(1) Under existing law, a child may come within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court and become a dependent child of the court in certain cases, including when the child is abused, a parent or guardian fails to adequately supervise or protect the child, as specified, or a parent or guardian fails to provide the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical treatment. Existing law generally subjects any person under 18 years of age who commits a crime to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, which may adjudge that person to be a ward of the court. Existing law requires the responsible local agency to make a diligent effort in all out-of-home placements of dependent children to place siblings together in the same placement, and to develop and maintain sibling relationships. This bill would extend that requirement to all out-of-home placements of wards in foster care. By imposing additional duties on local agencies, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law permits any person to petition the juvenile court to assert a sibling relationship with a dependent child or a child who is the subject of a petition for adjudication as a dependent child and make certain requests, including a request for visitation with the dependent child. This bill would also authorize a dependent child or a nonminor dependent to request visitation with a sibling who is in the physical custody of a common legal or biological parent. The bill would authorize a court to grant those requests for visitation, unless it is determined by the court that visitation is contrary to the safety and well-being of any of the siblings. This bill would authorize any person, including a ward, a transition dependent, or a nonminor dependent of the juvenile court, to petition the court to assert a relationship as a sibling and make certain requests, including a request for visitation, with a sibling who is, or is the subject of an adjudication as, a ward of the juvenile court, as specified. The bill would authorize a ward, transition dependent, or nonminor dependent to assert a relationship as a sibling and request visitation with a nondependent sibling who is in the physical custody of a common legal or biological parent. The bill would authorize a court to grant those requests for visitation, unless it is determined by the court that visitation is contrary to the safety and well-being of any of the siblings. (3) Existing law requires, in order to maintain ties between the parent or guardian and any siblings and a child placed in foster care, an order placing a child in foster care and ordering reunification services to provide for visitation between the parent or guardian and the child and for visitation between any siblings and the child. This bill would additionally require an order placing a child in foster care and ordering reunification services to provide for review of the reasons for any suspension of sibling visitation at each periodic review hearing and for a requirement that, in order for the suspension to continue, a court make a renewed finding that sibling interaction is contrary to the safety or well-being of either child. (4) Existing law requires that the status of a dependent child in foster care be reviewed periodically, but no less frequently than once every 6 months. Existing law requires a court to determine specified information at that hearing, including whether the child has any siblings under the court's jurisdiction, and, if any siblings exist and are not placed with the child, the frequency and nature of the visits between siblings. Existing law requires a social worker or child advocate appointed by the court, when preparing certain social studies or evaluations, to include specified information, including whether the child has any siblings under the court's jurisdiction, and, if any siblings exist and are not placed with the child, the frequency and nature of the visits between siblings. This bill would additionally require, if any siblings exist and are not placed with the child, the court to determine, and require a social worker or child advocate appointed by the court to include in those social studies or evaluations, whether any visits between the siblings are supervised or unsupervised, and if visits are supervised, a discussion of the reasons why the visits are supervised, and what needs to be accomplished in order for the visits to be unsupervised, a description of the location and length of any visits, and any plan to increase visitation between siblings. By requiring county social workers to include additional information in certain social studies or evaluations, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (5) Existing law requires, after a minor is adjudged to be a ward of the court, the court to hear evidence on the question of the proper disposition to be made of the minor. Existing law requires the probation officer to prepare a case plan if placement in foster care is recommended by the probation officer, or if the minor is already in foster care placement or pending placement. Existing law requires the probation officer to include, among other things, scheduled visits between the minor and his or her family and an explanation if no visits are made. This bill would additionally require the probation officer to include specified information relating to the child's siblings. By imposing additional duties on probation officers, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. (6) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 358.1 and 366.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, proposed by SB 977, that would become operative only if this bill and SB 977 are chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2015, and this bill is chaptered last. The bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 16002 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, proposed by SB 1460, that would become operative only if this bill and SB 1460 are chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2015, and this bill is chaptered last. The bill would also incorporate additional changes to Section 361.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, proposed by SB 977 and SB 1460, that would become operative only if this bill and either or both of those bills are chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2015, and this bill is chaptered last. (7) 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.
Sponsored bills
Existing law authorizes the creation by a city, county, or city and county of an infrastructure financing district, as defined, for the sole purpose of financing public facilities, subject to adoption of a resolution by the legislative body and affected taxing entities proposed to be subject to division of taxes and 23 voter approval. Existing law authorizes the legislative body to, by majority vote, initiate proceedings to issue bonds for the financing of district projects by adopting a resolution, subject to specified procedures and 23 voter approval. Existing law requires an infrastructure financing plan to include the date on which an infrastructure financing district will cease to exist, which may not be more than 30 years from the date on which the ordinance forming the district is adopted. Existing law prohibits a district from including any portion of a redevelopment project area. Existing law, the Polanco Redevelopment Act, authorizes a redevelopment agency to take any action that the agency determines is necessary and consistent with state and federal laws to remedy or remove a release of hazardous substances on, under, or from property within a project area, whether the agency owns that property or not, subject to specified conditions. Existing law also declares the intent of the Legislature that the areas of the district created be substantially undeveloped, and that the establishment of a district should not ordinarily lead to the removal of dwelling units. This bill would authorize the creation by a city, county, city and county, or joint powers authority of an infrastructure and revitalization financing district, as defined, and the issuance of debt with 23 voter approval. The bill would authorize the creation of a district for up to 40 years and the issuance of debt with a final maturity date of up to 30 years, as specified. The bill would authorize a district to finance projects in redevelopment project areas and former redevelopment project areas and former military bases. The bill would authorize the legislative body to dedicate any portion of its funds received from the Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund to the district, if specified criteria are met. The bill would authorize the formation of a district to finance a project or projects on a former military base, if specified conditions are met. The bill would authorize a district to fund various projects, including, among others, watershed land used for the collection and treatment of water for urban uses, flood management, levees, bypasses, open space, habitat restoration, brownfields restoration, environmental mitigation, purchase of land and property for development purposes, including commercial property, hazardous cleanup, former military bases, and specified transportation purposes. The bill would authorize a district to implement hazardous cleanup pursuant to the Polanco Redevelopment Act, as specified. The bill would impose a specified reporting requirement on districts. The bill would state that it is the intent of the Legislature that the establishment of a district should not ordinarily lead to the removal of existing functional, habitable, and safe dwelling units, as specified. The bill would define the term "public works" for purposes of these provisions. This bill would incorporate additional substantive changes in Section 33459 of the Health and Safety Code made by SB 470, to become operative if SB 470 and this bill become effective on or before January 1, 2014, and this bill is enacted last.
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various professions and vocations by boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law authorizes a board to deny, suspend, or revoke a license on various grounds, including, but not limited to, conviction of a crime if the crime is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of the business or profession for which the license was issued. Existing law prohibits a board from denying a license on the ground that the applicant has committed a crime if the applicant shows that he or she obtained a certificate of rehabilitation in the case of a felony, or that he or she has met all applicable requirements of the criteria of rehabilitation developed by the board, as specified, in the case of a misdemeanor. Existing law permits a defendant to withdraw his or her plea of guilty or plea of nolo contendere and enter a plea of not guilty in any case in which a defendant has fulfilled the conditions of probation for the entire period of probation, or has been discharged prior to the termination of the period of probation, or has been convicted of a misdemeanor and not granted probation and has fully complied with and performed the sentence of the court, or has been sentenced to a county jail for a felony, or in any other case in which a court, in its discretion and the interests of justice, determines that a defendant should be granted this or other specified relief and requires the defendant to be released from all penalties and disabilities resulting from the offense of which he or she has been convicted. This bill would prohibit a board within the Department of Consumer Affairs from denying a license based solely on a conviction that has been dismissed pursuant to the above provisions. The bill would require an applicant who has a conviction that has been dismissed pursuant to the above provisions to provide proof of the dismissal.
Existing law authorizes the defendant or the people, in cases where the defendant has been charged with a serious felony, as defined, or in a case of domestic violence, to have a witness examined conditionally, as specified, if there is evidence that the life of the witness is in jeopardy. Existing law specifies the information required to be stated in the affidavit applying to examine a witness conditionally, including the nature of the offense charged. This bill would authorize the defendant or the people to apply for an order that the witness be examined conditionally when the defendant has been charged with human trafficking and there is evidence that the victim or material witness has been or is being dissuaded by the defendant or a person acting on behalf of the defendant, by intimidation or physical threat, from cooperating with the prosecutor or testifying at trial. This bill would also allow a court to examine a victim or material witness conditionally if the court finds there is a reasonable basis to believe that the witness will not attend the trial because he or she is under the direct control of the defendant or another person involved in human trafficking and, by virtue of this relationship, the defendant or other person seeks to prevent the witness or victim from testifying. The bill would conform the affidavit requirements for applying to examine a witness conditionally.
Under existing law, a person between the ages of 6 and 18 years who is not exempted by law is subject to compulsory full-time education. Existing law excludes a child under 6 years of age from the public schools, subject to specified exceptions. Existing law requires a school district maintaining a kindergarten to admit a child who will have his or her 5th birthday on or before certain specified dates during that school year. Existing law also requires that a child who will have his or her 6th birthday on or before specified dates be admitted to the first grade of an elementary school. This bill, beginning with the 2016–17 school year, would require a child to have completed one year of kindergarten before he or she may be admitted to the first grade, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Existing law requires the board of governors to appoint a chief executive officer, to be known as the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. Existing law provides that, notwithstanding open course provisions in statute or regulations of the board of governors, the governing board of a community college district that provides classes for inmates of certain facilities may include the units of full-time equivalent students generated in those classes for purposes of state apportionments. This bill would instead waive the open course provisions in statute or regulations of the board of governors for any governing board of a community college district for classes the district provides to inmates of those facilities and state correctional facilities, and would authorize the board of governors to include the units of full-time equivalent students generated in those classes for purposes of state apportionments. Existing law provides for the method of computing apportionments for purposes of these inmate education programs. This bill would make revisions to that method of computation. The bill would prohibit a community college district from claiming, for purposes of apportionments for these inmate education programs, any class for which a district receives full compensation for its direct education costs for the conduct of the class from any public or private agency, individual, or group of individuals, or any class offered pursuant to a contract or instructional agreement entered into between the district and a public or private agency, individual, or group of individuals that has received from another source full compensation for the costs the district incurs under that contract or instructional agreement, as prescribed. This bill would require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, on or before March 1, 2015, to enter into an interagency agreement to expand access to community college courses that lead to degrees or certificates that result in enhanced workforce skills or transfer to a 4-year university. This bill would require that courses for inmates in a state correctional facility developed as a result of this agreement supplement, but not duplicate or supplant, any adult education course opportunities offered at that facility by the Office of Correctional Education of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. This bill would require the department, in collaboration with the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, to develop metrics for evaluations of the efficacy and success of the programs developed through the interagency agreement, conduct the evaluations, and, on or before July 31, 2018, report findings from the evaluations to the Legislature and the Governor.
Under existing law, the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is responsible for the administration of the state prisons. Existing law makes it a crime to engage in sodomy while incarcerated in a state prison and existing regulation prohibits inmates from participating in illegal sexual acts. This bill would require the department to develop a 5-year plan to extend the availability of condoms in all California prisons.
Existing law requires the terms of probation or parole for all persons placed on formal probation or parole for an offense that requires registration as a sex offender to include, among other things, participation in, or completion of, a sex offender management program, as specified. Existing law requires that the length of the period in the program be determined by a certified sex offender management professional in consultation with the probation or parole officer and as approved by the court. This bill would require participation in the above programs to apply without regard to when the crime or crimes for which the person is on probation or parole were committed. By increasing the penalties for existing crimes, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law generally regulates false advertising and specifically prohibits certain unfair acts or practices undertaken by, or omissions of, a person in the operation of a contest, including misrepresenting the odds of winning a prize or failing to award and distribute all prizes. A violation of this provision is a misdemeanor. This bill would apply the prohibition described above to unfair acts or practices undertaken by, or omissions of, a person in the operation of a sweepstakes, as defined. The bill would prohibit using or offering to use any method intended to be used by a person interacting with an electronic video monitor to simulate gambling or play gambling-themed games in a business establishment, as defined, that directly or indirectly implements the predetermination of sweepstakes cash, cash-equivalent prizes, or other prizes of value, or otherwise connects a sweepstakes player or participant with sweepstakes cash, cash-equivalent prizes, or other prizes of value. By creating new crimes, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also except from this prohibition game promotions and sweepstakes conducted on a limited basis as an advertising and marketing tool incidental to substantial bona fide sales of consumer products or services, as specified. 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 governs the processing, storage, and use of human tissue and human cell, tissue, or cellular- or tissue-based products (HCT/P) , as specified, and imposes certain regulatory duties relating to HCT/P upon the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) . Existing state law requires the State Department of Public Health to license and regulate tissue banks, which process, store, or distribute human tissue for transplantation into human beings. Existing law generally requires every tissue bank operating in this state to have a current and valid tissue bank license issued or renewed by the department, but exempts certain activities from that requirement, including the storage of HCT/P by a licensed physician or podiatrist, as specified, if the products were obtained from a California-licensed tissue bank, stored in strict accordance with manufacturer instructions, and used solely for the express purpose of direct implantation into or application on the practitioner's own patient, among other criteria. This bill would create an additional exemption from the tissue bank licensing requirement for the storage of HCT/P by a person if that person is a hospital or outpatient setting and the HCT/P meets specified requirements, including, among other things, that the HCT/P was obtained from a tissue bank licensed by the state, is stored in the original unopened enclosure for one finished unit of transplantable tissue and in strict accordance with the package insert and any other manufacturer instructions and guidelines, and is intended for the express purpose of implantation into or application on a patient.