Asm. Jessica Caloza

Existing law establishes a specialized license plate program and requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue specialized license plates, also referred to as environmental license plates, on behalf of a sponsoring state agency if the agency receives 7,500 applications for that plate within a 12-month period, among other requirements. Existing law authorizes a person who is the registered owner or lessee of a vehicle to apply to the department for specialized license plates. Existing law imposes a fee, in addition to the regular registration fee, for the issuance, renewal, retention, transfer, and duplication of specialized license plates. Existing law requires that all revenue derived from these fees be deposited in the California Environmental License Plate Fund. This bill would require the Arts Council to apply to the department to sponsor "The Lowrider" specialized license plate program, as specified. The bill would require the design of the plate to reflect lowrider culture and heritage. The bill would require the council to consult with a nonprofit entity for plate design consultation, stakeholder engagement, publicity, and community outreach. The bill would authorize the council to accept and use donated or licensed artwork from a nonprofit entity for these purposes, and to use funds from nonprofit or private sources to augment implementation. The bill would require the department, after deducting its administrative costs, to deposit additional revenue derived from the issuance, renewal, transfer, and substitution of the plate into the Specialized License Plate Fund in the State Treasury. The bill would require the council to use those funds, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to fund projects that include, among others, supporting lowrider arts and cultural preservation efforts. The bill would authorize the council to use 4 to 6% of those funds to consult with or enter into an agreement with a nonprofit entity to support implementation of the program.

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 disability insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a health care service plan or disability insurer to allow an individual to enroll in or change their health benefit plan as a result of a specified triggering event. This bill would make pregnancy a triggering event for purposes of enrollment or changing a health benefit plan. Because a willful violation of this provision 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.

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is in part governed by, and funded pursuant to, federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing federal law generally requires, commencing in 2027, Medicaid beneficiaries between 19 and 64 years of age, inclusive, with income up to 138% of the federal poverty level, commonly known as Medicaid expansion adults, to demonstrate community engagement as a condition of Medicaid eligibility. Existing state law sets forth various provisions to conform to that federal requirement. Existing law requires, no sooner than January 1, 2027, as specified, an applicable individual to demonstrate work or community engagement. Existing law sets forth the mechanisms for an applicable individual to comply with that requirement on a monthly basis, including, among others, a minimum of 80 hours of work, community service, or participation in a work program, or a minimum of half-time enrollment in an educational program. This bill would make changes to the definitions of "applicable individual," "work program," and "educational program," and to some of the compliance mechanisms regarding monthly income, for purposes of the above-described provisions. When there is a conflict in reliable data sources that adversely impacts the eligibility of an applicant or beneficiary, the bill would require the county to request the applicant or beneficiary to confirm information before taking any adverse action on the application or renewal. Existing law requires a county, if it is unable to verify that an applicable individual either has met the requirement to demonstrate work or community engagement or was deemed to have demonstrated work or community engagement, to provide the individual with a notice of noncompliance, as specified, and to continue to provide the individual with Medi-Cal services during a 30-calendar-day period if the individual is enrolled in the Medi-Cal program. This bill would require the county to notify applicable individuals enrolled in the Medi-Cal program of the requirement to demonstrate work or community engagement based on certain delivery formats. For an applicable individual renewing their Medi-Cal enrollment during a 6-month redetermination period and who otherwise meets all other eligibility criteria, the bill would require the county to maintain active eligibility pending verification of work or community engagement until at least the last day of the month of the 30-calendar-day period. Under the bill, an applicable individual would be deemed to have received the notice of noncompliance 5 days after the date on the notice. Under the bill, self-attestation that the individual did not receive a timely notice would constitute good cause for not providing a satisfactory showing within the 30-calendar-day period. If no satisfactory showing is made after the 30-calendar-day period, the bill would require the department to consider all other bases of eligibility for medical assistance under the Medi-Cal state plan prior to denying coverage at application or determining that an individual is ineligible. The bill would authorize the department to defer implementation of any of the above-described changes if the change would result in a fiscal impact that would require an additional appropriation and that additional appropriation has not been made, as specified. By creating new duties for counties relating to Medi-Cal eligibility determinations with regard to work or community engagement, 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, 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 the statutory provisions noted above.

Existing law establishes the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (council) , which has various goals, including, among other things, to serve as a statewide facilitator, coordinator, and policy development resource on ending homelessness in California. This bill would require the council to, by July 1, 2028, complete a comprehensive statewide study of the coordinated entry system and its role in connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to affordable housing, as specified. The bill would require the council, in conducting the study, to meaningfully consult with a geographically representative group of stakeholders, as described, and would require the council, by July 1, 2028, to post the report on its internet website and submit the report to the Legislature and any relevant policy committees.

Existing law 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, including pharmacy services and drugs. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. Existing law sets forth a schedule of benefits covered under the Medi-Cal program, including acupuncture, but only to the extent federal matching funds are provided for acupuncture. To the extent federal financial participation is available, this bill would require the Medi-Cal program to cover up to 24 acupuncture visits per beneficiary per calendar year and would state that additional visits per calendar year may be authorized based on medical necessity. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 14132 of the Welfare and Institutions Code proposed by AB 350 and SB 944 to be operative only if this bill and either or both AB 350 and SB 944 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would make certain provisions operative only if both this bill and SB 944 is enacted and takes effect on or before January 1, 2027.

Existing law, the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act, governs the management and operation of common interest developments, and requires an association to manage a common interest development, including requiring the association to levy regular and special assessments sufficient to perform its obligations, subject to specified limitations on increases in those assessments. The act requires an association to distribute an annual budget report 30 to 90 days before the end of its fiscal year. Under existing law, that budget report includes, among other things, a summary of the association's reserve accounts. The act requires an association to perform a study of the reserve account requirements, as defined, and, as part of that study, cause to be conducted a visual inspection of the accessible areas of major components that the association is obligated to repair, replace, restore, or maintain. This bill would, beginning January 1, 2032, revise the requirement to perform a study of the reserve account requirements to, among other things, include the minimum reserve contribution level to prevent the projected association reserve account balance from falling below zero over the following 30 years. The bill would require an association to fund the reserve account on an annual basis in at least the minimum reserve contribution level. If an association's reserve balance account is projected to fall below zero at any time over the following 30 years, the bill would require the association to transfer 15% of its gross annual budget to its reserve account each year, as prescribed. If the association is unable to fund the reserve account in at least the minimum reserve contribution level through its gross annual budget, the bill would require the association to levy a reserve funding special assessment, as provided. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 5550 of the Civil Code proposed by SB 1238 to be operative only if this bill and SB 1238 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

Existing law establishes in the Labor and Workforce Development Agency the Department of Industrial Relations. Existing law requires the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to establish a Women in Construction Priority Unit to, among other things, provide resources for employers and project owners, including public agencies, to improve construction worksite culture, address barriers to employment, and develop training and materials for workforce pipeline professionals specific to women and nonbinary individuals in construction. This bill would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, require the department to establish, through the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, the Equal Representation in Construction Apprenticeships Grant Program, and would state the goals of the program, including, among other things, providing women, nonbinary individuals, and underrepresented populations with opportunities to train for a construction career with greater access to preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs that are registered with the division. The bill would authorize the department to issue rules, regulations, guidelines, policies, or procedures necessary to implement the bill's provisions described above.

Existing law authorizes an unmarried person who is under 18 years of age to marry upon obtaining a court order granting permission and the written consent of at least one of the parents or the guardian of each underage party to the marriage, as specified. Existing law requires the court, if it considers it necessary, as part of the court order granting permission to marry, to require the parties to the prospective marriage of a minor to participate in premarital counseling, as specified. Existing law provides that 2 unmarried, unrelated adults who have chosen to share one another's lives in an intimate and committed relationship of mutual caring may establish a domestic partnership by filing a declaration with the Secretary of State, if certain requirements are met. Existing law provides that a person under 18 years of age who, together with the person with whom the person proposes to establish a domestic partnership, meets the requirements for a domestic partnership other than the requirement of being at least 18 years of age, is capable of consenting to and establishing a domestic partnership upon obtaining a court order granting permission to the underage person or persons to establish a domestic partnership. Under existing law, registered domestic partners have the same rights, protections, and benefits as spouses. This bill would repeal the authorization for a person under 18 years of age to be issued a marriage license or to establish a domestic partnership, thereby prohibiting a person under 18 years of age from being issued a marriage license or from establishing a domestic partnership. The bill would make conforming changes. Existing law requires the State Registrar to create a document, no later than March 1, 2020, concerning marriage certificates in which one or both of the parties were minors at the time of solemnization of the marriage. Existing law requires the State Registrar to update that document annually, as specified. Existing law requires the local registrar to submit specified information for the purposes of that report. This bill would repeal those provisions.

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California. Existing law, the Nursing Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of registered nurses, including nurse practitioners and certified nurse-midwives, by the Board of Registered Nursing. Existing law, the Physician Assistant Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of physician assistants by the Physician Assistant Board. Existing law generally makes it a public offense, punishable by a fine not exceeding $10,000 or by imprisonment, or both, for a person to perform an abortion without a valid license to practice as a physician and surgeon. As an exception to that prohibition, existing law authorizes a person to perform an abortion by medication or aspiration techniques in the first trimester of pregnancy if they have a valid, unrevoked, and unsuspended license or certificate under the Medical Practice Act, the Osteopathic Act, the Nursing Practice Act, or the Physician Assistant Practice Act that authorizes the person to perform the functions necessary for abortion by medication or aspiration techniques. This bill would instead authorize a person to perform an abortion if they are authorized under those acts to perform an abortion and would delete the restriction that the abortion be performed only in the first trimester of pregnancy. The bill would make conforming changes to specified training requirements imposed on nurse practitioners, qualified nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, and physician assistants to perform those abortions. The bill would require a nurse practitioner or certified nurse-midwife performing a procedural abortion beyond the first trimester to establish, maintain, and follow written procedures that delineate the parameters for consultation, collaboration, referral, and transfer of care to a physician and surgeon, as specified, in cases that require care that is beyond the scope of their education, training, and experience.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA, until January 1, 2033, exempts from its requirements certain actions for affordable housing projects that meet specified requirements, including confirmation by a public agency that, among other things, the project site satisfies specified requirements and a vacant project site does not contain tribal cultural resources that could be affected by the development that were found pursuant to a consultation and the effects of which cannot be mitigated, as provided. This bill would extend the operation of the above-described exemption to January 1, 2037, and would expand the exemption to also include a public university or public college housing project, as defined, that meets specified requirements. Because the bill would extend the operation of the exemption and would increase duties on a lead agency related to the expansion of this exemption, 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.