Asm. Sebastian Ridley-Thomas

This measure would declare the importance of the arts to the state and the essential role of the Arts Council in promoting the arts throughout the state, and urge a unified effort between the Legislature and the Governor to provide a substantial increase in the General Fund appropriation to the California Arts Council in the 2015–16 Budget Act.

This measure would recognize that every child who needs comprehensive health and early intervention services and supports in order to achieve his or her developmental potential should have those services easily accessible, sufficient, responsive, timely, and of high quality. The measure would further urge the Legislature to leverage existing efforts and statutes to ensure an accountable, results-oriented, and coordinated network of resources in order to provide multidisciplinary early identification and intervention services and supports to California infants and toddlers.

This measure would proclaim October 17, 2015, as Firefighters Memorial Day.

Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health, in cooperation with the State Department of Education, to establish a Public School Health Center Support Program to perform specified functions relating to the establishment, retention, or expansion of school health centers in California. Existing law, for purposes of those provisions, defines a "school health center" to mean a center or program located at or near a local educational agency that provides age-appropriate health care services at the program site or through referrals, and may conduct routine physical health, mental health, and oral health assessments. Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health, to the extent funds are appropriated to the department, to establish a grant program to provide technical assistance, and funding for the expansion, renovation, and retrofitting of existing school health centers, and the development of new school health centers, in accordance with specified procedures. Existing law requires the department to develop a request for proposal (RFP) process for collecting information on applicants, and determining which proposals shall receive grant funding, giving preference for grant funding to schools in areas designated as federally medically underserved areas or in areas with medically underserved populations, or schools with a high percentage of low-income and uninsured children and youth. This bill would require the department to also give preference to schools with a high percentage of children and youth who receive free or low-cost health coverage through Medi-Cal.

The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 establishes the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases. The act authorizes the state board to include the use of market-based compliance mechanisms. Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the state board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and to be available upon appropriation by the Legislature. Existing law requires the Department of Finance, in consultation with the state board and any other relevant state agency, to develop, as specified, a 3-year investment plan for the moneys deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Existing law requires moneys in the fund to be used to facilitate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and, where applicable and to the extent feasible, to foster job creation by promoting in-state greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects carried out by California workers and businesses. This bill would require priority be given to projects involving hiring that support the targeted training and hiring of workers from disadvantaged communities for career-track jobs.

Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health, in cooperation with the State Department of Education, to establish a Public School Health Center Support Program to assist health centers in schools and school districts. Existing law establishes a grant program within the Public School Health Center Support Program to provide technical assistance and funding for the expansion, renovation, and retrofitting of existing school health centers and the development of new school health centers. These provisions also provide funding for sustainability grants in amounts between $25,000 and $125,000. Existing law authorizes school health centers to provide physical, mental, and oral health assessments, screenings, and services. This bill would rename the program the School-Based Health and Education Partnership Program. The bill would instead provide funding for the expansion and renovation of existing school health centers. The bill would change the amount of the sustainability grants that are available pursuant to the program to between $50,000 and $100,000, but would make those grants available on a one-time basis and would revise the purposes for which they may be used. The bill would also authorize population health grants in amounts between $50,000 and $125,000 for a funding period of up to 3 years, as specified. The bill would authorize school health centers to provide alcohol and substance abuse assessments, screening, and services. This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 124174.6 of the Health and Safety Code proposed by AB 766 that would become operative if this bill and AB 766 are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2016, and this bill is chaptered last.

Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health and sets forth its powers and duties pertaining to, among other things, protecting, preserving, and advancing public health, including disseminating information regarding diseases. This bill would require the State Department of Public Health to update the California Wellness Plan 2014 to include specified items, including priorities and performance measures that are based upon evidence-based strategies to prevent and control diabetes, and to submit a report to the Legislature by January 1, 2018, that includes the progress of those specified plan items. The bill would also make related findings and declarations.

This measure would commemorate the centennial of the founding of Locke, California, would recognize and honor Locke, California, as the last remaining Chinatown in North America, and would urge all Californians to learn about the important history of Locke, California, and its inhabitants.

This measure would congratulate the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls on the celebration of its 50th anniversary, and recognize and commend the commission for its various contributions and accomplishments.