Asm. Lori Wilson

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 requires the department to establish the Medically Tailored Meals Pilot Program and the Short-Term Medically Tailored Meals Intervention Services Program, to operate in specified counties and during limited periods for the purpose of providing medically tailored meal intervention services to eligible Medi-Cal beneficiaries with certain health conditions, including congestive heart failure, cancer, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or renal disease. Existing law, subject to implementation of the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative, authorizes a Medi-Cal managed care plan to elect to cover community supports approved by the department as cost effective and medically appropriate in a comprehensive risk contract that are in lieu of applicable Medi-Cal state plan services. Under existing law, community supports that the department is authorized to approve include, among other things, medically supportive food and nutrition services, including medically tailored meals. This bill would make medically supportive food and nutrition interventions a covered benefit under the Medi-Cal program, through both the fee-for-service and managed care delivery systems, no sooner than July 1, 2026, upon appropriation and subject to federal approval and the issuance of final guidance by the department. The bill would require those interventions to be covered if determined to be medically necessary by a health care provider or health care plan, as specified. The bill would require the provision of interventions for 12 weeks, or longer if deemed medically necessary. The bill would require the department to define the qualifying medical conditions for covered interventions and delineate the services included in the definition of a medically supportive food and nutrition intervention. The bill would require a health care provider, to the extent possible, to match the acuity of a patient's condition to the intensity and duration of the covered intervention and to include culturally appropriate foods. The bill would require the department, upon appropriation, to establish a medically supportive food and nutrition benefit stakeholder group, with a specified composition, to advise the department on certain related items, such as the scope of the benefit, among others.

Existing law establishes, until January 1, 2030, the Racial Equity Commission within the Office of Planning and Research and requires the commission to develop resources, best practices, and tools for advancing racial equity by, among other things, developing a statewide Racial Equity Framework that includes methodologies and tools that can be employed to advance racial equity and address structural racism in California. This bill would require the Office of Legal Affairs, which would be established within the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency as provided by SB 1403 of the 2023–24 Regular Session, to, upon appropriation by the Legislature, review, investigate, and make certain determinations regarding applications from persons who claim they are the dispossessed owner, as defined, of property taken as a result of racially motivated eminent domain. The bill would define "racially motivated eminent domain" to mean when the state, county, city, city and county, district, or other political subdivision of the state acquires private property for public use and does not distribute just compensation to the owner at the time of the taking, and the taking, or the failure to provide just compensation, was due, in whole or in part, to the owner's ethnicity or race. Upon a determination that providing property or just compensation is warranted, as provided, the bill would require the Office of Legal Affairs to certify that the dispossessed owner is entitled to the return of the taken property, as specified, or other publicly held property, as defined, of equal value, or financial compensation, as specified. Upon a determination that the dispossessed owner is entitled to other publicly held property of equal value, the bill would require the Office of Legal Affairs to solicit and select, as specified, a list of recommendations of publicly held properties that are suitable as compensation, as provided. Upon a rejection of the determination of the Office of Legal Affairs by the state or local agency that took property by racially motivated eminent domain, the bill would authorize the dispossessed owner, as specified, to bring an action to challenge the taking or the amount of compensation, as provided. Upon a determination that an applicant is not a dispossessed owner or issuing property or just compensation is not warranted, the bill would require the Office of Legal Affairs to notify the applicant of its finding and provide an appeal process, as specified. The bill would make every finding, decision, determination, or other official act of the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency subject to judicial review. Existing law generally prohibits state agencies from employing in-house counsel to act on behalf of the agency or its employees in judicial or administrative adjudicative proceedings, but exempts specified agencies from this provision. This bill would exempt the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency from that provision. This bill would make related findings and declarations, including those related to a gift of public funds.

Existing law prohibits a person or entity from manufacturing, selling, or distributing in commerce any toy or childcare article that contains, among other things, Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in concentrations exceeding 0.1%. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2030, prohibit a person or entity from manufacturing, selling, or distributing into commerce in the State of California certain intravenous solution containers made with intentionally added DEHP, as defined. The bill would extend the deadline to January 1, 2032, for a person or entity who has a pending United States Food and Drug Administration approval or who does not have adequate equipment to manufacture the DEHP-free intravenous solution container and who meets other specified requirements, including providing prescribed notices to consumers. The bill would also, commencing January 1, 2035, prohibit a person or entity from manufacturing, selling, or distributing into commerce in the State of California certain intravenous tubing made with intentionally added DEHP. The bill would prohibit a person or entity from manufacturing, selling, or distributing in commerce intravenous tubing or intravenous solution containers containing unintentionally added DEHP, as defined. The bill would prohibit a person or entity from replacing DEHP for revised or new products with other specified ortho-phthalates.

The California Constitution specifies various requirements with respect to the levying of assessments and property-related fees and charges by a local agency, including notice, hearing, and protest procedures, depending on the character of the assessment, fee, or charge. Existing law, known as the Proposition 218 Omnibus Implementation Act, prescribes specific procedures and parameters for local jurisdictions to comply with these requirements. This bill would prohibit, if a local agency complies with specified procedures, a person or entity from bringing a judicial action or proceeding alleging noncompliance with the constitutional provisions for any new, increased, or extended fee or assessment, as defined, unless that person or entity has timely submitted to the local agency a written objection to that fee or assessment that specifies the grounds for alleging noncompliance, as specified. This bill would provide that local agency responses to the timely submitted written objections shall go to the weight of the evidence supporting the agency's compliance with the substantive limitations on fees and assessments imposed by the constitutional provisions. The bill would also prohibit an independent cause of action as to the adequacy of the local agency's responses. This bill would, if the local agency complies with the specified procedures, provide that in any judicial action or proceeding to review, invalidate, challenge, set aside, rescind, void, or annul the fee or assessment for failure to comply with the procedural and substantive requirements of specified constitutional provisions in the fee or assessment setting process, the court's review is limited to a record of proceedings containing specified documents, except as otherwise provided. The bill would provide that this limitation does not preclude any civil action related to a local agency's failure to implement a fee or assessment in compliance with the manner adopted by the local agency. The bill would make related findings and declarations.

Existing law establishes the California College Promise, under the administration of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, to provide funding, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to each community college meeting prescribed requirements. Existing law authorizes a community college to use that funding to waive some or all of the fees for 2 academic years for first-time community college students and returning community college students, as defined, who are enrolled in 12 or more semester units or the equivalent, or less for students certified as "full time," as specified, and who complete and submit either a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or a California Dream Act application, except as provided. This bill would authorize extending the term of eligibility of the California College Promise for an additional 2 academic years for first-time community college students and returning community college students who matriculate into upper division coursework of a community college baccalaureate degree program, as specified.

Existing law, commencing with the 2023–24 fiscal year, appropriates $300,000,000 each fiscal year from the General Fund to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for allocation for the Local Control Funding Formula Equity Multiplier apportionment, as provided. Existing law requires the funding to be allocated to eligible local educational agencies that generate a specified local control funding formula entitlement based on, among other things, the percentage of unduplicated pupils served. Existing law establishes the Strong Workforce Program to provide funding to career technical education regional consortia made up of community college districts and local educational agencies, as specified. Existing law also establishes a K–12 component of the Strong Workforce Program. Existing law provides that, commencing with the 2018–19 fiscal year, the amount appropriated in the annual Budget Act for the K–12 component of the program is used to create, support, or expand high-quality career technical education programs at the K–12 level that are aligned with the workforce development efforts occurring through the program. Existing law requires each consortium to form a K–12 Selection Committee, as specified, for purposes of awarding grants under the K–12 component of the program and requires that applicants with certain characteristics be given positive consideration, as specified. This bill would require positive consideration for purposes of awarding grants under the K–12 component of the program to also be given to applicants that serve pupils enrolled at local educational agencies receiving Local Control Funding Formula Equity Multiplier funding.

Existing law requires candidates for an office at a primary election to deliver their nomination documents to the county elections official no later than 5 p.m. on the 88th day before the primary election, or in specified cases, no later than 5 p.m. on the 83rd day before the primary election. Existing law prohibits a person who has delivered nomination documents to the county elections official from withdrawing their candidacy. Existing law further prohibits a person from filing nomination documents for a party nomination and an independent nomination for the same office, or for more than one office at the same election. This bill would permit a candidate for any office other than a statewide office, as defined, at a primary election to withdraw their nomination documents for that office during the applicable filing period. The bill would establish requirements for withdrawal, including that the candidate submit a statement under penalty of perjury that they are withdrawing their nomination documents and understand the withdrawal is irrevocable and that the filing fees are nonrefundable. The bill would permit a candidate who withdraws to file nomination documents for another office at that primary election during the applicable filing period. The bill would clarify that a candidate is prohibited from filing nomination documents for more than one office at the same primary election, except as specified. If an incumbent has delivered but then withdrawn their nomination documents before 5 p.m. on the 88th day before the primary election, the bill would authorize another candidate to deliver their nomination documents no later than 5 p.m. on the 83rd day before the primary election. By establishing a new crime based upon the requirement that a candidate submit a statement of withdrawal under penalty of perjury, and by establishing new duties for 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 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 requires the Governor to create an Interagency Council on Homelessness, consisting of specified members. Among other goals, existing law requires the council to coordinate existing funding and applications for competitive funding. Existing law requires the council to create a statewide data system, which is known as the Homeless Data Integration System, that collects local data through the Homeless Management Information System, with a goal of matching data on homelessness to programs impacting homeless recipients of state programs. Existing law also requires the council to collect, compile, and make available to the public financial data provided to the council from all state-funded homelessness programs. Existing law defines state programs as any programs a California state agency or department funds, implements, or administers for the purpose of providing housing or housing-based services to people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, except as specified. This bill would additionally require the council to include the Governor's Tribal Advisor. The bill would remove the above-mentioned reference to competitive funding and would instead require the council to coordinate applications for funding. The bill would require council staff to develop and regularly maintain a strategic funding guide and a calendar of new or existing funding opportunities. The bill would require agencies and departments administering state programs to provide the council updated information on new or existing funding opportunities on a quarterly basis. The bill would also require council staff to collect fiscal and outcome data, as defined, from state agencies and departments administering state homelessness programs with a grantee or entity that is required to enter data elements on the individuals and families it serves into its local Homeless Management Information System, as specified. The bill would require the state agencies and departments to submit the fiscal and outcome data to council staff on or before February 1, 2027, and annually thereafter. The bill would require council staff to make the data publicly available on or before June 1, 2027, and annually thereafter. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 8257 of the Welfare and Institutions Code proposed by SB 1443 to be operative only if this bill and SB 1443 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

This measure would designate a specified portion of Interstate 80 in the City and County of San Francisco as the Willie Mays Highway. The measure would request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.

This measure would, among other things, urge the United States Congress and President Joseph R. Biden to fully fund the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Comprehensive Infrastructure Solution for the Tijuana River due to the ongoing impacts to public health, the environment, and the local economy caused by cross-border pollution and would urge President Joseph R. Biden to declare a national emergency due to those ongoing impacts.