Existing law prohibits an employer from paying any of its employees at wage rates less than the rates paid to employees of the opposite sex for substantially similar work, when viewed as a composite of skill, effort, and responsibility, and performed under similar working conditions, unless the employer demonstrates that specific, reasonably applied factors account for the entire wage differential. Existing law authorizes an employee paid lesser wages in violation of this prohibition to file a complaint with the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, and authorizes the employee, the division, or the Department of Industrial Relations to commence a civil action for the wages the employee was deprived of because of the violation, interest on those wages, and liquidated damages. Under existing law, an employer or other person who violates or causes a violation of that prohibition, or who reduces the wages of any employee in order to comply with that prohibition, is guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would also prohibit an employer from paying any of its employees at wage rates less than the rates paid to employees of another race or ethnicity for substantially similar work, as specified above. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 1197.5 of the Labor Code proposed by AB 1676 that would become operative only if AB 1676 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2017, and this bill is chaptered 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
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Existing law establishes the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, under which the juvenile court may adjudge a person who is under 18 years of age when he or she violates any law or ordinance to be a ward of the court, as specified. Existing law authorizes the court to make any reasonable orders for the care, supervision, custody, conduct, maintenance, and support of the minor who is adjudged a ward of the court. In the discretion of the court, existing law authorizes the court to order a ward to be on probation without the supervision of the probation officer. In all other cases, existing law requires the court to order the care, custody, and control of the minor to be under the supervision of a probation officer who is required to determine the appropriate placement for the ward, and authorizes the probation agency to place the minor in specified treatment settings, including the approved home of a relative or nonrelative, a foster home, or a suitable licensed community care facility. As an alternative to these types of treatments, existing law authorizes the court to commit the minor to a juvenile home, ranch, camp, or forestry camp. The bill would clarify that these provisions shall not be construed to authorize the court to commit the minor to a juvenile home, ranch, camp, or forestry camp outside of the state. Existing law prohibits the court from ordering the placement of a minor who is adjudged a ward of the court in a private residential facility or program that provides 24-hour supervision, outside of the state, unless the court finds that specified conditions are met, including that in-state facilities or programs have been determined to be unavailable or inadequate to meet the needs of the minor. The bill would instead authorize the court to order the placement of a minor who is adjudged a ward of the court in a private residential facility or program that provides 24-hour supervision outside of the state if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that, among other things, the case plan developed for the minor demonstrates that the out-of-state placement is the most appropriate and is in the best interests of the minor and that in-state facilities or programs have been considered and are unavailable or inadequate to meet the needs and best interests of the minor. The bill would make conforming changes. This bill would incorporate additional changes in Sections 727.1 and 727.4 of the Welfare and Institutions Code proposed by AB 1997, that would become operative only if AB 1997 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2017, and this bill is chaptered last.
Existing law generally permits the public to observe the election process. Existing law requires the precinct board member to conduct certain election day procedures in the presence of all persons assembled at the polling place. Existing law requires the semifinal official canvass and official canvass to be open to the public. Existing law requires the processing of vote by mail ballot return envelopes and the processing and counting of vote by mail ballots to be open to the public. Existing law requires a recount to be conducted publicly. Existing law permits interested persons to participate in a public review and public hearing process for the certification or conditional approval of a ballot marking system. This bill would allow an international election observer, as defined, to be provided uniform and nondiscriminatory access to all stages of the election process that are open to the public. This bill would prohibit an international election observer from interfering with a voter in the preparation or casting of the voter's ballot, with a precinct board member of an elections official in the performance of his or her duties, or with the orderly conduct of an election.
Existing law provides specified requirements in awarding certain public contracts. This bill would authorize the Governor to execute games support contracts, not to exceed a specified amount, in connection with the site selection process for the City of Los Angeles to become the host for the 2024 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, that accept financial liability to provide the state security for amounts owed by the Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG) , as specified, and for any financial deficit accruing to the OCOG as a result of the hosting of the games by the endorsing municipality, as defined. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations that, among other things, the endorsing municipality has developed a self-sufficient bid for financing the games.
The Teachers' Retirement Law creates the State Teachers' Retirement System and State Teachers' Retirement Plan for the purpose of providing teachers and other specified employees with financially sound retirement plans, and vests administration of the system and the plan with the Teachers' Retirement Board. That law defines the term "full time" as the days or hours of creditable service an employer requires a class of employees to perform in a school year in order to earn the compensation earnable, as defined, and provides that one measure of the minimum standard for full time in community colleges is 875 instructional hours per school year for all instructors employed in adult education programs. That law requires each collective bargaining agreement or employment agreement that applies to specified members of the system to, among other things, specify the number of hours of creditable service that equals full time for those members. This bill would additionally require each collective bargaining agreement or employment agreement to specify the courses for which instructors are subject to the 875-hour requirement for any agreement entered into, extended, renewed, or amended on or after January 1, 2017. The bill would also provide that an instructor not subject to the 875-hour requirement is subject to one of two other specified hour requirements.
Existing law establishes specific instances where a public entity is required to obtain an enforceable commitment that a bidder, contractor, or other entity will use a skilled and trained workforce to complete a contract or project. This bill would establish provisions to be generally applicable when a public entity is required by statute or regulation to obtain an enforceable commitment that a bidder, contractor, or other entity will use a skilled and trained workforce to complete a contract or project. The bill would also authorize a public entity to require that a bidder, contractor, or other entity use a skilled and trained workforce to complete a contract or project. Existing law relating to school facilities provides for the lease of property and prohibits the governing board of a school district from entering into specific lease agreements for the construction of buildings for the use of the school district with any entity unless the entity provides to the governing board an enforceable commitment that the entity and its subcontractors at every tier will use a skilled and trained workforce to perform all work on the project or contract that falls within an apprenticeable occupation in the building and construction trades. Existing law relating to school facilities, operative July 1, 2016, and until January 1, 2025, also authorizes a school district, with the approval of the governing board of the school district, to procure design-build contracts for certain public works projects, as provided, and prohibits a design-build entity from being prequalified or shortlisted unless the entity provides a similar enforceable commitment to the school district with respect to the use of a skilled and trained workforce. Existing law relating to the Department of General Services and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation authorizes the Director of General Services and the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to procure design-build contracts for certain public works projects, as provided, and prohibits a design-build entity from being prequalified or shortlisted unless the entity provides a similar enforceable commitment to the departments with respect to the use of a skilled and trained workforce. Existing law relating to local agencies authorizes a local agency to procure design-build contracts for certain public works projects, as provided, and prohibits a design-build entity from being prequalified or shortlisted unless the entity provides a similar enforceable commitment to a local agency with respect to the use of a skilled and trained workforce. Existing law, until January 1, 2021, establishes a pilot program to authorize the Los Angeles Unified School District to use a best value procurement method for bid evaluation and selection for certain public projects (LAUSD pilot program) . The LAUSD pilot program precludes the prequalification or shortlisting of a best value entity unless the entity provides a similar enforceable commitment to the governing board of the district with respect to the use of a skilled and trained workforce. Existing law establishes a pilot program to allow the Counties of Alameda, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Solano, and Yuba to select a bidder on the basis of best value, as defined, for specific construction projects (pilot program for counties) . The pilot program for counties precludes the prequalification or shortlisting of a best value contractor unless the contractor provides a similar enforceable commitment to the county with respect to the use of a skilled and trained workforce. This bill would revise those provisions specifically applicable to school facilities, the Department of General Services, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and local agency design-build projects, the LAUSD pilot program, and the pilot program for counties to require, instead, an enforceable commitment for the use of a skilled and trained workforce in accordance with the above-described generally applicable provisions for the use of a skilled and trained workforce, unless there is a prescribed project labor agreement. The bill, except as specified, would not apply to contracts advertised for bid or awarded before January 1, 2017. The California Constitution requires local agencies, for the purpose of ensuring public access to the meetings of public bodies and the writings of public officials and agencies, to comply with a statutory enactment that amends or enacts laws relating to public records or open meetings and contains findings demonstrating that the enactment furthers the constitutional requirements relating to this purpose. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
Existing law provides for political subdivisions, including special districts, that encompass areas of representation within the state. With respect to these areas, public officials are generally elected by all of the voters of the political subdivision (at-large) or by or from districts formed within the political subdivision (district-based) . Under existing law, the manner of election of a governing body of a special district is generally specified in the statutes creating the district. If a political subdivision changes from an at-large method of election to a district-based election, existing law generally requires the political subdivision to submit to the voters an ordinance or resolution providing for the election of members of the governing body by district. This bill would authorize a governing body of a special district, as defined, to require, by resolution, that the members of its governing body be elected using district-based elections without being required to submit the resolution to the voters for approval. This bill would require the resolution to include a declaration that the change in the method of election is being made in furtherance of the purposes of the California Voting Rights Act of 2001.
Existing law, the Unruh Civil Rights Act, states that all persons within this state are free and equal, and no matter what their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, primary language, or immigration status are entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments. Under existing law, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing is responsible for receiving, investigating, conciliating, mediating, and prosecuting complaints alleging a violation of the act. This bill would enact the Stop Consumer Racial Profiling Act of 2016, which would prohibit a business establishment from using consumer racial profiling, as defined. The bill would also make the Department of Fair Employment and Housing responsible for the enforcement of the act. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 12930 of the Government Code, proposed by SB 1442, to be operative only if SB 1442 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2017, and this bill is chaptered last.
Existing law provides for 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 provides that specialty mental health services and Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) for any individual under 21 years of age are covered under Medi-Cal, consistent with the requirements of federal law. Federal law defines EPSDT to include screening services, vision services, dental services, hearing services, and other necessary services to correct or ameliorate defects and physical and mental illnesses and conditions discovered by the screening services, whether or not the services are covered under the state plan. Existing law provides that specialty mental health services include EPSDT services provided to eligible Medi-Cal beneficiaries under 21 years of age. Existing law requires each local mental health plan to establish a procedure to ensure access to outpatient specialty mental health services, as required by the EPSDT program standards, for children in foster care who have been placed outside their county of adjudication. Existing law includes standardized contracts, procedures, documents, and forms, to facilitate the receipt of medically necessary specialty mental health services by a foster child who is placed outside his or her county of original jurisdiction. This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to ensure that foster children who are placed outside of their county of original jurisdiction, are able to access mental health services in a timely manner consistent with their individualized strengths and needs and the requirements of EPSDT program standards and requirements. The bill would require the department to issue policy guidance that establishes the conditions for and exceptions to presumptive transfer of responsibility for providing or arranging for mental health services to a foster child from the county of original jurisdiction to the county in which the foster child resides, as prescribed. The bill would define presumptive transfer for these purposes. The bill would authorize any interested party who owes a legal duty to the child involving the child's health or welfare to seek a waiver of presumptive transfer and would provide that the county probation agency or child welfare services agency with responsibility for the care and placement of the child is responsible for determining whether presumptive transfer is appropriate under specified conditions, including when a determination is made that the transfer of mental health services would disrupt continuity of care or timely access to services, as specified. The bill would require the mental health plan in the host county to assume responsibility for the authorization and provision of mental health services, and payments for services, upon the presumptive transfer. By increasing the responsibilities of county probation agencies or child welfare services agencies with respect to determining whether presumptive transfer is appropriate, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require the department to seek approval from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) prior to implementing these provisions if the department determines that approval is necessary. The bill would authorize the department and the State Department of Social Services to adopt regulations to implement these provisions by July 1, 2019, 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, 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.
The Real Estate Law provides for the licensure and regulation of real estate brokers and real estate salespersons by the Bureau of Real Estate headed by the Real Estate Commissioner. Existing law requires the commissioner to provide on the Internet specific information regarding the status of every license issued by the department. That law requires a real estate broker to immediately notify the commissioner in writing whenever a real estate salesperson enters the employ of or is terminated by that real estate broker. That law makes a willful or knowing violation of any if its provisions punishable as a misdemeanor. This bill would, beginning January 1, 2018, require that information to include whether a licensee is an associate licensee and, if the associate licensee is a broker, to identify each responsible broker with whom the licensee is contractually associated. This bill would additionally require a real estate broker to immediately notify the commissioner in writing whenever a real estate broker acting as a salesperson enters the employ of or is terminated by the responsible real estate broker and would make certain nonsubstantive changes. By placing a new requirement on a real estate broker to report to the commissioner regarding the employment or termination of a real estate broker acting as a salesperson, this bill would expand an existing crime. This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 10083.2 of the Business and Professions Code, proposed by AB 1807, that would become operative only if AB 1807 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2017, and this bill is chaptered 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.