Existing federal law provides for allocation of federal funds through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program to eligible states, with California's version of this program being known as the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program. Under the CalWORKs program, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families and individuals who meet specified eligibility criteria, including limitations on income and assets generally applicable to public assistance programs. Existing law continuously appropriates money from the General Fund to pay for a share of aid grant costs under the CalWORKs program. This bill would repeal those limitations on assets with regard to eligibility for CalWORKs, thereby eliminating the consideration of an individual's or family's assets as a condition of eligibility for CalWORKs. The bill would also make conforming changes. By increasing the duties of counties administering the CalWORKs program, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would declare that no appropriation would be made for purposes of the bill pursuant to the provision continuously appropriating funds for the CalWORKs 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.
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The California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority Act establishes the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority. The act authorizes, until January 1, 2021, the authority to provide financial assistance in the form of a sales and use tax exclusion for any lease or transfer of title of tangible personal property constituting a project to any participating party, and defines a project and participating party for those purposes. The act limits the sales and use tax exclusion to $100,000,000 for each calendar year. This bill would expand those persons eligible for the sales and use tax exclusion, which is limited in amount, to additionally include any contractor for use in the performance of a construction contract for the participating party that will use that property as an integral part of the approved project. This bill would also allow the exclusion amount granted by the authority in any year to include any amounts not granted or amounts granted but unused from the previous calendar year beginning in the 2017 calendar year. This bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of 23 of the membership of each house of the Legislature. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Existing law authorizes certain health care districts to use the design-build process when contracting for the construction of a building or improvements directly related to construction of a hospital or health facility building in those districts, as specified. Existing law sets forth the procurement process for design-build projects, as specified, and requires specified information submitted by design-build entities to be certified under penalty of perjury. This bill would authorize, until January 1, 2022, the Beach Cities Health District and the Peninsula Health Care District to use the design-build process for the construction of facilities or other buildings in those districts, as specified. Because the bill would expand the application of the procurement process to additional design-build entities, the bill would expand the crime of perjury, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Beach Cities Health District and the Peninsula Health Care District. 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, the Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists and Hearing Aid Dispensers Licensure Act, regulates the licensure of hearing aid dispensers and dispensing audiologists by the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board. The act makes it unlawful for a licensed hearing aid dispenser to fit or sell a hearing aid unless he or she first, among other duties, provides the purchaser with specified information. Existing law requires a licensed dispensing audiologist to, upon the consummation of a sale of a hearing aid, deliver to the purchaser a written receipt, containing specified information. Existing law makes the violation of these provisions a misdemeanor. This bill would, on and after July 1, 2017, require a licensed hearing aid dispenser to, upon the sale of a hearing aid, provide the purchaser with a copy of a consumer hearing aid disclosure that this bill would require the board to develop and make available on its Internet Web site before July 1, 2017. The bill would require a licensed dispensing audiologist to do the same. By creating new requirements, the violation of which 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.
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 health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies to provide coverage for specified benefits. This bill, until January 1, 2019, would require a health care service plan contract or a health insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2017, to include coverage for hearing aids for an enrollee or insured under 18 years of age, as specified. These provisions would become inoperative if the Department of Managed Health Care and the Department of Insurance receive a notification from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or any other applicable federal agency that these provisions constitute a discriminatory age limitation under federal law and the state is required to defray the costs of requiring a plan contract or policy to include coverage for hearing aids on behalf of enrollees or insureds who are 18 years of age or older pursuant to a specified federal law. Because a willful violation of these requirements 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.
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.