Existing law regulates the sale, possession, and disposal of hypodermic needles and syringes, and requires, with certain exceptions, a prescription to purchase a hypodermic needle or syringe for human use. Existing law prohibits any person from possessing or having under his or her control any hypodermic needle or syringe, except in accordance with those regulatory provisions. This bill would delete the prohibition against any person possessing or having under his or her control any hypodermic needle or syringe, except in accordance with the aforementioned regulatory provisions. Existing law, beginning January 1, 2011, and ending December 31, 2018, authorizes a county or city to authorize a licensed pharmacist to sell or furnish 10 or fewer hypodermic needles or syringes to a person 18 years of age or older for human use without a prescription if the pharmacist works for a pharmacy that is registered with a local health department in the Disease Prevention Demonstration Project, established by law to evaluate the long-term desirability of allowing licensed pharmacies to sell or furnish nonprescription hypodermic needles or syringes to prevent the spread of bloodborne pathogens, including HIV and hepatitis C. Under existing law, it is unlawful to possess an opium pipe or any device, contrivance, instrument, or paraphernalia used for unlawfully injecting or smoking specified controlled substances. Existing law, beginning January 1, 2011, and ending December 31, 2018, provides that the above-described provisions, pursuant to authorization from a city or county, shall not apply to the possession solely for personal use of 10 or fewer hypodermic needles or syringes. This bill would, until January 1, 2015, make these provisions, including any local authorization, but not including the Disease Prevention Demonstration Project, inoperative, and would, in the interim, authorize a physician or pharmacist, without a prescription or a permit, to furnish 30 or fewer hypodermic needles and syringes for human use to a person 18 years of age or older and would authorize a person 18 years of age or older, without a prescription or license, to obtain 30 or fewer hypodermic needles and syringes solely for personal use from a physician or pharmacist. This bill would, until January 1, 2015, provide that the above-described provisions making it unlawful to possess an opium pipe or any device, contrivance, instrument, or paraphernalia for unlawfully injecting or smoking certain controlled substances shall not apply to possession solely for personal use of 30 or fewer hypodermic needles or syringes if acquired from a physician, pharmacist, hypodermic needle and syringe exchange program, or any other source that is authorized by law to provide sterile syringes or hypodermic needles without a prescription. This bill would require the state Office of AIDS to develop and maintain information on its Internet Web site to educate consumers at risk of bloodborne infections of opportunities to improve and protect their health, and to protect the public health and would also require the California State Board of Pharmacy to post, or post a link to, this information on its Internet Web site. The Pharmacy Law authorizes a pharmacist to provide hypodermic needles and syringes without a presceription in specified circumstances. Existing law makes it a crime to knowingly violate any provision relating to the Pharmacy Law. This bill would, until January 1, 2015, require pharmacies that furnish nonprescription hypodermic needles and syringes to store the hypodermic needles and syringes in a manner that ensures that they are not accessible to unauthorized persons, and would require pharmacies or hypodermic needle and syringe exchange programs to provide consumers with prescribed options for consumer disposal of hypodermic needles and syringes. This bill would also, until January 1, 2015, require the pharmacies to provide prescribed written information or verbal counseling at the time of furnishing or sale of nonprescription hypodermic needles or syringes. By changing the definition 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.
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Existing law provides that it is the policy of the state to afford all persons in public schools, regardless of their disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that is contained in the definition of hate crimes, equal rights and opportunities in the educational institutions of the state, and that it is the purpose of existing law to prohibit acts that are contrary to that policy and to provide remedies therefor. Existing law requires the State Department of Education to develop a model handout, posted on appropriate department Internet Web sites, describing the rights and obligations set forth in these provisions and the policies addressing bias-related discrimination and harassment in schools. Existing law also requires the department to monitor adherence to these provisions and, as part of its regular monitoring and review of local educational agencies, to assess whether local educational agencies have adopted a policy that prohibits discrimination and harassment and a process for receiving and investigating complaints of discrimination and harassment, as specified. This bill would require the policy adopted by the local educational agencies to prohibit discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived characteristics, as specified. The bill also would require the process for receiving and investigating complaints to include complaints of discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived characteristics, as specified, and to include a requirement that school personnel who witness such acts take immediate steps to intervene when safe to do so, a timeline to investigate and resolve complaints, and an appeal process, as specified. The bill would make other conforming changes. Because this bill would require local educational agencies to perform additional duties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to post, and annually update, on his or her Internet Web site, and to provide to each school district, a list of statewide resources, including community-based organizations, that provide support to youth who have been subjected to school-based discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying, and their families. The bill would make its provisions operative on July 1, 2012. 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.
(1) Existing law contains various provisions that define sex as including gender and define gender as including a person's gender identity and gender-related appearance and behavior whether or not stereotypically associated with the person's assigned sex at birth. This bill would make technical changes to those provisions by refining the definition of gender to also mean a person's gender identity and gender expression and would define gender expression as meaning a person's gender-related appearance and behavior whether or not stereotypically associated with the person's assigned sex at birth. The bill would also replace cross-references to definitions of gender with the referenced definitions refined in the same manner as specified above. (2) Existing law contains various provisions that require equal rights and opportunities in various aspects, including education, housing, and employment, regardless of gender and prohibits discrimination based on specified characteristics, including sex and gender. Existing law also includes various statements of legislative intent and the policies of the state regarding the equal treatment and equal rights of people regardless of certain enumerated characteristics, including sex and gender. Existing law authorizes the Fair Employment and Housing Commission and the Department of Fair Employment and Housing to perform certain functions to eliminate discrimination in employment and housing on the basis of sex. Existing law requires the county counsel to determine whether certain documents contain an unlawful restrictive covenant based on sex and other characteristics. In these provisions, sex and gender are defined in the same manner described above. This bill would make technical changes to those provisions by including gender, gender identity, and gender expression among the enumerated characteristics. The bill would make related conforming changes. (3) Existing law prohibits public schools, including charter schools, from discriminating on the basis of specified characteristics, including gender, and specifies various statements of legislative intent and the policies of the state in that regard. Existing law also prohibits discrimination based on specified characteristics by any postsecondary educational institution that receives, or benefits from, state financial assistance. This bill would additionally include gender identity and gender expression among those characteristics. (4) Existing law requires an employer to allow an employee to appear or dress consistently with the employee's gender identity. This bill would additionally require an employer to allow an employee to appear or dress consistently with the employee's gender expression. (5) Existing law requires a county recorder who provides a copy of a declaration, governing document, or deed to any person to place a cover page or stamp on the first page of the previously recorded document stating that if the document contains any restriction based on certain characteristics, including sex, that the restriction violates state and federal fair housing laws and is void, and may be removed. This bill would require the specified language in the cover page or stamp to include the characteristics of gender, gender identity, and gender expression. By requiring the county recorder to change the cover page or stamp, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (6) Existing law prohibits certain property insurance policies from being canceled or refused renewal, and prohibits any premium from being excessive or unfairly discriminatory, solely on the basis that one or more claims has been made against the policy during the preceding 60 months for a loss that is the result of a hate crime committed against the person or property of the insured. That provision defines "hate crime" as specified acts done to a person because of any enumerated characteristics of that person, including gender. This bill would additionally include gender expression and gender identity among those characteristics. (7) Existing law requires the Healthy Families Program to be administered without regard to gender, race, creed, color, sexual orientation, health status, disability, or occupation. This bill would additionally require that program to be administered without regard to gender, gender identity, or gender expression. (8) Existing law prohibits a personal relationship or personal connection from being deemed to exist between an employee who is injured or killed by a 3rd party in the course of the employee's employment and that 3rd party based only on a determination that the 3rd party injured or killed the employee solely because of the 3rd party's perception of the employee's race, religious creed, color, national origin, age, gender, disability, sex, or sexual orientation, for purposes of determining whether to grant or deny a workers' compensation claim. This bill would include among those characteristics gender, gender identity, and gender expression. (9) Existing law requires the parole authority upon the release of any person who has been imprisoned for any felony offense committed against someone due to the victim's actual or perceived gender, among other characteristics, to order the defendant to refrain from further acts of violence, threats, stalking, or harassment of the victim as a condition of parole, as specified. Existing law also requires the court in any case when a person is convicted of an offense against someone due to the victim's actual or perceived gender, among other characteristics, to make an order protecting the victim, or known immediate family or domestic partner of the victim. This bill would additionally require the parole authority and the court to make those orders when the offense was due to a victim's actual or perceived gender identity or gender expression. (10) This bill would incorporate changes made by AB 440 and SB 559 that would become operative if AB 440, SB 559, or both bills are enacted and this bill is enacted after AB 440, SB 559, or both bills. (11) 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 contains provisions governing the operation and financing of community mental health services for the mentally disordered in every county through locally administered and locally controlled community mental health programs. Existing law, the Mental Health Services Act, an initiative measure enacted by the voters as Proposition 63 at the November 2, 2004, statewide general election, establishes the Mental Health Services Fund to fund various county mental health programs. The act provides that it may be amended by the Legislature by a 23 vote of each house as long as the amendment is consistent with and furthers the intent of the act, and that the Legislature may also clarify procedures and terms of the act by majority vote. Existing law requires each county mental health program to prepare and submit a 3-year plan that includes information on specified programs, including, but not limited to, programs for services to children and adults, and requires these programs to provide services to address the needs of transition age youth 16 to 25 years of age. This bill would require county mental health programs, in providing for services for transition age youth, to consider the needs of transition age foster youth. This bill would declare that it clarifies procedures and terms of the act. Because this bill would require counties to consider the needs of transition age foster youth in connection with programs for children and adults, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law, the Moore-Brown-Roberti Family Rights Act, makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer, as defined, to refuse to grant a request by an eligible employee to take up to 12 workweeks of unpaid protected leave during any 12-month period (1) to bond with a child who was born to, adopted by, or placed for foster care with, the employee, (2) to care for the employee's parent, spouse, or child who has a serious health condition, as defined, or (3) because the employee is suffering from a serious health condition rendering him or her unable to perform the functions of the job. Existing law makes it an unlawful employment practice, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification, for an employer to refuse to allow a female employee affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions to take leave on account of pregnancy for a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 4 months and thereafter return to work. Leave under these provisions is in addition to the leave provided under the Moore-Brown-Roberti Family Rights Act. Additionally, existing law makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to refuse to provide reasonable accommodation for an employee for conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition, if she so requests, with the advice of her health care provider. This bill would also make it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of, or the attempt to exercise, any right provided under the above provisions. This bill would also state that the changes made by this bill to the above provisions are declaratory of existing law. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 12945 of the Government Code proposed by SB 299, to be operative only if SB 299 and this bill are both enacted, both bills become effective on or before January 1, 2012, and this bill is enacted last.
The existing Long-Term Care, Health, Safety, and Security Act of 1973 establishes an inspection and reporting system and a provisional licensing mechanism, administered by the State Department of Public Health, to ensure that long-term health care facilities, as defined, are in compliance with state statutes, regulations, and federal standards pertaining to patient care. The act requires the department, if it determines that a violation of any state or federal law or regulation relating to the operation or maintenance of the facility warrants the issuance of a citation, to take specified actions regarding federal enforcement remedies and citations. The act prohibits the issuance of both a citation pursuant to state laws and the recommendation that a federal civil monetary penalty be imposed. This bill would delete this prohibition. The act establishes a citation and appeals process, that includes a citation review conference. This bill would repeal the citation review conference process and make conforming changes. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care Services to consider whether an undue hardship, as described, exists prior to finding that an applicant or recipient is subject to a period of ineligibility for medical assistance for home and facility care. This bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services to also consider whether an undue hardship exists for an applicant for, or recipient of, home and facility care under additional circumstances relating to the transfer of assets.
Existing law, subject to certain exceptions, makes it an offense to carry a concealed handgun on the person or in a vehicle, as specified. Existing law provides that firearms carried openly in belt holsters are not concealed within the meaning of those provisions. This bill would establish an exemption to the offense for transportation of a firearm between certain areas where the firearm may be carried concealed, or loaded, or openly carried unloaded, as specified. Existing law prohibits, with exceptions, a person from possessing a firearm in a place that the person knows or reasonably should know is a school zone, as defined. This bill would additionally exempt a security guard authorized to openly carry an unloaded handgun and an honorably retired peace officer authorized to openly carry an unloaded handgun from that prohibition. Existing law, subject to certain exceptions, makes it an offense to carry a loaded firearm on the person or in a vehicle while in any public place or on any public street in an incorporated city or in any public place or on any public street in a prohibited area of unincorporated territory. The bill would, subject to exceptions, make it a misdemeanor to openly carry an unloaded handgun on the person or openly and exposed in a motor vehicle in specified public areas and would make it a misdemeanor with specified penalties to openly carry an exposed handgun in a public place or public street, as specified, if the person at the same time possesses ammunition capable of being discharged from the handgun, and the person is not in lawful possession of the handgun, as specified. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for any driver or owner of a motor vehicle to allow a person to bring a loaded firearm into the motor vehicle in a public place, as specified. This bill would expand the scope of that crime to include allowing a person to bring an open and exposed unloaded handgun into the vehicle, as specified. By creating a new offense, and expanding the scope of existing crimes, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would make conforming and nonsubstantive technical changes. 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 sets forth various requirements for the issuance of diplomas conferred upon a pupil as evidence of graduation from high school. Statutory provisions establish the Golden State Seal Merit Diploma for the purpose of recognizing pupils who have mastered the high school curriculum. This bill would establish the State Seal of Biliteracy to recognize high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in one or more languages in addition to English. The State Seal of Biliteracy would be awarded by the Superintendent of Public Instruction in accordance with specified criteria. The Superintendent would be required to prepare and deliver to participating school districts the seal insignia. Participating school districts would be required to maintain records in order to identify pupils who have earned a State Seal of Biliteracy and to affix an appropriate insignia to the diploma or transcript of pupils who earn a State Seal of Biliteracy. The bill would make an appropriation by authorizing the Superintendent to use money appropriated for purposes of the Golden State Seal Merit Diploma program to develop an Internet Web site for electronic delivery of the seals for both the Golden State Seal Merit Diploma and State Seal of Biliteracy programs to school districts.
(1) The Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act generally requires the administrator for oil spill response, acting at the direction of the Governor, to implement activities relating to oil spill response, including drills and preparedness, and oil spill containment and cleanup, and to represent the state in any coordinated response efforts with the federal government. The act requires the administrator to periodically carry out announced and unannounced drills to test response and cleanup operations, equipment, contingency plans, and procedures. This bill would require the administrator to develop and implement a screening mechanism and a comprehensive risk-based monitoring program for inspecting the bunkering and lightering operations of vessels at anchor and alongside a dock. The bill also would require that the administrator identify bunkering and lightering operations that pose the highest risk of a pollution incident and coordinate with the United States Coast Guard to routinely monitor and inspect those operations. The bill would require the administrator to establish regulations to provide for the best achievable protection during bunkering and lightering operations in the marine environment. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2015. (2) Existing law imposes an oil spill prevention and administration fee in an amount determined by the administrator to be sufficient to implement oil spill prevention activities, but not to exceed $0.05 per barrel of crude oil or petroleum products, on persons owning crude oil or petroleum products at a marine terminal. The fee is deposited into the Oil Spill Prevention and Administration Fund in the State Treasury. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, moneys in the fund are available for specified purposes. This bill would, beginning January 1, 2012, revise that fee to an amount not to exceed $0.065 per barrel of crude oil or petroleum products and, beginning January 1, 2015, to an amount not to exceed $0.05. (3) Existing law requires the Department of Fish and Game to contract with the Department of Finance to prepare and submit to the Governor and the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2005, a detailed report on the financial basis and programmatic effectiveness of the state's oil spill prevention, response, and preparedness program. This bill would require the Department of Fish and Game and the State Lands Commission, independently, to contract with the Department of Finance to prepare and submit that report to the Governor and the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2013, and no less than once every 4 years thereafter. (4) Under existing law, the State Lands Commission has jurisdiction over state lands and ungranted tidelands and submerged lands owned by the state. This bill would require the State Lands Commission, on or before March 1, 2012, in consultation with the Department of Conservation, to report to the Legislature on regulatory action, pending or already taken, and statutory recommendations for the Legislature to ensure maximum safety and prevention of harm during offshore oil drilling. This provision would be repealed on January 1, 2016.
(1) Existing law, known as the Donahoe Higher Education Act, establishes the missions and functions of the state's 3 segments of public postsecondary education, which are the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges. The provisions of the Donahoe Higher Education Act apply to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by resolution, make them applicable. Existing provisions of the Donahoe Higher Education Act require the Regents of the University of California, the Trustees of the California State University, and the governing boards of community college districts to adopt or provide for the adoption of rules and regulations governing student behavior, known as rules of student conduct. This bill would request the Trustees of the California State University, the Regents of the University of California, and the governing board of each community college district to adopt and publish policies on harassment, intimidation, and bullying to be included within the rules of student conduct governing their respective segments of public postsecondary education. The bill would express the intent of the Legislature that rules and regulations governing student conduct be published, at a minimum, on the Internet Web sites of each public postsecondary educational campus and as part of any printed material covering those rules and regulations within the respective public postsecondary education systems. (2) The Equity in Higher Education Act, a part of the Donahoe Higher Education Act, provides that it is the policy of the state to afford all persons, regardless of disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or other specified bases, equal rights and opportunities in the postsecondary educational institutions of the state. For these purposes, the act defines "gender" to include gender identity. This bill would revise the definition of gender to include "gender expression" for purposes of the Equity in Higher Education Act. The bill would request the Trustees of the California State University, the Regents of the University of California, and the governing board of each community college district to designate an employee at each of their respective campuses as a point of contact to address the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender faculty, staff, and students. The bill would request each segment to collect aggregate demographic information regarding sexual orientation and gender identity of staff and students within other aggregate demographic data collected, and would require annual transmittal of any report to the Legislature, as specified, and posting of the information on the Internet Web site of each respective institution. The bill would encourage the Legislative Analyst to conduct an assessment of the campuses of each of the segments of public postsecondary education to develop recommendations to improve the quality of life on those campuses for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender faculty, staff, and students, and to publish a summary of those recommendations on its Internet Web site. The bill would make various conforming changes to existing nondiscrimination laws affecting postsecondary educational institutions and programs, and requirements related to reporting hate violence, as defined, to additionally include sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression within the scope of those programs and requirements.