California Bills

(1) Existing law provides for the attendance of apprentices at local educational agencies, defined to mean a school district or county office of education, and community colleges under vocational education program standards that are established with the participation of the State Department of Education, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, and the Division of Apprenticeship Standards of the Department of Industrial Relations. Existing law requires the chancellor to allocate the hours for instruction related and supplemental to on-the-job training, to be paid from funds appropriated by the Legislature directly to participating local educational agencies and community colleges that contract with apprenticeship programs. This bill would require the chancellor to notify participating local educational agencies and community colleges of the initial allocation of related and supplemental hours within 30 days of the enactment of the annual Budget Act. The bill would require the chancellor to report certain information relating to allocated hours to the California Apprenticeship Council within 30 days of each apportionment period for each participating local educational agency and community college. (2) Existing law authorizes various career technical education programs, including regional occupational centers and programs, specialized secondary programs, partnership academies, and agricultural career technical education programs. The bill would authorize the Superintendent of Public Instruction to certify, by name, each regional occupational center or program, county office of education, or adult education program that provides a program of training to prepare adult students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation, to legally authorize the center, program, or office to provide an educational program beyond secondary education, as specified. (3) Existing law exempts certain students of the California State University and the California Community Colleges from paying nonresident tuition. This bill would provide that, effective for academic terms beginning after July 1, 2015, a student enrolled at a campus of the California Community Colleges or the California State University who resides in California, meets the definition of "covered individual" under a specified federal statute, and is eligible for education benefits under either of 2 specified federal "GI Bill" programs, is exempt from paying nonresident tuition and any other fees exclusively applicable to nonresident students at that campus. The bill would provide that a student who qualifies under this bill for an exemption from paying nonresident tuition and other fees exclusively applicable to nonresident students would be exempt from paying nonresident tuition and these other fees for each academic term for which he or she enrolls while he or she is continuously enrolled, as defined, at the campus he or she attends. To the extent that this provision would create new duties for community college districts, it would constitute a state-mandated local program. The bill would authorize a community college district to report the attendance of a student who is exempt from nonresident tuition and other fees under this bill for apportionment purposes. (4) The Cal Grant Program establishes the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement awards, the California Community College Transfer Entitlement awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards, the Cal Grant C awards, and the Cal Grant T awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. Existing law establishes the maximum tuition award amount for each Cal Grant A and B award for new recipient students attending private nonprofit postsecondary educational institutions at $9,084 for the 2014–15 award year and $8,056 for the 2015–16 award year and each award year thereafter. This bill would increase the maximum tuition award amount for Cal Grant A and B for new recipients at private nonprofit postsecondary educational institutions to $9,084 for the 2015–16 and 2016–17 award year. (5) Under existing law, the Cal Grant Program requires, among other things, that a total of 22,500 Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards be granted annually. This bill would instead, commencing with the 2015–16 academic year, require that a total of 25,750 Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards be granted annually. The bill would also make conforming changes and delete an obsolete provision. (6) Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the primary state agency for the administration of state-authorized student financial aid programs available to students attending all segments of postsecondary education. The programs administered by the commission include the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program and the Middle Class Scholarship Program. The Middle Class Scholarship Program provides that, subject to an available and sufficient appropriation, commencing with the 2014–15 academic year, an undergraduate student enrolled at the University of California or the California State University, and meeting certain requirements, is eligible for a scholarship award that, combined with other federal, state, and institutionally administered grants and fee waivers, is for an amount of up to 40% of the systemwide tuition and fees. Under existing law, a student receiving an award under the Middle Class Scholarship Program is required to have an annual household income that does not exceed $150,000, satisfy specified requirements for a Cal Grant award, be a California resident or exempt from paying nonresident tuition, file specified financial aid forms, timely apply for publicly funded student financial aid for which he or she is eligible, maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average, be pursuing his or her first undergraduate baccalaureate degree or be enrolled in a specified professional teacher preparation program, and be enrolled at least parttime. This bill would require that a student meet these requirements each academic year, to the satisfaction of the commission, to be eligible for an award under the Middle Class Scholarship Program. The bill would provide that $150,000 maximum annual household income amount would be adjusted, beginning in 2016–17 academic year, for changes in the cost of living, as defined. The bill, beginning with awards distributed for the 2015–16 academic year, would prohibit a student from receiving an award under the program if that student's household asset level exceeds $150,000, as adjusted, beginning in the 2016–17 academic year, for changes in the cost of living. The bill would provide that a scholarship awarded under the Middle Class Scholarship Program can be renewed, as specified. (7) Existing law requires specified amounts to be transferred, upon order of the Director of Finance, from the General Fund to the Middle Class Scholarship Fund each fiscal year commencing with the 2014–15 fiscal year. Existing law appropriates these funds to the Student Aid Commission for allocation pursuant to the Middle Class Scholarship Program. Existing law provides that, upon order of the Director of Finance, if the May Revision projects a deficit for the next fiscal year, the amounts specified for transfer may be reduced by up to 33% and, beginning with the 2016–17 fiscal year, and each year thereafter, to an amount greater than or equal to $200,000,000. This bill would reduce the amounts specified for transfer to the Middle Class Scholarship Fund for the 2015–16, 2016–17, and 2017–18 fiscal years from $152,000,000 to $82,000,000, from $228,000,000 to $116,000,000, and from $305,000,000 to $159,000,000, respectively, subject to a further 33% reduction as specified above, and would express the Legislature's intent that any savings realized in this regard be used to support higher education. (8) This bill would require funds appropriated to the board of governors for the Foster Care Education Program to be used for foster parent and relative/kinship care provider education, as specified. (9) Existing law establishes various student equity-related programs, including the Student Success and Basic Skills Students program, the Student Financial Aid Administration program, the Student Success and Support Program, and the Telecommunications and Technology Infrastructure program. This bill would require the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to submit reports to the Department of Finance and the Legislature, by December 31 of each fiscal year, on the use of funds appropriated in the Budget Act for the prior fiscal year for the Student Success and Basic Skills Students program, the Student Financial Aid Administration program, the technical assistance provided to community college districts pursuant to the Student Success and Support Program, and the Telecommunications and Technology Infrastructure program, as specified. (10) Existing law requires the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to develop criteria and standards, in accordance with specified statewide minimum requirements, for the purposes of making the annual budget request for the California Community Colleges to the Governor and the Legislature, and allocating state general apportionment revenues. Those statewide minimum requirements include, among other things, a requirement that the calculations of each community college district's revenue level for each fiscal year be based on specified criteria, with revenue adjustments being made for increases or decreases in attendance and for other specified reasons. This bill, if the annual budget act identifies funds appropriated to do so, would require the chancellor to adjust the budget request formula, as specified. (11) The Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012, an initiative measure approved by the voters at the November 6, 2012, statewide general election, among other things, increased certain tax rates and deposited the revenues from those increases in tax into the Education Protection Account. The act provides that all moneys in the Education Protection Account are continuously appropriated for the support of school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and community college districts, and requires 11% of the moneys appropriated to be allocated quarterly by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to community college districts to provide general purpose funding to community college districts, as specified. The act requires that allocation to be offset by certain amounts, provided that no community college district receives less than $100 per full-time equivalent student. This bill would require an amount to be determined by the Director of Finance to be appropriated, on or before June 30 of each fiscal year, from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges if the revenues distributed to community college districts that are intended to offset the Education Protection Account allocation are less than the estimated amount reflected in the Budget Act for that year. If the revenues distributed to community college districts that are intended to offset the Education Protection Account allocation exceed the estimated amount reflected in the Budget Act for that fiscal year, the bill would require the Director of Finance to reduce a specified item of that Budget Act that appropriates funds to the board of governors by the excess amount. (12) This bill would require an amount to be determined by the Director of Finance to be appropriated, on or before June 30 of each fiscal year from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges if specified redevelopment-related revenues distributed to community college districts are less than the estimated amount reflected in the Budget Act for that fiscal year. If the specified redevelopment-related revenues distributed to community college districts exceed the estimated amount reflected in the Budget Act for that fiscal year, the bill would require the Director of Finance to reduce a specified item of that Budget Act that appropriates funds to the board of governors by the excess amount. (13) Existing law, until June 30, 2015, establishes the Career Technical Education Pathways Program, which requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the Superintendent of Public Instruction to assist economic and workforce regional development centers and consortia, community colleges, middle schools, high schools, and regional occupational centers and programs to improve linkages and career technical education pathways between high schools and community colleges, as specified. This bill would continue the operation of the program until July 1, 2016, and would appropriate $48,000,000 for the support of the program. (14) Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law authorizes the establishment of community college districts under the administration of community college governing boards, and authorizes these districts to provide instruction at community college campuses throughout the state. This bill would establish a financial and professional development grant funding program, which would authorize the governing board of a community college district to apply to the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges for, and would require the chancellor to distribute, multiyear financial and professional development grant funding upon appropriation of funds for that purpose for community colleges within the district to adopt or expand the use of evidence-based models of academic assessment and placement, remediation, and student support that accelerate the progress of underprepared students toward achieving postsecondary educational and career goals. The bill would require community colleges that receive these grants to report specified information to the chancellor's office on program outcomes. The bill would make the chancellor's office responsible for administering the grant program and distributing and monitoring awards to recipient community college districts, developing application criteria, administrative guidelines, and other requirements for purposes of administering the grant program, and providing the information submitted by community college districts to the Legislative Analyst's Office. The bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office to report to the Legislature on the progress of the grant program in achieving its prescribed purpose, as specified. This bill would appropriate the sum of $60,000,000 from the General Fund to the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges for allocation to community college districts under the financial grant and professional development funding program described above. (15) Under existing law, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges appoints a Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to serve as the chief executive officer of the segment. This bill would require the chancellor to solicit, from community college districts that choose to apply for a grant under this bill, applications seeking funding for plans to provide instruction in basic skills to students enrolled, or who will enroll at, California State University campuses. The bill would specify information that would be included in these applications. The bill would require the chancellor to award grants of $2,000,000 each to 5 of the applicant community college districts in accordance with specified criteria. The bill would require, no later than April 1, 2017, that, based on specified data provided by the districts that received the grants, the chancellor, following consultation with the Chancellor of the California State University, report to the Legislature, the Legislative Analyst's Office, and the Department of Finance on the effectiveness of the plans in delivering instruction in basic skills to the targeted students. The bill would appropriate $10,000,000 from the General Fund to the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges for allocation to community college districts under the bill. (16) Existing law authorizes the California State University to pledge its annual General Fund support appropriation, less certain amounts, to secure the payment of its debt obligations issued by the trustees pursuant to the State University Revenue Bond Act of 1947. Existing law authorizes the California State University to fund debt service for capital expenditures, as defined, from its General Fund support appropriation, as specified. Existing law prohibits the California State University from using its General Fund support appropriation to fund certain capital expenditures and certain capital outlay projects before obtaining approval from the Department of Finance pursuant to specified procedures. Under existing law, if the California State University plans to use any of its support appropriation in the annual budget for the subsequent fiscal year for certain capital expenditures or for certain capital outlay projects, the California State University is required to simultaneously submit, on or before September 1, 10 months before the commencement of that fiscal year, a report to specified committees of the Legislature and the Department of Finance. This bill instead would require the California State University, if the university plans to use any authorized moneys for the subsequent fiscal year for those capital expenditures or capital outlay projects, to simultaneously submit, on or before September 1, 10 months before the commencement of that fiscal year, a preliminary report to specified committees and subcommittees of the Legislature and the Department of Finance. The bill would require the California State University to submit a final report, on or before December 1, to those same entities, as specified. This bill would, commencing with the 2014–15 fiscal year, authorize the California State University to use its support appropriation in the annual budget for the capital expenditures and capital outlay projects identified in the resolution approved by the Trustees of the California State University on January 28, 2015, titled "Approval to Issue Trustees of the California State University, Systemwide Revenue Bonds and Related Debt Instruments for Systemwide Infrastructure Improvement Projects (RFIN 01-15-04) ," thereby making an appropriation. This bill would, commencing with the 2015–16 fiscal year, authorize the California State University to use its support appropriation in the annual budget for the capital expenditures and capital outlay projects identified in the "2015–2016 CSU/State Funded Capital Outlay Program" referenced in the resolution approved by the Trustees of the California State University on November 13, 2014, titled "Approval of the 2015–2016 Capital Outlay Program and the 2015–2016 through 2019–2020 Five-Year Capital Improvement Program (RCPBG 11-14-17) ." (17) Under existing law, the University of California is established, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. The University of California provides instruction to students at campuses in Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. Existing law authorizes the University of California to issue revenue bonds, secured by a specified pledge of revenues. Existing law authorizes the University of California to pledge its annual General Fund support appropriation, less certain amounts, to secure the payment of its general revenue bonds or commercial paper associated with the general revenue bond program. Existing law authorizes the University of California to fund debt service for capital expenditures, as defined, from its General Fund support appropriation, as specified. This bill would authorize the University of California to also pledge its annual General Fund support appropriation to secure payment for availability payments, as defined, lease payments, installment payments, and other similar or related payments. The bill would authorize the university to make availability payments, lease payments, installment payments, and other similar or related payments from its annual General Fund support appropriation, as specified. The bill would, for capital expenditures related to the Merced 2020 Project, provide that the University of California may proceed with capital expenditures or capital outlay projects only if all work traditionally performed by persons with University of California Service Unit (SX) job classifications is performed only by employees of the University of California. The bill would also make conforming changes. (18) Existing law, the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009, provides, among other things, for student protections and regulatory oversight of private postsecondary institutions in the state. The act is enforced by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education within the Department of Consumer Affairs. The act exempts specified institutions, including an independent institution of higher education that is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, or the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, from its provisions, and is repealed on January 1, 2017. This bill would, among other things, authorize an independent institution of higher education that is exempt from the act as accredited by one of these accrediting agencies to execute a contract with the bureau for the bureau to review and, as appropriate, act on complaints concerning the institution. (19) Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program, establishes the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement awards, the California Community College Transfer Cal Grant Entitlement awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards, the Cal Grant C awards, and the Cal Grant T awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. Under the Cal Grant B Entitlement Program, awards may be made for access costs, defined as living expenses and expenses for transportation, supplies, and books, in an amount not to exceed $1,551 annually, as adjusted in the annual Budget Act. Existing law requires the Treasurer to certify the amount of moneys available in an academic year from the College Access Tax Credit Fund for distribution, and provides that an amount determined by the Student Aid Commission is available for expenditure from this fund, upon appropriation to the commission by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act, for distribution to students to supplement Cal Grant B access cost awards to bring those students' total annual awards for access costs to not more than $5,000, and for the commission's related administrative costs. This bill would instead provide that the moneys deposited in the College Access Tax Credit Fund would be continuously appropriated to the commission for the purpose of making those awards. (20) The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2017, allow a credit equal to a certain percentage of a contribution to the College Access Tax Credit Fund for specified education purposes, as provided. Existing law specifies that the aggregate amount of credit that may be allocated under both laws shall not exceed $500,000,000 for each calendar year, as specified, and requires the California Educational Facilities Authority to perform certain duties with regard to allocating and certifying the tax credits allowed under these provisions. Existing state constitutional law governing insurance taxation imposes an annual tax on the gross premiums of an insurer, as defined, doing business in this state at specified rates. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2017, and before January 1, 2018, would establish similar credits under the Personal Income Tax Law, the Corporation Tax Law, and the law governing insurance taxation, which would allow a credit equal to a certain percentage of a contribution to the College Access Tax Credit Fund. The bill would limit the aggregate amount of these new credits to be allocated from exceeding a total of $500,000,000 for that year, as specified, and would require the California Educational Facilities Authority to perform certain duties in order to allocate and certify these new credits. (21) The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law provide for an alternative minimum tax and provide that, except for specified credits, no credit shall reduce the regular tax, as defined, below the tentative minimum tax. Existing state constitutional law prohibits the Legislature from making any gift, or authorizing the making of any gift, of any public money or thing of value to any individual, municipal or other corporation. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2014, would add to those specified credits, the credit for contributions to the College Access Tax Credit Fund and would make legislative findings and declarations regarding the statewide public purpose served by these provisions. (22) 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, and the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. The Master Plan for Higher Education in California, originally prepared in 1959, set forth, among other things, the basic goals and functions of these segments. This bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office to conduct a study, including specified analyses, to assess the need for new campuses of the California State University or the University of California. The bill would require these 2 segments to provide data needed by the Legislative Analyst's Office to meet the requirements of this bill upon that office's request. The bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office to submit to the Legislature and the Department of Finance: a report relating to the California State University and containing the data and analysis required by the bill on or before January 1, 2017; and a report relating to the University of California and containing the data and analysis required by the bill on or before January 1, 2018. (23) The Budget Act of 2012 appropriated $4,750,000 from the 2006 University Capital Outlay Bond Fund for a classroom and academic office building on the campus of the University of California, Merced. The Budget Act of 2013 authorized moneys appropriated to the University of California from the General Fund to be used to fund the construction phase of that classroom and academic office building. This bill would authorize the University of California to use any project savings from the 2012 appropriation referenced above for the construction phase of the classroom and academic office building at the University of California, Merced. The bill would also provide that the unencumbered balance of the funds appropriated for that building in the 2012 appropriation referenced above would be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2016. These provisions would constitute an appropriation. (24) This bill would appropriate the sum of $48,000,000 from the General Fund to the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges for allocation to community college districts to provide funding for specified purposes relating to facilities, hazardous substances response, architectural barrier removal, seismic retrofit projects, instructional equipment and library materials, and water conservation projects, as specified. The bill would require the chancellor to allocate funds to community college districts on the basis of actual reported full-time equivalent students, except as provided. The bill would authorize the chancellor to establish guidelines for the use of the moneys allocated. (25) Existing law authorizes the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, in consultation with the California State University and the University of California, to establish a statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program at not more than 15 community college districts, with one baccalaureate degree program each, to be determined by the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and approved by the board of governors. This bill would appropriate the sum of $6,000,000 from the General Fund to the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges for allocation to community college districts to support the implementation of the baccalaureate degree pilot program. The bill would authorize the use of these funds to support professional development activities. (26) This bill would appropriate the sum of $1,000,000 from the General Fund for use pursuant to legislation enacted in the first year of the 2015–16 Regular Session of the Legislature related to a study of those eligible for admission to the University of California and the California State University. (27) The Budget Act of 2014 made appropriations for the support of state government for the 2014–15 fiscal year. This bill would amend the Budget Act of 2014 by making an additional appropriation of $23,000,000 from the General Fund for the Awards for Innovation in Higher Education program. (28) 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 these statutory provisions. (29) Funds appropriated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, as specified. (30) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.

Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations and gas corporations, as defined. If the commission finds after a hearing that the rules, practices, equipment, appliances, facilities, or service of any public utility, or of the methods of manufacture, distribution, transmission, storage, or supply employed by the public utility, are unjust, unreasonable, unsafe, improper, inadequate, or insufficient, the Public Utilities Act requires that the commission determine and, by order or rule, fix the rules, practices, equipment, appliances, facilities, service, or methods to be observed, furnished, constructed, enforced, or employed. The Public Utilities Act requires the commission to prescribe rules for the performance of any service or the furnishing of any commodity of the character furnished or supplied by any public utility and, on proper demand and tender of rates, require the public utility to furnish the commodity or render the service within the time and upon the conditions provided in the rules adopted by the commission. This bill would, on and after the filing of an electrical corporation's or gas corporation's general rate case application, require that electrical corporation or gas corporation, except as provided, to utilize employees of that corporation for any work associated with the design, engineering, and operation of its nuclear, electrical, and gas infrastructure, including all computer and information technology systems, unless the utility files a request to contract to utilize persons who will replace those employees with the commission as a part of the utility's general rate case application. The bill would require that the request be a separate stand-alone section that is not embedded in the general requested staffing change proposals. The bill would require the utility to demonstrate that the work can be performed safely and securely, and without jeopardizing the security of its nuclear, electrical, and gas infrastructure. The bill would require the commission to evaluate the utility's proposal. The bill would require the commission to issue a written decision to approve or deny the request as part of the general rate case proceeding. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because the provisions of this bill would be a part of the act and because a violation of an order or decision of the commission implementing its requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime. 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 dissolved redevelopment agencies and community development agencies, as of February 1, 2012, and provides for the designation of successor agencies to wind down the affairs of the dissolved redevelopment agencies and to, among other things, make payments due for enforceable obligations and to perform obligations required pursuant to any enforceable obligation. Existing law provides for the transfer of housing assets and functions previously performed by the dissolved redevelopment agency to one of several specified public entities. Existing law authorizes the successor housing entity to designate the use of, and commit, proceeds from indebtedness that was issued for affordable housing purposes prior to January 1, 2011, and was backed by the Low and Moderate Income Housing Fund. This bill would instead authorize a successor housing entity to designate the use of, and commit, proceeds from indebtedness that was issued for affordable housing purposes prior to June 28, 2011, and would require the proceeds from bonds issued between January 1, 2011, and June 28, 2011, to be used only for projects meeting certain requirements established in this bill for projects, to be funded by successor agencies generally, from proceeds of bonds issued during the same period. Existing law authorizes the Department of Finance to issue a finding of completion to a successor agency that completes a due diligence review and meets other requirements. Upon receiving a finding of completion, a successor agency is authorized to expend excess bond proceeds derived from bonds issued on or before December 31, 2010, in a manner consistent with the original bond covenants. The bill would expand this authorization to include the expenditure of excess bond proceeds derived from bonds issued on or before June 28, 2011, and would require proceeds derived from bonds issued between January 1, 2011, and June 28, 2011, to be used by successor agencies only for projects meeting certain requirements. The bill would additionally require the refinance of bonds issued between January 1, 2011 and June 28, 2011, if proceeds derived from those bonds can be used for projects meeting specified criteria, as specified.

(1) The California Constitution provides for the delegation to the Fish and Game Commission of powers relating to the protection and propagation of fish and game. Existing statutory law delegates to the commission the power to regulate the taking or possession of birds, mammals, fish, amphibia, and reptiles in accordance with prescribed laws. Under existing law, the Department of Fish and Wildlife exercises various functions with regard to the taking of fish and game. Under existing law, a city or county has no authority to regulate fish and game except that a city or county may adopt an ordinance that incidentally affects fishing and hunting for the protection of public health and safety. This bill would provide that the state fully occupies the field of the taking and possession of fish and game. The bill would provide that unless otherwise authorized by the Fish and Game Code, other state law, or federal law, the commission and the department are the only entities that may adopt or promulgate regulations regarding the taking or possession of fish and game on any lands or waters within the state. (2) Existing law requires the commission, when adopting certain regulations relating to the taking or possession of resident game birds, game mammals, and fur-bearing mammals, to consider populations, habitat, food supplies, the welfare of individual animals, and other pertinent facts and testimony. This bill would require the commission to consider these factors when adopting certain regulations relating to the taking or possession of fish, amphibians, and reptiles. The bill would also require the commission to consider public health and safety when adopting these regulations. (3) Existing law makes it unlawful for a person to intentionally discharge a firearm or release an arrow or crossbow bolt over or across a public road or other established way open to the public in an unsafe and reckless manner. Existing law makes a violation of this provision a misdemeanor. This bill would delete the "reckless" element from that provision. Because the bill would expand the definition of a crime, it 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 establishes the segments of the public postsecondary education system in the state, including the University of California administered by the Regents of the University of California, the California State University administered by the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Existing law provides that a student, other than a nonimmigrant alien, as defined, who has attended high school in California for 3 or more years, who has graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalent thereof, who has registered at or attends an accredited institution of higher education in California not earlier than the fall semester or quarter of the 2001–02 academic year, and who, if he or she is an alien without lawful immigration status, has filed an affidavit, as specified, is exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the California Community Colleges and the California State University. This bill would encourage the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California to designate a Dream Resource Liaison on each of their campuses, as specified, to assist certain students by streamlining access to all available financial aid and academic opportunities for those students. The bill would encourage the governing board of each school district and each county office of education that maintains any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, to have a Dream Resource Liaison at each of their respective campuses that includes any of those grades. The bill would authorize Dream Resource Centers to offer support services, including, but not necessarily limited to, state and institutional financial aid assistance, academic counseling, peer support services, psychological counseling, referral services, and legal services. The bill would encourage each campus of the California Community Colleges and the California State University to ensure that it has a staff person designated as a Dream Resource Liaison who is knowledgeable in available financial aid, services, and academic opportunities for all students meeting specified requirements, including undocumented students. This bill would authorize the trustees, the board of governors, and the regents to seek and accept on behalf of the state any gift, bequest, devise, or donation whenever the gift and the terms and conditions thereof will aid in the creation and operation of Dream Resource Centers for their respective systems.

This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact statutory changes relating to the Budget Act of 2015.

Existing law establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and requires the commission to administer various programs to award grants and other financial assistance for energy-related projects. The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The state board is required to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020. The act authorizes the state board to include the use of market-based compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available upon appropriation. This bill would require the commission to develop and implement a grant program to award grants for projects that produce biomethane, that build or develop collection and purification technology or infrastructure, or that upgrade or expand existing biomethane facilities. The bill would, upon appropriation, authorize moneys in the fund to be used to fund grants awarded pursuant to the program.

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 specialty mental health services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. The department is responsible for conducting investigations and audits of claims and reimbursements for expenditures for specialty mental health services provided by mental health plans to Medi-Cal eligible individuals. This bill would limit the scope of the service billing documentation requirements the department may apply when conducting an audit of Medi-Cal specialty mental health services to criteria that is clearly and explicitly set forth in specified state regulations, letters, and directives, federal Medicaid terms and conditions, and the Medicaid state plan. The bill would require the department to allow counties and county contract providers of behavioral health services to incorporate by reference any information in a patient's existing case record in subsequent documentation and would prohibit the department from requiring any unchanged information in a patient's existing case record to be copied or reentered into specified treatment documents, unless required by a federal directive. The bill would require the department to consider further revisions to its service billing documentation requirements, and to prepare, in consultation with counties, providers, and other stakeholders, and submit to the Legislature, a proposal to accomplish those objectives, as specified.

Existing law, the California Health Facilities Financing Authority Act, establishes a program for the California Health Facilities Authority to award grants that do not exceed $1,500,000 to one or more projects designed to demonstrate specified new or enhanced cost-effective methods of delivering quality health care services to improve access to quality health care for vulnerable populations or communities, or both, that are effective at enhancing health outcomes and improving access to quality health care and preventive services. Existing law requires a recipient of that grant to adhere to all applicable laws relating to scope of practice, licensure, staffing, and building codes. Existing law authorizes the authority, if a demonstration project receiving a grant is successful at developing such a new method of delivering high-quality and cost-effective health care services, to implement a 2nd grant program, as specified, to replicate in additional California communities the model developed by that demonstration project. Existing law requires the authority to prepare and provide a report to the Legislature and the Governor on the outcomes of the demonstration grant program that includes, among other information, the total amount of grants issued and the amount of each grant issued. This bill would create the California Health Access Model Program Two Account within the California Health Facilities Financing Authority Fund for purposes of administering a 2nd competitive grant selection process, in accordance with existing grant provisions, to fund one or more projects designed to demonstrate specified new or enhanced cost-effective methods of delivering quality health care services to improve access to quality health care for vulnerable populations or communities, or both. The bill would authorize the authority to transfer moneys up to a total of $3,000,000 from the California Health Facilities Financing Authority Hospital Equipment Loan Program Fund to the account for the purposes of the bill if the authority decides to administer the 2nd competitive grant selection process, and would require that any moneys remaining in the account as of January 1, 2023, revert to the California Health Facilities Financing Authority Hospital Equipment Loan Program Fund. By expanding the purposes for which a continuously appropriated fund may be used, this bill would make an appropriation. The bill would also require the authority to prepare and provide a report to the Legislature and the Governor every 2 years, commencing January 1, 2017, on the 2 grant selection programs, that includes, among other information, the total amount of grants issued and the amount of each grant issued, as specified. This bill would also make the existing requirement for adherence to all applicable laws relating to scope of practice, licensure, staffing, and building to codes applicable to a recipient of a grant provided pursuant to the 2nd grant program described above. Existing law defines health facility, for purposes of the act, to include a multilevel facility that is an institutional arrangement where a residential facility for the elderly is operated as a part of, or in conjunction with, an intermediate care facility, a skilled nursing facility, or a general acute care hospital. Existing law defines elderly, for purposes of this provision, to mean a person 62 years of age or older. This bill would instead define elderly to mean a person 60 years of age or older. This bill would become operative only if AB 648 is enacted and takes effect on or before January 1, 2016.