Existing law provides for the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, under which qualified aged, blind, and disabled persons receive services enabling them to remain in their own homes and avoid institutionalization. Existing law permits services to be provided under the IHSS program either through the employment of individual providers, a contract between the county and an entity for the provision of services, the creation by the county of a public authority, or a contract between the county and a nonprofit consortium. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which health care services are provided to qualified low-income persons. Under existing law, IHSS recipients who are eligible for the Medi-Cal program are provided with personal care option services, as defined, in lieu of receiving these services under the IHSS program. Existing law, enacted in 2009, makes various statutory changes with respect to the provision of in-home supportive services, relating to matters, including, but not limited to, provider enrollment procedures, criminal background checks, orientation, and duties, as well as eligibility standards for recipients, unannounced home visits, and program integrity and fraud prevention. This bill would make the operation of the statutory changes described above subject to a stakeholder process, to be conducted, as specified, by the State Department of Social Services, prior to the implementation of those changes. The bill would require implementation of any of the statutory changes described in the bill to occur either on the date specified in an applicable statute, or 60 days after the department notifies the Joint Legislative Budget Committee that the changes may be implemented, whichever is later. This bill would prohibit information notices relating to the implementation of these statutory changes from being sent to recipients or providers until the stakeholder process is completed. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
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(1) Existing law requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control to adopt regulations to prohibit an electronic device from being sold or offered for sale in this state if the electronic device is prohibited from being sold or offered for sale in the European Union on and after its date of manufacture, due to the presence of certain heavy metals. Existing law requires these regulations to take effect January 1, 2007, or on or after the date that the Directive 2002/95/EC, adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on January 27, 2003 (Directive 2002/95/EC) , takes effect, whichever date is later. Existing law defines the term "electronic device," for purposes of those provisions, to have the same meaning, with reference to the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003, as "covered electronic device" which is defined as a video display device that is identified by the department, pursuant to specified regulations, as a presumed hazardous waste when discarded. A violation of the hazardous waste control laws, including a regulation adopted pursuant to those laws, is a crime. This bill would require a manufacturer of an electronic device, at the request of the department, based on the department's reasonable cause, as the bill would define that term, to believe that a specific electronic device identified by the department is prohibited from sale, to prepare and submit to the department within 28 days of receipt of the request, documentation or other information typically maintained by the manufacturer's industry under Directive 2002/95/EC, showing that the electronic device specifically identified by the department and sold or offered for sale by that manufacturer is not prohibited from sale. The bill would authorize the department to extend the 28-day response time at the request of the manufacturer. The bill would require the department to treat as confidential any information that is a trade secret, as defined, that is provided to the department pursuant to the bill's requirements, and that is identified as a trade secret at the time of submission, in the same manner as the procedures adopted by the department with regard to hazardous waste handling and disposal. The department would be required to make available, pursuant to the California Public Records Act, any information that is not a trade secret or that is not identified as a trade secret. Because a violation of the bill's requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime. (2) 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 provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Under existing law, a health insurer that provides maternity coverage may not restrict inpatient hospital benefits, as specified, and is required to provide notice of the maternity services coverage. This bill would require new forms for health insurance policies submitted to the department after January 1, 2010, to provide coverage for maternity services, as defined. With respect to policy forms on file with the department as of January 1, 2010, the bill would require health insurers to submit to the department, on or before March 1, 2010, revised policy forms that provide coverage for maternity services and would require insurers to include that coverage in the corresponding policies that are issued, amended, or renewed following the department's approval of the revised forms, as specified.
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. Under existing law, a health care service plan contract and a health insurance policy are required to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of severe mental illnesses of a person of any age. Existing law does not define "severe mental illnesses" for this purpose but describes it as including several conditions. This bill would expand this coverage requirement for certain health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2010, to include the diagnosis and treatment of a mental illness of a person of any age and would define mental illness for this purpose as a mental disorder defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV. The bill would specify that this requirement does not apply to a health care benefit plan, contract, or health insurance policy with the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System unless the board elects to purchase a plan, contract, or policy that provides mental health coverage. Because this bill would expand coverage requirements for health care service plans, the willful violation of which would be a crime, 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 Physical Therapy Practice Act, creates the Physical Therapy Board of California and makes it responsible for the licensure and regulation of physical therapists. The act defines the term "physical therapy" for its purposes and makes it a crime to violate any of its provisions. The act authorizes the board to suspend, revoke, or impose probationary conditions on a license, certificate, or approval issued under the act for unprofessional conduct, as specified. This bill would specify that patients may access physical therapy treatment directly, and would, in those circumstances, require a physical therapist to refer his or her patient to another specified healing arts practitioner if the physical therapist has reason to believe the patient has a condition requiring treatment or services beyond that scope of practice, to disclose to the patient any financial interest he or she has in treating the patient, and, with the patient's written authorization, to notify the patient's physician and surgeon, if any, that the physical therapist is treating the patient. The bill would provide that failure to comply with these provisions constitutes unprofessional conduct subject to disciplinary action by the board. Because the bill would specify additional requirements under the Physical Therapy Practice Act, the violation of which would be a crime, 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 requires various state agencies to administer programs relating to water supply, water quality, and flood management in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This bill would prohibit the construction of a peripheral canal, as defined, that conveys water from a diversion point in the Sacramento River to a location south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, unless expressly authorized by the Legislature. The bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office to complete an economic feasibility analysis prior to the enactment of a statute authorizing the construction of a peripheral canal. The bill would also require that the construction and operation of a peripheral canal not diminish or negatively affect the water supplies, water rights, or quality of water for water users within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed.
(1) Existing law provides for state cooperation with the federal government in the construction of specified flood control projects. This bill would authorize the state to provide funds for the Middle Creek Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project in Lake County and the Hamilton City Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project in Glenn County, at an estimated cost to the state of the sum that may be appropriated by the Legislature for state cooperation, upon the recommendations and advice of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board. The bill would require Lake County Watershed Protection District and Reclamation District No. 2140 to carry out those respective projects, to give prescribed assurances to the Secretary of the Army, and to enter into specified agreements with the Department of Water Resources, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. (2) 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.
Under existing law, the segments of the public postsecondary education system in the state include the University of California, which is administered by the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, which is administered by the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, which are administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Existing law authorizes these educational institutions to award various types of degrees. This bill would require the Trustees of the California State University and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and would request the Regents of the University of California, to work with their respective colleges and universities to confer an honorary degree upon each person, living or deceased, who was forced to leave his or her postsecondary studies as a result of federal Executive Order 9066 which caused the incarceration of individuals of Japanese ancestry during World War II.
Existing law provides that a marriage contracted outside this state that would be valid by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the marriage was contracted is valid in this state. Existing case law provides that, while on and after November 5, 2008, only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California, marriages of same-sex couples that were performed prior to November 5, 2008, are valid. This bill would provide that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, a marriage between 2 persons of the same sex contracted outside this state that would be valid by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the marriage was contracted is valid in this state if the marriage was contracted prior to November 5, 2008. Existing case law also recognizes that while, effective November 5, 2008, same-sex couples lack the right to enter into a relationship designated "marriage," they possess the right to the core set of basic substantive legal rights and attributes traditionally associated with marriage, including, the opportunity of an individual to establish an officially recognized and protected family possessing mutual rights and responsibilities and entitled to the same respect and dignity accorded a union traditionally designated as marriage. This bill would specify that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, 2 persons of the same sex who contracted a marriage on or after November 5, 2008, that would be valid by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the marriage was contracted shall have the same rights, protections, and benefits, and shall be subject to the same responsibilities, obligations, and duties under law, as specified, as are granted to and imposed upon spouses with the sole exception of the designation of "marriage."
(1) Existing law establishes the State Department of Mental Health and sets forth its powers and duties relating to the administration of programs for the delivery of mental health services, including, but not limited to, establishing the department as the agency responsible for administering a program of services for persons with acquired traumatic brain injury, as defined. This program provides for a demonstration project for postacute care for adults 18 years of age and older with an acquired traumatic brain injury, including the funding of demonstration project sites, as specified. Existing law establishes the Department of Rehabilitation and sets forth its powers and duties relating to rehabilitation services, including, but not limited to, duties related to the delivery of services for persons with acquired traumatic brain injury. This bill would remove the State Department of Mental Health as the agency responsible for administering the program of services for persons with acquired traumatic brain injury and would, instead, establish the Department of Rehabilitation as the responsible agency and would extend the existing July 1, 2012, repeal date for these provisions until July 1, 2019. This bill would delete references to the program as a demonstration project. It would, instead, dependent upon securing sources of funding for the provision of services, require the Department of Rehabilitation to fund an array of services for adults 18 years of age and older with acquired traumatic brain injury and would require the department to determine the requirements for service delivery, uniform data collection, and other aspects of program administration that service providers participating in the program must meet and to monitor and evaluate the performance of those service providers, as specified. The bill would require service providers to furnish data to the department and would require service providers wishing to continue to participate in the program after July 1, 2013, to comply with additional eligibility requirements specified by the department. Existing law establishes the Traumatic Brain Injury Fund in the State Treasury, with this fund being available for purposes of the program, upon appropriation by the Legislature. The fund receives moneys from specified fines and penalties. This bill would allow the department to use the funds in the Traumatic Brain Injury Fund to make grants to service providers for the provision of services, as specified. It would also modify requirements relating to the securing of matching funds. (2) Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, pursuant to which medical benefits are provided to public assistance recipients and certain other low-income persons. The Medi-Cal program is partially governed and funded by federal Medicaid provisions. Existing law requires the department, by March 15, 2009, to submit to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services a home- and community-based services waiver application or an amendment of the state plan for home- and community-based services, to serve at least 100 adults with acquired traumatic brain injuries who otherwise would require care in a Medi-Cal funded nursing facility or an intermediate care facility for persons with developmental disabilities. This bill would, instead, require this waiver to be submitted by March, 1, 2011.