Under existing law, the board of supervisors of any county may establish the office of public defender for the county and authorize reciprocal or mutual assistance agreements with boards of supervisors of other counties authorizing their respective public defenders to enter into reciprocal or mutual assistance agreements, or authorize reciprocal or mutual assistance agreements with the State Public Defender, if the public defender of the county is unable to perform public defender duties because of, among other reasons, lack of personnel, lack of expertise, or lack of other resources by the local office. Existing law, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature, requires the State Public Defender, in consultation with the California Public Defenders Association and other subject matter experts, to undertake a study to assess appropriate workloads for public defenders and indigent defense attorneys and to submit a report with their findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2024. This bill would require the board of supervisors of each county to specify a contact person with the applicable oversight and to collect specified information on public defense services provided in the county, and report that data to the Office of the State Public Defender every 2 years beginning on January 1, 2029. Because the bill would require local officials to perform additional duties, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the Office of the State Public Defender to create and post on its internet website a summary report on public defense services, as specified. The bill would make its provisions operative upon appropriation by the Legislature for these purposes. 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.
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(1) Under existing law, if the federal government provides funds for the care of a needy relative with whom a needy child is living, aid to the child for any month includes aid to meet the needs of that relative, except as prescribed. Existing law establishes the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families using federal, state, and county funds. Existing law provides that the parent or parents are to be considered living with the needy child for a period of up to 6 months, or for a time period as determined by the State Department of Social Services, of the needy child's absence from the family assistance unit, and that the parents are eligible for CalWORKs aid and childcare services if specified conditions are met, including, among others, that the child has been removed from the parent or parents and that the family was receiving aid under when the child was removed. Existing law requires all applicants for or recipients of CalWORKs to ensure and provide documentation that each child in the assistance unit who is not required to be enrolled in school has received all age-appropriate immunizations, as specified. This bill would make technical changes to the provisions regarding a parent's eligibility to receive aid as if the child or children were living with them. The bill would also specify that those provisions do not require all children to be removed from the parent or parents or that some, but not all, of the children have reunified. If a family assistance unit is cooperating in the development of, or participating in, a reunification case plan, the bill would exempt a child that has been removed from the parent or parents from specified immunization requirements. For a family assistance unit receiving state-funded CalWORKs reunification cash aid whose grant was lowered as a sanction for not cooperating with child support enforcement, as specified, the bill would require the sanction to end upon the removal of the child from the assistance unit and their placement into out-of-home care. If an applicant applies for assistance for a child who is currently aided in another assistance unit and the county determines that the applicant has care and control of the child and is otherwise eligible, existing law requires the county to discontinue aid to the child in the existing assistance unit and aid the child in the applicant's assistance unit, as specified. Notwithstanding the above-described requirements to discontinue aid, if a child or children have been removed from their parent or parents and are placed with an adult who, prior to the removal, was a noncustodial parent, the bill would prohibit the county from discontinuing aid to the existing assistance unit if it is otherwise eligible for CalWORKs reunification cash aid, as specified. To the extent that this bill would expand county responsibilities under the CalWORKs program, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law generally requires a recipient of CalWORKs to participate in welfare-to-work activities as a condition of eligibility. Existing law requires the recipient and the county welfare department to enter into a written welfare-to-work plan that includes the activities and services that will move the individual into employment. Existing departmental guidance strongly encourages, for individuals receiving benefits as described in paragraph (1) , counties to use a CalWORKs family reunification plan, which is the case plan developed by the county child welfare services agency for the provision of services to those individuals, in lieu of the welfare-to-work plan. This bill would exempt an individual receiving aid or services for CalWORKs family reunification from the requirement to participate in welfare-to-work activities as a condition of eligibility. To the extent that this bill would expand county responsibilities under the CalWORKs program, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) This bill would make these provisions operative on July 1, 2027, or when the Statewide Automated Welfare System can perform any automation the department deems necessary to implement these provisions, whichever is later. (4) Existing law continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program. This bill would provide that the continuous appropriation would not be made for the purposes of implementing the bill. (5) 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 requires the board of supervisors of each county, following each decennial federal census, and using that census as a basis, to adjust the boundaries of any or all of the supervisorial districts of the county so that the districts are as nearly equal in population as possible and comply with applicable federal law, and specifies the procedures the board of supervisors must follow in adjusting those boundaries. Existing law establishes independent redistricting commissions in the Counties of Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Luis Obispo, Kern, Fresno, and Sacramento, which are charged with adjusting the supervisorial district boundaries for their respective counties. This bill, upon appropriation by the Legislature, would establish the Citizens Redistricting Commission in the County of San Bernardino, which would be charged with adjusting the boundary lines of the districts of the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Bernardino. The commission would consist of 14 commissioners who meet specified qualifications. This bill would require the commission to adjust the boundaries of the supervisorial districts in accordance with specified criteria and adopt a redistricting plan in accordance with existing deadlines for the adoption of county supervisorial district boundaries. The bill would create specified procedures by which the commission may remove a commissioner. By increasing the duties on local officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the unique circumstances facing the County of San Bernardino. 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.
This measure would urge the President of the United States and Congress of the United States to immediately restore full and consistent funding and staffing for the National Park Service.
Maddy summaryCalifornia Assembly Resolution 140 designates August 2026 as Children's Get Offline and Get Outdoors Month to promote awareness of the benefits of screen-free play for child development. The resolution cites research linking excessive social media use and reduced free play time to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and other behavioral issues among teenagers. It encourages families and communities to support unstructured outdoor activities and highlights ongoing federal efforts to protect children's mental health through technology guardrails.
This measure would urge President Donald J. Trump to avoid raising the cost of living for American consumers by rescinding the tariffs that he has imposed since taking office in January 2025 and refunding the American people for the costs passed on to them by his tariffs. The measure would also urge the United States Congress to enact a joint resolution to rescind President Trump's tariffs and to oppose all future unilateral and arbitrary tariff increases imposed by President Trump.
Maddy summaryCalifornia Assembly Resolution 137 formally recognizes the Diwali festival scheduled for November 8, 2026, and encourages state residents to participate in the celebration. The resolution highlights the cultural significance of the holiday for Indian Americans and South Asian communities, noting its themes of unity, joy, and the triumph of light over darkness. It also acknowledges that California previously designated Diwali as an official state holiday in 2025. This measure serves as a commemorative statement rather than a law with new regulatory or financial provisions.
Existing law, the Dental Practice Act, establishes the Dental Board of California to license and regulate the practice of dentistry, including the licensure and regulation of dental auxiliaries, including, among others, dental assistants, as defined, and sets forth duties and functions that those dental auxiliaries are authorized to perform. Existing law requires the board to require an applicant for licensure to successfully complete certain examinations. Existing law imposes certain requirements to take an examination, including a requirement to furnish satisfactory evidence of financial responsibility or liability insurance for certain dental patient injuries, as specified. This bill would delete the requirement to furnish satisfactory evidence of financial responsibility or liability insurance for certain dental patient injuries. Existing law also requires an applicant to furnish satisfactory evidence of having graduated from a dental college approved by the board or by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (CODA) . Certain additional requirements for a degree issued by a foreign dental school depend on whether the school was approved by the board, as specified. Since January 1, 2024, existing law requires foreign dental schools seeking board approval to complete the international consultative and accreditation process with CODA or a comparable board-approved accrediting body. Existing law exempts a foreign dental school whose program approval was renewed by the board before January 1, 2020, through any date between January 1, 2024, and June 30, 2026. This bill would update cross-references to clarify that an applicant is not prohibited from taking an examination for licensure because their foreign dental school program was exempt from the accreditation requirement, as described above. Existing law exempts an applicant from reexamination on a subject for which the applicant, in an examination taken in the prior 2 years, received a grading of 85% or above. Existing law requires an applicant, after 3 failed attempts to pass an examination, to successfully complete a minimum of 50 hours of education for each failed subject, as specified. This bill would revise the subject reexamination exemption to instead require a grading of pass. The bill would remove the above-described education requirement for reexamination, and would instead require an applicant to retake the entire examination after 3 failed attempts at a section of the examination. Existing law authorizes the board to grant a license to an applicant who has not taken an examination if the applicant, among other things, submits proof, under penalty of perjury, that the applicant has certain credentials. With regard to those required credentials, existing law specifies that the applicant has either been in active clinical practice out of state, as described, has been engaged in full-time nonclinical practice requiring an active dentist's license for an out of state public health program, as described, for at least 5 years immediately preceding the application, or has been a full-time faculty member in an accredited dental education program and in active clinical practice for a total of at least 5,000 hours within the past 5 years immediately preceding the date of the application. This bill would revise and recast that credential requirement to clarify that 5,000 hours of clinical practice is required of an applicant who has been in active clinical practice out of state or an applicant who has been a full-time faculty member, as described above. For an applicant whose credentials are based on engagement in nonclinical practice for an out-of-state public health program, as described above, the bill would instead require the applicant to have been engaged in that practice for a minimum average of 40 hours per week, as specified. The bill would require certain applicants to submit certain documentation verifying compliance with the applicable requirements described above. By expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law authorizes an applicant to meet the clinical practice requirement described above by submitting documentation that the applicant has agreed to teach or practice dentistry in California for a minimum average of 40 hours per week for 2 years in at least one accredited dental education program approved by the board. This bill would revise that provision by removing the requirement that the dental education program be approved by the board, and instead specifying that the program be accredited by CODA. Existing law requires a dentist to possess an elective facial cosmetic surgery permit in order to perform specified procedures. One category of those procedures is cosmetic contouring of the osteocartilaginous facial structure, and another category is cosmetic contouring or rejuvenation of the facial soft tissue, as specified. In this regard, existing law authorizes the board to issue a permit that authorizes the dentist to perform one or both of those categories of elective facial cosmetic surgical procedures. Existing law requires the board to appoint a credentialing committee to review the qualifications of an applicant for a permit and, upon completion of review, recommend to the board whether or not to issue a permit to the applicant. Under existing law, permits issued by the board may be unqualified, entitling the permitholder to perform either category of elective facial cosmetic surgical procedures, or may contain limitations if the committee is not satisfied that the applicant has the training or competence to perform certain classes of procedures, or the applicant has not requested to be permitted for both categories. This bill would delete the above-described provisions relating to the limitations that may be imposed on that permit, and would instead authorize the committee to recommend that an applicant who has applied for a permit to perform both categories of procedures be issued a permit limited to one category if the committee is not satisfied that the applicant has the training or competence to perform both categories of procedures. The bill would specify that the committee serves at the pleasure of the board, and would authorize the board to remove any member of the committee for continued neglect of duties required by law, incompetence, or unprofessional or dishonorable conduct. The bill would authorize the board to convene in closed session to consider any evidence relating to the removal of a member of the committee, as specified. Existing law authorizes a registered dental assistant in extended functions licensed on or after January 1, 2010, to perform specified procedures under direct supervision and pursuant to the order, control, and full professional responsibility of a licensed dentist, including gingival retraction for impression and restorative procedures. This bill would add polishing and contouring existing amalgam restorations to that list of authorized duties and make conforming changes. Existing law requires a person seeking licensure as a registered dental assistant in extended functions to meet certain eligibility requirements, including completion of an extended functions postsecondary program approved by the board, as specified. If the applicant completes a program that teaches the duties that registered dental assistants in extended functions were allowed to perform pursuant to board regulations before January 1, 2010, existing law also requires the applicant to complete a course approved by the board in a list of specified procedures. This bill would revise the list of procedures required to be covered by that course by removing taking final impressions for permanent indirect restorations, and adding, among other things, performing post, core, and build-up procedures in conjunction with direct and indirect restorations. Existing law establishes various requirements for courses in radiation safety for certain dental auxiliaries, including that the course establish specific instructional objectives, utilize objective evaluation criteria for measuring student progress, and meet certain requirements related to duration of instruction. Existing regulations require a dental assisting program or course to meet certain criteria to secure and maintain board approval. Existing regulations authorize the board to approve, provisionally approve, or deny approval of a program or course, as specified. Existing regulations impose specific requirements on a radiation safety course for board approval, including that the course provide no fewer than 32 clock hours of instruction, including at least 8 hours of didactic instruction, at least 12 hours of laboratory instruction, and at least 12 hours of clinical instruction. This bill would modify the requirements for courses in radiation safety and would codify those regulations with certain modifications, including, among other things, requiring that provisional approval for a course in radiation safety expire after one year or upon subsequent board approval or denial, whichever occurs first, and that the board provide, in writing, the specific reasons for provisionally approving or denying a course to the course director within 90 days of that decision. The bill would authorize the board to, in lieu of conducting its own investigation for a course in radiation safety, accept the findings of a commission or accreditation agency approved by the board, or its designee, and adopt those findings as its own. This bill would authorize didactic instruction to be provided through distance learning modalities. The bill would require the course provider to, among other things, notify prospective students of the computer or communications technology necessary to participate in didactic instruction. This bill would also make nonsubstantive changes. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. 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 recognize August 26, 2026, as Women's Equality Day and its historic importance to women's rights, including the battle to attain those rights in the past, present, and future.
Maddy summaryThis bill designates 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer to acknowledge the vital contributions of women in agriculture. It functions as a formal proclamation rather than a law that changes regulations or allocates funding. The measure directly affects the state by officially recognizing the importance of female agricultural workers during that year.