Existing law establishes the Department of Health Care Access and Information to oversee and administer various health programs related to health care infrastructure, such as health policy and planning, health professions development, and facilities design review and construction, among others. Existing law requires the California Health and Human Services Agency to establish the California Health and Human Services Data Exchange Framework to require the exchange of health information among health care entities and government agencies in the state, among other things. Existing law requires the agency to convene a stakeholder advisory group to advise on the development, implementation, and administration of the California Health and Human Services Data Exchange Framework. This bill would require the Department of Health Care Access and Information, on or before January 1, 2026, to take over the establishment, implementation, and all of the functions related to the California Health and Human Services Data Exchange Framework, including the data sharing agreement and policies and procedures, from the agency. The bill would expand the entities that are specifically required to execute a data sharing agreement with the California Health and Human Services Data Exchange Framework. The bill would require the department, no later than July 1, 2026, to establish a process to designate qualified health information organizations as data sharing intermediaries that have demonstrated their ability to meet requirements of the California Health and Human Services Data Exchange Framework. The bill would require the department, by July 1, 2027, and in collaboration with the stakeholder advisory group, to develop and submit a report to the Legislature on the California Health and Human Services Data Exchange Framework, including compliance with data sharing agreements. The bill would expand the membership of the stakeholder advisory group, as specified.
(1) Existing law provides that ballots cast in all-mailed ballot elections, as specified, are considered timely cast if they are received by the voter's elections official by mail no later than 3 days after election day and additional, specified conditions are satisfied. This bill would extend the above deadline for mailed ballots to be timely cast to 7 days after election day. (2) Existing law establishes requirements for the conduct of recount elections, including with respect to the order in which precincts must be recounted, procedures for special recount boards, and notices issued by elections officials with respect to the commencement and results of a recount. If the votes subject to recount were cast or tabulated by a voting system, existing law requires that the voter requesting the recount, for each set of ballots cast or tabulated by a type of voting system, select whether the recount will be conducted manually or by means of the voting system used originally. Existing law allows only one method of recount to be used for all ballots cast or tabulated by the same type of voting system. This bill would allow a voter requesting a recount to specify the order in which votes are recounted by the batch in which ballots were scanned or, in the case of a recount that involves more than one county, the order in which counties will conduct the recount within the jurisdiction. The bill would prohibit unauthorized access to the voting system in use by the elections office and impose other protections on access to a voter's personal identifying information. The bill would require the requester to reimburse the county for the cost of each member of a recount board. The bill would require that a member of a special recount board be eligible to register to vote in California if they are required to tally any ballots as part of their role on the board. The bill would set qualifications for an official appointed to supervise a special recount board. The bill would impose specified requirements for notices issued by elections officials. The bill would, if the recount is to be conducted manually and the voting system has the capability to display ballot images, require the voter requesting the recount to select whether the recount will be conducted by use of paper ballots or the official ballot images. If more than one voter requests a recount for the same office or measure and at least one request is for the recount to be conducted by use of paper ballots, the bill would require the county elections official to conduct only a manual recount of the paper ballots, the result of which would be controlling. (3) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 15621 of the Elections Code proposed by Assembly Bill 1513 to be operative only if this bill and Assembly Bill 1513 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. (4) By increasing the duties of local elections officials, the bill would create 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 the statutory provisions noted above.
(1) Existing law requires specified notices, affidavits, and communications regarding elections to be delivered by registered mail. This bill would instead require delivery by certified mail or, for certain communications between local officials and the Secretary of State, by electronic delivery. By imposing new duties on local officials with respect to elections, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law provides procedures for the recall of enumerated elective officers, including, among others, trial court judges. This bill would replace references to trial courts in these provisions with references to superior courts. (3) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 15621 of the Elections Code proposed by Assembly Bill 930 to be operative only if this bill and Assembly Bill 930 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. (4) 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 specifies the rules to be used when determining the residence of a child or a nonminor dependent for purposes of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and under certain circumstances, the county in which the child or nonminor dependent is living is deemed the county of residence if the child or nonminor dependent has had a physical presence in the county for one year, and in the case of a nonminor dependent, they have expressed their intent to remain in that county. Existing law authorizes the residence of a nonminor dependent to be changed to another county where they are living if the court finds that the nonminor dependent has had a continuous physical presence in the new county for one year as a nonminor dependent and the nonminor dependent expressed intent to remain in that county. Existing law requires the juvenile court of the county where that nonminor dependent then resides to take jurisdiction of the case upon the receipt and filing of the finding of the facts and an order transferring the case. This bill would additionally authorize the residence of a nonminor dependent to be changed to another county where they are living if the nonminor dependent requests the transfer of jurisdiction to the new county and the court finds that the transfer is in the best interest of the nonminor dependent, as specified. The bill would require a court issuing an order to transfer the case pursuant to this new authority to issue the order within 30 court days of the nonminor dependent's request, and deems the new county to have jurisdiction over the nonminor dependent within 10 calendar days of an issuance of an order to transfer. Existing law specifies conditions for a review hearing that is the last hearing held before a child attains 18 years of age or that is held in the 6-month period before the child attains 18 years of age, and for subsequent review hearings for the nonminor dependent, including that the hearings be conducted in a manner that respects the nonminor's status as a legal adult and is focused on the goals and services described in the youth's transitional independent living case plans. This bill would require during those and other certain review hearings that the court consider whether the nonminor dependent requests the transfer of jurisdiction to a new county.
(1) Existing law requires the Secretary of State to prepare a state voter information guide that includes, among other things, a complete copy of each state measure, the Voter Bill of Rights, and information on candidates for the office of United States Senator and the offices of President and Vice President of the United States, as specified. Existing law requires county elections officials to prepare a county voter information guide that contains, among other things, a substantial facsimile of the official ballot. This bill would conform provisions in the Political Reform Act of 1974 that currently refer to the ballot pamphlet or sample ballot to instead refer to the state voter information guide or county voter information guide, respectively. (2) The Political Reform Act of 1974 authorizes a candidate for elective state, county, or city office to raise contributions for a general election before the primary election, and for a special general election before a special primary election, for the same office under specified conditions. If the candidate is defeated in the primary election or special primary election, or otherwise withdraws from the general election or special general election, the act requires the candidate to refund the general election or special general election funds, as specified. Existing law, for purposes of these provisions, specifies that a candidate who does not file a declaration of candidacy to qualify for a primary election or special primary election is not required to refund the general election or special general election contributions, and that such a candidate may transfer these funds to a committee for the same or a different office as specified. This bill would instead provide that a candidate is not required to refund the general election or special general election contributions and may transfer these funds, as specified above, if the candidate's name has not been listed on the ballot at a primary election or special primary election, and the candidate has not qualified to have write-in votes cast on their behalf, as specified. (3) This bill would also correct a cross-reference to federal law. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.
Existing law requires a 3-part test, commonly known as the "ABC" test, to determine if workers are employees or independent contractors for purposes of the Labor Code, the Unemployment Insurance Code, and the wage orders of the Industrial Welfare Commission. Under the ABC test, a person providing labor or services for remuneration is considered an employee rather than an independent contractor unless the hiring entity demonstrates that the person is free from the control and direction of the hiring entity in connection with the performance of the work, the person performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity's business, and the person is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, or business. Existing law charges the Labor Commissioner with the enforcement of labor laws, including worker classification. Existing law exempts specified occupations and business relationships from the application of the ABC test described above. Existing law, instead, provides that these exempt relationships are governed by the multifactor test previously adopted in the case of S. G. Borello & Sons, Inc. v. Department of Industrial Relations (1989) 48 Cal.3d 341. Existing law includes an exemption for services provided by a licensed manicurist, subject to the manicurist meeting specified conditions, and makes this exemption for licensed manicurists inoperative on January 1, 2025. This bill would delete the January 1, 2025, inoperative date, and, instead, until January 1, 2029, reapply the above-specified exemption to certain licensed manicurists. The bill would also require the Employment Development Department and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement to, by June 1, 2026, report to the Legislature the annual number of allegations of misclassification or other specified violations involving licensed manicurists since January 1, 2020, as specified. Existing law also provides an exemption for a commercial fisher working on an American vessel, as defined. Existing law makes those commercial fishers eligible for unemployment insurance benefits subject to certain conditions, and requires the Employment Development Department to issue an annual report, on March 1, to the Legislature on the use of unemployment insurance in the commercial fishing industry, as provided. Existing law makes these various provisions related to commercial fishers working on an American vessel inoperative on January 1, 2026. This bill would extend the inoperative date to January 1, 2031, and, thereby, until January 1, 2031, reapply the above-specified exemption to those commercial fishers, as prescribed. The bill would change the above-described annual reporting date from March 1 to June 30.
Existing law requires the Department of Transportation to install screening on state freeway overpasses to prevent objects from being dropped or thrown upon vehicles passing underneath, as provided. This bill would require, on or before July 1, 2028, the department to identify best practices for the implementation of suicide countermeasures designed to deter suicide attempts on bridges and overpasses, as provided.
Existing law declares the public policy of the state regarding labor organization, including, among other things, that it is necessary for a worker to have full freedom of association, self-organization, and designation of representatives of their own choosing, to negotiate the terms and conditions of their employment, and to be free from the interference, restraint, or coercion of employers of labor, or their agents, in the designation of such representatives or in self-organization or in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection. Existing law, the Protect App-Based Drivers and Services Act, added by Proposition 22, as approved by the voters at the November 3, 2020, statewide general election (the initiative) , categorizes app-based drivers for network companies, as defined, as independent contractors if certain conditions are met. Existing law requires, among other things, that the network company provide a health care subsidy to qualifying app-based drivers, provide a minimum level of compensation for app-based drivers, and not restrict app-based drivers from working in any other lawful occupation or business. Existing case law holds that specified provisions of the initiative are invalid on separation of powers grounds; however, the court severed the unconstitutional provisions, allowing the rest of the initiative to remain in effect. Existing law also establishes the Public Employment Relations Board (board) in state government as a means of resolving disputes and enforcing the statutory duties and rights of specified public employers and employees under various acts regulating collective bargaining. Existing law vests the board with jurisdiction to enforce certain provisions over charges of unfair practices for represented employees. This bill, the Transportation Network Company Drivers Labor Relations Act (act) , would establish that transportation network company (TNC) drivers have the right to form, join, and participate in the activities of TNC driver organizations, to bargain through representatives of their own choosing, to engage in concerted activities for the purpose of bargaining or other mutual aid or protection, and to refrain from such activities. The bill would require the board to enforce these provisions. This bill would require all TNCs to submit certain information every quarter, including information identifying and related personal work information about TNC drivers to the board in a list format, as prescribed. The bill would establish various procedures governing the certification and decertification of TNC driver organizations for purposes of representing drivers in the collective bargaining process. In this connection, the bill would require the board to determine if an entity is a TNC driver organization, as prescribed, and make certain determinations as to whether a specific organization has been designated as the bargaining representative for TNC drivers pursuant to an election process. The bill would establish various notice requirements, conditions, and timelines governing the representation of TNC drivers. The bill would, among other things, require TNCs and certified driver bargaining organizations to negotiate in good faith pursuant to the act, as described, and would set forth procedures for mediation and arbitration for purposes of reaching a sectoral agreement. The bill would set forth procedures and guidelines for the board to approve or disapprove sectoral agreements. The bill would require a TNC that was not a covered TNC when a sectoral agreement took effect but subsequently became a covered TNC to be bound by all terms of the sectoral agreement, as specified. This bill would make it an unfair practice for a TNC, an agent of a TNC, or a multicompany committee, as defined, to fail or refuse to negotiate in good faith with a certified driver bargaining organization, among other things. The bill would also make it an unfair practice for a certified driver bargaining organization or its agents to fail to negotiate in good faith with a TNC or multicompany committee, among other things. The bill would set forth unfair practice charge procedures and remedies for those practices. The bill would define terms for purposes of the act, make the provisions of the act severable, and make related legislative policy statements. Existing law, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, generally requires all meetings of a state body to be open and public. This bill would exempt any meeting of a mediator or arbitrator with any party or group to the negotiations process and the mediation and arbitration processes in the act from the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting act. Existing law, the California Public Records Act, requires state and local agencies to make their records available for public inspection, unless an exemption from disclosure applies. This bill would exclude from public disclosure information regarding TNC drivers that is submitted to the board pursuant to the act, except as specified. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
Existing law requires elections officials to commence the canvass for an election no later than the Thursday following the election and to make the canvass open to the public. Existing law requires the canvass to be continued daily, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays excepted, for not less than six hours each day until completed. Existing law requires elections officials to prepare a certified statement of the results of the election within 30 days of the election and to send the Secretary of State a complete copy of all election results within 31 days of the election. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to prepare, certify, and file a statement of the vote no later than the 38th day after the election. This bill would require elections officials, on or before the 13th day following an election, to finish counting all ballots, with certain exceptions, including provisional ballots and ballots for which the voter must either verify or provide a signature, and release a vote count for those ballots. If an elections official will not meet that deadline, they would be required to file a notice of extension, including the reason for the extension, with the Secretary of State. By increasing the duties of county elections officials, 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, 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.
(1) Existing law regulates the investment of public funds by local agencies, as defined. Existing law authorizes the legislative body of a local agency, as specified, that has money in a sinking fund or in its treasury not required for the immediate needs of the local agency to invest the money as it deems wise or expedient in certain securities and financial instruments, subject to various requirements. These permissible investments include, among others, commercial paper of "prime" quality of the highest ranking or of the highest letter and number rating as provided for by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization that is issued by entities meeting certain criteria, if the eligible commercial paper has a maximum maturity of 270 days or less. This bill would revise the maximum maturity periods for the investments in prime quality commercial paper to 397 days. Existing law, until January 1, 2026, authorizes local agencies, as specified, that have less than $100,000,000 of investment assets under management to invest no more than 25%, and those local agencies that have $100,000,000 or more of investment assets under management to invest no more than 40%, of their moneys in eligible commercial paper, as specified. Existing law, beginning January 1, 2026, instead authorizes those local agencies regardless of the amount of investment assets they have under management to invest no more than 25% of their moneys in eligible commercial paper, as specified. This bill would instead repeal the former provisions on January 1, 2031, and would postpone the operative date for the latter provisions until January 1, 2031. Existing law prohibits a local agency from investing specified public funds in any security that could result in zero-interest accrual if held to maturity, as specified. Existing law, until January 1, 2026, authorizes a local agency as an exception to that provision to invest in securities issued by, or backed by, the United States government that could result in zero-interest accrual if held to maturity, as specified. This bill would instead repeal the above-described exception on January 1, 2031. (2) Existing law requires the Controller to annually compile, publish, and make publicly available on the Controller's website reports of the information concerning financial transactions and annual compensation of each county, city, and school district within the state, as specified. If an officer of a local agency fails or refuses to make and file their financial report within 20 days after receipt of a written notice of the failure from the Controller, existing law requires that officer or local agency to forfeit to the state a specified amount depending on the amount of total revenue of that local agency. This bill would instead require that forfeiture if the officer fails or refuses to make and file their financial report within 10 months after the end of the local agency's fiscal year, or within the time prescribed by the Controller, whichever is later.
(1) The Political Reform Act of 1974 provides for the comprehensive regulation of political campaigns, lobbying, and other matters relating to governmental ethics and elections. The act is an initiative measure that authorizes the Legislature to amend its provisions by enactment of a bill by a 23 vote of each house if that bill furthers the act's purposes and, at least 8 days before passage, or at least 12 days before passage if the previous form of the bill did not amend the act, the bill in its final form has been delivered to the Fair Political Practices Commission for distribution to the news media and every person who has requested a copy from the commission. The act requires the Legislative Counsel, through a specified electronic system, to allow the public to sign up to receive an email alert any time a bill that would amend the act is, among other things, introduced, amended, referred to the floor or committee, or voted on. This bill would eliminate the requirement that a bill amending the act must be delivered to the commission for distribution to the news media and every person who has requested a copy, instead requiring an otherwise proper amendment of the act to be printed, distributed to the Members of the Legislature, and published on the internet. The bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act. The act also regulates conflicts of interest of public officials and requires that public officials file periodic statements of economic interest that disclose certain information regarding income, investments, and other financial data. The act provides that the Fair Political Practices Commission is the filing officer for statewide elected officers and candidates and other specified public officials, and requires those officers, candidates, and officials to file their statements of economic interest using the commission's electronic filing system. This bill would add public officials who manage public investments to the list of individuals for whom the commission is the filing officer for statements of economic interest and would require those officials to file their statements of economic interest using the commission's electronic filing system. The act also prohibits the receipt, delivery, or attempted delivery of a contribution in the State Capitol, any state office building, or any office for which the state pays the majority of the rent other than a legislative district office. This bill would expand that prohibition to apply to local government office buildings and offices for which the state or a local government pays rent. The bill would also eliminate the exception for legislative district offices. A violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 is punishable as a misdemeanor. By establishing new requirements for the filing of statements of economic interests and by expanding the scope of restrictions on contributions, this bill would expand the scope of existing crimes, and therefore would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) The Voters FIRST Act, an initiative measure approved by the electors as Proposition 11 at the November 4, 2008, statewide general election, requires the Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw district lines for the election of members of the State Senate, Assembly, Congress, and the State Board of Equalization. The act requires new members of the commission to be chosen in each year ending in 0 according to a specified selection process. Under existing law, any vacancy on the commission that occurs prior to December 31 of a year ending in 2 must be filled by the commission within 30 days and any vacancy that occurs on or after December 31 of a year ending in 2 must be filled within 90 days, as specified. This bill would eliminate the requirement for the commission to fill a vacancy that occurs on or after December 31 of a year ending in 2 within 90 days and would instead authorize the commission to fill that vacancy. The Voters FIRST Act authorizes the Legislature to amend the statutory provisions of the act by a statute that (1) is approved by a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and signed by the Governor, (2) furthers the act's purposes, and (3) complies with specified procedural requirements. (3) This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the Voters FIRST Act and the purposes of the Political Reform Act of 1974. (4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The California Constitution generally limits the maximum rate of ad valorem tax on real property to 1% of the full cash value of the property and defines "full cash value" for these purposes as the appraised value of real property when purchased, newly constructed, or a change in ownership has occurred after the 1975 assessment. Pursuant to constitutional authorization, existing property tax law excludes from the definition of "newly constructed" for these purposes the construction or addition of any active solar energy system, as defined, through the 2025–26 fiscal year. Under existing property tax law, this exclusion remains in effect only until there is a subsequent change in ownership, but an active solar energy system that qualifies for the exclusion before January 1, 2027, continues to receive the exclusion until there is a subsequent change in ownership. Existing law repeals these exclusion provisions on January 1, 2027. This bill would make a technical change to the existing active solar energy system exclusion by instead making the repeal date of January 1, 2027, the date the exclusion becomes inoperative. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 73 of the Revenue and Taxation Code proposed by AB 1516 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1516 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
