Existing law provides for various programs that prevent disease and promote health, including the Safe Drinking Water Supplemental Benefit Pilot Program that provides, until July 1, 2020, additional benefits to residents of prioritized disadvantaged communities to purchase safe drinking water. Existing law imposes various taxes, including taxes of the privilege of engaging in certain activities. The Fee Collection Procedures Law provides procedures for the collection of certain fees and surcharges and establishes criminal penalties for specified acts, including making it a misdemeanor to knowingly or willfully file a false return and making it a felony to willfully evade or attempt to evade or defeat the payment of a fee. This bill, subject to specified exemptions, would impose a fee on every distributor, as defined, for the privilege of distributing bottled sugary drinks and concentrate in the state, at a rate of $0.02 per fluid ounce and for the privilege of distributing syrups and powders concentrate in this state, either as concentrate or as sweetened beverages derived from that concentrate, at the rate of $0.02 per fluid ounce of sweetened beverage to be produced from concentrate. The bill would require the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to administer and collect the fee pursuant to the Fee Collection Procedures Law, to register the distributors upon whom the fee is imposed, and would authorize the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to promulgate and enforce regulations related to administration of the fee. The bill would require the fees to be deposited into the California Community Health Fund, created by the bill. The bill would require moneys in the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to be allocated to specified entities, including the State Department of Public Health, the State Department of Health Care Services, the State Department of Social Services, and the State Department of Education, to promote health equity, to reduce health disparities, to improve oral health, and to prevent the leading causes of illness, injury, and premature death. The bill would authorize state departments to award competitive grants to local organizations in support of the bill's objectives, and would authorize the State Department of Social Services to prioritize the revenues that it receives from the California Community Health Fund to fund the Safe Drinking Water Supplemental Benefit Pilot Program. The bill would require the State Department of Social Services to coordinate with the State Water Resources Control Board for purposes of conducting any activities related to the Safe Drinking Water Supplemental Benefit Pilot Program and that are funded by the California Community Health Fund. The bill would extend the Safe Drinking Water Supplemental Benefit Pilot Program to July 1, 2025, and would repeal those provisions on January 1, 2026. Because the bill would expand the application of the Fee Collection Procedures Law, the violation of which is a crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations relating to the consumption of sweetened beverages, diabetes, childhood obesity, and dental disease. 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 bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIII   A of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of 23 of the membership of each house of the Legislature.
Sponsored bills
The Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act establishes, within the California Health and Human Services Agency, the California Department of Aging. Under the act, the department is required to provide programs and strategies to support the state's older population, persons with disabilities, and their caregivers. This bill would establish the California Department of Community Living within the California Health and Human Services Agency to consolidate leadership on issues and programs serving California's older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers. The bill would prescribe the duties of the department, including assisting older adults and people with disabilities in connecting to specified services including care coordination, health insurance counseling, peer-based programs, and community transition services. The bill would require the department to establish a statewide No Wrong Door system to assist older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers in obtaining accurate information and timely referrals to appropriate community services and supports, using specified means. The bill would require the department to assist specified state entities in carrying out their mandated duties to advocate for the needs of California's older adults and people with disabilities, and would require the department to provide leadership in enhancing and streamlining access to specified programs for those individuals. This bill would require the department to allocate funding through a number of mechanisms to programs identified by the department that link individuals to the right services at the right time. The bill would require the department to provide block grants to area agencies on aging to provide services through specified home and community-based services programs, as specified, and would require the department to continue funding for independent living centers based on current levels, as specified. The bill would require the department to increase access to the Aging and Disability Resource Connection program to streamline local service delivery through funding, technical assistance, and coordination with area agencies on aging and independent living centers.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Existing law establishes various service requirements applicable to mobile telephony service providers. This bill would require, on and after December 1, 2020, that any mobile telephony service communications device sold in California incorporate earthquake early warning technology to function as part of the wireless emergency alerts system and that this function be activated unless the purchaser expressly exercises the option to deactivate the function. The bill would require, by December 1, 2020, that every mobile telephony service provider providing service in California incorporate earthquake early warning technology to function as part of the wireless emergency alerts system unless the subscriber expressly exercises the option to deactivate that function.
Existing law establishes within the Department of Housing and Community Development the California Housing Finance Agency and provides that the primary purpose of the agency is to meet the housing needs of persons and families of low or moderate income. Existing law requires the California Housing Finance Agency administer the Roberti-Greene Home Purchase Assistance Program, to provide home purchase assistance to low- and moderate-income homebuyers to qualify for the purchase of owner-occupied homes. Existing law authorizes the agency, pursuant to specified objectives, to create its own home purchase assistance programs, home purchase assistance products, or both, on terms and conditions as the agency deems prudent. Existing law requires the agency to provide to the Legislature and the Legislative Analyst an annual report containing information concerning all units produced, assisted, or insured using agency funds. This bill would require the Legislative Analyst to conduct a study, and present the findings thereof to the Legislature, to inform the creation of a low-interest loan program for first responders. The bill would require the report to be submitted on or before January 1, 2024. The bill would require the report to include a recommendation as to which state department is best suited to administer the program, an estimation of the amount of funding that would be necessary to conduct the program, and recommendations for qualifications for participation in the program.
This measure would name the public street, circle, and plaza at 914 and 915 Capitol Mall in the City of Sacramento as the Willie L. Brown, Jr. Circle and Plaza. The measure would request the Department of General Services to determine the cost of erecting the appropriate signage commemorating this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources, to cover that cost to erect that signage.
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. A willful violation of the act is a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires the Department of Managed Health Care to adopt regulations to ensure that enrollees have access to needed health care services in a timely manner. Existing law requires the Department of Managed Health Care to develop indicators of timeliness of access to care, including waiting times for appointments with physicians, including primary care and specialty physicians. Existing law requires health care service plans to report annually to the Department of Managed Health Care on compliance with the standards developed pursuant to these provisions. Existing law also requires the Insurance Commissioner to promulgate regulations applicable to health insurers that contract with providers for alternative rates to ensure that insureds have the opportunity to access needed health care services in a timely manner. This bill would require a health care service plan contract or health insurance policy that is issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2020, to permit an HIV specialist, as defined, to be an eligible primary care provider, as defined, if the provider requests primary care provider status and meets the plan's or the health insurer's eligibility criteria for all specialists seeking primary care provider status. The bill would provide that these provisions do not apply to a health insurance policy that does not require an insured to obtain a referral from the primary care physician prior to seeking covered health care services from a specialist. The bill would provide that these provisions do not include an HIV specialist as a primary care physician for the purposes of network adequacy requirements. 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.
Under existing tax law, once a tax liability becomes due and payable, as defined, a statutory lien arises for that amount upon all real and personal property belonging to that taxpayer. Existing law establishes a statute of limitations on collections of those liabilities to limit the collection period to 20 years beginning from the date that the latest tax liability for a taxable year or the date any other liability that is not associated with a taxable year becomes due and payable, and thereafter extinguishes that liability. Existing law defines "tax liability" as a liability imposed under the Personal Income Tax Law, the Corporation Tax Law, or the laws related to the administration of franchise and income tax laws, including any additions to tax, interest, penalties, fees, and any other amounts relating to the imposed liability. This bill would redefine "tax liability" to exclude interest, penalties, costs, or fees, except a specified fee on limited liability companies, relating to the assessment of tax, any other amounts relating to the imposed liability, and any additions to tax. The bill would require the collection period for interest, penalties, costs, or fees that may accrue with a particular tax liability to lapse at the same time as the related tax liability.
Existing law, including, among others, the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act, provides programs and strategies to support the state's older population. These programs include the Aging and Disability Resource Connection program, established to provide information to consumers and their families on available long-term services and supports (LTSS) programs and to assist older adults, caregivers, and persons with disabilities in accessing LTSS programs at the local level. This bill would require the state to adopt a Master Plan for Aging, emphasizing workforce priorities. The bill would require the Master Plan for Aging to prioritize specified issues related to preparing and supporting the state's paid paraprofessionals and professionals, as well as unpaid family caregivers. These issues would include, but not be limited to, (1) addressing the need for a well-trained and culturally competent paid paraprofessional and professional health care and long-term care workforce, and (2) developing recommendations regarding the need for high-quality, affordable, and accessible respite services throughout the state for unpaid family caregivers. The bill would require the Master Plan for Aging to include an implementation plan specifying the goals, objectives, and timelines for meeting the requirements set forth in those provisions. The bill would make findings and declarations relating to the objectives of the master plan.