Asm. Joaquin Arambula

Existing law establishes the Employment Development Department within the Labor and Workforce Development Agency and sets forth its powers and duties with respect to job creation activities. This bill would require the department, upon appropriation of funds by the Legislature, to administer the Online Jobs and Economic Support Resource Grant Program, which the bill would create for the purpose of funding inclusive, cross-jurisdictional, and innovative online platforms that support employment and earnings opportunities. The bill would specify the goals of the program, which would include reducing digital infrastructure gaps in employment and training services for individuals who face barriers to employment. The bill would also require the department, before awarding grants under these provisions, to develop and adopt guidelines and policies for the program, including a competitive award process with funding only awarded to applicants meeting specified requirements and conditions. These conditions would include the grant applicant having demonstrated experience serving underresourced populations and individuals with employment barriers. The bill would require each grant recipient, as a condition of receiving funds, to submit an annual report to the department on the use of grant funds, including aggregate demographic data and other information related to implementation of the grant. The bill would create the Online Jobs Training Fund in the State Treasury and would require moneys in that fund to be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to support the grant program. The bill would authorize the department, upon appropriation of funds by the Legislature, to make grants to qualified applicants pursuant to these provisions. The bill would also require the department to post notice of the appropriation on the home page of its internet website and to send notice to specified legislative officials for distribution to certain legislative committees.

Existing federal law establishes the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , known in California as CalFresh, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county. Existing law establishes a statewide electronic benefits transfer (EBT) system, administered by the State Department of Social Services, for the purpose of providing financial and food assistance benefits, including CalFresh benefits. Existing law establishes the California Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot Project and requires the department, in consultation with the Department of Food and Agriculture and specified stakeholders, to include within the EBT system a supplemental benefits mechanism that allows an authorized retailer to deliver and redeem supplemental benefits. Existing law defines the term "supplemental benefits" for these purposes to mean additional funds delivered to a CalFresh recipient's EBT card upon purchase of California-grown fresh fruits and vegetables using CalFresh benefits. Existing law requires the department, upon the deposit of sufficient moneys into the California Fruit and Vegetable EBT Grant Fund, and upon the appropriation of moneys from the fund by the Legislature for this purpose, to provide a minimum of 3 grants to nonprofit organizations or governmental agencies for pilot projects to implement and test the supplemental benefits mechanism, as specified. This bill would establish the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable Supplemental Benefits Expansion Program and create the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Expansion Fund in the State Treasury. The program would include a process and guidelines for the State Department of Social Services to, upon the deposit of sufficient moneys in the fund, enroll authorized retailers to enable those authorized retailers to provide supplemental benefits to CalFresh recipients who purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. The bill would authorize the department to initially allocate from any appropriation made for the purposes of the program, $40,000,000 for large authorized retailers that are not direct farm-to-consumer authorized retailers to provide supplemental benefits, $20,000,000 for small authorized retailers that are not direct farm-to-consumer authorized retailers to provide supplemental benefits, and $30,000,000 for direct farm-to-consumer authorized retailers to provide supplemental benefits. The bill would also require the department to provide grants to small authorized retailers that are not direct farm-to-consumer authorized retailers to offset the cost of technological upgrades required to offer supplemental benefits and would authorize the department to allocate up to $1,000,000 from any appropriation made for the purposes of the program to provide those grants. The bill would authorize the department, 6 months or later after the enrollment of authorized retailers as a result of the first round of application solicitation, to reallocate those funds. The bill would require supplemental benefits to be provided using the EBT system supplemental benefits mechanism established for purposes of the California Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot Project. The bill would also require the department, as part of the program, to contract with one or more vendors to develop at least 2 technology solutions that allow authorized retailers to wirelessly accept EBT CalFresh benefits and offer supplemental benefits, to develop marketing materials that authorized retailers that have been enrolled in the program and community groups can use for outreach efforts to promote supplemental benefits, and to submit specified reports to the Legislature. The bill would require, if the department fails to submit one of the reports, if the report recommends stopping further expansion of supplemental benefits programs, or if supplemental benefits are not distributed pursuant to the California Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot Project, all unencumbered state funds in the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Expansion Fund to revert to the General Fund. The bill would require the Department of Food and Agriculture to develop a grant program to award funds to nonprofit organizations to recruit, train, and support authorized retailers participating in supplemental benefit programs. The bill would require the State Department of Social Services to seek any necessary federal waivers or approvals to implement these provisions.

Existing law establishes the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, which may adjudge children to be dependents of the court under certain circumstances, including when the child suffered or there is a substantial risk that the child will suffer serious physical harm, or a parent fails to provide the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical treatment. Existing law generally provides for the placement of foster youth in various placement settings, and governs the provision of child welfare services. Existing law entitles every child adjudged a dependent of the juvenile court who is placed in foster care with the right to participate in age-appropriate extracurricular, enrichment, and social activities. Existing law requires a county social worker to create a case plan for foster youth within a specified timeframe, and requires the case plan to be developed considering the recommendations of the child and family team in accordance with certain requirements, including, that the case plan identifies specific goals and the appropriateness of the planned services in meeting those goals. Existing law requires a court to review the status of a dependent child in foster care at least once every 6 months until a subsequent dispositional hearing is completed, and requires the court to consider the safety of the child and make certain determinations, including, among other things, the continuing necessity for and appropriateness of the placement, and the extent of the agency's compliance with the case plan in making efforts, as specified, to return the child to a safe home and to complete any steps necessary to finalize their permanent placement. This bill would require a caseworker to discuss enrichment and extracurricular activities with each child or nonminor dependent at the monthly caseworker visits in order to identify potential activities and funding for the activities, and would require specified information regarding the enrichment and extracurricular activities in the case plan. The bill would also require the court to make additional determinations regarding the enrichment and extracurricular activities that the child or nonminor dependent is participating in, among other things. By increasing the duties of county child welfare agencies, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. Existing law establishes 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. This bill would require the State Department of Social Services, State Department of Health Care Services, and State Department of Education to develop a plan to maximize and leverage the usage of any available funds to support participation in enrichment activities for children and youth in foster care. The bill would, if the State Department of Health Care Services's application for a federal Medicaid demonstration project, known as the California Behavioral Health Community-Based Continuum Demonstration (CalBH-CBC) , is granted by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, require the State Department of Health Care Services, in collaboration with the State Department of Social Services, to convene a stakeholder workgroup, as specified, to assist in developing how the activity stipend benefit for current and former foster youth and children who have received or are receiving family maintenance services under the project will be implemented. Existing law, the Budget Act of 2022, appropriates $50,000,000 to the State Department of Social Services to allocate funding to county and tribal entities to, among other things, cover costs to facilitate a foster caregiver's and child's participation in child and youth enrichment activities that are not covered by the caregiver-specific rate and that would stabilize the placement or enhance the child's well-being, and requires the department to post a summary report describing participating entities' outcomes and other program information to its internet website and to submit it to the Legislature no later than March 1, 2026. This bill would require the department to additionally include in that summary report information on how those funds were used to support participation in enrichment activities for children and youth in foster care, the impact of this funding on children and youth well-being, and best practices and challenges around the fund usage. 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.

(1) The Fresno County Transportation Improvement Act provides for the creation of the Fresno County Transportation Authority with 9 members, as specified. Existing law authorizes the authority to raise revenue, as specified, and to fund regional and local transportation improvements. Existing law imposes various requirements on public works projects, including a requirement that, at minimum, all workers employed on a public works project be paid the general prevailing rate of per diem wages for work of a similar character in the locality in which a public work is performed, as specified. This bill would increase the membership of the authority to 13 members by adding to the authority a member of the public at large who represents a labor organization, a youth member, a local community member who is from a disadvantaged, unincorporated area of the county, and an educational member representing the county, as specified. The bill would require the authority, for a project that it funds, to ensure that certain prevailing wage requirements are satisfied if the project is not in its entirety a public work project and, for a construction or development project it funds, to enforce and promote environmental protections and regulations adopted pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act, as specified. By imposing new requirements on the authority, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law authorizes a retail transactions and use tax ordinance to be imposed by the authority, as specified. Existing law requires a county transportation expenditure plan to be prepared by the transportation planning agency for the expenditure of specified revenues and funds expected to be available for transportation improvements, for the period during which the tax is to be imposed. Existing law provides various requirements on the transportation planning agency regarding the approval of a county expenditure plan, including, but not limited to, public hearings and amendment procedures. Existing law prohibits a county transportation expenditure plan from being adopted by the authority until it has received the approval of the board of supervisors and of the city councils representing both a majority of the cities in the county and a majority of the population residing in the incorporated areas of the county. This bill would require the plan to be considered a project subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, as specified, and would require that the projects funded by the authority help mitigate any further pollution in disadvantaged communities or in disadvantaged unincorporated communities. The bill would place additional requirements on the transportation planning agency before preparing a plan, including, but not limited to, establishing a participatory public process that allows members of the public to inform and propose the plan and implementing guidelines and ensuring proposals for transportation improvements comply with state climate, air quality, and equity goals before adopting amendments. The bill would place additional requirements on the authority before adopting amendments to the plan, including, among other things, holding public hearings, as specified, and ensuring the amendments comply with state climate, air quality, and equity goals. By imposing new requirements on the authority and the transportation planning agency, the 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Existing law authorizes the board of the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District, composed of 15 members, including 5 city council members, to require the use of best available control technology, promote the use of alternative fuels, encourage and facilitate ridesharing, and require businesses to establish rideshare programs, as provided. This bill would increase the term of office for the city council district members to 4 years from 3 years, would increase the term of office for the public member with medical or scientific expertise in the health effects of air pollution to 4 years from 3 years, and would add 4 public members to the district board, appointed by the Governor to serve 4-year terms, as specified. Of these 4, one member would be from a California Native American tribe chosen from a list of candidates submitted by local tribal organizations with a presence within the San Joaquin Valley Air Basin, and 3 members would be appointed with the advice and consent of the Speaker of the Assembly. Of those 3, 2 would be required to have subject matter expertise in environmental justice or social justice issues and to be selected from a list submitted by nonprofit organizations that have a presence within the San Joaquin Valley Air Basin, and one would be required to be a youth member that is a resident of a county within the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District, as specified, to be between 18 and 26 years of age, and to be selected from a list submitted by either a youth-serving nonprofit organization or an institution of higher education, as specified. Beginning January 1, 2024, but excluding district board membership held prior to January 1, 2024, this bill would make a member whose appointed terms span a total of 8 or more years ineligible for appointment.

Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, establishes the Civil Rights Department within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency under the direction of the Director of Civil Rights. Existing law sets forth the powers and duties of the department, which include receiving, investigating, conciliating, mediating, and prosecuting complaints alleging unlawful practices or violations of specified civil rights provisions, including those based on a mental or physical disability, as defined. This bill would require the department to convene a workgroup to make recommendations to the Legislature for the development of accessibility and antidiscrimination laws for people with disabilities, as defined. The bill would require the department to appoint members of the workgroup to include interested parties and stakeholders that reflect the diversity of the state, including, among other groups, individuals who have personal experience with a disability. The bill would require the workgroup to take specified actions, including examining existing laws and policies related to, among other issues, improving the effective enforcement of civil rights laws. This bill would require the department, based on the findings of the workgroup, to submit a report to the Legislature by July 1, 2025, containing recommendations on ways to achieve specified goals and priorities of the workgroup. The bill would provide that the Legislature should hold public hearings on the results of the report within one year of submission of that report. This bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2028. This bill would include related legislative findings.

Existing law establishes the Department of Health Care Access and Information to oversee various aspects of the health care market, including oversight of hospital facilities and community benefits plans. Existing law requires a private, not-for-profit hospital to adopt and update a community benefits plan that describes the activities the hospital has undertaken to address identified community needs within its mission and financial capacity, including health care services rendered to vulnerable populations. Existing law defines "community benefit" to include the unreimbursed cost of services, as specified, among other things. Existing law requires a hospital to conduct a community needs assessment to evaluate the health needs of the community and to update that assessment at least once every 3 years. Existing law requires a hospital to annually submit a community benefits plan to the department not later than 150 days after the hospital's fiscal year ends. Existing law authorizes the department to impose a fine not to exceed $5,000 against a hospital that fails to adopt, update, or submit a community benefits plan, and requires the department to annually report on its internet website the amount of community benefit spending and list those that failed to report community benefit spending, among other things. This bill would redefine the term "community benefit" to include the unreimbursed cost of services as reported in a specified federal tax filing, would require a hospital to annually submit a copy of that completed tax filing, and would require a community benefits plan to include community benefits reported by category consistent with that filing. The bill would increase the maximum fine for failure to adopt, update, or submit, a community benefits plan to $25,000 and would specify that the community benefits plan should address the community needs identified by the community needs assessment.

Under existing law, the State Department of Social Services administers various social services programs, such as the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program and the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , known in California as CalFresh, to provide benefits to eligible individuals. Existing law requires counties to administer these programs. Existing law requires a county human services agency to designate at least one employee as a staff liaison, as provided. Existing law requires the staff liaison to serve as a point of contact for academic counselors and other relevant professional staff at a campus of an institution of public higher education located within the county and provide information on programs and services offered by the agency that may be available to students attending a campus of an institution of public higher education within the county. This bill would require the department to convene a workgroup that meets quarterly, comprised of relevant stakeholders as needed to share best practices, updates, challenges, or other topics related to programs and services offered by the department that may be available to students attending a campus of an institution of public higher education. The bill would require the department, with input from relevant stakeholders, to, among other things, discuss and examine different approaches or activities that could increase enrollment in programs of eligible students. The bill would require the department, in collaboration with stakeholders, to submit a report, on or before June 30, 2024, and every 3 years thereafter, to the Legislature with findings and recommendations relating to increasing enrollment in programs and services offered by the department that may be available to students, as specified.

The Emergency Services Act establishes in state government, within the office of the Governor, the Office of Emergency Services and makes the office responsible for the state's emergency and disaster response services for natural, technological, or man-made disasters and emergencies, as specified. This bill would enact the Emergency Fairgrounds Communications Grant Act and would require, on or before January 1, 2025, the office to establish a grant program to provide fairgrounds with grant funding for the purpose of building and upgrading communication and internet infrastructure on fairgrounds. The bill would require the office to establish standards to determine the awarding of grant funding that award funding based on a fairground's need for internet capabilities in order to service an emergency response operation. The bill would authorize the office to prioritize the order of grant disbursements based on prescribed criteria. The bill would also require the office to consult with the Department of Technology and the Department of Food and Agriculture to coordinate the statewide building and upgrading of communication and internet infrastructure on fairgrounds. The bill would provide that the program is operative only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for its purposes.