Asm. Marc Berman

This measure would request the Trustees of the California State University and the Regents of the University of California to conduct a study on the usefulness, effectiveness, and need for the SAT and ACT to determine student admissions, and would provide that the study should include evaluation of specified admissions eligibility and qualifications measures and testing issues. The measure would also provide that the study should include recommendations and, if determined necessary, a plan for phasing out the use of the SAT and ACT as a basis for admission.

This measure would request the President and the Congress of the United States to enact legislation that would strengthen the communication between federal, state, local, and tribal officials, and that would require the United States Department of Justice, United States Department of the Interior, and United States Department of Health and Human Services to seek recommendations from tribes in enhancing the safety of Native American women and girls. The measure would also request that the Attorney General of the State of California begin the collection of data as it relates to missing and murdered Native American women and girls.

Existing law provides for 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. Existing law provides that federally qualified health center (FQHC) services and rural health clinic (RHC) services, as defined, are covered benefits under the Medi-Cal program, to be reimbursed, to the extent that federal financial participation is obtained, to providers on a per-visit basis. "Visit" is defined as a face-to-face encounter between a patient of an FQHC or RHC and specified health care professionals, including a physician and marriage and family therapist. Under existing law, "physician," for these purposes, includes, but is not limited to, a physician and surgeon, an osteopath, and a podiatrist. This bill would authorize reimbursement for a maximum of 2 visits taking place on the same day at a single location if after the first visit the patient suffers illness or injury requiring additional diagnosis or treatment, or if the patient has a medical visit and a mental health visit or a dental visit, as defined. The bill would authorize an FQHC or RHC that currently includes the cost of a medical visit and a mental health visit that take place on the same day at a single location as a single visit for purposes of establishing the FQHC's or RHC's rate to apply for an adjustment to its per-visit rate, and after the department has approved that rate adjustment, to bill a medical visit and a mental health visit that take place on the same day at a single location as separate visits, in accordance with the bill. This bill would also include a licensed acupuncturist within those health care professionals covered under the definition of "visit." The bill would require the department, by July 1, 2020, to submit a state plan amendment to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reflect certain changes described in the bill, and to seek necessary federal approvals. The bill would also make conforming and technical changes.

This measure would recognize August 15, 2019, as India's Independence Day, and urge all Californians to join in celebrating India's independence.

This measure would call for continued support and recognition of the many benefits provided by Special Olympics.

Existing law requires a contract and prescribes competitive bidding procedures for any improvement or unit of work not performed by the personnel of the Santa Clara Valley Water District if the district estimates the work to cost over $25,000. This bill would raise that competitive bidding threshold for work not performed by district personnel to work estimated to cost over $50,000. The bill would subject a contract for work not performed by district personnel and estimated to exceed the threshold to the approval of the board, in accordance with board policy that has been adopted in an open meeting. The bill, with certain exceptions, would prohibit the estimated cost of any improvement or unit of work done by district personnel from exceeding $50,000. The bill would authorize the district to elect to participate in the Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act. The bill would define terms for purposes of existing law.

(1) Existing law requires a county elections official to conduct a preelection residency confirmation procedure before a primary election by mailing a nonforwardable postcard to each registered voter of the county. However, existing law authorizes the county elections official to exclude from this residency confirmation procedure a voter who has voted at an election held within the last six months preceding the start of the procedure, or a person who has preregistered but will not be 18 years of age on or before the date of the primary election. This bill would authorize a county elections official to exclude from this residency confirmation procedure a voter who has confirmed the voter's voter registration record on the internet website of the Secretary of State within the year preceding the start of the confirmation procedure. This provision would become operative on the date that the Secretary of State certifies that the state's statewide voter registration database has been modified to notify county elections officials when a voter confirms the voter's registration record on the internet website of the Secretary of State. (2) Existing law authorizes a county elections official, in lieu of mailing a residency confirmation postcard, to contract with the United States Postal Service or its licensees to obtain use of postal service change-of-address data. This bill would extend this contracting authority to the Secretary of State, and would require the Secretary of State to share this data with county elections officials through the statewide voter registration database. (3) Based on the change-of-address data received from the United States Postal Service or its licensees, existing law requires a county elections official to send a forwardable notice to enable a voter to verify or correct address information. If the change-of-address data indicates that the voter has moved to a new address in California, the forwardable notice must notify the voter that the voter will be registered to vote at the new address unless the voter notifies the county elections official's office within 15 days that the new address is not the voter's permanent residence. If postal service change-of-address data received from a nonforwardable mailing indicates that a voter has moved and left no forwarding address, the forwardable notice must be sent, in substantially the form prescribed, to attempt to verify that the voter has moved and left no forwarding address. Existing law does not require the county elections official to mail a forwardable notice to a voter if the official receives a notification through the National Change of Address System (NCOA) or Operation Mail that the voter has moved and has given no forwarding address. This bill would change that 15-day response time for a voter to notify the county elections official's office to 15 days prior to the date of the next election and would revise the form of the forwardable notice. The bill would require that the form of forwardable notice sent to a voter who has moved and left no forwarding address be in substantially the same format prescribed by federal law. The bill would expand the latter forwardable notice requirement to include a voter who has moved out of the state. The bill would delete the exception described above and, instead, would require the county elections official to send a forwardable notice, in substantially the same format prescribed by federal law, to a voter for whom a notification was received through NCOA or Operation Mail indicating that the voter has moved and has given no forwarding address or has moved out of the state. By imposing new duties on county elections officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law authorizes a county elections official to send an alternate residency confirmation postcard to a voter who has not voted in an election within the preceding four years and whose residence address, name, or party preference has not been updated during that time. If the voter fails to confirm the voter's address as directed in the alternate residency confirmation postcard, the county elections official may place the voter's name on the inactive file of registered voters. This bill would make the former provision inoperative on January 1, 2020, and would repeal it as of January 1, 2029. The bill would require the county elections official to send a forwardable address verification mailing to a voter whose registration status is inactive based on the voter's failure to confirm the voter's address as required by the alternate residency confirmation postcard. The bill would require the cancellation of the voter registration record of a voter who fails to respond to the address verification mailing and who does not offer to vote or vote at an election between the date of the mailing and two federal general elections after that date. By imposing new duties on county elections officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (5) The bill would make other clarifying and nonsubstantive changes. (6) 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 establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and authorizes the governing board of a community college district to grant the use of college facilities or grounds for specified purposes. Existing law requires a community college campus that has shower facilities for student use to grant access, as specified, to those facilities to any homeless student who is enrolled in coursework, has paid enrollment fees, and is in good standing with the community college district, and requires the community college to determine a plan of action to implement this requirement. This bill, until December 31, 2023, would require a community college campus that has parking facilities on campus to grant overnight access to those facilities, commencing on or before July 1, 2021, to any homeless student who is enrolled in coursework, has paid any enrollment fees that have not been waived, and is in good standing with the community college, for the purpose of sleeping in the student's vehicle overnight. The bill would require the governing board of the community college district, commencing on or before July 1, 2021, and with the participation of student representatives, to determine a plan of action to implement this requirement, as specified. The bill would require a community college district to develop a document that clearly and concisely describes the rules and procedures established pursuant to the bill's overnight parking requirements, provide the document to participating students, and make the document available at an overnight parking facility in paper form or post the document conspicuously on the internet website of the community college campus in which the facility is located. The bill would also grant a community college district immunity from civil liability for a district employee's good faith act or omission that fails to prevent an injury to a participating student that occurs in, or in close proximity to, and during the hours of operation of, overnight parking. The bill would limit this immunity by making the immunity inapplicable to gross negligence, intentional misconduct, or violations of other provisions of law. On or before January 31, 2023, the bill would require the chancellor's office to submit to the Legislature and the Governor a report based on data and information pertaining to the overnight parking facilities requirements and other housing services offered to homeless students, concerning which the bill would require the governing boards to report to the chancellor on or before October 1, 2022. The bill's overnight parking facilities requirements would not apply to a community college parking facility located within 250 feet of an elementary school. The bill's overnight parking facilities requirements would not apply to a community college campus providing one or more of 3 specified types of homeless student housing services. On or before April 30, 2022, the bill would require the chancellor's office to submit to the Legislature and the Governor a report based on data and information pertaining to the provision of these specified housing services commencing on or before July 1, 2021, and other housing services offered to homeless students, concerning which the bill would require community college campuses to report to the chancellor on or before January 1, 2022. By imposing additional duties on community college districts, 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, 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.