Asm. Adrin Nazarian

This measure would designate the portion of Interstate 10 from the State Route 57 Interchange to the North Towne Avenue exit in the County of Los Angeles as the Pomona Police Officer Shaun Diamond Memorial Highway. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.

This measure would proclaim the month of February 2016 as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, and would encourage all Californians to observe Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month with programs and activities that raise awareness about teen dating violence.

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 Insurance Commissioner. This bill would require a health care service plan or a health insurer, for a health care service plan contract or a health insurance policy that is issued, renewed, or amended on or after January 1, 2017, to notify enrollees or insureds in annual renewal materials that a prescription drug is no longer covered by the plan or policy or has changed tiers in the plan's or insurer's drug formulary, if that is the case. The bill would exempt a specialized health care service plan that covers dental or vision services from that requirement. The bill would also require a health care service plan or health insurer, for a health care service plan contract or a health insurance policy that is issued, renewed, or amended on or after January 1, 2017, to include in annual renewal materials information regarding the plan's provider directory or directories. Because a willful violation of that requirement by a health care service plan would be a crime, the 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.

The Political Reform Act of 1974 generally prohibits a public official, as defined, from making, participating in making, or using his or her official position to influence a governmental decision in which the official has a financial interest. The act also requires the disclosure of specified financial interests of certain public officials on a statement of economic interests, which is filed annually. The act imposes certain restrictions on postgovernmental employment of specified public officials of state and local agencies. This bill would require each state agency and each local agency that maintains an Internet Web site to make publicly available on that Internet Web site the statements of economic interests filed by the specified public officials. This bill would prohibit an elected or appointed officer of a state or local agency, while holding office and for a period of one year after leaving office, from engaging in specified conduct, including maintaining employment with, as specified, or being a compensated consultant of that agency or, for compensation, aiding, advising, consulting with, or assisting an entity with a permit, regulatory action, or enforcement action pending before the agency. A violation of the act is punishable as a misdemeanor. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also impose a state-mandated local program by increasing the duties imposed on local officials. 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.

Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation and regional transportation agencies, as defined, to enter into comprehensive development lease agreements with public and private entities, or consortia of those entities, for certain transportation projects that may charge certain users of those projects tolls and user fees, subject to various terms and requirements. These arrangements are commonly known as public-private partnerships. Existing law prohibits a lease agreement from being entered into under these provisions on or after January 1, 2017. This bill would allow a lease agreement to be entered into under these provisions until January 1, 2030. The bill would include within the definition of "regional transportation agency" the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, thereby authorizing the authority to enter into public-private partnerships under these provisions.

Existing federal law requires a group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage to provide for a coverage appeals process, which includes both an internal review and an external review process, that applies if an enrollee receives an adverse benefit determination for a drug that is included on the health plan's formulary drug list. For plan years commencing on or after January 1, 2016, existing federal law requires a health plan providing essential health benefits to have procedures in place that allow an enrollee, the enrollee's designee, or the enrollee's prescribing provider to request and gain access to clinically appropriate nonformulary drugs within certain timeframes, and have an external review if the initial request is denied by the plan. 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 provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires health care service plans to establish and maintain a grievance system approved by the department under which enrollees may submit grievances to the plan and requires plans to resolve those grievances within 30 days, except as specified. Existing law requires individual, small group, and large group health care service plans and health insurers that provide prescription drug coverage to comply with the external exception request review process required by federal law for nonformulary drugs. The bill would specify that for nonformulary drugs, an external exception request may be filed in lieu of filing a grievance with the health care service plan or health insurer following an adverse benefit determination. With respect to formulary drugs, the bill would require the grievance system established by the plan or an insurer's internal grievance process to require a plan or insurer that provides coverage for outpatient prescription drugs to resolve grievances or complaints that involve the disapproval of a request for a formulary drug within 72 hours for nonurgent requests, and within 24 hours if exigent circumstances exist. The bill would make other conforming changes to implement these changes. Because a willful violation of these requirements by a health care service plan would be a crime, the 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.

The California Constitution grants the retirement board of a public employee retirement system plenary authority and fiduciary responsibility for investment of moneys and administration of the retirement fund and system. The California Constitution qualifies this grant of powers by reserving to the Legislature the authority to prohibit investments if it is in the public interest and the prohibition satisfies standards of fiduciary care and loyalty required of a retirement board. Existing law prohibits the boards of administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System and State Teachers' Retirement System from making investments in certain countries and in thermal coal companies, as specified, subject to the boards' plenary authority and fiduciary responsibility for investment of moneys and administration of the systems. This bill would prohibit the boards of administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System and State Teachers' Retirement System from making additional or new investments, or renewing existing investments, of public employee retirement funds in an investment vehicle in Turkey that is issued by the government of Turkey or that is owned, controlled, or managed by the government of Turkey. The bill would require the boards to liquidate existing investments in Turkey in these types of investment vehicles within 6 months of the passage of a federal law imposing sanctions on Turkey, subject to engagement with the government of Turkey regarding whether it is transitioning to publicly accepting its responsibility for the Armenian Genocide. The bill would require these boards, within one year of the passage of a federal law imposing sanctions on Turkey, to make a specified report to the Legislature and the Governor regarding these actions. The bill would provide that its provisions do not require a board to take any action that the board determines in good faith is inconsistent with its constitutional fiduciary responsibilities to the retirement system. The bill would indemnify from the General Fund and hold harmless the present, former, and future board members, officers, and employees of, and investment managers under contract with, in connection with actions relating to these investments.

This measure would commend Muslim Americans for their economic, political, and cultural impact on California and the United States. This measure would call upon Members of the United States Congress to respect the First Amendment, and to speak out against and reject efforts to monitor mosques, efforts to police and profile Muslim Americans, and efforts to prohibit Muslims from immigrating to the United States, and to speak out against and reject any efforts to pursue an immigration policy based on religion.

This measure would declare the month of April 2016 as Financial Aid and Literacy Month, with the theme of "Prosperity Through Education," to raise public awareness about the continuing need for increased financial literacy.