This measure would acknowledge the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and express the Legislature's respect to Muslims across California and throughout the world on this occasion.
This measure would recognize May 2018 as Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month.
This measure would designate May 22, 2018, as Trauma-Informed Awareness Day in California, in conjunction with National Trauma-Informed Awareness Day, to highlight the impact of trauma and the importance of prevention and community resilience through trauma-informed care.
Existing law provides that except as otherwise provided by statute, all relevant evidence is admissible. This bill would prohibit the admissibility of evidence that a victim of, or a witness to, extortion, stalking, or a violent felony, each as defined, has engaged in an act of prostitution at or around the time he or she was the victim of or witness to the crime in order to prove the victim's or witness's criminal liability in a separate prosecution for the act of prostitution. The California Constitution provides for the Right to Truth-In-Evidence, which requires a23 vote of the Legislature to exclude any relevant evidence from any criminal proceeding, as specified. Because this bill may exclude from a criminal action information about a person's liability for an act of prostitution that would otherwise be admissible, it requires a23 vote of the Legislature.
This measure would proclaim the month of May 2018, and each May thereafter, as California Zinfandel Month.
This measure would declare the month of May 2018 as Foster Care Month.
This measure would proclaim the month of May 2018 as Hepatitis Awareness Month and May 19, 2018, as Hepatitis Testing Day.
Under existing law, the Stop Tobacco Access to Kids Enforcement Act, an enforcing agency, as defined, may assess civil penalties against any person, firm, or corporation that sells, gives, or in any way furnishes a cigarette, among other items, to a person who is under 21 years of age, except as specified. The existing civil penalties range from $400 to $600 for a first violation, up to $5,000 to $6,000 for a 5th violation within a 5-year period. Existing law prohibits the sale, distribution, or nonsale distribution of tobacco products directly or indirectly to any person under 21 years of age through the United States Postal Service or through any other public or private postal or package delivery service. Under existing law, a district attorney, city attorney, or the Attorney General may assess civil penalties against a violator of not less than $1,000 or more than $2,000 for the first violation and up to $10,000 for a 5th or subsequent violation within a 5-year period. Under existing law, every person, firm, or corporation that knowingly or under circumstances in which it has knowledge, or should otherwise have grounds for knowledge, sells, gives, or in any way furnishes a cigarette, among other specified items, to another person who is under 21 years of age is, except as specified, subject to either a criminal action for a misdemeanor or to a civil action brought by a city attorney, a county counsel, or a district attorney, punishable by a fine of $200 for the first offense, $500 for the 2nd offense, and $1,000 for the 3rd offense. This bill would state findings and declarations of the Legislature regarding the health and safety hazards to residents of the state related to cigarettes utilizing single-use filters. The bill would prohibit a person or entity from selling, giving, or in any way furnishing to another person of any age in this state a cigarette utilizing a single-use filter made of any material, including cellulose acetate, any other fibrous plastic material, or any organic or biodegradable material. The bill would prohibit that selling, giving, or furnishing, whether conducted directly or indirectly through an in-person transaction or by means of any public or private method of shipment or delivery to an address in this state. This bill would authorize a city attorney, county counsel, or district attorney to assess a $500 civil fine against each person determined to have violated those prohibitions in a proceeding conducted pursuant to the procedures of the enforcing agency, as specified.
Existing law establishes health care coverage programs to provide health care to segments of the population meeting specified criteria who are otherwise unable to afford health care coverage and provides for the licensure and regulation of health insurers and health care service plans. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to establish a system to collect information regarding the cost of health care. The bill would require the Secretary of California Health and Human Services, no later than January 1, 2020, to establish, implement, and administer the California Health Care Payments Database, among other duties. The bill would require certain health care entities, including health care service plans, to provide specified information to the secretary. The bill would authorize the secretary to report a health care entity that fails to comply with that requirement to the health care entity's regulating agency, and would authorize the regulating agency to enforce that requirement using its existing enforcement procedures, as specified. The bill would require all uses of data made pursuant to these provisions to comply with all applicable state and federal laws for the protection of the privacy and security of data and would prohibit the secretary from publicly disclosing any unaggregated, individually identifiable health information. The bill would also require the secretary to convene a review committee composed of a broad spectrum of health care stakeholders and experts, as specified, to advise the secretary on the establishment, implementation, and ongoing administration of the California Health Care Payments Database. The bill would require the secretary to arrange for the preparation of an annual report to the Legislature and the Governor that examines and addresses specified issues, including, among others, recommendations for containing the cost of health care services and coverage. The bill would prohibit members of the committee from receiving a per diem, travel expense reimbursement, or any other expense reimbursement. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
