Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including electrical corporations. Existing law authorizes the commission to adopt new, or expand existing, fixed charges, as defined, for the purpose of collecting a reasonable portion of the fixed costs of providing electrical service to residential customers. Under existing law, the commission may authorize fixed charges for any rate schedule applicable to a residential customer account. Existing law requires the commission, no later than July 1, 2024, to authorize a fixed charge for default residential rates. Existing law requires these fixed charges to be established on an income-graduated basis, with no fewer than 3 income thresholds, so that low-income ratepayers in each baseline territory would realize a lower average monthly bill without making any changes in usage. This bill would prohibit modifications to the amount of the income-graduated fixed charge from exceeding changes in inflation, as provided. The bill would make the provisions authorizing the income-graduated fixed charge inoperative on July 1, 2028. The bill, commencing July 1, 2028, would instead permit the commission to authorize fixed charges that, as of January 1, 2015, do not exceed $5 per residential customer account per month for low-income customers enrolled in the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program and that do not exceed $10 per residential customer account per month for customers not enrolled in the CARE program. The bill would authorize these maximum allowable fixed charges to be adjusted by no more than the annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for the prior calendar year, beginning January 1, 2016. The bill would require the commission to adopt any modification to an existing fixed charge for the collection of a reasonable portion of the fixed costs of providing electrical service to residential customers in a stand-alone proceeding. The bill would prohibit a fixed charge from resulting in an increase to an electrical corporation's revenue requirement. The bill would require the commission, on or before July 1, 2027, but no sooner than 2 years after the adoption of the income-graduated fixed charge, to submit a public report to the relevant policy committees of both houses of the Legislature on the electrical corporations' implementation of the income-graduated fixed charge and other cost-saving options, as specified. 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 therefore a violation of the bill's requirements or of a commission action implementing its requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law makes theft a crime, and distinguishes between grand theft and petty theft. Existing law makes the theft of money, labor, or property petty theft punishable as a misdemeanor, whenever the value of the property taken does not exceed $950. Under existing law, if the value of the property taken exceeds $950, the theft is grand theft, punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony. Existing law makes a first conviction for petty theft involving merchandise taken from a merchant's premises punishable by a mandatory fine and as a misdemeanor. This bill would require the Department of Justice to determine the number of misdemeanor convictions for a crime of theft for which the property was taken from a retail establishment during the Governor's declared state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to report that information to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2026.
Existing law creates the California Apprenticeship Council, appointed by the Governor, in the Division of Apprenticeship Standards and requires the council to issue rules and regulations that, among other things, establish standards for minimum wages, maximum hours, and working conditions for apprentice agreements in the building and construction trades and for firefighter occupations, as prescribed. The Personal Income Tax Law imposes a tax on the entire taxable income of a resident taxpayer and on taxable income of nonresidents derived from sources within the state. Existing law requires every taxpayer subject to tax under that law to file a return with the Franchise Tax Board, stating specifically the items of gross income from all sources and the deductions and credits allowable, as provided. Existing law makes the unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information a misdemeanor. This bill would require the Franchise Tax Board to include a checkbox on individual income tax returns for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, for taxpayers to authorize the Franchise Tax Board to share their full name and mailing address with the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, pursuant to an information sharing agreement or data interface, for the purpose of receiving individual outreach information regarding apprenticeship programs in the state. The bill would require the division, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to annually conduct outreach and enrollment efforts to individuals whose information is shared pursuant to the provisions of this bill. The bill would provide that the unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information by the division is a misdemeanor. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law establishes a schedule of covered benefits under the Medi-Cal program. This bill would add menstrual products, as defined, to that schedule of covered benefits. The bill would require the department to seek any necessary federal approvals to implement this coverage. The bill would require the department to seek, and would authorize the department to use, any and all available federal funding, as specified, to implement this coverage.
Existing law classifies certain substances, including cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, as controlled substances and generally prohibits the possession, sale, transportation, and use of these substances. Existing law additionally prohibits the possession of certain of these controlled substances including cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine while armed with a loaded and operable firearm. A violation of this prohibition is punishable as a felony punishable by incarceration in the state prison. This bill would additionally prohibit the possession of fentanyl, as specified, while armed with a loaded and operable firearm. By expanding the application of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law requires the California Department of Aging to administer the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act, which establishes various programs that serve older individuals, defined as persons 60 years of age or older except as specified. The act requires the department to designate various private nonprofit or public agencies as area agencies on aging to work within a planning and service area and provide a broad array of social and nutritional services. Under the act, the department's mission is to provide leadership to those agencies in developing systems of home- and community-based services that maintain individuals in their own homes or least restrictive homelike environments. This bill would, until January 1, 2031, and subject to an appropriation, require the department to establish a case management services demonstration project in up to 4 counties located in varying regions of the state, based on a process of selection by the department and voluntary participation by the selected counties. Under the bill, the purpose of the project would be to expand statewide the local capacity of supportive services programs by providing case management services to older individuals who need assistance to maintain health and economic stability. The bill would require an area agency on aging corresponding to a participating county to assume the lead role in coordination with county agencies and local partner organizations within the county, as appropriate, and would authorize the area agency on aging to deliver the services directly or through coordination, as specified. The bill would require the participating counties to measure performance outcomes during the course of implementing the project. The bill would require the participating area agencies on aging, on an annual basis, for the first 5 years during which an appropriation is made, to submit reports to the department containing data on the performance outcomes, in order to determine project efficacy and to inform and shape solutions under a master plan for aging that has been established pursuant to a specified executive order.
Existing law classifies controlled substances into 5 schedules and places the greatest restrictions and penalties on the use of those substances placed in Schedule I. Existing law classifies the drug fentanyl in Schedule II. Existing law makes possession of a controlled substance for the purposes of sale of the substance punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a period of 2, 3, or 4 years. Existing law makes transportation and sales of a controlled substances punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a period of 3, 4, or 5 years and transportation to a noncontiguous county within the state punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a period of 3, 6, or 9 years. This bill would increase the above-described penalties, as specified, if the controlled substance involved was more than more than 28.35 grams of fentanyl, more than 28.35 grams of an analog of fentanyl, a substance containing more than 28.35 grams of fentanyl, or a substance containing more than 28.35 grams of an analog of fentanyl and the individual knew that the specific controlled substance was fentanyl. By increasing the penalty for a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing federal law, the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, creates the Crime Victims Fund and authorizes federal financial assistance to states for the purpose of supporting eligible crime victim assistance programs. Existing law creates various programs under the Office of Emergency Services related to crime prevention and education, including, among other things, programs concerning family violence prevention and domestic violence prevention. This bill would require the office to allocate funds, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to fill the gap in the federal Victims of Crime Act funding and to prioritize continuity and stability of crime victim services if the federal grant funding that is awarded to the office is 10% or more lower than the amount awarded in the prior year. The bill would require the office to regularly consult, collaborate with, and consider the recommendations regarding allocation of funding from the Victims of Crime Act Steering Committee.
Existing law authorizes a court to grant pretrial diversion to a defendant suffering from a mental disorder, on an accusatory pleading alleging the commission of a misdemeanor or felony offense, in order to allow the defendant to undergo mental health treatment. Existing law prohibits defendants charged with specified offenses, including murder, from being placed in this diversion program. This bill would add attempted murder to the list of charged offenses that prohibit a defendant from being placed in this diversion program.
Existing law, until January 1, 2026, requires a person, upon a criminal conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) with a prior conviction for DUI, to install a functioning, certified ignition interlock device (IID) for a specified period of time. Existing law also authorizes a court, upon the first criminal conviction of a person for DUI, to order installation of an IID for a specified period of time, or, if the court does not order the installation of the device, authorizes the person to apply for a restricted license, as specified. This bill would establish a pilot program under the Department of Motor Vehicles that would, between July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2030, require the courts in the Counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Sacramento, San Bernardino, and San Diego, to order the installation of an IID for any DUI conviction, as specified. The bill would require the department to prepare and submit a report to the Legislature, after the conclusion of the program, summarizing the effect of the program on reducing first-time and repeat DUI offenses.
Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, requires the Department of Managed Health Care to license and regulate health care service plans and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Other existing law requires the Department of Insurance to regulate health insurers. Existing law requires an individual or small group health care service plan contract or health insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2017, to include, at a minimum, coverage for essential health benefits pursuant to the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Under existing law, essential health benefits include, among other things, rehabilitative and habilitative services. Existing law requires habilitative services and devices to be covered under the same terms and conditions applied to rehabilitative services and devices under the plan contract or policy, and defines habilitative services to mean health care services and devices that help a person keep, learn, or improve skills and functioning for daily living. This bill would specify that coverage of rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices under a health care service plan or health insurance policy includes durable medical equipment, services, and repairs, if the equipment, services, or repairs are prescribed or ordered by a physician, surgeon, or other health professional acting within the scope of their license. The bill would define "durable medical equipment" to mean devices, including replacement devices, that are designed for repeated use, and that are used for the treatment or monitoring of a medical condition or injury in order to help a person to partially or fully acquire, improve, keep, or learn, or minimize the loss of, skills and functioning of daily living. The bill would prohibit coverage of durable medical equipment and services from being subject to financial or treatment limitations, as specified. The bill would make related findings and declarations, including that coverage of durable medical equipment is necessary to comply with federal requirements for purposes of being considered essential health benefits not subject to defrayal payments. Because a violation of the bill's provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law authorizes the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to contract for, among other things, clothing, provisions, and supplies necessary to support prisons. This bill would require the department to provide its employees with reasonable and appropriate personal protective equipment based on the employee's individual needs. This bill would prohibit the department from enforcing its policy that staff be clean shaven. The bill would require the department to establish a task force, as specified, to ensure the department's policies are inclusive and address their impact on minority racial and religious communities. The bill would require the department to develop a step-by-step procedure for submission of accommodation requests and the interactive process the department will follow when engaging with employees.
