Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, sets forth various requirements relating to the review of development project permit applications and the issuance of development permits for specified classes of development projects. This bill would prohibit the County of Riverside, the County of San Bernardino, and any of the cities, joint powers authorities, or agencies with land use authority within those counties from approving the development or expansion of any logistics use, as defined, that is adjacent to sensitive receptors, as defined, unless the local agency imposes certain requirements, as specified, including a minimum setback on the logistics use of 300 feet if the logistics use consists of 400,000 or more square feet of building space, including, but not limited to, warehouses. By imposing new requirements on local agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Riverside and San Bernardino, the cities located within those counties, and any joint powers authority or agency with land use authority in those counties. 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.
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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, including emergency or nonemergency medical transportation services, as specified. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law requires, with exceptions, that Medi-Cal reimbursement to providers of emergency medical transports be increased by application of an add-on to the associated Medi-Cal fee-for-service payment schedule. Under existing law, those increased payments are funded solely from a quality assurance fee (QAF) , which emergency medical transport providers are required to pay based on a specified formula, and from federal reimbursement and any other related federal funds. Existing law sets forth separate provisions for increased Medi-Cal reimbursement to providers of ground emergency medical transportation services that are owned or operated by certain types of public entities. This bill would establish, for dates of service on or after July 1, 2024, a workforce adjustment, serving as an additional payment, for each ground ambulance transport performed by a provider of medical transportation services, excluding the above-described public entity providers. The bill would vary the rate of adjustment depending on the point of pickup and whether the service was for an emergency or nonemergency, with the workforce adjustment being equal to 80% of the lowest maximum allowance established by the federal Medicare Program reduced by the fee-for-service payment schedule amount, as specified. The bill would require that the workforce adjustment meet a certain workforce standard, as determined by the department, which would apply to specified classes of employees, including emergency medical dispatchers, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and registered nurses. The bill would set forth criteria for a provider to meet the workforce standard, with formulas taking into account the fiscal year and base hourly wage rates within a class of employees, and whether the provider is a new provider of ground ambulance services. The bill would require the department to direct each Medi-Cal managed care plan to implement a value-based purchasing model that provides for reimbursement to a network provider that meets the workforce standard requirement and that furnishes ambulance transport services, as specified. The bill would require the department to establish the manner and format for participating providers to report the required data, as specified. The bill would require a provider that has received the workforce adjustment to certify under penalty of perjury that it met the workforce standard, as specified. By expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would authorize the department to recoup any workforce adjustments paid to a provider that did not meet the workforce standard. The bill would prohibit implementation of the workforce adjustment from affecting the calculation of the above-described QAF-based add-on, and would prohibit adjustments to the workforce adjustment, except as specified to comply with federal requirements. The bill would condition implementation of the workforce adjustment on receipt of any necessary federal approvals and the availability of federal financial participation. The bill would make conforming changes. 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 a workers' compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers' Compensation, to compensate an employee for injuries sustained in the course of employment. Existing law provides, until January 1, 2029, that, for certain state and local firefighting personnel and peace officers, the term "injury" includes post-traumatic stress that develops or manifests during a period in which the injured person is in the service of the department or unit. Existing law requires the compensation awarded pursuant to this provision to include full hospital, surgical, medical treatment, disability indemnity, and death benefits. This bill would, for injuries occurring on or after January 1, 2025, make that provision applicable to emergency medical technicians and paramedics, as defined.
Existing law gives control of the state park system to the Department of Parks and Recreation, and requires the Director of Parks and Recreation to promote and regulate the use of the state park system in a manner that conserves the scenery, natural and historic resources, and wildlife for the enjoyment of future generations. Existing law authorizes the department to collect fees, rents, and other returns for use of any state park system area, as provided. Existing law prohibits the department from collecting from any group of pupils in kindergarten or grades 1 to 12, inclusive, or their escorts, any fee, rental, or other return for use of any unit in the state park system when the group is visiting the area pursuant to a school outing or field trip under the direction of a school personnel, as provided. This bill, commencing on July 1, 2024, would require the department to waive the day use entrance fees to a unit of the state park system for any child in the 4th grade, or the 4th grade equivalent, who holds a valid federally issued "Every Kid Outdoors" pass, as provided. The bill would require the department to post on its internet website information on how to obtain the federal "Every Kid Outdoors" pass, including a hyperlink to the federal program establishing the pass.
Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, establishes in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency the Civil Rights Department, headed by the Director of Civil Rights, to protect and safeguard the right and opportunity of all persons to seek, obtain, and hold employment without discrimination or abridgment on account of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, reproductive health decisionmaking, or military and veteran status. This bill would establish within the department the Labor Trafficking Unit, which would be required to coordinate with the Labor Enforcement Task Force, the Criminal Investigation Unit, the Department of Justice, and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement within the Department of Industrial Relations to combat labor trafficking. The bill would require the unit to receive and investigate complaints alleging labor trafficking and take steps to prevent labor trafficking. The bill would require the unit to coordinate with or refer cases to the Labor Enforcement Task Force or the department for potential civil actions, and to coordinate with or refer cases to the Department of Justice for potential criminal actions. The bill would require the unit to follow protocols to ensure survivors of labor trafficking are not victimized by the process of prosecuting traffickers and are informed of the services available to them. The bill would require the unit to coordinate with both state and local agencies to connect survivors with available services. The bill would require the unit to provide specified services to victims, including providing a list of pro bono victim's rights attorneys to survivors. The bill would require the Division of Occupational Safety and Health within the Department of Industrial Relations to notify the unit when, upon investigating businesses under their purview, there is evidence of labor trafficking. The bill would require the unit, beginning January 1, 2025, until January 1, 2035, to annually submit a report to the Legislature with specified information relating to labor trafficking complaints, including the number, types, and outcomes of complaints.
The Emergency Services Act establishes in state government, within the office of the Governor, the Office of Emergency Services and makes the office responsible for the state's emergency and disaster response services for natural, technological, or man-made disasters and emergencies, as specified. This bill would enact the Emergency Fairgrounds Communications Grant Act and would require, on or before January 1, 2025, the office to establish a grant program to provide fairgrounds with grant funding for the purpose of building and upgrading communication and internet infrastructure on fairgrounds. The bill would require the office to establish standards to determine the awarding of grant funding that award funding based on a fairground's need for internet capabilities in order to service an emergency response operation. The bill would authorize the office to prioritize the order of grant disbursements based on prescribed criteria. The bill would also require the office to consult with the Department of Technology and the Department of Food and Agriculture to coordinate the statewide building and upgrading of communication and internet infrastructure on fairgrounds. The bill would provide that the program is operative only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for its purposes.
(1) Existing law establishes a workers' compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers' Compensation, to compensate an employee for injuries sustained in the course of their employment. Existing law requires the employer to provide medical, surgical, chiropractic, acupuncture, and hospital treatment that is reasonably required to cure or relieve the injured worker from the effects of the injury and authorizes an insurer, employer, or entity that provides physician network services to establish or modify a medical provider network (MPN) for the provision of medical treatment to injured employees. Existing law requires every MPN to post on its internet website information about how to obtain a copy of any notification regarding the MPN that is required to be given to an employee by regulations adopted by the administrative director. This bill would allow an injured employee to authorize their primary treating physician to request an electronic copy of any notification that an injury is subject to an MPN or that an employee is required to transfer treatment to an MPN. (2) Existing law requires an MPN to post and update a roster of all participating providers, including physicians and ancillary service providers, as defined, within the MPN. This bill would instead require the roster to include all physicians and would allow the roster to include persons or entities that provide or contract with persons or entities that provide ancillary services, treatment, management services, or coordinate patient care, as specified. (3) Existing law requires an insurer, employer, or entity that provides physician network services to submit a plan for the MPN to the administrative director. Existing law requires the director to approve a plan for an MPN if they determine it meets certain requirements and deems any plan the director does not act on in 60 days approved. Existing law requires that a plan for an MPN be periodically reapproved and prohibits the director from withholding approval or disapproving a medical provider network based solely on the selection of providers. This bill would, if the director disapproves a plan or determines that it contains deficiencies, require the director to allow the applicant 45 days to submit additional information and materials, as requested. The bill would require the director to respond within 30 days of receiving additional information and either approve the plan or request additional information or clarification. (4) Under existing law, an employer or insurer has the exclusive right to determine the members of their network, and prohibits the director from withholding approval or disapproving an MPN based on the selection of providers. This bill would specify that an employer or insurer has the right to determine the members of their network in regard to physicians if the physician is duly licensed and with the scope of their practice, and in regard to a person or entity that provides ancillary services regardless of whether the person or entity is doing business as a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or other business entity.
Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, establishes the Office of Emergency Services, which is responsible for the state's emergency and disaster response services for natural, technological, or human-induced disasters and emergencies, including responsibility for activities necessary to prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of emergencies and disasters on people and property. Under existing law, the Office of Emergency Services, in coordination with all interested state agencies with designated response roles in the state emergency plan and interested local emergency management agencies, is required to jointly establish by regulation a standardized emergency management system for use by all emergency response agencies. This bill would require the California State Warning Center, within the Office of Emergency Services, to develop a process for private-sector fuel transporters to voluntarily share information, as specified, for the purpose of providing fuel to local and state public-safety agencies actively involved in responding to or recovering from a disaster.
Existing law establishes the Office of Emergency Services within the office of the Governor, which is responsible for, among other things, the state's emergency and disaster response services for specified disasters and emergencies. This bill would authorize the Office of Emergency Services to enter into partnerships with private sector entities to encourage the private sector to provide meaningful incentives for individuals to make donations of human whole blood or human blood components.
Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for an employee or officer of a public health facility to engage in sexual activity with a consenting adult who is confined in a health facility. Existing law additionally makes it a misdemeanor for specified individuals, including an employee or officer of a public entity detention facility or an employee with a department, board, or authority under the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, to engage in sexual activity with a consenting adult by rubbing or touching the breasts or sexual organs of another, as specified. This bill would change the definition of sexual activity to also include the touching of the anus, groin, or buttocks. The bill would instead make it a misdemeanor or a felony, punishable in the county jail, for employees or officers of a public health facility or public entity detention facility and employees with a department, board, or authority under the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, to engage in sexual activity with a consenting adult, as specified. Existing law makes it punishable as either a misdemeanor or a felony for specified individuals, including an employee or officer of a public entity detention facility, to engage in sexual activity by engaging in sexual intercourse, sodomy, oral copulation, or sexual penetration, as defined, with a consenting adult who is confined in a detention facility. Existing law makes it punishable as either a misdemeanor or a felony for an employee with a department, board, or authority under the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, as specified, to engage in sexual activity by engaging in sexual intercourse, sodomy, oral copulation, or sexual penetration, as defined, with a consenting adult who is an inmate, ward, or parolee. This bill would additionally make it punishable as either a misdemeanor or a felony, punishable in a state prison, for employees or officers of a public health facility to engage in sexual activity with a consenting adult who is confined in a health facility by engaging in sexual intercourse, sodomy, oral copulation, or sexual penetration, as defined. By expanding the scope of crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires a person convicted of a felony violation of the above provisions who is employed by a department, board, or authority within the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to be terminated, as specified, and prohibits that person from being eligible to be hired or reinstated by the department. This bill would instead require that a person convicted of any violation of these provisions be terminated and prohibited from being reinstated by the department. The bill would also require that a person convicted of any violation of these provisions who is employed by a public entity detention facility or a public health facility be terminated and made ineligible to be hired or reinstated by any public entity detention facility, as specified. 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.