(1) Existing law, until January 1, 2013, declares that using a vertical enforcement and prosecution model for the Medical Board of California's investigations is in the best interests of the people of California. Under existing law, a vertical enforcement and prosecution model is described as the joint assignment of a complaint to a board investigator and to a deputy attorney general responsible for prosecuting the case if the investigation results in the filing of an accusation. Existing law requires the board to, among other things, establish and implement a plan to locate specified staff in the same offices in order to carry out the intent of the vertical enforcement and prosecution model. This bill would extend the operation of these provisions to January 1, 2014, and would also make a conforming change in that regard. (2) Existing law, the Naturopathic Doctors Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of naturopathic doctors by the Naturopathic Medicine Committee within the Osteopathic Medical Board of California. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2014. Under existing law, boards scheduled for repeal are required to be evaluated by the Joint Sunset Review Committee. This bill would make a conforming change with regard to the operation of these provisions until January 1, 2014, and the bill would also specify that this board would be subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. (3) Existing law, the Physical Therapy Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of physical therapists by the Physical Therapy Board of California. Existing law authorizes the board to appoint an executive officer. Existing law makes these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2013, and repealed on January 1, 2014. Under existing law, boards scheduled for repeal are required to be evaluated by the Joint Sunset Review Committee. This bill would delete the inoperative date and would instead repeal these provisions on January 1, 2014. The bill would also specify that this board would be subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. (4) Existing law, the Pharmacy Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of pharmacies, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, wholesalers of dangerous drugs or devices, and others by the California State Board of Pharmacy. Existing law authorizes the board to appoint an executive officer. Under existing law, the board and its authority to appoint an executive officer will be repealed on January 1, 2013. Under existing law, boards scheduled for repeal are required to be evaluated by the Joint Sunset Review Committee. This bill would extend the operation of the California State Board of Pharmacy and its authority to appoint an executive officer until January 1, 2017, and would specify that the board is subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. (5) Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of court reporters by the Court Reporters Board of California within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law authorizes this board to appoint an executive officer and committees as necessary. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2013. This bill would extend the operation of these provisions until January 1, 2017, and would specify that the board is subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. Existing law requires, until January 1, 2013, certain fees and revenues collected by the board to be deposited into the Transcript Reimbursement Fund, to be available to provide reimbursement for the cost of providing shorthand reporting services to low-income litigants in civil cases. Existing law authorizes, until January 1, 2013, low-income persons appearing pro se to apply for funds from the Transcript Reimbursement Fund, subject to specified requirements and limitations. Existing law requires the board, until January 1, 2013, to publicize the availability of the fund to prospective applicants. Existing law requires the unencumbered funds remaining in the Transcript Reimbursement Fund as of January 1, 2013, to be transferred to the Court Reporters' Fund. This bill would extend the operation of these provisions until January 1, 2017, and would make a technical change to these provisions. By extending the operation of the Transcript Reimbursement Fund, which is a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation. (6) Existing law, the Electronic and Appliance Repair Dealer Registration Law, provides for the registration and regulation of electronic and appliance service dealers and service contractors by the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings, and Thermal Insulation within the Department of Consumer Affairs and makes a failure to comply with its provisions a crime. Existing law, until January 1, 2013, requires a service contractor to pay specified fees to the bureau, including a registration fee and a registration renewal fee. Existing law, until January 1, 2013, requires the Director of Consumer Affairs to gather evidence of violations of the Electronic and Appliance Repair Dealer Registration Law, and any of its regulations, by a service contractor or by any employee, partner, officer, or member of any service contractor. Existing law, until January 1, 2013, requires a service contractor to maintain specified records to be open for inspection by the director and other law enforcement officials. Existing law, until January 1, 2013, also provides for the revocation of the registration of a service contractor by the director and for the superior court to issue a restraining order or injunction against a service contractor who violates these provisions. This bill would extend the operation of these and other related provisions to January 1, 2015. By extending the operation of certain of these provisions, the violation of which is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (7) Existing law, until January 1, 2013, establishes the Health Quality Enforcement Section within the Department of Justice for the purpose of investigating and prosecuting proceedings against licensees and applicants within the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California, the California Board of Podiatric Medicine, the Board of Psychology, or any committee under the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California. Existing law, until January 1, 2013, requires all complaints against licensees of these boards to be made available to the Health Quality Enforcement Section. This bill would extend the operation of these provisions until January 1, 2014. (8) 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.
(1) Existing state and federal laws, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965, require elections officials to provide language assistance to voters with limited English proficiency in order to access voting information and cast their votes at the polling place. Existing law also requires elections officials, under specified circumstances, to make reasonable efforts to recruit elections officials who are fluent in a language used by citizens who lack sufficient skill in English to vote without assistance. This bill would revise the recruitment provisions to apply to precincts in which the precinct board is required to post translated facsimile ballots and would require a county, not later than August 1, 2015, and not later than August 1 of each odd-numbered year thereafter, to submit a specified report to the Secretary of State describing the county's plan for compliance with state and federal laws enacted to assist voters with limited English proficiency. The bill would require the Secretary of State to post those reports on his or her Internet Web site not later than 90 days prior to each statewide election held in an even-numbered year, and would further require the Secretary of State to issue guidance for a uniform standard report format for this purpose that includes, at a minimum, specified information that sets forth the county's plan for protecting the rights of voters with limited English proficiency. By increasing the duties of local elections officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also require a county elections official to evaluate complaints filed against precinct board members and would require the Secretary of State to develop a list of the best practices for elections officials and for precinct board member training, as specified. The Secretary of State would also be required to consult with an advisory body composed of specified members for this purpose. (2) Under existing law, in counties where the Secretary of State has determined that it is appropriate, each precinct board is required to post, in a conspicuous location in the polling place, at least one facsimile copy of the ballot with the ballot measures and ballot instructions printed in Spanish. Existing law also requires the Secretary of State, in determining whether it is appropriate to post the election materials in Spanish or other languages, to determine the number of residents of voting age in each county and precinct who are members of a single language minority, and who lack sufficient skills in English to vote without assistance based on a specified formula or information provided by interested citizens or organizations. Existing law also requires the Secretary of State to make these determinations and findings by January 1 of each year in which the Governor is elected. This bill would provide that interested citizens or organizations may, alternatively, provide this information to the local elections official and would require the Secretary of State to make these determinations and findings not less frequently than by January 1 of each year in which the Governor is elected and each year following an adjustment of district boundary lines pursuant to Article XXI of the California Constitution and specified provisions of the Elections Code. The bill would apply these provisions to new precincts. (3) 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.
Existing law provides for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , under which each county distributes nutrition assistance benefits provided by the federal government to eligible households, and the CalWORKs program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families and individuals. In California, federal nutrition assistance benefits are administered through CalFresh. Existing law also provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, pursuant to which medical benefits are provided to public assistance recipients and other low-income persons. Under existing law, the State Department of Social Services is required to develop a program of categorical eligibility under CalFresh for needy households who meet all other SNAP eligibility requirements, in accordance with federal law. This bill would require the State Department of Social Services, to the extent permitted by federal law, to waive the CalFresh gross income test for any individual who is categorically eligible for CalFresh and who is a member of a household that receives, or is eligible to receive, medical assistance under the Medi-Cal program. Because counties administer CalFresh, this bill would increase county duties by potentially expanding the eligible population, and would thereby 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, 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.
The Golden State Scholarshare Trust Act establishes the Golden State Scholarshare Trust, under the administration of the Scholarshare Investment Board, which provides methods by which an individual can contribute to an account for paying specified costs for a student for postsecondary education and requires the board to market the program to Californians. Existing law requires the Franchise Tax Board to make a refund to a taxpayer of any overpayment of taxes. Existing law authorizes taxpayers to contribute their refunds for the support of specified funds or accounts. This bill would authorize an individual to designate on the tax return that a contribution in excess of tax liability, as specified, be deposited by the Franchise Tax Board to the credit of the individual's qualified tuition program account, as defined. This bill would require the Franchise Tax Board and the Scholarshare Investment Board to provide information on their respective Internet Web sites and marketing materials regarding the qualified tuition program designation on the income tax return.
Existing law generally requires the approval of the Department of Finance and the State Public Works Board before a state agency, including, among others, the California Community Colleges, may expend funds from an appropriation for capital outlay purposes. With respect to the California Community Colleges, this approval is only required for the allocation of state capital outlay funds appropriated by the Legislature. This bill would authorize a community college district to receive reimbursement for amounts incurred by the community college district through the expenditure of local funds for capital outlay projects, before revenues are available from a state general obligation bond approved by the electorate, after the date of the final project proposal approval by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, after approval of preliminary plans by the Department of Finance and the State Public Works Board, and after an appropriation by the Legislature of funds for one or more specified project phases. The bill would apply specified requirements to the receipt of this reimbursement. The bill would make these provisions inoperative on January 1, 2016.
Existing law, the Cemetery Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of cemeteries, crematories, and their personnel by the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law requires a person who has had a license or registration under the jurisdiction of the bureau revoked, suspended, placed on probation, or surrendered under a stipulated decision, within the immediately preceding 10 years, and who is employed by or who seeks employment with, a licensed cemetery, a licensed crematory, or a licensed cemetery broker to so inform the cemetery manager, crematory manager, or cemetery broker, respectively, as defined. Existing law creates the Cemetery Fund, which is continuously appropriated for the purpose of implementing the Cemetery Act. Violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor. Existing law establishes certified uniform program agencies, which are agencies certified by the Secretary for Environmental Protection to implement a specified unified program relating to hazardous waste and materials in accordance with certain requirements. This bill, until January 1, 2019, would require the bureau to license and regulate, as specified, hydrolysis facilities and hydrolysis facility managers, as defined, and would enact requirements substantially similar to those applicable to crematoria. By expanding the definition of crimes relating to the disposition of human remains and creating new crimes, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require that specified fees paid to finance hydrolysis facility regulation be deposited in the Cemetery Fund. By depositing moneys in a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation. The bill would require certified unified program agencies to ensure compliance with certain environmental standards, and to comply with specified reporting requirements. By increasing the duties of local agencies, 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law provides funding for various career technical education programs, including regional occupational centers and programs, specialized secondary programs, partnership academies, and agricultural career technical education programs. Commencing with the 2015–16 fiscal year and for each fiscal year thereafter, this bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction, using funds appropriated in the annual Budget Act for regional occupational centers and programs, to apportion an amount to each county office of education in the same relative proportion of funding that the county office of education, school districts, and joint powers agencies within that county receive in the 2014–15 fiscal year. The bill would further require each county office of education to allocate to regional occupational centers and programs a proportion of these funds in the same relative proportion of funding that they receive in the 2014–15 fiscal year. The bill would authorize the local educational agencies that operate career technical education programs to form into regions for purposes of entering into agreements to share in the cost of developing and maintaining a career technical education program using funding appropriated for regional occupational centers and programs, specialized secondary programs, partnership academies, and agricultural career technical education programs, as specified. The bill would require that funds subject to these agreements be expended only to ensure the development and maintenance of high quality career technical education programs. The bill would specify that absent an agreement, funds appropriated for specialized secondary programs, partnership academies, and agricultural career technical education programs be expended only for the purposes for which they were appropriated. The bill would impose certain conditions on the receipt of funds under these provisions, including, among others, that the governing board of each regional occupational center or program, in collaboration with individuals representing partner school districts within each region, California partnership academies, agricultural career technical education programs, and other career technical education programs develop a plan for establishing a sequence of courses by July 1, 2015, as specified. The bill would require the Superintendent to align the accountability measures for regional occupational centers and programs, agricultural career technical education programs, and partnership academies into a uniform accountability metric based on specified indicators and pupil data.
Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law requires certain fees to be required of, and collected from, students enrolled in each special session, pursuant to rules and regulations prescribed by the Board of Trustees of the California State University. This bill would require information on special session programs and fees to be annually reported to the board of trustees at a publicly noticed meeting of the board of trustees, and require the report to include, but not be limited to, specified information. The bill also would require the California State University, commencing on July 1, 2014, and each July 1 thereafter until January 1, 2019, to provide a report including specified information to the Legislature on the California State University Extended and Continuing Education Program.
Existing law, the Horse Racing Law, generally regulates horse racing and vests the administration and enforcement of the Horse Racing Law in the California Horse Racing Board. A violation of the act, where no other penalty is expressed, is a misdemeanor. Existing law requires every association that conducts a racing meeting to deduct 15% of the total amount handled in conventional parimutuel pool and 16.75% of the total amount handled in exotic parimutuel pools and to distribute the moneys as specified. Existing law requires any fair racing association to additionally deduct 1% from the total amount handled in its daily conventional and exotic parimutuel pools, and provides for the deposit of the moneys in the Fair and Exposition Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, for expenditure for the construction or operation of recreational and cultural facilities of general public interest. This bill would instead require that the 1% deducted from the total amount handled in its daily conventional and exotic parimutuel pools be distributed to the fair that conducted the racing meeting and to the horsemen and horsewomen who participated in the racing meeting. The bill would specify that 50% of this amount, would be payable to the fair as commissions, and 50% to the horsemen and horsewomen as purses. Because a violation of these provisions 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 provisions of the California Constitution establish the University of California as a public trust under the administration of the Regents of the University of California. The University of California (UC) system includes 10 campuses, which are respectively located in Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. This bill would express findings and declarations of the Legislature relating to, among other things, the role of the UC Riverside Medical School in supporting California's health care infrastructure. The bill would, from any amount paid to the State of California as a result of an investigation into possible overpayments of state funds to the Senior Care Action Network (SCAN) Health Plan and available for expenditure for the purposes of the bill, as the highest priority for the use of these funds, transfer $15,000,000 to the Regents of the University of California for allocation to the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, thereby making an appropriation. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law permits a defendant to withdraw his or her plea of guilty or plea of nolo contendere and enter a plea of not guilty in any case in which a defendant has fulfilled the conditions of probation for the entire period of probation, or has been discharged prior to the termination of the period of probation, or in any other case in which a court, in its discretion and the interests of justice, determines that a defendant should be granted this or other specified relief. This bill would authorize the court, in its discretion and in the interests of justice, to permit a defendant to withdraw his or her plea of guilty or plea of nolo contendere and enter a plea of not guilty in any case in which a defendant was sentenced for a nonserious, nonviolent, or nonsexual offense to county jail and if the defendant is not under mandatory supervision and is not serving a sentence for, on probation for, or charged with the commission of, any offense.
Existing law, with certain exceptions, prohibits the possession of an assault weapon, as defined, and makes violations subject to criminal penalties. Existing law defines a firearm as an assault weapon, in part, based upon whether it has a detachable magazine. This bill would define "detachable magazine" for this purpose to mean any ammunition feeding device that can be removed from the firearm without disassembly of the firearm action, and to include a magazine that may be detached from the firearm by depressing a button on the firearm either with the finger or by use of a tool or a bullet. The bill would declare that these amendments are declaratory of existing law, would direct the Attorney General to adopt regulations, and would make these amendments operative July 1, 2013. By expanding the definition of existing crimes, 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.
