This measure would proclaim March 15, 2020, to March 22, 2020, as California Down Syndrome Awareness Week and March 21, 2020, as California Down Syndrome Day, and would encourage all Californians to support and participate in related activities.
Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, requires the Medical Board of California to issue a physician's and surgeon's certificate to a qualified applicant. Under the act, an applicant for a physician's and surgeon's certificate is required to include specified information in the application and to obtain a passing score on an entire examination or on each part of an examination. Existing law requires an applicant to obtain a passing score on all parts of Step 3 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination within not more than 4 attempts in order to be eligible for a certificate. Existing law provides an exception to the 4-attempt requirement for an applicant who holds an unlimited and unrestricted license as a physician and surgeon in another state, and has held that license continuously for a minimum of 4 years prior to the date of application, is certified by a specialty board, and is not subject to specified licensure denials or disciplinary action. This bill would eliminate the exception described above and would instead create an exception for an applicant who holds a license as a physician and surgeon in another state.
The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law, in conformity with federal income tax law, generally defines "gross income" as income from whatever source derived, except as specifically excluded, and provides various exclusions from gross income. Existing federal law, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) , among other things, authorizes forgiveness of indebtedness for eligible recipients with covered loans, as defined, in an amount equal to the sum of the recipient's payroll costs, interest on mortgage obligations, rent obligations, and utility payments, subject to specified conditions and during a specified time period. Existing federal law excludes any amounts of covered loans forgiven under the CARES Act from gross income for federal income tax purposes. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, would exclude from gross income, for state income tax purposes, any covered loan amount forgiven pursuant to the federal CARES Act. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Existing law, the Financial Information System for California (FISCal) Act, establishes the FISCal system, a single integrated financial management system for the state. Existing law requires the FISCal system to include a state transparency component that allows the public to have access to information regarding General Fund, special fund, and federal fund expenditure data using an internet website. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to the transparency component provision.
Existing law prohibits members of the Legislature, and state, county, district, judicial district, and city officers or employees from being financially interested in any contract made by them in their official capacity, or by any body or board of which they are members, subject to certain exceptions and qualifications. A contract made in violation of these provisions may be avoided at the instance of any party, except the officer who is interested in it. This bill would define "party," for these purposes, for a contract formed on and after January 1, 2021, as a California taxpayer.
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 program provisions. Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal Hospital/Uninsured Care Demonstration Project Act. The act revises hospital supplemental payment methodologies in the Medi-Cal program to maximize the use of federal funds consistent with federal Medicaid law and to stabilize the distribution of funding for hospitals that provide care to Medi-Cal beneficiaries and uninsured patients. This demonstration project provides funding, in supplementation of Medi-Cal reimbursement, to various hospitals, such as designated public hospitals, specified nondesignated public hospitals, and private hospitals, in accordance with certain provisions relating to disproportionate share hospitals. Existing law establishes several continuously appropriated funds, including the Demonstration Disproportionate Share Hospital Fund, the Private Hospital Supplemental Fund, the Nondesignated Public Hospital Supplemental Fund, and the Distressed Hospital Fund, to be expended by the department for purposes of the act. This bill would require the payment of Medi-Cal disproportionate share hospital replacement payment adjustments to any eligible hospital that is a nondesignated public hospital. By expanding the purposes of continuously appropriated funds by authorizing payment of appropriated funds to additional hospital facilities, this bill would make an appropriation. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 provides the Division of Occupational Safety and Health within the Department of Industrial Relations with the power, jurisdiction, and supervision over all employment and places of employment necessary to enforce and administer all occupational health and safety laws and standards and to protect employees. The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, an independent entity within the department, has the exclusive authority to adopt occupational safety and health standards within the state. Existing law requires every employer to comply with those standards. Existing law requires all meetings held by the board to be open and public and requires that written notice of all meetings and a proposed agenda be given to all persons who make request for the notice in writing to the board. Existing law requires the board, at each of its meetings, to make time available to interested persons to propose new or revised orders or standards appropriate for adoption or other items concerning occupational safety and health. Existing law requires the board to consider a proposed order or standard and report its decision no later than 6 months following receipt. This bill would require the written notice and agenda to be posted on the board's internet website at least 30 calendar days before a meeting. The bill would require the board to post information on any proposed order or standard on its internet website no later than one calendar day following a meeting.
Existing law authorizes the court, when a defendant or minor has been charged with a specified sexual offense, under certain circumstances and at the request of the victim, to issue a search warrant for the purpose of testing the accused's blood or saliva with any HIV test. This bill would expand the testing that a court may order of the accused to include testing of additional bodily fluids for any sexually transmitted disease. The bill would also enable a parent or guardian, if the victim is a minor, or an authorized representative of the victim to exercise the victim's rights regarding sexually transmitted disease testing. The bill would also make conforming changes. Because local health officers are required to disclose test results and this bill would increase testing, 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 the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law establishes the California Broadband Council within state government and sets forth its powers and duties relating to the promotion of broadband deployment in unserved and underserved areas of the state and broadband adoption throughout the state. Existing law requires the members of the council to choose a chair for council meetings. Existing law authorizes the chair to determine when to convene council meetings and requires the council to meet at least 3 times annually. This bill would instead require the council to convene at least 4 times annually.
Existing law, added by Proposition 115 of the June 5, 1990, statewide primary election, generally provides that an attorney shall not disclose or permit to be disclosed to a defendant, members of the defendant's family, or anyone else, the address or telephone number of a victim or witness whose name is disclosed to the attorney through discovery, unless specifically permitted to do so by the court after a hearing and a showing of good cause. Existing law makes a willful violation of these provisions a misdemeanor. Existing law authorizes the Legislature to amend Proposition 115 by a statute passed by a 23 vote of each house. This bill would further prohibit the disclosure of any personal identifying information, as defined, of the victim or witness. Because the bill would amend the provisions of Proposition 115, the bill would require a 23 vote of the Legislature. By expanding the scope of a crime, 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. The bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
