Asm. Richard Bloom

This measure would proclaim the month of June 2016 as PTS Awareness Month.

This measure would designate June 2016 as California Fairground Appreciation Month and commend the directors, volunteers, staff, local agencies, nonprofits, and Californians who support and attend fairground events.

This measure would declare June 27, 2016, as Robotics Technology Day.

This measure would thank the State Air Resources Board for its exemplary work and tenacity in uncovering the emissions control defeat devices on certain diesel-fueled Volkswagen motor vehicles and would express the Legislature's support for specified future emissions test-related actions by the board.

Existing law relative to electrical restructuring, within the Public Utilities Act, establishes the Independent System Operator to ensure the efficient use and reliable operation of the electric transmission grid. The California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to establish a renewables portfolio standard requiring all retail sellers, as defined, to procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources, as defined, so that the total kilowatthours sold to their retail end-use customers achieves 25% of retail sales by December 31, 2016, 33% by December 31, 2020, 40% by December 31, 2024, 45% by December 31, 2027, and 50% by December 31, 2030. The program additionally requires each local publicly owned electric utility, as defined, to procure a minimum quantity of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources to achieve the procurement requirements established by the program. The Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative is a statewide initiative to help identify transmission projects to accommodate the state's renewable energy goals. This bill would require the Independent System Operator, when undertaking transmission planning activities, to take into account a specified report relating to solar photovoltaic system development in the San Joaquin Valley and specified principles of transmission corridor planning developed by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) . The bill would require the Energy Commission, the PUC, and the Independent System Operator, when undertaking activities as part of the Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative, to take into account the above-specified report and principles.

Existing law creates the Active Transportation Program in the Department of Transportation for the purpose of encouraging increased use of active modes of transportation, such as biking and walking, with specified available funds to be awarded to eligible projects by the California Transportation Commission and regional transportation agencies. Existing law requires the commission to award 50% and 10% of available funds to projects statewide and to projects in small urban and rural regions, respectively, with the remaining 40% of available funds to be awarded to projects by metropolitan planning organizations, with the funds available for distribution by each metropolitan planning organization based on its relative population. Existing law requires the California Transportation Commission to adopt the 2015 program of projects no later than January 31, 2016, with each subsequent program of projects to be adopted by April 1 of each odd-numbered year, and requires the commission to adopt guidelines for the program. This bill would, for a program cycle adopted on or after January 1, 2018, require a minimum of 10% of all available Active Transportation Program funds to be programmed for planning and noninfrastructure purposes, except as provided, and would require at least 50 percent of that amount to be programmed for planning activities to develop comprehensive active transportation master plans. The bill would also require the guidelines adopted by the commission to authorize an implementing agency to expend its own funds in advance of an allocation of funds to the project by the commission and to subsequently be reimbursed for eligible expenditures if the agency, for a project programmed in a future fiscal year, receives commission approval in the form of a letter of no prejudice or the agency, for a project programmed in the current fiscal year, notifies the commission of its intent to expend its own funds in advance of an allocation, as prescribed.

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 Department of Insurance. Existing law requires health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies to provide coverage for specified benefits. This bill, until January 1, 2019, would require a health care service plan contract or a health insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2017, to include coverage for hearing aids for an enrollee or insured under 18 years of age, as specified. These provisions would become inoperative if the Department of Managed Health Care and the Department of Insurance receive a notification from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or any other applicable federal agency that these provisions constitute a discriminatory age limitation under federal law and the state is required to defray the costs of requiring a plan contract or policy to include coverage for hearing aids on behalf of enrollees or insureds who are 18 years of age or older pursuant to a specified federal law. Because a willful violation of these requirements by a health care service plan would be a crime, 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 measure would encourage the Department of Consumer Affairs and its boards, bureaus, and committees to create policies that promote fairness and equity to guarantee that each licensee pays a fair amount, especially in regard to initial and ongoing license fees.

This measure would recognize the legendary career of Vincent Edward "Vin" Scully.