Asm. Cheryl R. Brown

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, provides for licensure and regulation of physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California. Existing law establishes the California Healthcare Workforce Policy Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, identify specific areas of the state where unmet priority needs for primary care family physicians and registered nurses exist. This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would help increase the number of physicians and surgeons, registered nurses, and other health care professionals in medically underserved areas.

Existing property tax law requires the auditor of each county with qualifying cities, as defined, to make certain property tax revenue allocations to those cities in accordance with a specified Tax Equity Allocation (TEA) formula established in a specified statute and to make corresponding reductions in the amount of property tax revenue that is allocated to the county. This bill would, commencing with the 2012–13 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, increase the allocation of property tax revenues under a new TEA formula, as specified, for qualifying cities, as defined. By changing the manner in which county auditors allocate ad valorem property tax revenues, this 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law, the California Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly Act, provides for the licensure of residential care facilities for the elderly by the State Department of Social Services. Existing law exempts from these provisions specified facilities, including general acute care hospitals, clinics, and recovery houses for individuals with drug or alcohol addiction. This bill would add to the list of facilities that are exempt from regulation as a residential care facility for the elderly a home or facility approved and annually reviewed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as a medical foster home, as defined, in which care is provided exclusively to three or fewer veterans.

The Community Redevelopment Law authorized the establishment of redevelopment agencies in communities to address the effects of blight, as defined. Existing law describes physical and economic conditions that cause blight. Existing law dissolved redevelopment agencies as of February 1, 2012, and provides for the designation of successor agencies, as defined, to wind down the affairs of the dissolved redevelopment agencies. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to the provision regarding the causes of blight.

Existing law provides for a system of postsecondary education in this state. This system includes 4 segments: the University of California, administered by the Regents of the University of California; the California State University, administered by the Trustees of the California State University; the California Community Colleges, administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges; and independent institutions of higher education. Existing law establishes the Student Athlete Bill of Rights, pursuant to which, commencing with the 2013–14 academic year, intercollegiate athletic programs at 4-year institutions of higher education in this state, as defined, that receive, as an average, $10,000,000 or more in annual revenue derived from media rights, as defined, for intercollegiate athletics, shall be required to comply with prescribed requirements. This bill would define the term "licensing fees" for purposes of the Student Athlete Bill of Rights, and would instead make those provisions applicable to intercollegiate athletic programs at 4-year institutions of higher education in the state that receive, as an average, $20,000,000 or more in annual revenue derived from media rights and licensing fees for intercollegiate athletics. The bill would require that, commencing with the 2015–16 academic year, an athletic scholarship given out by a public institution of higher education in the state be guaranteed for 5 academic years or for the completion of a student athlete's eligibility if the student athlete maintains good standing with the institution he or she attends and continues his or her participation in the sport. The bill would also require that, commencing with the 2015–16 academic year, a full athletic scholarship given out by a public institution cover the full cost of attendance for the institution the student athlete attends, and include an additional $3,600 student athlete participation stipend. The bill would also require, commencing with the 2015–16 academic year, if a student athlete decides to transfer from a 4–year university located in California, that the institution of higher education give the student athlete a "permission-to-contact letter," as defined, and not place any restrictions or conditions on where the student athlete may transfer.

The Enterprise Zone Act provides for the designation and oversight by the Department of Housing and Community Development of various types of economic development areas throughout the state, including enterprise zones, targeted tax areas, and manufacturing enhancement areas, collectively known as geographically targeted economic development areas, or G-TEDAs. Pursuant to these provisions, qualifying entities in those areas may receive certain tax and regulatory incentives. This bill would revise various definitions for purposes of the act and modify specified requirements for designating and administering enterprise zones and G-TEDAs, collectively. The bill would impose new requirements on the Department of Housing and Community Development with respect to the enterprise zone program and modify department and Franchise Tax Board reporting requirements. Existing law, the Enterprise Zone Act, authorizes the Department of Housing and Community Development to assess a fee of not more than $15 on each enterprise zone and manufacturing enhancement area for each application for issuance of a certificate pursuant to specified tax credit provisions. This bill would instead authorize the department to charge a fee for those applications not to exceed the reasonable cost of administering the Enterprise Zone Act, but not to exceed $20. The bill would require any increase in the fee higher than the amount that was charged by the department as of January 1, 2014, to be adopted by regulation. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

The Medi-Cal Act establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments to be reduced by 1% or 5%, and provider payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 1%, for dates of service on and after March 1, 2009, and until June 1, 2011. Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments and payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 10% for dates of service on and after June 1, 2011. This bill would instead require that, to the extent permitted by federal law, this payment reduction not apply to skilled nursing facilities or subacute care units that are a distinct part of a general acute care hospital, intermediate care or other specified facilities serving developmentally disabled individuals, or specified Medi-Cal provider payments for fee-for-service benefits, including payments to pharmacies, for dates of service on or after June 1, 2011. The bill would also provide that this payment reduction shall not apply to managed health care plans for dates of service after the effective date of the bill. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law, subject to exceptions, requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to, upon registering a vehicle, issue the owner 2 partially or fully reflectorized license plates. Existing law also authorizes the department to issue a variety of specialty license plates. Existing law authorizes a state agency to apply to the department to sponsor a specialized license plate program, as specified. This bill would authorize the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol to apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles to sponsor a program for a series of motorsports and auto-enthusiast themed license plates. The bill would provide that the original issue and renewal fee for those plates would be deposited in the Motorsport License Plate Account of the Specialized License Plate Fund, which account is created by the bill. The bill would authorize, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the funds collected to be used by the Office of Traffic Safety, as specified. The bill would make additional conforming changes.

Existing law provides for the formation and governance of various business entities, including, but not limited to, limited liability companies. Existing law requires a limited liability company to biennially file, during the company's applicable filing period, a specified form disclosing information regarding the company with the Secretary of State. Existing law specifies the information to be provided by the limited liability company in the filings, including, but not limited to, the name of the limited liability company and the Secretary of State's file number. This bill would instead require a limited liability company to annually file the specified informational form and would revise the applicable filing period for limited liability companies.

Existing law requires junk dealers and recyclers, as defined, to maintain written records of all sales and purchases made in the course of their business, and makes a violation of the recordkeeping requirements a misdemeanor. Existing law prohibits a junk dealer or recycler from providing payment for nonferrous material, as defined, unless the payment is made by cash or check, the check is mailed or the cash or check is provided no earlier than 3 days after the date of sale, and the dealer or recycler obtains a photograph or video of the seller and certain other identifying information, as specified, which information is to be retained by the dealer or recycler, as part of the written record of purchases, for a specified period of time. This bill would require junk dealers and recyclers to obtain specified information before providing payment for nonferrous materials marked with an indicia of ownership, as defined, and would require that this information be retained as part of the written record of purchases. Because a violation of the recordkeeping requirement 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.