Asm. Cecilia Aguiar-Curry

Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies to provide coverage for specified benefits. This bill, known as the Let California Kids Hear Act, would require a health care service plan contract or a health insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2020, to include coverage for hearing aids, as defined, for an enrollee or insured under 18 years of age. The bill would require the coverage to be performed by contracted providers, except as specified. The bill would require the contracted providers to include a pediatric audiologist for children under 5 years of age. The bill would require hearing aids covered under the bill to be subject to the cost sharing imposed by the plan contract or health insurance policy for durable medical equipment, as specified. Because a willful violation of these requirements by a health care service plan would be a crime, this 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

This measure would, among other things, designate the year 2019 as "State of California Year of Commemoration of the Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915–1923," would designate April 24, 2019, as "State of California Day of Commemoration of the 104th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915–1923," and would call upon the President of the United States and the United States Congress to formally and consistently reaffirm the historical truth that the atrocities committed against the Armenian people constituted genocide.

This measure would request the Trustees of the California State University and the Regents of the University of California to conduct a study on the usefulness, effectiveness, and need for the SAT and ACT to determine student admissions, and would provide that the study should include evaluation of specified admissions eligibility and qualifications measures and testing issues. The measure would also provide that the study should include recommendations and, if determined necessary, a plan for phasing out the use of the SAT and ACT as a basis for admission.

This measure would request the President and the Congress of the United States to enact legislation that would strengthen the communication between federal, state, local, and tribal officials, and that would require the United States Department of Justice, United States Department of the Interior, and United States Department of Health and Human Services to seek recommendations from tribes in enhancing the safety of Native American women and girls. The measure would also request that the Attorney General of the State of California begin the collection of data as it relates to missing and murdered Native American women and girls.

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 provides that federally qualified health center (FQHC) services and rural health clinic (RHC) services, as defined, are covered benefits under the Medi-Cal program, to be reimbursed, to the extent that federal financial participation is obtained, to providers on a per-visit basis. "Visit" is defined as a face-to-face encounter between a patient of an FQHC or RHC and specified health care professionals, including a physician and marriage and family therapist. Under existing law, "physician," for these purposes, includes, but is not limited to, a physician and surgeon, an osteopath, and a podiatrist. This bill would authorize reimbursement for a maximum of 2 visits taking place on the same day at a single location if after the first visit the patient suffers illness or injury requiring additional diagnosis or treatment, or if the patient has a medical visit and a mental health visit or a dental visit, as defined. The bill would authorize an FQHC or RHC that currently includes the cost of a medical visit and a mental health visit that take place on the same day at a single location as a single visit for purposes of establishing the FQHC's or RHC's rate to apply for an adjustment to its per-visit rate, and after the department has approved that rate adjustment, to bill a medical visit and a mental health visit that take place on the same day at a single location as separate visits, in accordance with the bill. This bill would also include a licensed acupuncturist within those health care professionals covered under the definition of "visit." The bill would require the department, by July 1, 2020, to submit a state plan amendment to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reflect certain changes described in the bill, and to seek necessary federal approvals. The bill would also make conforming and technical changes.

Existing law prohibits the governing authority of a school or other institution from admitting for attendance any pupil who fails to obtain required immunizations within the time limits prescribed by the State Department of Public Health. Existing law exempts from those requirements a pupil whose parents have filed with the governing authority a written statement by a licensed physician to the effect that immunization is not considered safe for that child, indicating the specific nature and probable duration of their medical condition or circumstances, including, but not limited to, family medical history. This bill would instead require the State Department of Public Health, by January 1, 2021, to develop and make available for use by licensed physicians and surgeons an electronic, standardized, statewide medical exemption request that would be transmitted using the California Immunization Registry (CAIR) , and which, commencing January 1, 2021, would be the only documentation of a medical exemption that a governing authority may accept. The bill would specify the information to be included in the medical exemption form, including a certification under penalty of perjury that the statements and information contained in the form are true, accurate, and complete. The bill would, commencing January 1, 2021, require a physician and surgeon to inform a parent or guardian of the bill's requirements and to examine the child and submit a completed medical exemption request form to the department, as specified. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require a parent or guardian, by January 1, 2021, to submit to the department a copy of a medical exemption granted prior to that date for inclusion in a state database in order for the medical exemption to remain valid. The bill would require the department to annually review immunization reports from schools and institutions to identify schools with an overall immunization rate of less than 95%, physicians and surgeons who submitted 5 or more medical exemption forms in a calendar year, and schools and institutions that do not report immunization rates to the department. The bill would require a clinically trained department staff member who is a physician and surgeon or a registered nurse to review all medical exemption forms submitted meeting those conditions. The bill would authorize the medical exemptions determined by that staff member to be inappropriate or otherwise invalid to be reviewed by the State Public Health Officer or a physician and surgeon designated by the State Public Health Officer, and revoked by the State Public Health Officer or physician and surgeon designee, under prescribed circumstances. The bill would authorize a parent or guardian to appeal a medical exemption denial or revocation to the Secretary of California Health and Human Services. The appeal would be conducted by an independent expert review panel of licensed physicians and surgeons established by the secretary. The bill would require the independent expert review panel to evaluate appeals consistent with specified guidelines and to submit its decision to the secretary. The bill would require the secretary to adopt the determination of the independent expert review panel and promptly issue a written decision to the child's parent or guardian. The final decision of the secretary would not be subject to further administrative review. The bill would allow a child whose medical exemption revocation is appealed to continue in attendance at the school or institution without being required to commence the immunization schedule required for conditional admittance, provided that the appeal is filed within 30 calendar days of revocation of the medical exemption. The bill would require the department and the independent expert review panel to comply with all applicable state and federal privacy and confidentiality laws and would authorize disclosure of information submitted in the medical exemption form in accordance with requirements set forth in the bill. The bill would make related conforming changes. The bill would authorize the department to implement and administer the medical exemption provisions through provider bulletins, or similar instructions, without taking regulatory action. Existing law requires the governing authority of a school or other institution to file a written report on the immunization status of new entrants to the school or institution under their jurisdiction with the department and the local health department at times and on forms prescribed by the department. This bill would instead require these reports to be filed on at least an annual basis. 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 provide that the pending Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Pacific Gas and Electric Corporation Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, and any resolution thereof, must protect the citizens of California from the imminent and ongoing threats posed by climate change, the buildup of fuels, and inadequate electrical infrastructure. The measure would provide that it is the will of the Legislature that the Public Utilities Commission, in filings with the bankruptcy court overseeing the proceedings, promote certain policy goals relating to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the electrical and gas systems, and victims of wildfires, and communicate the proceedings' profound and direct impacts on the people of California. The measure would provide that it is the will of the Legislature that all Pacific Gas and Electric Company executive compensation be restricted based upon strict compliance with safety and reliability laws and that the company reconstitute its board as specified.

Existing law generally makes it unlawful to offer a prize or other inducement as a reward for the taking of a game bird, mammal, fish, reptile, or amphibian in an individual contest, tournament, or derby. Existing law makes specific exceptions to that general prohibition, including authorizing the Department of Fish and Wildlife to issue a permit, subject to Fish and Game Commission regulations, to a person authorizing that person to offer a prize or other inducement as a reward for the taking of a game fish if it makes a specified finding. Existing law vests the Department of Parks and Recreation with the control of the state park system. Existing regulations of the Department of Parks and Recreation prohibit a person from having control over a game or recreational activity occurring wholly or partially within or on any property owned, operated or administered by the department without an approved special event permit, as defined. Existing law authorizes the State Lands Commission to lease state lands under the jurisdiction of the commission for purposes as the commission deems advisable, including, but not limited to, grazing leases and leases for commercial, industrial, and recreational purposes. The California Coastal Act of 1976 establishes the California Coastal Commission and requires the commission to implement and administer a coastal development permit process within the coastal zone, as defined. The act exempts from the requirement for a coastal development permit a proposed development found to be a temporary event that does not have any significant adverse impact upon coastal resources within the meaning of guidelines adopted by the commission. The act subjects any permit that is issued or any development or action approved on appeal to be subject to reasonable terms and conditions in order to ensure that the development or action will be in accordance with the act. The act also declares that existing laws relating to discrimination and environmental justice apply to the California Coastal Commission and all public agencies implementing the act. The act provides that, as required by existing law relating to discrimination, no person in the State of California, on specified bases including sex, may be unlawfully denied full and equal access to the benefits of, or be unlawfully subjected to discrimination, under specified programs or activities under the act. Under existing law, the Department of Transportation may issue permits authorizing encroachments, as defined, on state highways. Existing law requires the department to either approve or deny an application for an encroachment permit within 60 days of receiving a completed application. This bill would require those entities to include in permit or lease conditions, for a competition event to be held on land under the jurisdiction of the entity, as described, and that awards prize compensation, as defined, to competitors in gendered categories, a requirement that the prize compensation be identical between the gendered categories at each participant level.