the sexual conduct of the minor in such cases would be evaluated under procedures already in place under existing law.
Existing law authorizes a court to resentence a defendant under specified circumstances, including, among others, when the person was convicted of specified crimes that have since been repealed or had their sentences reduced. This bill would require the presiding judge of each county superior court to, on or before March 1, 2025, convene a meeting to develop a plan for fair and efficient handling of postconviction proceedings, as specified. The bill would require the presiding judge to invite to the meeting, among others, a representative from the district attorney, the public defender, and other entities that the presiding judge deems necessary in order to ensure timely and efficient postconviction proceedings. The bill would require postconviction proceedings, among other things, to include a consideration of whether or not to appoint counsel to represent the defendant and to allow the court to modify every aspect of the defendant's sentence, including if it was imposed after a guilty plea, except as specified. By imposing additional duties on county public defenders, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require, upon request from the defendant, the district attorney of the county in which the defendant was sentenced, or the Attorney General if the Department of Justice originally prosecuted the case, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to provide to the requesting party specified records, including disciplinary records, as specified. The bill would require the department to designate a person for each prison as a point of contact for records, transportation, or inquiries pursuant to these provisions. The bill would require the department to regularly maintain a public directory of each designated person. Existing law, when a probationary order or a judgment has been pronounced, requires that a copy of that order or judgment be sent to the officer whose duty it is to execute the order or judgment, as specified. This bill would, when a person has been resentenced and there is a reasonable basis to believe the remaining time in custody is less than 30 days, require that copy to be furnished to the executing officer within 24 hours. 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 for the licensure and regulation of health facilities and clinics, including primary care clinics, by the State Department of Public Health. A violation of these provisions is generally a crime. Existing law requires an adult patient receiving primary care services in certain health care settings to be offered a screening test for hepatitis B and hepatitis C, as specified. This bill would require a patient who is 18 years of age or older receiving health care services in a facility, clinic, center, office, or other setting, where primary care services are provided, to be offered tuberculosis screening, if tuberculosis risk factors are identified, to the extent these services are covered under the patient's health care coverage, except as specified. The bill would also require the health care provider to offer the patient followup health care or refer the patient to a health care provider who can provide followup health care if a screening test is positive. The bill would prohibit a health care provider that fails to comply with these provisions from being subject to any disciplinary action related to their licensure or certification, or to any civil or criminal liability, for that failure. The bill would make related findings and declarations. 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 through managed care or fee-for-service delivery systems. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law requires the department to adopt an option made available under federal Medicaid law to pay allowable tuberculosis-related services for persons infected with tuberculosis, as specified. This bill would require a Medi-Cal managed care plan to ensure access to care for latent tuberculosis infection and active tuberculosis disease and coordination with local health department tuberculosis control programs for plan enrollees with active tuberculosis disease, as specified.
Existing law, notwithstanding the requirement that each person between 6 and 18 years of age who is not otherwise exempted is subject to compulsory full-time education, requires a pupil to be excused from school for specified types of absences, including, among others, for purposes of spending time with a member of the pupil's immediate family who is an active duty member of the uniformed services, and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or has immediately returned from, deployment to a combat zone or combat support position, as specified. This bill would remove the requirement that the deployment be to a combat zone or combat support position, thereby expanding the scope of that excused absence to encompass all deployments. The bill also would make nonsubstantive changes. To the extent the bill would impose additional duties on school officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 48205 of the Education Code proposed by SB 1138 and AB 2499 to be operative only if this bill and either or both of those bills are enacted and this bill is enacted last. 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 that, except as specified, not less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages, determined by the Director of Industrial Relations, be paid to workers employed on public works projects. Existing law defines the term "public works" for purposes of requirements regarding the payment of prevailing wages to include construction, alteration, demolition, installation, or repair work done under contract and paid for using public funds, except as specified. Existing law requires an awarding body, as part of a labor compliance program, to withhold contract payments when, among other things, payroll records are delinquent or inadequate. Existing law requires an awarding body, as specified, to provide notice of withholding of contract payments to the contractor or subcontractor. Existing law requires the notice to be in writing, and describe the nature of the violation and the amount of wages, penalties, and forfeitures withheld. This bill would require a private labor compliance entity, prior to withholding funds for an alleged violation, to confer with the negotiating parties to review relevant public works law, and would prohibit the entity from withholding an amount that exceeds the alleged underpayments and penalty assessments. The bill would require a private labor compliance entity seeking to withhold funds to provide a venue for a public works contractor or subcontractor to review and respond to evidence of alleged violations, as specified. This bill would also provide that a violation of the conflict of interest provisions by a private labor compliance entity, as defined, would void a contract between the parties and subject the entity to specified civil fines and fees. The bill would require a private labor compliance entity to submit a signed declaration under penalty of perjury verifying that it has no conflicts of interest, as specified. By requiring private labor compliance entities to declare under penalty of perjury that they have no conflicts of interest, the bill would expand the crime of perjury and impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law authorizes a joint labor-management committee established pursuant to the federal Labor Management Cooperation Act of 1978 to bring an action against an employer who fails to pay the prevailing wage, or who fails to provide payroll records, as specified. This bill would authorize, among others, a joint labor-management committee to initiate a private right of action against certain entities, when the court is required to award reasonable attorney's fees and costs, as specified. This bill would exempt certain awarding bodies operating labor compliance programs that are approved and monitored by the Department of Industrial Relations from the above-described provisions. 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 prohibits the production, development, duplication, distribution, or possession, as specified, of matter, in specified formats, that depicts a person under 18 years of age engaging in or simulating sexual conduct, as defined. Existing law separately prohibits this conduct where it is done for consideration or where such matter is shared with a minor. Existing law also prohibits the employment or use of a minor, or the permitting by a parent or guardian of the employment or use of a minor for the production of such matter. Existing law authorizes the forfeiture and destruction of such matter regardless of whether a conviction is sought or obtained. This bill would expand the scope of certain of these provisions to include matter that is digitally altered or generated by the use of artificial intelligence, as such matter is defined. 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. This bill would become operative only if AB 1831 of the 2023–24 Regular Session is enacted and takes effect on or before January 1, 2025.
