Existing law authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to establish an expedited distribution grid interconnection dispute resolution process with the goal of resolving disputes over interconnection applications within the jurisdiction of the commission in no more than 60 days from the time the dispute is formally brought to the commission. This bill would require the commission, on or before September 30, 2024, to establish maximum energization time periods by when an electrical corporation would be required to energize a development project, including the maximum time period for the energization ready phase of a project. The bill would require an electrical corporation to energize a development project with the electrical corporation's electrical distribution grid within the maximum energization time period established by the commission, after receiving a notification from a development project applicant that the development project is energization ready, as defined. The bill would specify that the maximum energization time period established by the commission does not apply if an issue specific to the development project or the project site arises that would prevent the electrical corporation from safely completing the energization within that time period and would require the electrical corporation to work with the development project applicant to establish an alternative time period. The bill would require each electrical corporation to annually report to the commission the number of applications for energization with the electrical corporation's distribution grid and the time period in which the electrical corporation energizes the development project with its electrical distribution grid after the electrical corporation was notified that the development project was energization ready. The bill would require an electrical corporation to compensate a development project applicant for failing to meet the maximum energization time period described above or the alternative time period, as specified. The bill would require the commission to arbitrate any dispute related to the claim for compensation. Under existing law, a violation of an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because a violation of an order or decision of the commission implementing the above-described requirement 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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The Emergency Services Act establishes in state government, within the office of the Governor, the Office of Emergency Services and makes the office responsible for the state's emergency and disaster response services for natural, technological, or man-made disasters and emergencies, as specified. This bill would enact the Emergency Fairgrounds Communications Grant Act and would require, on or before January 1, 2025, the office to establish a grant program to provide fairgrounds with grant funding for the purpose of building and upgrading communication and internet infrastructure on fairgrounds. The bill would require the office to establish standards to determine the awarding of grant funding that award funding based on a fairground's need for internet capabilities in order to service an emergency response operation. The bill would authorize the office to prioritize the order of grant disbursements based on prescribed criteria. The bill would also require the office to consult with the Department of Technology and the Department of Food and Agriculture to coordinate the statewide building and upgrading of communication and internet infrastructure on fairgrounds. The bill would provide that the program is operative only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for its purposes.
The California Constitution authorizes the Legislature to prescribe additional classes of private corporations or other persons as public utilities. Existing law, the Public Utilities Act, imposes requirements, including a requirement that rates charged by a public utility are to be just and reasonable, over public utilities. Under existing law a violation of the act by a public utility is a crime. This bill would define "public utility" to include a corporation providing broadband service to the public or a portion of the public. By including corporations providing broadband service as a public utility, the bill would expand the application of requirements imposed on public utilities by the Public Utilities Act to those corporations and would, therefore, expand the scope of a crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
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 provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law regulates contracts between health care service plans or health insurers and health care providers or health facilities, including requirements for reimbursement and the cost-sharing amount collected from an enrollee or insured. This bill, the Health Care Consolidation and Contracting Fairness Act of 2023, would prohibit a contract issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2024, between a health care service plan or health insurer and a health care provider or health facility from containing terms that, among other things, restrict the plan or insurer from steering an enrollee or insured to another provider or facility or require the plan or insurer to contract with other affiliated providers or facilities. The bill would authorize the appropriate regulating department to refer a plan's or insurer's contract to the Attorney General, and would authorize the Attorney General or state entity charged with reviewing health care market competition to review a health care practitioner's or health facility's entrance into a contract that contains specified terms. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires a nonprofit corporation that operates or controls a health facility to provide written notice to, and obtain the written consent from, the Attorney General before entering an agreement to dispose of its assets or transfer control of a material amount of its assets. Existing law requires the Attorney General, within 90 days of receiving the written notice, to notify the corporation of the Attorney General's decision to consent to, give conditional consent to, or not consent to the agreement. Existing law authorizes that period to be extended by 45 days if specified conditions are met. This bill would require a medical group, hospital or hospital system, specified health facility, health care service plan, health insurer, or pharmacy benefit manager to provide written notice to the Attorney General at the same time as another state or federal agency is notified or otherwise at least 90 days before entering an agreement or transaction to make a specified material change with a value of $15,000,000 or more. The bill would authorize the Attorney General to consent to, give conditional consent to, or not consent to that agreement, and would require the Attorney General to notify the entity of the decision within 90 days, which may be extended by one 45-day period if specified conditions are met. The bill would authorize the Attorney General to stay the running of the 90-day period, pending the outcome of any review required by a state or federal agency. The bill would authorize a medical group, hospital or hospital system, specified health facility, health care service plan, health insurer, or pharmacy benefit manager, within 10 calendar days of that notification, to apply for reconsideration of the Attorney General's decision under specified circumstances. The bill also would authorize a party to an agreement or transaction to seek judicial review of the Attorney General's initial decision or reconsideration by a petition for writ of mandate, as prescribed. The bill would authorize the Attorney General to waive the written notice and consent requirements established by the bill if certain conditions apply. The bill would require the Attorney General to conduct one or more public meetings before issuing a written decision on a major transaction, and would authorize the Attorney General to contract for assistance in reviewing a proposed material change and for monitoring ongoing compliance with the terms of a material change. The bill would prohibit an entity from entering into an agreement without the Attorney General's written consent. 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 requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish the California Legacy License Plate Program, and to create and issue a series of specialized license plates, consisting of one or more of 3 specified designs that replicate license plates from the state's past. Existing law requires the department to collect and hold paid applications for the plates, as specified, and prohibits the department from issuing a specialized license plate until it has received not less than 7,500 paid applications for any one of the particular plates on or before January 1, 2015. This bill would extend the deadline for receipt of the required number of paid applications to January 1, 2025, for plate designs that did not receive the required number of applications by January 1, 2015.
Existing law makes possession of a firearm by certain classes of persons, including a convicted felon, a person convicted of specified misdemeanors, a person has been found mentally incompetent to stand trial, a person has been found not guilty of specified crimes by reason of insanity, or a person has been placed under conservatorship, a crime. Existing law additionally makes it a crime to sell or give possession of a firearm to these classes of persons prohibited from owning a firearm. Existing law requires the Department of Justice, upon submission of firearm purchaser information by a licensed firearm dealer, to examine its records to determine whether a potential firearm purchaser is prohibited by state of federal law from possessing, receiving, owning, or purchasing a firearm. Existing law requires the department to participate in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. This bill would require the Department of Justice to develop and launch a secure Internet-based platform to allow a person who resides in California to voluntarily add their own name to the California Do Not Sell List. The bill would require the department to ensure that information on the list is uploaded and reflected in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The bill would make it a crime, punishable as a misdemeanor, to transfer a firearm to a person who is validly registered on the California Do Not Sell List. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would allow a person, after a specified period of time, to request removal from the list. The bill would require the State Department of Public Health to create and distribute informational materials about the California Do Not Sell List to general acute care hospitals and acute psychiatric hospitals. The bill would specify that a person presenting in a general acute care hospital or acute psychiatric hospital who is at a substantially elevated risk of suicide should be presented with these informational materials. The bill would specify that any suicide hotline maintained or operated by an entity funded in whole or in part by the state should generally inform callers on how to access the California Do Not Sell List Internet-based platform. The bill would provide that its provisions are severable. 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 requires the Public Utilities Commission, in consultation with the Independent System Operator, to establish resource adequacy requirements for all electrical corporations, electric service providers, and community choice aggregators. Existing law requires electrical corporations, electric service providers, and community choice aggregators to maintain physical generating capacity and electrical demand response adequate to meet their load requirements, as specified. This bill would expressly authorize electrical corporations, electric service providers, and community choice aggregators to jointly enter into agreements to procure electricity generated from offshore wind facilities.
Existing law establishes 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. This bill would make specified findings and would express the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation relating to Medi-Cal.
Existing law prescribes the duties of the State Registrar of Vital Statistics (State Registrar) and local registrars of births and deaths with respect to the registration of certificates of live birth, fetal death, or death, and marriage licenses. Existing law requires the State Registrar to prescribe and furnish all record forms for use in carrying out the provisions governing vital records and prohibits the use of any record form or format other than those prescribed by the State Registrar. Existing law requires every live birth, fetal death, death, and marriage that occurs in the state to be registered with the local registrar. Existing law requires certificates of live birth, fetal death, or death, and a marriage license to include specified information, such as the full name of the child on a certificate of live birth and the full names of the parties to be married on a marriage license. Existing law also requires the county clerk to issue a confidential marriage license, as specified, on a form prescribed by the State Registrar. This bill would require the State Registrar to require the use of a diacritical mark on an English letter to be properly recorded, when applicable, on a certificate of live birth, fetal death, death, marriage license and certificate, or confidential marriage license and certificate, and would require the use of a diacritical mark to be deemed an acceptable entry by the State Registrar. The bill would provide that the absence of a diacritical mark on a certificate of live birth, fetal death, or death, or a marriage license does not render the document invalid nor affect any constructive notice imparted by proper recordation of the document. The bill would authorize, if a name is not accurately recorded because of the absence of a diacritical mark on an English letter in any certificate of live birth, fetal death, death, or marriage already registered, the person asserting the omission, or the person's conservator, or if a minor, the person's parent or guardian, to submit a written request to the State Registrar for the issuance of a new certificate of birth, fetal death, death, or marriage stating the changes necessary to make the name correct. The bill would require the State Registrar to review the request and, if the request is accompanied with the payment of a specified fee, to issue a new certificate of live birth, fetal death, death, or marriage with the accurate name identified in the request. The bill would also authorize, if a name is not accurately recorded because of the absence of a diacritical mark on an English letter on any confidential license and certificate of marriage already registered, the party asserting the omission to make an affidavit, under oath, stating the changes necessary to make the record correct and file it with the county clerk. The bill would require the county clerk to review the amendment for acceptance for filing, and if accepted, file the amendment and note the fact of the amendment, with its date, on the otherwise unaltered original confidential license and certificate of marriage. By requiring the affidavit to be under oath, the bill would expand the crime of perjury, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. By increasing duties on county clerks, the 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to license and regulate various types of clinics, including primary care clinics and specialty clinics. This bill would authorize a licensed primary care clinic with a license in good standing with the department for the preceding 5 years to construct a new outpatient clinic, acquire ownership or control of an outpatient setting, as defined, acquire or control certain offices or clinics exempt from licensure, as specified, or acquire ownership or control of a previously licensed primary care clinic. The bill would authorize a facility constructed or acquired by a licensed primary care clinic under these provisions to be deemed compliant with the minimum construction standards of adequacy and safety required for the primary care clinic constructing or acquiring the facility, as specified. The bill would require the department to immediately approve a license for these facilities without the necessity of first conducting an initial onsite survey upon receipt of a written notice, as specified. Existing law requires the Department of Health Care Access and Information, formerly the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, in consultation with the Community Clinics Advisory Committee, to prescribe minimum construction standards of adequacy and safety for clinics, as specified, in the California Building Standards Code. This bill would additionally require the department to consult the California Building Standards Commission in prescribing these minimum construction standards. The bill would require these standards to be developed in consideration of the essential role of clinics in increasing access to care and health equity and the unique and distinct needs of clinics in contrast to health facilities, as defined. Existing law imposes plan review and building inspection responsibilities on cities and counties for the construction or alteration of buildings where outpatient clinical services or limited inpatient services of a licensed health facility, as defined, are provided when those buildings are separated from a building in which hospital services are provided. Existing law prohibits building standards for the construction or alteration of these buildings from being more restrictive or comprehensive than comparable building standards established or applied to licensed clinics, as defined. This bill would remove the prohibition described above.