Rep. Devon Mathis

Maddy summaryThis Senate Concurrent Resolution designates May 7, 2024, as National Fentanyl Awareness Day to highlight the dangers of counterfeit pills containing lethal doses of fentanyl. The measure directly affects the general public by aiming to increase awareness of the risks posed by fake prescription pills and illicit fentanyl, which have caused a significant rise in overdose deaths across the United States and California. While the resolution includes statements supporting law enforcement efforts to combat the spread of these drugs, its primary function is symbolic recognition rather than establishing new laws or funding.

This measure would designate the portion of Interstate Highway 405 from Bolsa Chica Road in the County of Orange to Magnolia Street in the County of Orange as the Little Saigon Freeway. The measure also would request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing that special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources sufficient to cover the cost, to erect those signs.

(1) Existing law prohibits a community college district from excluding an applicant to a registered nursing program on the basis that the applicant is not a resident of that district or has not completed prerequisite courses in that district, and prohibits a community college district from implementing policies, procedures, and systems that have the effect of excluding an applicant or student who is not a resident of that district from a registered nursing program of that district. This bill would repeal the latter prohibition. (2) Existing law authorizes a community college registered nursing program, if it determines that the number of applicants to the program exceeds its capacity, to admit students to the program using a multicriteria screening process, a random selection process, or a blended combination of random selection and a multicriteria screening process, as specified. Existing law requires that the criteria applied in a multicriteria screening process include consideration of the life experiences or special circumstances of an applicant, as listed. Existing law requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to report annually to the Legislature and the Governor on students admitted to community college registered nursing programs through a multicriteria screening process, as provided. Existing law repeals these provisions relating to admission to community college nursing programs on January 1, 2025. This bill would add being a resident of the community college district to the list of life experiences or special circumstances specified for consideration in a multicriteria screening process. The bill would extend operation of these provisions relating to admission to community college nursing programs until January 1, 2030.

Existing law, the Physician Assistant Practice Act, establishes the Physician Assistant Board for the licensure and regulation of physician assistants. Existing law authorizes physician assistants to perform prescribed medical services that are rendered pursuant to a practice agreement and under the supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon. A violation of that supervision provision is a crime. Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, provides for the certification and regulation of doctors of podiatric medicine by the Podiatric Medical Board of California, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law authorizes physicians and surgeons and doctors of podiatric medicine to establish a professional partnership that includes both physicians and surgeons and doctors of podiatric medicine if specified conditions are satisfied. Existing law authorizes a physician assistant performing medical services under the supervision of a physician and surgeon to assist a doctor of podiatric medicine who is a partner, shareholder, or employee in the same medical group as the supervising physician and surgeon. Existing law requires a physician assistant who assists a doctor of podiatric medicine in this manner to do so only according to patient-specific orders from a supervising physician and surgeon and limits the physician assistant to performing those duties included within the scope of practice of a doctor of podiatric medicine. Existing law requires a supervising physician and surgeon to be available to the physician assistant for consultation when assistance is rendered. This bill would revise those physician assistant supervision provisions to authorize a physician assistant performing medical services under the supervision of a physician and surgeon to assist a doctor of podiatric medicine who is on the staff of the same organized health care system or who is a partner, shareholder, or employee in the same partnership, group, or professional corporation as the supervising physician and surgeon, pursuant to a practice agreement. The bill would delete both the restriction requiring that a physician assistant who assists a doctor of podiatric medicine do so only according to patient-specific orders from a supervising physician and surgeon and the requirement that a supervising physician and surgeon be available to the physician assistant for consultation when assistance is rendered to a doctor of podiatric medicine.

Existing law, the State Civil Service Act, requires the Department of Human Resources to administer the Personnel Classification Plan of the State of California, including allocating every position to the appropriate class. Existing law requires the allocation of a position to a class be derived from, and determined by, ascertaining the duties and responsibilities of the position, and be based on the principle that all positions are to be included in the same class if certain qualifications apply, including, but not limited to, that the positions are sufficiently similar in respect to duties and responsibilities that the same descriptive title may be used, and substantially the same requirements as to education, experience, knowledge, and ability are demanded of incumbents. Existing law also prescribes a comprehensive civil service personnel system for the state and specifically provides certain preferences for veterans. Existing law grants to a person retired from the United States military, honorably discharged from active military duty with a service-connected disability, or honorably discharged from active duty eligibility for civil service examinations for which they meet the minimum qualifications for the classification. Existing law requires that, in evaluating minimum qualifications, related military experience be considered state civil service experience in a comparable class, based on the duties and responsibilities assigned. This bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2026, to review the department Personnel Classification Plan of the State of California and identify which classes are compatible with creating a waiver for a bachelor's degree requirement for a veteran, as defined, who has served at the level of E-6 or higher for more than 2 years. For a class identified by the department, where a bachelor's degree is required as a minimum qualification for a civil service examination, the bill would require the department to, commencing July 1, 2026, waive the bachelor's degree requirement for a veteran who has served at the level of E-6 or higher for more than 2 years.

Existing law authorizes the Attorney General or a district attorney to make an application, as specified, to a judge of a superior court, for an order authorizing the interception of wire or electronic communications. Existing law authorizes a judge, upon a finding of probable cause as that an individual is committing, has committed, or is about to commit offenses involving a substance containing fentanyl or its precursors or analogs that exceeds 10 gallons by liquid volume or 3 pounds of solid substance by weight, to issue an order authorizing the interception. This bill would reduce the above-described amounts for an order authorizing interception to 1.67 gallons by liquid volume and 8 ounces of solid substance by weight of a substance containing fentanyl or its precursors or analogs.

The Personal Income Tax Law, in modified conformity with federal law, generally defines "gross income" as income from whatever source derived, except as specifically excluded, and provides various exclusions from gross income for purposes of computing tax liability. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2035, would provide an exclusion from gross income for survivor benefits or payments, not to exceed $20,000 per taxable year, received during the taxable year under the federal Survivor Benefit Plan. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with regulatory authority over electrical corporations. Existing law prohibits the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission from certifying a nuclear fission thermal powerplant, except for specified powerplants, and provides that a nuclear fission thermal powerplant, except those specified powerplants, is not a permitted land use in California, unless certain conditions are met regarding the existence of technology for the construction and operation of nuclear fuel rod processing plants and of demonstrated technology or means for the disposal of high-level nuclear waste, as specified. This bill would require the PUC to conduct a feasibility study on the use of small modular reactors, as defined, for energy generation in the state, including, among other things, an evaluation of the benefits of small modular reactors in comparison with other renewable resources used, or planned for use, in the state. The bill would require the PUC to submit a report on the results of the feasibility study to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2027.

Existing law authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to offer to a veteran, as defined, or current active duty or reserve military personnel for the United States Armed Forces or the National Guard of any state a reduced fee or free day use of California state parks, as provided, on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, if proper proof of military service is provided, as specified. This bill would authorize the department to also offer to a veteran or current active duty or reserve military personnel for the United States Armed Forces or the National Guard of any state a reduced fee or free day use of California state parks on any day the department finds appropriate, if proper proof of military service is provided.

Existing law requires the California Department of Aging to establish a task force of certain members to study and make recommendations to the Legislature on the improvement of legal services delivery to senior citizens in California by exploring specified matters, including ways to ensure uniformity in the provision of legal services throughout the state and the possible establishment of a statewide legal hotline for seniors. Existing law requires the task force to report and make its recommendations to the Legislature on or before September 1, 2002. This bill would require the department to establish a similar task force or to utilize an existing subcommittee, working group, task force, or committee to assess the implementation of the recommendations made pursuant to the above-mentioned provisions, make additional recommendations by exploring the same matters explored by the initial task force, and to report the assessment and make its recommendations to the Legislature on or before September 1, 2026, either in a separate report or as part of an existing report. If the department creates a task force, the bill would require the director of the department to service on or appoint a representative, and would require the task force to include a broad array or state agencies and stakeholder organizations with resources and expertise related to elder justice initiative and legal services for older adults.