Existing law establishes independent institutions of higher education as one of the segments of postsecondary education in the state. Existing law, the Cal Grant Program, establishes the Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards, the Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards, the California Community College Expanded Entitlement Awards, the California Community College Transfer Entitlement Awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B Awards, the Cal Grant C Awards, and the Cal Grant T Awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission. The Cal Grant Reform Act revises and recasts the provisions establishing and governing the existing Cal Grant Program into a new Cal Grant Program. Existing law specifies that the act becomes operative only if General Fund moneys over the multiyear forecasts beginning in the 2024–25 fiscal year are available to support ongoing augmentations and actions, and if funding is provided in the annual Budget Act to implement the act. This bill would prohibit, commencing September 1, 2025, an independent institution of higher education, as defined, from providing a legacy preference or donor preference in admissions, as defined, to an applicant as part of the regular or early action admissions process. The bill would require, on or before June 30, 2026, and annually thereafter, an independent institution of higher education to report to the Legislature and the Department of Justice on whether it is in compliance or violation of these provisions, and if in violation of these provisions, to also report, for that academic year, (1) specified information about newly enrolled students and (2) the admission rate of students who are provided a legacy preference or donor preference in admissions, as compared to the admission rate of students who are not provided a legacy preference or donor preference in admissions. The bill would require the department to post the names of the independent institutions of higher education that violate the prohibition on its internet website by the next fiscal year.
Sponsored bills
(1) Existing law prohibits juvenile products, textile articles, and food packaging that contain specified levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from being distributed, sold, or offered for sale in the state, as provided. This bill would require the Department of Toxic Substances Control, on or before January 1, 2029, to adopt regulations for the enforcement of those prohibitions on the use of PFAS, and, on and after July 1, 2030, to enforce and ensure compliance with those provisions and regulations, as provided. The bill would require manufacturers of these products, on or before July 1, 2029, to register with the department, to pay a registration fee to the department, and to provide a statement of compliance certifying compliance with the applicable prohibitions on the use of PFAS to the department, as specified. The bill would authorize the department to test products and to rely on third-party testing to determine compliance with prohibitions on the use of PFAS, as specified. The bill would require the department to issue a notice of violation for a product in violation of the prohibitions on the use of PFAS, as provided. The bill would authorize the department to assess an administrative penalty for a violation of these prohibitions and would authorize the department to seek an injunction to restrain a person or entity from violating these prohibitions, as specified. The bill would require the department, on or before July 1, 2033, to submit a report to the Legislature regarding its compliance and enforcement activities performed pursuant to these provisions, as specified. The bill would require the department to deposit the registration fees and administrative penalties into the PFAS Enforcement Fund, which the bill would create in the State Treasury, to be used to implement these provisions, upon appropriation by the Legislature. (2) For purposes of restricting the use of PFAS, existing law defines "juvenile product" to mean a product designed for use by infants and children under 12 years of age, including, but not limited to, specified products. This bill would limit the definition of this term to the list of specified products.
Existing law authorizes a court to resentence a defendant under specified circumstances, including, among others, when the person was convicted of specified crimes that have since been repealed or had their sentences reduced. This bill would require the presiding judge of each county superior court to, on or before March 1, 2025, convene a meeting to develop a plan for fair and efficient handling of postconviction proceedings, as specified. The bill would require the presiding judge to invite to the meeting, among others, a representative from the district attorney, the public defender, and other entities that the presiding judge deems necessary in order to ensure timely and efficient postconviction proceedings. The bill would require postconviction proceedings, among other things, to include a consideration of whether or not to appoint counsel to represent the defendant and to allow the court to modify every aspect of the defendant's sentence, including if it was imposed after a guilty plea, except as specified. By imposing additional duties on county public defenders, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require, upon request from the defendant, the district attorney of the county in which the defendant was sentenced, or the Attorney General if the Department of Justice originally prosecuted the case, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to provide to the requesting party specified records, including disciplinary records, as specified. The bill would require the department to designate a person for each prison as a point of contact for records, transportation, or inquiries pursuant to these provisions. The bill would require the department to regularly maintain a public directory of each designated person. Existing law, when a probationary order or a judgment has been pronounced, requires that a copy of that order or judgment be sent to the officer whose duty it is to execute the order or judgment, as specified. This bill would, when a person has been resentenced and there is a reasonable basis to believe the remaining time in custody is less than 30 days, require that copy to be furnished to the executing officer within 24 hours. 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 the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities and clinics, including primary care clinics, by the State Department of Public Health. A violation of these provisions is generally a crime. Existing law requires an adult patient receiving primary care services in certain health care settings to be offered a screening test for hepatitis B and hepatitis C, as specified. This bill would require a patient who is 18 years of age or older receiving health care services in a facility, clinic, center, office, or other setting, where primary care services are provided, to be offered tuberculosis screening, if tuberculosis risk factors are identified, to the extent these services are covered under the patient's health care coverage, except as specified. The bill would also require the health care provider to offer the patient followup health care or refer the patient to a health care provider who can provide followup health care if a screening test is positive. The bill would prohibit a health care provider that fails to comply with these provisions from being subject to any disciplinary action related to their licensure or certification, or to any civil or criminal liability, for that failure. The bill would make related findings and declarations. 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 through managed care or fee-for-service delivery systems. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law requires the department to adopt an option made available under federal Medicaid law to pay allowable tuberculosis-related services for persons infected with tuberculosis, as specified. This bill would require a Medi-Cal managed care plan to ensure access to care for latent tuberculosis infection and active tuberculosis disease and coordination with local health department tuberculosis control programs for plan enrollees with active tuberculosis disease, as specified.
Existing law requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to reduce the population of private in-state male contract correctional facilities. Existing law requires the department, to the extent that the adult offender population continues to decline, to reduce the capacity of state-owned and state-operated prisons or in-state leased or contract correctional facilities. In reducing prison capacity, existing law requires the department to take into consideration, among other things, the cost to operate at the facility, the impact on its workforce, and public safety and rehabilitation. This bill would require the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to ensure that state prisons maintain average daily empty bed thresholds, as specified. The bill would require the secretary, no later than April 1 of every year, to report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee specified information, including, among other things, whether the department exceeded the specified thresholds for the current fiscal year. The bill would make related findings and declarations.
Existing law requires the Governor to appoint every officer whose mode of appointment is not prescribed by law. Existing law also prescribes the manner of the Governor's appointment of those officers. This bill would require the office of the Governor, commencing January 1, 2026, to maintain on its internet website a list of every state board and commission that includes, for each state board or commission, the membership list, stated purpose, duties, meeting frequency, internet website, and vacancies in the membership. The bill would require the office of the Governor, on or before January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, to create and publish on its internet website a report containing aggregate demographic information of appointments made by the office during the prior calendar year, as specified.
Existing unemployment compensation disability law requires workers to pay contribution rates based on, among other things, wages received in employment and benefit disbursement, for payment into the Unemployment Compensation Disability Fund, for purposes of compensating in part for the wage loss sustained by any individual who is unable to work due to the employee's own sickness or injury, among other reasons. Existing law sets forth standards for eligibility to receive unemployment compensation disability benefits. Existing law establishes, within the above state disability insurance program, a family temporary disability insurance program, also known as the paid family leave program, for the provision of wage replacement benefits for up to 8 weeks to workers who take time off work for prescribed purposes, including to care for a seriously ill family member. Existing law requires, for purposes of unemployment compensation disability benefits, the Employment Development Department to issue the initial payment for unemployment compensation disability benefits to a monetarily eligible claimant who is otherwise determined eligible by the department within 14 days of receipt of the claimant's properly completed first disability claim. Existing law provides for purposes of the paid family leave program that eligible workers shall receive benefits generally in accordance with unemployment and disability compensation law. This bill would instead require, for purposes of unemployment compensation disability benefits, the issuance of the initial payment for those benefits within 14 days of receipt of the claimant's properly completed first disability claim or as soon as eligibility begins, whichever is later. The bill would apply the same initial payment issuance schedule applicable to unemployment compensation disability benefits to the paid family leave program and repeal the requirement that eligible workers receive benefits generally in accordance with unemployment and disability compensation law. The bill would make these changes operative when these changes are incorporated in the Employment Development Department's integrated claims management system as part of the EDDNext project. Under the state disability insurance and paid family leave programs, a first claim is required to be filed not later than the 41st consecutive day following the first compensable day with respect to which the claim is made for benefits, as specified. This bill would authorize an individual to initiate the claims process up to 30 days in advance of the anticipated first compensable day. The bill would make these changes operative when the changes are incorporated in the Employment Development Department's integrated claims management system as part of the EDDNext project.
Existing law provides for various memorials and monuments on the grounds of the State Capitol. Existing law requires the Department of General Services to maintain state buildings and grounds. Existing law, the Apology Act for the 1930s Mexican Repatriation Program, makes findings and declarations regarding the unconstitutional removal and coerced emigration of United States citizens and legal residents of Mexican descent, between the years 1929 and 1944, to Mexico from the United States during the 1930s "Mexican Repatriation" Program. Existing law expresses the apology of the State of California to those individuals who were illegally deported and coerced into emigrating to Mexico and requires that a plaque to commemorate those individuals be installed and maintained by the Department of Parks and Recreation in an appropriate public place in the City or County of Los Angeles. This bill would authorize a nonprofit organization representing Mexican Americans or Mexican immigrants to enter into negotiations to plan, construct, and maintain a memorial to Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants who were forcibly deported from the United States during the Great Depression, as provided. The bill would require the memorial to be located at an appropriate public place in the City or County of Los Angeles. The bill would require the nonprofit organization to enter into negotiations with the Department of General Services and the state agency with jurisdiction over the state property where the memorial is proposed, where applicable, if the nonprofit organization proposes to locate the memorial on state property. The bill would require the nonprofit organization to submit a plan for the memorial to the department and the applicable state agency for review and approval. The bill would require these provisions to be funded exclusively through private sources. This bill would, if the nonprofit organization proposes a site owned by the City of Los Angeles or the County of Los Angeles for location of the memorial, require the nonprofit organization to follow any procedures that the City of Los Angeles or the County of Los Angeles require to consider approving the proposed memorial. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles.
Existing law prohibits persons desiring to use an electric vehicle charging station that requires payment of a fee from being required to pay a subscription fee to use the station and from being required to obtain membership in any club, association, or organization as a condition of using the station. Existing law requires the total actual charges for the use of an electric vehicle charging station, including any additional network roaming charges for nonmembers, to be disclosed to the public at the point of sale. Existing law authorizes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to adopt interoperability billing standards for network roaming payment methods for electric vehicle charging stations if no interoperability billing standards have been adopted by a national standards organization by January 1, 2015. This bill would require the commission to apply any network roaming standards it adopts only to major electric vehicle charging network providers, as defined. The bill would require that those network roaming standards require major electric vehicle charging network providers to accept payment for charging made by users from multiple other major electric vehicle charging network providers and automakers.
(1) Existing federal law, the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, creates the Crime Victims Fund and authorizes federal financial assistance to states for the purpose of supporting eligible crime victim assistance programs. Existing law creates various programs under the Office of Emergency Services related to crime prevention and education, including, among other things, programs concerning family violence prevention and domestic violence prevention. This bill, the California Victims of Crime Act, would establish the California Crime Victims Fund in the State Treasury and would require that moneys deposited in the fund be continuously appropriated to the Office of Emergency Services to support crime victims services. The bill would require the Office of Emergency Services to seek advisement from the Victims of Crime Act Steering Committee on priorities for utilizing the funds and would require the Treasurer to provide an annual report to the Legislature on the amounts deposited into the fund. By continuously appropriating moneys to the Office of Emergency Services for the support of crime victim services, the bill would make an appropriation. (2) Existing law establishes the aggravated white-collar crime enhancement which imposes enhanced penalties against a person who commits 2 or more related felonies, a material element of which is fraud or embezzlement, that involve a pattern of related felony conduct, and the pattern of related felony conduct involves the taking or loss of more than $100,000, as specified. This bill would authorize a court to impose an additional fine, known as the corporate white collar criminal enhancement, against a corporation that is convicted of a misdemeanor or felony. The bill would authorize the court to determine the amount of the fine, but would set specified limits. The bill would require the court to consider certain factors when determining the amount of the fine, including, among other things, the nature and seriousness of the offense and the corporation's assets, liabilities, and net worth, as specified. The bill would require that any moneys collected under this provision be deposited into the California Crime Victims Fund. (3) The California Constitution entitles the victim of a crime to restitution. Existing law requires the court in each criminal case to order a convicted defendant to pay full restitution to the victim and a separate restitution fine, as specified. This bill would, if a corporation is convicted of a misdemeanor or felony offense, require the court to impose a separate and additional restitution fine, as specified. The bill would authorize the court to determine the amount of the restitution fine, but would impose specified maximums. The bill would require any moneys collected under this provision to be distributed to the California Crime Victims Fund and the prosecuting agency that brought the criminal prosecution, as specified.