Asm. Nora Campos

This measure would declare the month of January 2016 as Pet Care Education Month and would request Californians to observe the month by ensuring that their companion animals receive the proper preventative care by establishing a financial plan for pet health emergencies and by contributing to charitable organizations that provide low-cost spay and neuter services and vaccinations or funds to help low-income individuals pay for veterinary care.

(1) Existing law establishes 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. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid provisions. Existing law requires the department to develop and implement a Medi-Cal inpatient hospital reimbursement payment methodology based on diagnosis-related groups, subject to federal approval, that reflects the costs and staffing levels associated with quality of care for patients in all general acute care hospitals, as specified. Existing law generally requires the diagnosis-related group-based payments to apply to all claims. This bill would require claims for payments pursuant to the inpatient hospital reimbursement methodology described above to be increased by 16% for the 2015–16 fiscal year, and would require, commencing July 1, 2016, and annually thereafter, the department to increase each diagnosis-related group payment claim amount based, at a minimum, on increases in the medical component of the California Consumer Price Index. Commencing with the 2015–16 fiscal year, and annually thereafter, the bill would require managed care rates for Medi-Cal managed care health plans to be increased by a proportionately equal amount for increased payments for hospital services. (2) Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments to be reduced by 1% or 5%, and provider payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 1%, for dates of service on and after March 1, 2009, and until June 1, 2011. Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments and payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 10% for dates of service on and after June 1, 2011. This bill would, instead, prohibit the application of those reductions for payments to providers for dates of service on or after June 1, 2011. The bill would also require payments for managed care health plans for dates of service following the effective date of the bill to be determined without application of some of those reductions. The bill would require the Director of Health Care Services to implement this provision to the maximum extent permitted by federal law and for the maximum time period for which the director obtains federal approval for federal financial participation for those payments. (3) Prior law required, beginning January 1, 2013, through and including December 31, 2014, that payments for primary care services provided by specified physicians be no less than 100% of the payment rate that applies to those services and physicians as established by the Medicare program, for both fee-for-service and managed care plans. This bill, commencing January 1, 2016, would require payments for specified medical care services to not be less than 100% of the payment rate that applies to those services as established by the Medicare program for services rendered by fee-for-service providers, and would require rates paid to Medi-Cal managed care plans to be actuarially equivalent to payment rates established by the Medicare program. The bill, commencing January 1, 2016, would require rates paid to Denti-Cal providers for dental services provided to adults and children to be increased by the equivalent percentage as the percentage increase required for other fee-for-service Medi-Cal providers. The bill would require those provisions to be implemented only to the extent permitted by federal law and that federal financial participation is available. The bill would authorize the department to implement those provisions through provider bulletins without taking regulatory action until regulations are adopted, and would require the department to adopt those regulations by July 1, 2018. The bill would require, commencing July 1, 2016, the department to provide a status report to the Legislature on a semiannual basis until regulations have been adopted. (4) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law establishes the Student Opportunity and Access Program, administered by the Student Aid Commission, to distribute funds on a progress payment schedule for projects designated to increase the accessibility of postsecondary educational opportunities for certain groups of elementary and secondary school pupils and, to the extent of available resources, community college students. The program requires the commission to establish a 12-member project grant advisory committee, including one college campus financial aid officer, appointed by the commission, to advise project directors and the commission on the development and operation of the projects. This bill would add one additional college campus financial aid officer, appointed by the commission, to the advisory committee.

Existing law generally provides for the establishment of public libraries. Existing law requires every public library that receives specified state funds and that provides public access to the Internet or to video recordings to, by a majority vote of the governing board, adopt a policy regarding access by minors to the Internet or to video recordings. This bill would require every public library that provides public access to a 3D printer, as defined, to post a notice on or near the 3D printer that would alert users of the 3D printer of the potential liability of the user for misuse of the 3D printer, as specified. This bill would require the Department of Justice to draft and distribute this notice, as specified, and annually review and revise the notice for accuracy. By imposing additional duties upon local officials, this bill would create 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 these statutory provisions.

Existing law requires the court to order criminal defendants to pay restitution to the victim or victims as well as a fine. Existing law authorizes the collection of the restitution fine and fee by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, if the person is under the jurisdiction of the department, or the county collection program if the person is, or was, under the county's jurisdiction. Existing law also makes any portion of a restitution fine or restitution fee enforceable by the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board, as specified. Restitution is enforceable by the victim as a judgment. This bill would require a person, organization, or company that enters into a contract to pay a person, who has been convicted of a crime and who is required to pay restitution, for the rights to his or her story, information relating to the crime for use by the company in an entertainment product, as defined, or consulting fees for the production of an entertainment product, to notify specified entities, including the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board, of the amount to be paid.

Existing law establishes the California State Work-Study Program, under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, to provide eligible college and university students with an opportunity to earn money to help defray their educational costs while gaining valuable experience in educationally beneficial or career-related employment. The program requires a participating institution to ensure that each work-study position meets specified conditions, including ensuring that no position filled by a work-study student has been occupied by a regular employee during the current or immediately preceding 12 months. This bill would change this time period, regarding a position to be filled by a work-study student, to the current or immediately preceding 6 months.

This measure would proclaim January 26, 2016, as India Republic Day, and would urge all Californians to join in celebrating India Republic Day.

Existing law authorizes local jurisdictions to establish controls on the price of residential units that may be offered for rent. Existing law, the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, prescribes statewide limits on the application of local rent control with regard to certain properties, including those that have a certificate of occupancy issued after February 1, 1995. This bill, until January 1, 2019, would enact the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption Program (SCRIE program) , a demonstration project to be implemented in the County of Alameda, the City and County of San Francisco, the County of Ventura, and the County of Santa Clara. The program would permit an eligible head of household in a rent-controlled property to apply to be exempt from rent increases for a 12-month period, with the associated loss of rent to be offset by a tax credit to be claimed by the landlord, as provided. The bill would define an eligible head of household as having certain characteristics, including being 62 years of age or older, and having a combined annual household income of $50,000 or less, more than 13 of which is spent on rent. The bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide advisory guidance to local rent control boards regarding the implementation and administration of the SCRIE program, to publicize the SCRIE program to senior citizens in rent-controlled properties in the jurisdictions to which the program applies, and to apply for federal funding for the program. This bill would permit an eligible head of household, on and after April 1, 2016, to apply annually to the appropriate local rent control board, to be defined as a supervising agency, for a rent increase exemption order and, if the relevant criteria are met, would require the agency to issue the order to the head of household, with a copy to his or her landlord along with information on the right to claim a related tax credit. By increasing the duties of local officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the tax imposed by that law. This bill would allow a credit against those taxes, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2016, and before January 1, 2020, for an amount equivalent to the rent a landlord does not receive as a result of a tenant's participation in the SCRIE program. The bill would prescribe the conditions pursuant to which the landlord could claim the tax credit, including the requirement that the credit be allowed only for the taxable year in which the taxpayer incurred the loss of the rent resulting from the increase exemption order. The bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to make a specified report to the Legislature on the program, which would include the feasability of establishing the program statewide. The bill would make a statement of legislative findings. 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.

The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the taxes imposed by that law. This bill would, for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2015, allow a credit to a taxpayer participating in a lawn replacement program, as defined, in an amount equal to $2 per square foot of conventional lawn removed from the taxpayer's property, up to $50,000 per taxable year, as provided. The bill would make findings and declarations in this regard. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to provide for the transportation of pupils to and from school whenever in the judgment of the board the transportation is advisable and good reasons exist to do so. This bill would require a pupil entitled to free or reduced-price meals, or who attends a school that participates in the Community Eligibility Option, to be entitled to free transportation to and from school provided by the local educational agency, if certain conditions are met. The bill would require the local educational agency to designate a liaison to implement a plan, in consultation with specified stakeholders, to ensure that all entitled pupils receive free transportation in a timely manner. By requiring new duties on a local educational agency, the 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 these statutory provisions.