Asm. Patrick Ahrens

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 provisions. Qualified individuals under the Medi-Cal program include medically needy persons and medically needy family persons who meet the required eligibility criteria, including applicable income requirements. Existing law requires the department to establish income levels for maintenance need at the lowest levels that reasonably permit a medically needy person to meet their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter, and for which federal financial participation will still be provided under applicable federal law. In calculating the income of a medically needy person in a medical institution or nursing facility, or a person receiving institutional or noninstitutional services from a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly organization, the required monthly maintenance amount includes an amount providing for personal and incidental needs in the amount of not less than $35 per month while a patient. Existing law authorizes the department to increase, by regulation, this amount as necessitated by increasing costs of personal and incidental needs. This bill would increase the monthly maintenance amount for personal and incidental needs from $35 to $50, and would require that the amount be increased annually, as specified. The bill would make these changes subject to receipt of necessary federal approvals.

This measure would, among other things, reaffirm California's commitment to universal human rights and call for the end to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the immediate release of all hostages.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates February 2026 as Unclaimed Property Month in California to raise awareness about state-held financial assets. It encourages residents to check the state Controller's website to claim unclaimed funds such as uncashed checks and insurance proceeds. The resolution does not change any laws or policies but serves as a public awareness campaign to help people locate and claim their abandoned property. It directs the Assembly Chief Clerk to distribute copies of the resolution for public distribution.

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution declares January 2026 as School Board Recognition Month to honor the nearly 5,000 school board members across California's 1,000 school districts and county offices of education. The resolution recognizes these locally elected officials for their work in guiding public education and serving diverse communities, emphasizing their role in ensuring students' academic, social-emotional, and health needs are met. It calls on community members to join in acknowledging the dedication of school board members and collaborate to improve the education system. The bill has no operational effect beyond this symbolic recognition and does not change any laws or policies.

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution formally recognizes the importance of affordable homeownership for California families, particularly those with lower incomes, and highlights how nonprofit-led programs help build generational wealth and reduce economic disparities. The document emphasizes that existing state programs like CalHome support the construction and preservation of affordable homes through competitive funding to cities, counties, indigenous communities, and nonprofit builders such as Habitat for Humanity. While the resolution does not create new laws or funding, it serves as an official acknowledgment of homeownership's role in improving educational outcomes, health, civic participation, and neighborhood stability. The text also notes California's significant housing deficit and racial wealth gaps as context for why expanding affordable ownership opportunities is a priority for state policy.

Existing law requires the State Water Resources Control Board, in coordination with the Department of Water Resources, to adopt long-term standards for the efficient use of water and performance measures for commercial, industrial, and institutional water use (CII water use) , among other water uses, before June 30, 2022. Existing law requires the department, in coordination with the board, to conduct necessary studies and investigations and make recommendations, no later than October 1, 2021, for purposes of those standards and performance measures for CII water use. This bill would require the department and the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications to include, within the Save Our Water Campaign, a statewide "water wise" designation to be awarded to businesses in the CII sector that meet or exceed the recommendations for CII water use best management practices pursuant to those performance measures.

Under existing law, each person between 6 and 18 years of age, inclusive, who is not otherwise exempt is subject to compulsory full-time education. Existing law requires each person subject to compulsory full-time education to attend the public full-time day school and for the full time designated as the length of the schoolday by the governing board of the school district in which the residency of either the parent or legal guardian is located, except that a pupil is deemed to have complied with those residency requirements if the pupil meets specified criteria, including if the pupil is a foster child who remains in their school of origin, as provided. This bill would expressly define the term "foster youth" for purposes of the latter provision.

Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the primary state agency for the administration of state-authorized student financial aid programs available to students attending all segments of postsecondary education. This bill would establish the California Legislative Staff Education Loan Repayment Program, under the administration of the commission, to provide up to $50,000 in student loan repayment per applicant, disbursed in equal monthly installments over 20 years, as specified. The bill would require applicants for the program to be full-time eligible employees, as defined, of the California State Assembly or the California State Senate who have served for a minimum of 12 months. The bill would require an applicant to provide proof of full-time employment and for the applicant's supervisor or manager to attest, under penalty of perjury, that the applicant is in good standing with their employer. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would create the California Legislative Staff Education Loan Repayment Fund and authorize the commission to accept donations for purposes of the program and deposit them in the fund. The bill would require the commission to monitor the program for fraud and to annually report to the Legislature on the program, as specified. The bill would make the operation of the program contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act or another statute. 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 establishes in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency a Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the direction of the Commissioner of Financial Protection and Innovation. Under existing law, the department has charge of the execution of specified laws relating to various financial institutions and financial products and services. This bill would enact the California Elder Financial Abuse Prevention Act, which would authorize a depository institution, as defined, to take specified actions when, based on their own observations or information received from a governmental or law enforcement agency, the institution believes that an eligible adult, as defined, is the victim or target of financial abuse, including delaying or refusing a transaction involving the eligible adult and preventing the transfer of funds from the eligible adult's account. The bill would authorize a depository institution to notify an associated third party, as defined, if the depository institution believes an eligible adult may be the victim of financial abuse, and would exempt that disclosure from state privacy laws or requirements.

Existing law establishes various programs to provide foster care benefits, including, among others, the Aid to Families with Dependent Children—Foster Care (AFDC-FC) program, under which counties provide payments to foster care providers on behalf of qualified children in foster care and to nonminor dependents. Existing law requires the county to review the child's or nonminor dependent's payment amount annually, including an examination of any circumstances of a foster child or nonminor dependent that are subject to change and could affect the child's or nonminor dependent's potential eligibility or payment amount. This bill would require that review to include a review of a child's or nonminor dependent's eligibility for foster care benefits, and would require that review to also be conducted each time the county receives specified information. The bill would require, if the county determines pursuant to that review that a child or nonminor dependent is no longer eligible for foster care benefits under the program from which they are currently receiving foster care benefits, but is eligible for foster care benefits under another program, the county to ensure that the child or nonminor dependent receives the foster care benefits to which they are entitled under the new program, and to provide a notice of action that includes specified information to the caregiver of the child or to the nonminor dependent. The bill would also require the county to provide a notice of action that includes specified information to the caregiver of the child or to the nonminor dependent if the county determines pursuant to that review that the child or nonminor dependent is no longer eligible for foster care benefits under any program. This bill would require a county to make an initial determination of the amount of foster care benefits to which a child is entitled within 30 days of the juvenile court's initial order to detain the child. By imposing new duties on counties, 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.