Existing federal law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) , enacts various health care coverage market reforms that take effect January 1, 2014. Among other things, PPACA establishes annual limits on specified forms of cost sharing, including deductibles, on all essential health benefits for nongrandfathered individual and group health insurance coverage. Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a plan contract or policy and, commencing January 1, 2017, for a large group market health plan contract or policy, for family coverage that includes a deductible and is a high deductible health plan, as defined in federal law, to include a deductible for each individual covered by the plan contract or policy that is equal to either the amount set forth in a specified provision of federal law or the deductible for individual coverage under the plan contract or policy, whichever is greater. This bill would instead prohibit a large group market health plan contract or policy for family coverage that is a high deductible health plan, as defined in federal law, and that includes a deductible for individual coverage from subjecting an individual covered by the plan contract or policy to a deductible that is greater than the deductible for individual coverage under the plan contract or policy if the deductible for individual coverage is greater than or equal to the amount set forth in the provision of federal law described above. Because a willful violation of this prohibition by a health care service plan would be 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.
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Existing law relative to electrical restructuring, within the Public Utilities Act, establishes the Independent System Operator to ensure the efficient use and reliable operation of the electric transmission grid. The California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to establish a renewables portfolio standard requiring all retail sellers, as defined, to procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources, as defined, so that the total kilowatthours sold to their retail end-use customers achieves 25% of retail sales by December 31, 2016, 33% by December 31, 2020, 40% by December 31, 2024, 45% by December 31, 2027, and 50% by December 31, 2030. The program additionally requires each local publicly owned electric utility, as defined, to procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources to achieve the procurement requirements established by the program. The Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative is a statewide initiative to help identify transmission projects to accommodate the state's renewable energy goals. This bill would require the Independent System Operator, when undertaking transmission planning activities, to take into account a specified report relating to solar photovoltaic system development in the San Joaquin Valley and specified principles of transmission corridor planning developed by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) . The bill would require the Energy Commission, the PUC, and the Independent System Operator, when undertaking activities as part of the Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative, to take into account the above-specified report and principles.
Existing federal and state laws contain programs that authorize loan forgiveness to physicians, dentists, and individuals enrolled in a postsecondary institution studying medicine or dentistry who agree to practice in medically or dentally underserved areas. Under existing law, the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program was created by the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act for the purpose of awarding grants to teaching health centers for the purpose of establishing new accredited or expanded primary care residency programs. This bill would establish the Teaching Health Center Primary Care Graduate Medical Education Fund for purposes of funding primary care residency programs, as specified, subject to appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would establish criteria for the awarding of grants under these provisions to teaching health centers, as defined. The bill would require the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development and the Director of Statewide Health Planning and Development to administer these provisions, as specified. The bill would require the office to adopt emergency regulations to implement these provisions. The bill would provide that its provisions are subject to an appropriation in the Budget Act for these purposes.
Under the Small Business Financial Assistance Act of 2013, the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, within the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, administers specific programs relating to small business, either administered directly by the bank or under contract with small business financial development corporations. The act authorizes bank programs to offer surety bond guarantees. The act prohibits a corporation from guaranteeing any loan unless and until it makes specified determinations, including that there is a low probability that the surety bond would be granted by a financial institution or financial company under reasonable terms or conditions, and the beneficiary has demonstrated a reasonable prospect of successful completion of the project. This bill would modify that prohibition to refer to a surety bond instead of a loan and would add private bonding companies to those entities considered when calculating the probability that a surety bond would be granted. The act, in addition to the authority described above, authorizes a corporation to act as a guarantor on a surety bond for any small business contractor, including, but not limited to, women, minority, and disabled veteran contractors. This bill would expand those entities for which a corporation may act as a guarantor on a surety bond to include disadvantaged business enterprise contractors. The bill would require a surety bond program to include technical assistance to a participating contractor, as prescribed. The bill would authorize the bank, in implementing a surety bond program under the act, to assign all or part of the program to another state entity in a prescribed manner, to establish one or more pilot projects before approving directives and guidelines for a statewide surety bond and small contractor assistance program, and to establish one or more nonstate contracts under specific circumstances. The act continues in existence the California Small Business Expansion Fund (expansion fund) , a continuously appropriated fund that includes General Fund moneys. The expansion fund may be used to pay defaulted loan guarantee or surety bond losses, or other financial product defaults or losses, to fund direct loans and other debt instruments, to pay administrative costs of corporations, to pay state support and administrative costs, and to pay costs to protect a real property interest in a financial product default. By expanding the activities of the bank that are funded by continuous appropriation from the expansion fund, this bill would make an appropriation.
(1) Existing law requires the classification of goods and services to conform to the classifications adopted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This bill would, notwithstanding that provision, for purposes of those marks for which a certificate of registration is issued on or after January 1, 2017, authorize the use of specified marks related to medical cannabis goods and services that are lawfully in commerce in the state. (2) Existing law, the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, establishes the licensing and regulation of medical cannabis by the Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation. The act requires the Department of Food and Agriculture, in consultation with the bureau, to adopt a track and trace program for reporting the movement of medical cannabis items throughout the distribution chain, as specified. The act defines various terms for these purposes. This bill would change certain definitions and make the bureau, commencing January 1, 2023, subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. The bill would require the State Board of Equalization, in conjunction with the Department of Business Oversight, to form an advisory group made up of representatives from financial institutions, nonbank financial service providers, the medical cannabis industry, law enforcement, and state and federal banking regulators to examine strategies such as integrated point-of-sale systems with state track and trace systems and other measures that will improve financial monitoring of medical cannabis businesses. The bill would require the board, in conjunction with the department, by July 1, 2017, to submit a report to the Legislature with recommendations that will improve financial monitoring of medical cannabis businesses. (3) Under the act, a city, county, or city and county is authorized to adopt an ordinance that establishes standards, requirements, and regulations for local licenses and permits for commercial marijuana activity that exceed statewide standards. The act, with certain exceptions, provides a city full power and authority to enforce the provisions of the act for facilities issued a state license that are located within the incorporated area of a city, if delegated by the state. The bill would generally prohibit a city, county, or city and county from adopting an ordinance for packaging safety standards that exceeds statewide standards and would require the State Department of Public Health to establish uniform statewide packaging safety standards. The bill would authorize a city to contract in writing with the county in which it is located to arrange for the county to fulfill any regulatory functions relating to licensees within the city limits if the county agrees to assume such responsibility. (4) Existing law requires a cultivator, manufacturer, and all licensees holding a producing dispensary license in addition to a cultivator or manufacturing license to send all medical cannabis and medical cannabis products cultivated or manufactured to a distributor for presale quality assurance and inspection by a distributor and for batch testing by a testing laboratory prior to distribution to a dispensary. This bill would require the Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation to specify the manner in which medical cannabis and medical cannabis products meant for wholesale purposes are required to be packaged and sealed prior to transport, testing, quality assurance, quality control testing, or distribution. The bill would authorize the bureau to establish advertising, marketing, signage, and other labeling requirements and restrictions, as specified, and to place conditions on a license restricting advertising, marketing, and other promotion by the licensee. The bill would require, one year after the bureau posts a notice on its Internet Web site that the licensing authorities have commenced issuing licenses, that all advertisements for licensees include the valid state license number of the licensee. The bill would prohibit a licensee from displaying an advertisement that shows the consumption of medical cannabis while driving or operating machinery. (5) The act generally establishes categories of licenses that may be issued and limits a licensee to holding a state license in up to 2 separate license categories, except as specified. The act provides that, upon licensure, a business shall not be subject to that limitation in a jurisdiction that adopted a local ordinance, prior to July 1, 2015, allowing or requiring qualified businesses to cultivate, manufacture, and dispense medical marijuana or medical marijuana products, with all commercial marijuana activity being conducted by a single qualified business. The act repeals these provisions on January 1, 2026. This bill would instead make the above provision regarding the exemption in a jurisdiction that adopted a local ordinance inoperative on January 1, 2026. (6) The act specifically establishes a "dispensary license," to be issued by the bureau, and requires a licensed dispensary to implement sufficient security measures, to both deter and prevent unauthorized entrance into areas containing medical cannabis or medical cannabis products and theft of medical cannabis or medical cannabis products at the dispensary, including, but not limited to, establishing limited access areas accessible only to authorized dispensary personnel. This bill would require dispensaries to implement the additional security measure of requiring all medical cannabis and medical cannabis products used for display purposes, samples, or immediate sale to be stored out of reach of any individual who is not employed by the dispensary. (7) The act requires the State Department of Public Health to promulgate regulations governing the licensing of manufacturers. This bill would require the department to establish minimum security requirements for the storage of medical cannabis products at the manufacturing site. (8) The act prohibits a licensed testing laboratory from acquiring or receiving medical cannabis products except from a licensee and prohibits a licensed testing laboratory from distributing, delivering, transferring, transporting, or dispensing medical cannabis or medical cannabis products, as specified. This bill would prohibit a licensed testing laboratory from transferring or transporting medical cannabis or medical cannabis products from the licensed premises from which the medical cannabis or medical cannabis products were acquired or received. (9) Under the act, each licensing authority is required to establish a scale of application, licensing, and renewal fees based on the cost of enforcing the act. This bill would specify that these fees shall be in addition to, and shall not limit, any fees or taxes imposed by any city, county, or city and county in which the licensee operates. (10) Existing law authorizes the University of California to create the California Marijuana Research Program, the purpose of which is to develop and conduct studies intended to ascertain the general medical safety and efficacy of marijuana, and if found valuable, to develop medical guidelines for the appropriate administration and use of marijuana. This bill would provide that it is not a violation of state law or any local ordinance or regulation for a business, with a valid business licenses, or research institution that has state authorization to engage in the research of medical cannabis, medical cannabis products, or devices used for the medical use of cannabis or cannabis products, to possess, transport, purchase, or otherwise legally obtain, as specified, small amounts of medical cannabis or medical cannabis products to conduct research and development related to medical cannabis or medical cannabis products. The bill would require a business or research institution engaged in the research of medical cannabis to obtain written authorization from its local jurisdiction that it has met all requirements of the local ordinance to conduct research on medical cannabis, medical cannabis products, or devices used for the medical use of cannabis or cannabis products. The bill would provide that it is not a violation of state law for a licensee to sell medical cannabis or medical cannabis products in an amount not to exceed 8 ounces per month to a business or research institution engaged in the research of medical cannabis if the business or research institution provides to the licensee a copy of the written authorization to conduct research within its jurisdiction and a copy of the local ordinance, zoning variance, conditional use permit, or other authorization, and would require the licensee to keep on file that written authorization for at least 3 years and make it available upon request to local authorities for auditing purposes. The bill would require all medical cannabis or medical cannabis products subject to these provisions to be obtained from a licensee permitted to dispense or deliver the medical cannabis or medical cannabis product. (11) The California Seed Law regulates seed sold in California, and prohibits a city, county, or district from adopting or enforcing an ordinance that regulates plants, crops, or seeds without the consent of the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. This bill would provide that an ordinance that regulates cannabis or marijuana, or medical cannabis or medical marijuana, as defined, shall not require the consent of the secretary. (12) Under existing law, qualified patients, persons with valid identification cards, and the designated primary caregivers of qualified patients and persons with identification cards, who associate within the state collectively or cooperatively in order to cultivate cannabis for medical purposes are not, solely on that basis, subject to certain criminal penalties, including unauthorized possession, cultivation, and transportation of marijuana. This exception expires one year after the Bureau of Medical Cannabis Regulation posts a notice on its Internet Web site that the bureau has commenced issuing licenses pursuant to the act and existing law is repealed on the date the bureau issues a license. This bill would specify that a collective or cooperative subject to this exception may operate on a for-profit basis, a not-for-profit basis, or any combination thereof, but would provide the protections of the exception to for-profit collectives and cooperatives only if they have a valid Board of Equalization seller's permit and a valid local license, permit, or other authorization. The bill would additionally provide that a collective or cooperative that cultivates cannabis and manufactures medical cannabis products is not, solely on that basis, subject to certain criminal penalties if specified requirements are met, including that the collective or cooperative is in possession of a valid seller's permit issued by the State Board of Equalization. The bill would provide that it is unlawful to display an advertisement, as defined, for qualified patients, persons with valid identification cards, and the designated primary caregivers of qualified patients and persons with identification cards, who associate within the state in order collectively or cooperatively to cultivate cannabis for medical purposes, without first verifying a valid Board of Equalization issued seller's permit. The bill would make a violation of that provision an infraction, punishable by a fine of $500 for the first offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense. By creating a new crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (13) Existing law provides that a qualified patient or a person with an identification card, a designated primary caregiver, and any individual who provides assistance to a qualified patient or a person with an identification card, or his or her designated primary caregiver, are not, solely on that basis, subject to certain criminal penalties, including unauthorized possession, cultivation, and transportation of marijuana. Existing law specifies that this provision does not authorize any individual or group to cultivate or distribute marijuana. This bill would instead specify that this provision does not authorize any individual or group to cultivate or distribute cannabis in any manner other than set forth in the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act or in the Compassionate Use Act of 1996. (14) 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 School-Based Early Mental Health Intervention and Prevention Services for Children Act of 1991 (1991 act) , authorizes the Director of Health Care Services, in consultation with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to provide matching grants to local educational agencies to pay the state share of the costs of providing school-based early mental health intervention and prevention services to eligible pupils at schoolsites of eligible pupils, subject to the availability of funding each year. Existing law defines "eligible pupil" for this purpose as a pupil who attends a publicly funded elementary school and who is in kindergarten or grades 1 to 3, inclusive. Existing law also defines "local educational agency" as a school district or county office of education or a state special school. This bill would rename the 1991 act the Healing from Early Adversity to Level the Impact (HEAL) of Trauma in Schools Act or the HEAL Trauma in Schools Act. The bill would expand the definition of an eligible pupil to include a pupil who attends a preschool program at a contracting agency of the California state preschool program or a local educational agency, and a pupil who is in transitional kindergarten, thereby extending the application of the act to those persons. The bill would also include charter schools in the definition of local educational agency, thereby extending the application of the act to those entities. The bill would increase the percentage of each matching grant that may be used for matching grant evaluation from 10% to 20%. This bill would implement this program only to the extent that the department determines that federal financial participation is not jeopardized, as specified. The bill would require the Director of Health Care Services, in consultation with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State Public Heath Officer, and the Attorney General to establish a 4-year program, the HEAL Trauma in Schools Support Program, to provide outreach, regional training, and technical assistance for local educational agencies in providing mental health services at schoolsites. The bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services to submit specified reports after 2 and 4 years. The bill would make the implementation of the program contingent upon an appropriation in the annual budget act. This bill would authorize the department to implement, interpret, or make specific the grant and support programs by means of information notices, plan letters, plan or provider bulletins, or similar instructions, without taking regulatory action, until regulations are adopted and would exempt contracts for the HEAL Trauma in Schools Support Program and administration, or ancillary services in support of the program, from specified statutory and administrative requirements and from approval by the Department of General Services. The bill would repeal the HEAL Trauma in Schools Support Program as of January 1, 2022.
This measure would encourage the Department of Consumer Affairs and its boards, bureaus, and committees to create policies that promote fairness and equity to guarantee that each licensee pays a fair amount, especially in regard to initial and ongoing license fees.
This measure would encourage motorists to not idle their motor vehicles near places where children congregate.
This measure would recognize that the Legislature supports the development of safe and secure data sharing between public education, social service, and research entities through the Silicon Valley Regional Data Trust as it pertains specifically to at-risk, foster, homeless, and justice-involved children and youth and their families, in order to better serve, protect, and improve the futures of these Californians.