Asm. Mariko Yamada

This measure would proclaim June 2012 as Scleroderma Awareness Month.

Existing law establishes procedures and requirements to govern the allocation to, and expenditure by, local health jurisdictions, hospitals, clinics, emergency medical systems, and poison control centers of federal funding received for the prevention of, and response to, public health emergencies. Existing law provides that these procedures apply only when the specified entities are designated by a federal or state agency to manage the funds for public health preparedness and response to public health emergencies, pursuant to a specified federally approved plan. Existing law requires funds to be allocated to these entities through the use of agreements that are exempt from provisions that establish public contracting standards. Existing law makes these provisions inoperative as of September 1, 2012, and repeals these provisions as of January 1, 2013. This bill would expand these provisions to apply to public health emergency preparedness and response by long-term health care facilities, and would delete the repeal of these provisions. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Under existing law, a member of a veterans' home is required to pay fees and charges as determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Existing law requires the administrator of the home to provide each member with a quarterly statement or accounting of all charges for the costs of care rendered to the member in excess of the member fee, as defined. This bill would require the quarterly statement or accounting of all charges to include information relating to payment of any outstanding charges at the time of the veteran's death, including the use of a deceased veteran's personal property or money for payment of outstanding charges, and a statement advising the member to seek counsel from a legal expert to protect his or her assets.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission Act creates the Metropolitan Transportation Commission as a regional agency in the 9-county San Francisco Bay Area with comprehensive regional transportation planning and other related responsibilities. Existing law requires the commission to consist of 19 members, including 2 members each from the Counties of Alameda and Santa Clara, and one member appointed by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, and establishes a 4-year term of office for members of the commission. This bill would, instead, require the commission to consist of 21 members, including one member appointed by the Mayor of the City of Oakland and one member appointed by the Mayor of the City of San Jose. The bill would require the initial term of those 2 members to end in February 2015. The bill would prohibit more than 3 members of the commission from being residents of the same county, as specified. The bill would require the member from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission to be a member of that commission, a resident of San Francisco, and to be approved by the Mayor of San Francisco. By imposing new requirements on a local agency, 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.

(1) Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to require every commercial air operator, as defined, to procure, and continue in effect, adequate protection against liability for personal bodily injuries and property damage as a result of an accident, that may be imposed by law upon the operator and upon any person using, operating, or renting an aircraft, as defined, with the permission of the operator. Existing law, until January 1, 2013, excludes from the definition of commercial air operator a person furnishing or providing transportation by hot air balloon for hire and excludes from the definition of aircraft a hot air balloon, as provided. Existing law, until January 1, 2013, imposes specific liability insurance and passenger notice requirements on a person providing hot air balloon transportation, as provided. Existing law, until January 1, 2013, requires that any person providing such transportation for hire comply with any requirement of a city, county, or city and county (local government) that the person obtain a business license as a condition for operating in the jurisdiction of the local government and to prominently display the license as required, and provide to the local government certain evidence of insurance coverage. Existing law imposes a state-mandated local program by requiring local governments, until January 1, 2013, to give reasonable notice of the evidence of insurance coverage requirement with any business license renewal notification and to maintain as a public record every business license issued by the local government to a person providing transportation by hot air balloon for hire. A local government, until January 1, 2013, is authorized to charge a reasonable fee for purposes of carrying out these provisions. Existing law also imposes a state-mandated local program by making it a misdemeanor to fail to obtain and maintain a current valid local business license as required or to fail to maintain insurance as required. This bill would extend these provisions set to expire on January 1, 2013, indefinitely. The bill, in extending those dates indefinitely, would thereby impose state-mandated local programs for the purposes described above. (2) 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 state the Legislature's support for the programs and initiatives administered by the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources and would request the United States Department of Agriculture, the Regents of the University of California, and the board of supervisors in each county in the state to continue their support and funding of the division.

The Public Cemetery District Law specifies the procedures for the formation of public cemetery districts, procedures for the selection of the district board of trustees and officers, and the powers and duties of the board. That law limits interments in public cemetery district cemeteries to residents of the district and nonresidents who meet specified criteria. Existing law also permits interments of nonresidents in designated public cemetery districts, under certain circumstances. This bill would authorize the Cottonwood Cemetery District in Shasta County, the Anderson Cemetery District in Shasta County, and the Silveyville Cemetery District in Solano County, to use their cemeteries for up to a total of 400 interments each, not to exceed 40 interments each per calendar year, to inter nonresidents and nonproperty taxpayers, if specified conditions are met. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for Shasta and Solano Counties.

(1) Existing law provides for licensing and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care. A willful violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Insurance Commissioner. Existing law requires health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of severe mental illnesses, including pervasive developmental disorder or autism, under the same terms and conditions applied to other medical conditions, as specified. Commencing July 1, 2012, and until July 1, 2014, existing law requires health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies to provide coverage for behavioral health treatment, as defined, for pervasive developmental disorder or autism. This bill would require health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies to provide coverage for the screening, diagnosis, and treatment, other than behavioral health treatment, of pervasive developmental disorder or autism. The bill would, however, provide that no benefits are required to be provided that exceed the essential health benefits that will be required under specified federal law. The bill would prohibit health care service plans and health insurers from denying, terminating, or refusing to renew coverage solely because the individual is diagnosed with or has received treatment for pervasive developmental disorder or autism. Because the bill would change the definition of a crime with respect to health care service plans, it would thereby impose a state-mandated local program. (2) 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 declare May 2012 to be American Stroke Month in California.