Existing law authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to establish and operate facilities to be known as community correctional centers, and authorizes the secretary to enter into contracts with appropriate public or private agencies to provide housing, sustenance, and supervision for inmates who are eligible for placement in those facilities. Existing law authorizes the board of supervisors to enter into a contract with other public agencies, upon agreement with the sheriff or director of the county department of corrections, to provide housing for inmates sentenced to a county jail in community correctional facilities, as specified, and requires that those facilities comply with minimum standards for local detention facilities. This bill would authorize the board of supervisors of the County of Los Angeles, upon agreement with the sheriff of the County of Los Angeles, to enter into a contract with private agencies to provide housing for those inmates. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Los Angeles.
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Existing law establishes a workers' compensation system to compensate an employee for injuries sustained in the course of employment. Existing law generally requires an employer to secure the payment of compensation, as specified, and makes it a misdemeanor to fail to secure the payment of compensation by one who knew, or because of his or her knowledge or experience should be reasonably expected to have known, of the obligation to secure the payment of compensation, punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year, a specified fine of not less than $10,000, or both. Existing law makes a second or subsequent conviction of this offense punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year, a specified fine of not less than $50,000, or both. Existing law requires these fines to be deposited in the Workers' Compensation Fraud Account, to be used for specified purposes upon appropriation by the Legislature. This bill would increase the amounts of these fines to not less than $25,000 for the first offense and not less than $75,000 for the 2nd and subsequent offenses.
Under existing law, it is the policy of the state that all children in foster care have specified rights, including the right to live in a safe, healthy, and comfortable home where they are treated with respect, the right to be free from physical, sexual, emotional, or other abuse, or corporal punishment, and the right to receive adequate and healthy food, adequate clothing, and medical, dental, vision, and mental health services. This bill would require the State Department of Social Services, in consultation with the County Welfare Directors Association, foster parents, caregivers, and current and former foster youth, to develop and implement a foster parent evaluation process. The bill would require that evaluation process to include a process to allow foster youth over 12 years of age and nonminor dependents to provide feedback on the quality of care received in licensed or certified foster homes and group homes at least once per year and upon any exit from those homes. The bill would also require the evaluation process to include the development of an evaluation tool in partnership with current and former foster youth and caregivers that allows youth to provide feedback on the quality of care received, as specified, including feedback on the caregivers' honoring of the rights of foster youth. The bill would require the department to implement the foster parent evaluation process and promulgate all necessary regulations pursuant to this provision on or before January 1, 2016.
Existing law requires the Department of Insurance to make available for public inspection on its Internet Web site, among other things, all adopted reports of market conduct examinations of unfair or deceptive practices in the business of insurance, as defined by a specified statute. Upon adopting the report, the Insurance Commissioner is required to transmit a copy of the report to a representative of the examined insurer as designated. The insurer can submit comments to the commissioner regarding the adopted report within 20 business days after transmittal of the adopted report. Existing law also requires the commissioner to publish the adopted report and any comments submitted by the insurer on the department's Internet Web site within 20 business days after transmittal of the adopted report. This bill would increase from 20 business days to 30 calendar days the number of days an insurer has to submit comments to the commissioner after transmittal of the adopted report. This bill would also increase from 20 business days to 30 calendar days the number of days within which the commissioner is required to publish the adopted report and any comments submitted by the insurer.
Existing law establishes a state policy that no adoptable animal should be euthanized if it can be adopted into a suitable home. Existing law authorizes the State Department of Public Health to prescribe rules under which approval shall be granted to persons who wish to keep or use animals for diagnostic purposes, education, or research. Existing law authorizes the State Department of Public Health to make, promulgate, modify, amend, or rescind reasonable rules and regulations relating to the use of animals in diagnostic procedures and medical research. A person who violates these provisions is guilty of a misdemeanor. Existing law establishes the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, and independent institutions of higher education, as defined, as the 4 segments of postsecondary education in this state. This bill would require any public postsecondary educational institution, as defined, to include any campus of the University of California, California State University, or California Community Colleges, or independent institution of higher education, or employee or student thereof, that confines dogs or cats for science or research purposes and intends to destroy the dog or cat used for those purposes to first offer the dog or cat to an animal adoption organization or animal rescue organization, as defined. The bill would not apply to animals suffering from a serious illness or severe injury, or to newborn animals that need maternal care and have been impounded without their mothers.
This measure would declare that the Legislature joins the County of Riverside in opposing base realignment and closure affecting the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona Division, and March Air Reserve Base.
Under existing law, an insurer that issues an automobile collision policy or a policy for comprehensive coverage for an automobile is prohibited from refusing to issue the policy of insurance, or the policy in combination with other coverages, when the refusal is based solely on the age of the automobile to be insured, if the market value of that automobile exceeds $2,500. This bill would increase that market value threshold to $5,000.
Exiting law requires insurers issuing group or individual policies of health insurance that covers hospital, medical, or surgical expenses to reimburse each complete claim, as specified, as soon as practical but no later than 30 working days after receipt of the complete claim. Within 30 working days after receipt of the claim, an insurer can contest or deny a claim, as specified, and the insurer can request reasonable additional information about the claim. The provider is required to submit the relevant information requested to the insurer within 15 working days. An insurer is required to pay the greater of $15 per year or interest, as specified, on a claim that is not contested or denied and that has not been delivered to the claimant within 30 working days after receipt. This bill would instead require insurers to contest or deny a claim and request reasonable additional information within 45 calendar days after receipt of the claim, and require providers to submit the requested additional information to the insurer within 21 calendar days. This bill would also require insurers to pay the greater of $30 per year or interest, as specified, on a claim that is not contested or denied and that has not been delivered to the claimant within 45 working days after receipt.
Existing law imposes an annual tax in an amount equal to the minimum franchise tax on every limited liability company doing business in this state. In addition, existing law requires every limited liability company, if the articles of organization have been accepted by, or a certificate of registration has been issued by, the Secretary of State, to pay an annual tax in an amount equal to the minimum franchise tax. Existing law requires the tax assessed under these provisions to be due and payable on or before the 15th day of the 4th month of the taxable year. Existing law imposes an annual minimum franchise tax, except as provided, on every corporation incorporated in this state, qualified to transact intrastate business in this state, or doing business in this state. Existing law exempts a corporation that incorporates or qualifies to do business in this state from the payment of the minimum franchise tax in its first taxable year. Existing law requires corporations subject to the minimum franchise tax to pay annually to the state a minimum franchise tax of $800 and provides that the estimated tax shall not be less than the minimum tax. If the amount of estimated tax does not exceed the minimum franchise tax, existing law requires the entire amount of the estimated tax to be due and payable on or before the 15th day of the 4th month of the taxable year. This bill would also provide for that annual tax and minimum franchise tax to be due and payable in 2 or 3 equal installments, on or before specified dates.
Under existing law, the State Department of Social Services regulates the licensure and operation of community care facilities, residential care facilities for the elderly, child day care centers, and family day care homes. Existing law requires that these facilities be subject to unannounced visits by the department that occur at least once every 5 years. Existing law requires the department to conduct an annual unannounced visit under specified circumstances, including when a license is on probation, and to conduct annual unannounced visits to no less than 20% of the facilities not subject to an evaluation under those specified circumstances. This bill would instead make every facility of the types described above subject to an annual unannounced visit by the department on and after July 1, 2017. The bill would revise the provisions requiring the department to conduct annual unannounced visits to no less than 20% of the facilities by instead requiring the department to conduct annual unannounced visits to no less than 30% of facilities on or before July 1, 2015, and no less than 20% of those facilities on or before July 1, 2016. The bill would also delete the provisions requiring an unannounced visit at least once every 5 years. Existing law requires the department to immediately request a fire clearance and notify an applicant to arrange a time for the department to conduct a prelicensure survey if an application for initial licensure is complete. This bill would provide that the prelicensure survey is optional at the discretion of the department if the department determines that an application is for licensure of a currently licensed facility for which there will be no material change to the management or operations of the facility.