Asm. Ash Kalra

This measure would, among other things, mark June 25, 2018, as the 68th anniversary of the Korean War and encourage participants in specified discussions regarding North and South Korea to have a sincere intention of achieving peace in the region.

Existing law provides for the State Supplementary Program for the Aged, Blind and Disabled (SSP) , which requires the State Department of Social Services to contract with the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services to make payments to SSP recipients to supplement Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments made available pursuant to the federal Social Security Act. Under existing law, benefit payments under SSP are calculated by establishing the maximum level of nonexempt income and federal SSI and state SSP benefits for each category of eligible recipient, with an annual cost-of-living adjustment, effective January 1 of each year. Existing law prohibits, for each calendar year, commencing with the 2011 calendar year, any cost-of-living adjustment from being made to the maximum benefit payment unless otherwise specified by statute, except for the pass along of any cost-of-living increase in the federal SSI benefits. Existing law continuously appropriates funds for the implementation of SSP. This bill would reinstate the cost-of-living adjustment beginning January 1 of the 2019 calendar year, subject to the appropriation of funds for this purpose in the annual Budget Act.

The Government Claims Act sets forth the general procedure for the presentation of claims as a prerequisite to commencement of actions for money or damages against local public entities, as defined. The act exempts certain claims against local public entities from the presentation procedures of the act, including, but not limited to, claims made pursuant to a specific provision of the Code of Civil Procedure for the recovery of damages suffered as a result of childhood sexual abuse and arising out of conduct occurring on or after January 1, 2009. Under the act, claims against a local public entity for money or damages that are exempted and that are not governed by any other statutes or regulations expressly relating thereto, are authorized to be governed by the procedure prescribed in an enactment adopted by the local public entity. This bill would specifically exempt from that authorization for procedures prescribed by local enactment claims against a local public entity made pursuant to the above-described existing law for the recovery of damages suffered as a result of childhood sexual abuse.

Existing law provides for the procedures by which a voter may apply for and receive a vote by mail ballot. Existing law requires the elections official to deliver to each qualified applicant the ballot for the precinct in which the applicant resides and all supplies necessary for the use and return of the ballot. Existing law prescribes the contents of an identification envelope and requires a voter to return his or her vote by mail ballot in the identification envelope, as specified. This bill would clarify that the elections official is required to deliver to each qualified applicant an identification envelope for the return of the vote by mail ballot and would require the identification envelope to have prepaid postage. By imposing additional duties on local elections officials, 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.

(1) Existing law generally provides for the regulation of the business of long-term care insurance by the Department of Insurance pursuant to laws set forth in the Insurance Code. Existing law specifically requires certain long-term care policies to state the threshold for establishing eligibility for home care benefits and provide specific information relating to the provision of an alternative plan of care. This bill would expand the required information to be included in those long-term care policies regarding the threshold for establishing eligibility for home care benefits and the provision of an alternate plan of care. (2) Existing law generally provides for the regulation of the business of disability insurance by the Department of Insurance pursuant to laws set forth in the Insurance Code. Existing law specifically requires certain disability insurance policies that include an accelerated death benefit to explain the benefits in a specified manner. This bill would expand the required information to be included in those disability insurance policies that include an accelerated death benefit to explain the ability of an insured to request a health assessment and to receive a lump sum payment of the accelerated death benefit, and how an insured is required to provide the insurer with a notice of a claim. This bill would also make technical, nonsubstantive changes to provisions relating to long-term care and disability insurance.

This measure would recognize June 8 as World Oceans Day, and would declare that the Legislature intends to act decisively in 2018 in regard to passing legislation aimed at reducing plastic pollution in California rivers, beaches, and ocean, and would further declare that the State of California is determined to seek additional ways to curb plastic pollution on those waterways and beaches, and in other natural spaces and communities.

This measure would recognize June 12, 2018, as the 120th Anniversary of Philippine Independence and would call upon the people of the state to observe the month of June with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities.

Existing law defines a nuisance as one that affects at the same time an entire community or neighborhood, or any considerable number of persons, although the extent of the annoyance or damage inflicted upon individuals may be unequal, and provides that a public nuisance may be remedied by an indictment or information, a civil action, or abatement. This bill would make any property owner, or agent thereof, who participates in a program to abate lead-based paint created as a result of a judgment or settlement in any public nuisance or similar litigation immune from liability in any lawsuit seeking to recover inspection, abatement, or any other costs associated with that abatement program and the activities conducted pursuant to that abatement program.

This measure would condemn the decision to end the Temporary Protected Status designation for El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Sudan. The measure would also urge the United States Congress to enact a bipartisan permanent solution for Salvadorans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, Hondurans, and Sudanese with Temporary Protected Status.