Asm. Lisa Calderon

Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, among other things, creates the Office of Emergency Services, which is responsible for the state's emergency and disaster response services, as specified. Existing law requires the Governor to coordinate the State Emergency Plan and the preparation of plans and programs for the mitigation of the effects of an emergency by the political subdivisions of this state. Existing law defines the terms "political subdivision" and "emergency plans" for purposes of emergency services provided by local governments. Existing law requires the governing body of each political subdivision of the state to carry out the provisions of the State Emergency Plan. Existing law requires the office to establish best practices for counties developing and updating a county emergency plan and a process for a county to request that the office review a county's emergency plan by January 1, 2022. This bill would require each county to review and update its emergency plan at least every 2 years. Because the bill would require local officials to perform additional duties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would remove the date by which the office is required to update the best practices referenced above. 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 authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility, and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. Existing law authorizes an electrical corporation to file an application requesting the commission to issue a financing order to authorize the recovery of costs and expenses related to a catastrophic wildfire, including fire risk mitigation capital expenditures, through the issuance of bonds by the electrical corporation that are secured by a rate component, as provided. This bill would, in addition to capital expenditures related to wildfires, authorize the use of bonds secured by a rate component for recovery of wildfire mitigation efforts, operational and maintenance expenses related to an electrical corporation's wildfire mitigation plan, wildfire risk mitigation costs, and vegetation management costs and expenses. Existing law requires the commission, upon application, to issue the financing order if: (1) the recovery costs to be reimbursed have been found to be just and reasonable, or are allocated to ratepayers as specified; (2) the issuance of the recovery bonds, including all material terms and conditions, is just and reasonable; (3) the issuance of the recovery bonds is consistent with the public interest; and (4) the recovery of the recovery costs through a fixed recovery charge that is assessed as a rate component, to the maximum extent possible, reduces the rate on a present value basis that consumers within the electrical corporation's service territory would pay as compared to the use of traditional utility financing mechanisms, as specified. This bill would, in regards to the determination that the issuance of the recovery bonds is consistent with the public interest in (3) above, require the commission, when considering whether a proposed financing order provides both short-term and long-term economic benefits in the public interest, to presume that the financing order provides short-term economic benefits if the commission has authorized an amortization period in excess of 12 months, as specified.

The Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006 establishes a procedure for the Public Utilities Commission to issue state franchises for the provision of video service, defined as video programming services, cable service, or open-video system service, except any video programming provided by a commercial mobile service provider, as defined in federal law or video programming provided as part of, and via, a service that enables users to access content, information, email, or other services offered over the public internet. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the provision naming that act.

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.

Under existing law, the State Department of Social Services administers various social services programs, such as the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program and the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , known in California as CalFresh, to provide benefits to eligible individuals. Existing law requires counties to administer these programs. Existing law requires a county human services agency to designate at least one employee as a staff liaison, as provided. Existing law requires the staff liaison to serve as a point of contact for academic counselors and other relevant professional staff at a campus of an institution of public higher education located within the county and provide information on programs and services offered by the agency that may be available to students attending a campus of an institution of public higher education within the county. This bill would require the department to convene a workgroup that meets quarterly, comprised of relevant stakeholders as needed to share best practices, updates, challenges, or other topics related to programs and services offered by the department that may be available to students attending a campus of an institution of public higher education. The bill would require the department, with input from relevant stakeholders, to, among other things, discuss and examine different approaches or activities that could increase enrollment in programs of eligible students. The bill would require the department, in collaboration with stakeholders, to submit a report, on or before June 30, 2024, and every 3 years thereafter, to the Legislature with findings and recommendations relating to increasing enrollment in programs and services offered by the department that may be available to students, as specified.

Existing law establishes the Transformative Climate Communities Program, to be administered by the Strategic Growth Council, and requires the program to fund the development and implementation of neighborhood-level transformative climate community plans that include multiple, coordinated greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects that provide local economic, environmental, and health benefits to disadvantaged communities identified by the California Environmental Protection Agency. Existing law requires the council to award competitive grants to eligible entities, as specified, through an application process and to develop guidelines and selection criteria for plan development and implementation of the program, as provided. This bill would establish the Climate Change Preparedness, Resiliency, and Jobs for Communities Program, to be administered by the council, and would require the council to fund grants to develop and implement multibenefit, community-level, climate-beneficial projects to support community and landscape resiliency and workforce development. The bill would require the council to award competitive grants to eligible entities, as defined, through an application process, as provided. The bill would require the council, on or before July 1, 2024, to develop guidelines to implement the program and criteria to select projects eligible for grant funding that include, at a minimum, specified information related to community resiliency grants, landscape resiliency grants, and climate and career pathways grants.

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 and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law, subject to implementation of the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative, authorizes a Medi-Cal managed care plan to elect to cover community supports approved by the department as cost effective and medically appropriate in a comprehensive risk contract that are in lieu of applicable Medi-Cal state plan services. Under existing law, community supports that the department is authorized to approve include, among other things, housing deposits, environmental accessibility adaptations or home modifications, and asthma remediation. This bill would add climate change or environmental remediation devices to the above-described list of community supports. For purposes of these provisions, the bill would define "climate change or environmental remediation devices" as coverage of devices and installation of those devices, as necessary, to address health-related complications, barriers, or other factors linked to extreme weather, poor air quality, or climate events, including air conditioners, electric heaters, air filters, or backup power sources, among other specified devices for certain purposes.

Existing law prohibits discrimination and harassment in employment and housing based on certain factors, including, among others, sex and gender. This bill would require all state agencies, in consultation with the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, to conduct an evaluation of their own departments to ensure that the state does not discriminate against women through the allocation of funding and the delivery of services. The bill, on or before January 1, 2025, and on or before January 1 every 2 years thereafter, would require state agencies to report their findings and recommendations, as specified, to the commission.

Existing law prohibits any person from operating a public water system unless that person first submits an application to the State Water Resources Control Board and receives a permit. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to this provision.

Existing law creates the Department of Insurance, headed by the Insurance Commissioner, and generally regulates the business of insurance in the state. Existing law requires the Insurance Commissioner to develop a pamphlet to provide specified information to small business owners and others on the key features of, and suggested ways of purchasing, commercial property insurance. Existing law requires the pamphlet, to the extent feasible, to be made available to persons operating small businesses, business groups, chambers of commerce, and other persons and groups. Commencing on July 1, 2024, and at least every 5 years thereafter, this bill would require the commissioner to complete a revision of that pamphlet. The bill would also make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.