Existing law requires the Department of Food and Agriculture, headed by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, to promote and protect the agricultural industry of the state. This bill would, until January 1, 2014, create the California Healthy Food Financing Initiative. It would require, by July 1, 2011, the Department of Food and Agriculture, in consultation with the State Department of Public Health and the State Department of Social Services, to prepare recommendations, to be presented upon request to the Legislature, regarding actions that need to be taken to promote food access in the state. The bill would also require, to the extent that federal funds are made available, the Department of Food and Agriculture to implement the initiative. The bill would require the Department of Food and Agriculture to coordinate efforts to maximize the funding opportunities provided by the federal 2010 Healthy Food Financing Initiative. The bill would create the California Healthy Food Financing Initiative Fund in the State Treasury, to be comprised of federal, state, and private funds, for the purpose of expanding access to healthy foods in underserved communities and, to the extent practicable, to leverage other funding, as specified. Moneys in the fund shall be expended upon appropriation by the Legislature.
Sponsored bills
Existing law provides for child welfare services, which are public social services directed toward, among other purposes, protecting and promoting the welfare of all children, including those in foster care placement. Existing law provides for the placement of children in foster care in various settings, including group homes, by foster placement agencies, under the oversight of the State Department of Social Services. Existing law provides for the Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care (AFDC-FC) program, under which, pursuant to a combination of federal, state, and county funds, aid on behalf of eligible children is paid to foster care providers. Existing law requires the department to convene a workgroup of designated public and private stakeholders that will develop a plan for transforming the current system of group care for foster children or youth, and for children with serious emotional disorders into a system of residentially based services, as defined. Existing law requires the department, by January 1, 2011, to provide a copy of the plan developed by the workgroup to the Legislature. This bill would extend the deadline for providing a copy of the plan developed by the workgroup to the Legislature to July 1, 2014. Existing law authorizes the Child Welfare Services Program Improvement Fund to provide a comprehensive system of support to promote positive outcomes for children and families, by expending funds on various programs, upon appropriation by the Legislature. This bill would allow the State Department of Social Services to fund various child welfare-related activities by means of grants from the fund, rather than by contract. This bill would also allow certain grants to be renewed, as specified. Existing law requires the department to encourage counties and private nonprofit agencies to develop voluntary agreements to test alternative program design and funding models to achieve specified objectives, and authorizes voluntary agreements between counties and nonprofit agencies to transfer all or part of an existing group home program into a residentially based services program, if specified conditions are met. Under existing law, these agreements are valid for a period not to exceed 5 years from January 1, 2008. Existing law authorizes the department to waive otherwise applicable regulatory provisions and approve alternative funding models, in order to facilitate implementation of these agreements, and specifies the required characteristics of these alternative funding models. Under existing law, a waiver granted by the director under these circumstances, and the related alternative funding model, is prohibited from resulting in an increase in costs to the General Fund for AFDC-FC payments, measured on an annual basis. This bill would revise requirements relating to the waivers and alternative funding models, to authorize higher AFDC-FC payments to children and youth enrolled in a residentially based services program, that are offset by cost efficiencies. This bill would require the department to conduct reviews of the county residentially based services program, no sooner than 18 months after the first child's enrollment into the program, to determine the effectiveness of the program, as specified. The bill would authorize the department to terminate a county's participation in residentially based services reform if it determines that the county is not meeting specified objectives. This bill would require agreements entered into pursuant to the residentially based services reform provisions to terminate on or before January 1, 2015.
Existing law, the California High-Speed Rail Act, creates the High-Speed Rail Authority to develop and implement a high-speed rail system in the state, with specified powers and duties. Existing law, pursuant to the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century, approved by the voters as Proposition 1A at the November 4, 2008, general election, provides for the issuance of $9.95 billion in general obligation bonds for high-speed rail and related purposes. The federal Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA) and the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provide funding for allocation nationally to high-speed rail projects. This bill would require federal high-speed rail funds received on a reimbursement basis from ARRA to be deposited in the federal trust fund. The bill would require certain ARRA funds to be used for planning and engineering, and for capital costs, for the high-speed train system consistent with federal law and regulations and specified provisions of SB 965 of the 2009–10 Regular Session. The bill would identify the corridors eligible for federal PRIIA funds. The above provisions would become operative only if SB 965 is also enacted and becomes operative. Existing law provides for appointment of an executive director by the authority, who is exempt from civil service and serves at the pleasure of the authority. Under existing law, the salary of the executive director is established by the authority and approved by the Department of Personnel Administration. This bill, for purposes of managing and administering the ongoing work of the authority in implementing the high-speed rail project, would authorize the Governor, upon recommendation of the executive director and subject to an appropriation, to appoint up to 6 additional executive staff exempt from civil service who would serve in specified positions at the pleasure of the executive director. The bill would require the authority to cause a salary survey to be conducted to determine the compensation for the executive director and additional exempt staff, and would require the salaries to be approved by the Department of Personnel Administration. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature to approve additional positions at the authority for purposes of creating an Office for Project Controls and Risk Management in the authority.
Under existing law, a defendant who commits an assault against a plaintiff with the intent to capture any type of visual image, sound recording, or other physical impression of the plaintiff is liable for up to 3 times the amount of any general and special damages that are proximately caused by this act, as well as punitive damages and a civil fine of not less than $5,000 and not more than $50,000. This bill would expand these provisions to impose liability when a defendant falsely imprisons the plaintiff with the intent to capture any type of visual image, sound recording, or other physical impression of the plaintiff. Existing law makes it a crime to willfully interfere with the driver of a vehicle or with the mechanism thereof so as to affect the driver's control of the vehicle, to follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, as specified, and to engage in reckless driving, as described. This bill would make it a misdemeanor to violate any of those provisions with the intent to capture any type of visual image, sound recording, or other physical impression of another person for a commercial purpose. The bill would provide that this crime is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail and a fine of not more than $2,500, except as specified. The bill would further provide that a person who commits that act and, in addition, causes a minor to be placed in a situation in which his or her person or health is endangered is also guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year and a fine of not more than $5,000, except as specified. Because the bill would create new crimes, 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.
Existing law requires the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to establish, until January 1, 2011, a Reentry Advisory Committee, comprised as specified, to advise the secretary on matters related to the successful planning, implementation, and outcomes of all reentry programs and services in the department, with the goal of reducing recidivism. Existing law provides that the committee shall meet at least quarterly and that committee members shall receive compensation for travel expenses but no other compensation. This bill would change the qualifications for one of the committee members, and would expand the membership of the committee by 7 members, as specified. The bill would provide that the committee shall meet upon call of the secretary. The bill would remove the requirement that committee members receive compensation for travel expenses, as specified, and instead provide that committee members shall serve without compensation. The bill would require the secretary, in consultation with the committee, to apply for specified federal grants. The bill would authorize the secretary to develop a comprehensive strategic reentry plan containing annual and 5-year performance goals, as specified, or to satisfy specified federal grant funding eligibility criteria by other means. The bill would require the secretary, in consultation with the committee, to apply for any federal financial hardship exemptions available to states struggling to identify matching funds for specified federal grants, and to submit a report to the Legislature and the United States Attorney General detailing the progress toward achieving strategic performance outcomes, as specified. The bill would extend the operation of the committee until January 1, 2016.
Existing law generally provides for the confidentiality of juvenile court records and records relating to the administration of public social services. However, records connected to public social services programs are generally permitted to be disclosed for purposes related to the administration of those programs and for other prescribed purposes. Under existing law, counties are authorized to establish multidisciplinary personnel teams trained in the prevention, identification, or treatment of child abuse and neglect cases, or the abuse of elder or dependent persons. Existing law provides, for purposes of the disclosure of information, that the activities of multidisciplinary teams engaged in the prevention, identification, and treatment of child abuse or the abuse of elder or dependent persons are activities performed in the administration of public social services. This bill would recast these provisions to provide that activities of multidisciplinary personnel teams engaged in the prevention, identification, management, or treatment of child abuse or neglect, or the prevention, identification, management, or treatment of the abuse of an elder or dependent person, are activities performed in the administration of public social services. Existing law provides that testimony about discussions relative to the disclosure or exchange of the information or writings during multidisciplinary personnel team meetings is not admissible in any criminal, civil, or juvenile court proceeding. Existing law also provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, under which each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. This bill would include in the definition of a multidisciplinary personnel team CalWORKs case managers, and social workers with experience or training in child abuse or neglect prevention, identification, management, or treatment. This bill would also include information relevant to the provision of child welfare services, as defined, as information that may be disclosed and exchanged by a multidisciplinary personnel team. Because the California Constitution provides that a statute excluding relevant evidence in a criminal proceeding requires a 23 vote for passage by the Legislature, this bill requires a 23 vote. Existing law permits a county to establish a computerized database system to allow provider agencies, as defined, to share specified information regarding families at risk for child abuse or neglect for the purpose of forming a multidisciplinary personnel team to prevent, identify, manage, or treat child abuse. This bill would require the database to include information about persons living in a child's home and a contact person instead of the employee assigned to the case from a provider agency. This bill would require a county that establishes this database system to install database system controls to monitor system use and to detect any violations of the system controls. This bill would in addition, with respect to the County of Los Angeles, authorize the database to include information about convictions of family members or persons living in the child's home for crimes that involved a child as a victim, as specified. Existing law requires the information obtained pursuant to the computerized database system to be kept confidential and to be used solely for the prevention, identification, management, or treatment of child abuse, child neglect, or both. This bill would permit the information to be used for the provision of child welfare services. This bill would also provide that any person knowingly and intentionally violating the above confidentiality requirements shall be subject to prescribed administrative and civil penalties. Existing law makes all information and records obtained in the course of providing intake assessment and services under statutes relating to services for persons with developmental disabilities and persons with mental illness confidential, and permits disclosure only under prescribed conditions, including, but not limited to, the courts as necessary to the administration of justice. This bill would recast some, but not all, related confidentiality provisions, to provide that the above information, if relevant to the provision of child welfare services, as defined, or the investigation, prevention, identification, management, or treatment of child abuse or neglect, may be disclosed to multidisciplinary personnel teams. This bill would also recast some, but not all, related confidentiality provisions to expressly prohibit this information from being used in a criminal or delinquency proceeding, but that evidence identical to the information contained within the records is admissible if obtained by other means as permitted by law. Existing law permits a psychotherapist, when the psychotherapist opines that a patient presents a serious danger of violence to a reasonably foreseeable victim or victims, to release mental health information or records to that person or persons, and to law enforcement agencies. This bill would recast some, but not all, related confidentiality provisions to permit a psychotherapist to release the information or records to county child welfare agencies. By imposing a higher level of service on local government this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Los Angeles. This bill would incorporate changes to Section 18961.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code made by AB 2229, to become operative only if both this bill and AB 2229 are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2011, and this bill is enacted last. 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to establish, by January 1, 2010, and until January 1, 2015, the Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program for the purpose of increasing the amount of umbilical cord blood that is donated in the state and that will be added to the national inventory. Existing law authorizes the department, to the extent private or public funds are identified for this purpose, to contract with blood banks that are licensed or accredited to provide umbilical cord blood banking storage services, for the purpose of collecting and storing umbilical cord blood. This bill would, instead, request the University of California to establish and administer the Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program on or before July 1, 2011, to conclude no later than January 1, 2018, for the purpose of collecting units of umbilical cord blood for public use, as defined, for transplantation and for providing nonclinical units for specified research. Existing law provides that any funds made available for purposes of the program shall be deposited into the Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program Fund. Existing law provides that moneys in the fund shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes of the program. Existing law provides that the fund shall include any federal, state, and private funds made available for purposes of the program. Existing law requires the collection of a $7 fee for certified copies of birth certificates. Under existing law, $4 of the $7 fee is allocated to either the county Children's Trust Fund or to the State Children's Trust Fund, which exists in the State Treasury. Existing law requires that the money in the State Children's Trust Fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be allocated to the State Department of Social Services for the purpose of funding child abuse and neglect prevention and intervention programs, as specified. This bill would, instead, until January 1, 2018, require the collection of a $9 fee for certified copies of birth certificates and require that $2 of any $9 fee be paid to the Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program Fund. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law establishes the California Workforce Investment Board , and requires the board to establish a committee known as the Green Collar Jobs Council (GCJC) , comprised of specified members. Existing law requires the GCJC to perform certain functions and duties, including the development of a strategic initiative, relating to the training and development of a skilled workforce to meet the needs of California's emerging green economy. This bill would revise the duties of the GCJC, as specified. The bill would authorize the board to accept any revenues, moneys, grants, goods, or services from federal and state entities, philanthropic organizations, and other sources, to be used for purposes relating to the administration and implementation of the strategic initiative. The bill would authorize the Employment Development Department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to expend those moneys and revenues for purposes related to the strategic initiative and the award of grants, as provided. The bill would require the GCJC to consult with appropriate state and local agencies to identify opportunities to coordinate the award of grant and green workforce training funds received by the state under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 or any other funding sources. The bill would require the board, on or before April 1, 2011, and annually each April 1 thereafter, to report to the Legislature on the status of GCJC activities, grants awarded, and the development and implementation of a green workforce strategic initiative.
Existing law, until January 1, 2014, allows certain state and local transportation entities, if authorized by the California Transportation Commission, to use a design‑build process for contracting on transportation projects, as specified. This bill would authorize the Riverside County Transportation Commission, if authorized by the commission, to utilize this design-build procurement process for the State Route 91 Corridor Improvements Project on the state highway system. The bill would make the Department of Transportation responsible for the performance of construction inspection services for the project, as specified, and would require the commission to report on the progress of the project and related matters to specified legislative committees. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various healing arts practitioners by boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law provides an exemption from these requirements for a health care practitioner licensed in another state who offers or provides health care for which he or she is licensed during a state of emergency, as defined, and upon request of the Director of the Emergency Medical Services Authority, as specified. This bill would also provide, until January 1, 2014, an exemption from the licensure and regulation requirements for a health care practitioner, as defined, licensed or certified in good standing in another state or states, who offers or provides health care services for which he or she is licensed or certified through a sponsored event, as defined, (1) to uninsured or underinsured persons, (2) on a short-term voluntary basis, (3) in association with a sponsoring entity that registers with the applicable healing arts board, as defined, and provides specified information to the county health department of the county in which the health care services will be provided, and (4) without charge to the recipient or a 3rd party on behalf of the recipient, as specified. The bill would also require an exempt health care practitioner to obtain prior authorization to provide these services from the applicable licensing board, as defined, and to satisfy other specified requirements, including payment of a fee as determined by the applicable licensing board. The bill would require the applicable licensing board to notify the sponsoring entity, as defined, of the sponsored event whether the board approves or denies a request for authorization to provide these services within 20 days of receipt of the request. The bill would also prohibit a contract of liability insurance issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2011, from excluding coverage of these practitioners or a sponsoring entity for providing care under these provisions. Because this bill would expand the definition of certain crimes, the bill would create 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.