Existing law, the Employment Agency, Employment Counseling, and Job Listing Services Act, requires an employment agency to maintain a bond issued by a surety company admitted to do business in the state. This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to these provisions.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment, or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA requires the Office of Planning and Research, using existing resources, to implement a public assistance and information program that includes the establishment of a public education and training program, a data base to assist in the preparation of environmental documents, and a central repository for the collection, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of specified CEQA notices. CEQA further requires that, commencing January 1, 2003, copies of any documents submitted in electronic form to the Office of Planning and Research pursuant to those provisions be furnished by the office to the California State Library. This bill would additionally require the Office of Planning and Research, not later than July 1, 2012, to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report containing recommendations for expedited environmental review for transit-oriented development.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges as one of the segments of postsecondary education in the state. Existing law requires the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to prescribe minimum standards for the formation and operation of the California Community Colleges, and to exercise general supervision over the California Community Colleges. This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to this requirement.
Existing law, the Outdoor Advertising Act, provides for the regulation by the Department of Transportation of advertising displays, as defined, within view of public highways. The act regulates the placement of off-premise advertising displays along highways, which displays generally advertise business conducted or services rendered or goods produced or sold at a location other than the property upon which the display is located. Under the act, advertising displays advertising businesses and activities within the boundary limits of, and as a part of, an individual redevelopment agency project may, with the consent of the redevelopment agency governing the project, be considered to be on premises, as specified. This bill would authorize those advertising displays to continue to be considered as on premises advertising displays after a redevelopment agency is dissolved if the agency consented to the advertising display before January 1, 2011.
Existing law provides for the creation of various programs to provide health care services to persons who have limited incomes and meet various eligibility requirements. These programs include the Healthy Families Program administered by the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, and the Medi‑Cal program administered by the State Department of Health Care Services. Existing law provides for the regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Commencing January 1, 2014, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires every individual to be covered under minimum essential coverage, as specified, and requires every health insurance issuer issuing individual or group health insurance coverage to accept every employer and individual who applies for coverage. Existing law establishes the California Health Benefit Exchange to facilitate the purchase of qualified health plans through the Exchange by qualified individuals and small employers by January 1, 2014. This bill would establish the California Healthcare System to be administered by the newly created California Healthcare Agency under the control of a Healthcare Commissioner appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by the Senate. The bill would make all California residents eligible for specified health care benefits under the California Healthcare System, which would, on a single-payer basis, negotiate for or set fees for health care services provided through the system and pay claims for those services. The bill would require the commissioner to seek all necessary waivers, exemptions, agreements, or legislation to allow various existing federal, state, and local health care payments to be paid to the California Healthcare System, which would then assume responsibility for all benefits and services previously paid for with those funds. The bill would create the Healthcare Policy Board to establish policy on medical issues and various other matters relating to the system. The bill would create the Office of Patient Advocacy within the agency to represent the interests of health care consumers relative to the system. The bill would create within the agency the Office of Health Planning to plan for the health care needs of the population, and the Office of Health Care Quality, headed by a chief medical officer, to support the delivery of high-quality care and promote provider and patient satisfaction. The bill would create the Office of Inspector General for the California Healthcare System within the Attorney General's office, which would have various oversight powers. The bill would prohibit health care service plan contracts or health insurance policies from being issued for services covered by the California Healthcare System, subject to appropriation by the Legislature, and would authorize the collection of penalty moneys for deposit into the Healthcare Fund, which the bill would create. The bill would create the Payments Board to administer the finances of the California Healthcare System. The bill would create the California Healthcare Premium Commission (Premium Commission) to determine the cost of the California Healthcare System and to develop a premium structure for the system that complies with specified standards. The bill would require the Premium Commission to recommend a premium structure to the Governor and the Legislature on or before January 1, 2014, and to make a draft recommendation to the Governor, the Legislature, and the public 90 days before submitting its final premium structure recommendation. The bill would specify that only its provisions relating to the Premium Commission would become operative on January 1, 2013, with its remaining provisions becoming operative on the earlier of the date the Secretary of California Health and Human Services notifies the Legislature, as specified, that sufficient funding exists to implement the California Healthcare System and the date the secretary receives the necessary federal waiver under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The bill would extend the application of certain insurance fraud laws to providers of services and products under the system, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program by revising the definition of a crime. The bill would enact other related provisions relative to budgeting, regional entities, federal preemption, subrogation, collective bargaining agreements, compensation of health care providers, conflict of interest, patient grievances, and independent medical review. 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.
Under existing law, the Driver License Compact requires the licensing authority of a party state to report each conviction of an offense related to the use or operation of a vehicle of a person from another party state occurring within its jurisdiction to the licensing authority of the home state of the licensee. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to the definition of licensing authority with regard to that compact.
Existing law prohibits a peace officer from detaining or arresting a person solely on the belief that the person is an unlicensed driver, unless the officer has reasonable cause to believe the person driving is under 16 years of age. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.
Existing law requires that child care be provided in 3 stages to recipients of benefits under the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program. The first stage of child care begins upon the entry of a person into the CalWORKs program. The 2nd stage of child care begins when a county determines that the work or approved work activity of the recipient is stable or when a recipient is making the transition off of aid and child care is available through a local stage 2 program. The 3rd stage of child care, which is administered by programs contracting with the State Department of Education, begins when a funded child care space becomes available for the child or children of the eligible CalWORKs recipient. This bill would reappropriate $60,000,000 in unobligated balances appropriated in the Budget Act of 2009 to the State Department of Education for CalWORKs Stage 3 child care services. The bill would also require the State Department of Education to use those funds for families that were receiving, or would have been eligible to receive, CalWORKs Stage 3 child care services, before, on, or after October 31, 2010. The bill would declare that it makes appropriations for the usual and current expenses of the state, thereby taking immediate effect.
The Employee Housing Law requires that buildings used for human habitation, and buildings accessory thereto, comply with specified state bulding standards, relating to employee housing. Notwithstanding a provision of existing law, if a local ordinance applies, the buildings are required to comply with the construction and erection provisions of the ordinance. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions of law.
Any person who willfully manufactures, intentionally sells, or knowingly possesses for sale any counterfeit mark registered with the Secretary of State or registered on the Principal Register of the United States Patent and Trademark Office is guilty of a felony, punishable, upon conviction, by a fine, or imprisonment, or both, as specified. In any action brought pursuant to this provision, existing law authorizes, upon request of any law enforcement agency and consent from the specific registrants, the court to consider a motion to have goods, articles, or other matter bearing the marks, and other devices that were used in connection with that crime, excluding certain recordings or audiovisual works, donated to a nonprofit organization for the purpose of distributing the goods to persons living in poverty at no charge to the persons served by the organization. For purposes of these provisions, a person includes a business entity. This bill would additionally provide immunity for any person, including, but not limited to, law enforcement, from liability to any person for costs, damages, or other claims or expenses as a result of actions taken or omitted in good faith in the course of donating goods pursuant to this provision. The bill would also provide that no person who is granted immunity by this provision shall be criminally prosecuted or be subjected to any criminal penalty for or because of any action taken or omitted in good faith in the course of donating goods pursuant to this provision.
