Existing law establishes the Commission on Correctional Peace Officer Standards and Training (CPOST) within the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and requires the CPOST to develop, approve, and monitor standards for the selection and training of state correctional officers. Existing law requires each applicant for the position of correctional officer with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to undergo a mental health evaluation, prior to beginning employment, to ensure they do not have an emotional or mental condition that might adversely affect their exercise of the duties and powers in the position. This bill would require a correctional officer employed by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to undergo a confidential mental health evaluation every calendar year to determine whether the individual has an emotional or mental condition that might adversely affect their exercise of the duties and powers of a correctional officer. The bill would specify the training and experience required for those conducting the evaluations. If a mental health evaluator determines that the individual has a condition that might adversely affect their exercise of the duties and powers of a correctional officer, the bill would require the evaluator to notify the correctional officer of that determination. The bill would prohibit the evaluation from being shared with the Department of Human Resources without the affirmative and informed written consent of the correctional officer. The bill would prohibit the evaluation from being shared with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, or an individual or entity with authority over the department, as specified, and would prohibit the discipline of a correctional officer for being evaluated or for accessing mental health or other resources as a result of that evaluation. The bill would become operative only upon an agreement between an employer and a recognized employee organization or bargaining unit pursuant to specified provisions.
Sponsored bills
The Personal Income Tax Law and California Constitution impose taxes based upon taxable income of individuals, estates, and trusts at specified rates. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2021, in addition to those taxes, would impose an additional tax of at the rates of 1%, 3%, and 3.5% on that portion of a taxpayer's taxable income over specified thresholds, as provided. This bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of 23 of the membership of each house of the Legislature. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Existing law establishes the California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHSA) , which includes departments charged with the administration of health, social, and other human services. Existing law requires CHHSA to enter into partnerships to increase patient access to affordable drugs and to produce or distribute generic prescription drugs and at least one form of insulin, as specified. This bill would create the Affordable Prescription Drug Importation Program in CHHSA, under which the state would be a licensed wholesaler that imports prescription drugs, as specified, for the exclusive purpose of dispensing those drugs to program participants. The bill would require CHHSA to seek federal approval for the importation program on or before June 1, 2022, and would require CHHSA to contract with at least one contracted importer to provide services under the importation program within 6 months of receiving federal approval. The bill would require a contracted importer to, among other things, establish a wholesale prescription drug importation list that identifies the prescription drugs that have the highest potential for cost savings to the state and identify and contract with eligible Canadian suppliers who have agreed to export prescription drugs on that list. This bill would authorize a contracted importer to import a prescription drug from a Canadian supplier if specified requirements are met. The bill would authorize CHHSA to expand the importation program to authorize a manufacturer, wholesale distributor, or pharmacy in a foreign country other than Canada to export prescription drugs to California if specified requirements are met, including a change in federal law. If the importation program is expanded, the bill would authorize a contracted importer to import prescription drugs from a manufacturer, wholesale distributor, or pharmacy in a foreign country other than Canada.
Existing law, the California Suicide Prevention Act of 2000, allows the State Department of Health Care Services, contingent upon appropriation, to establish and implement a suicide prevention, education, and gatekeeper training program to reduce the severity, duration, and incidence of suicidal behaviors. Existing law authorizes the State Department of Public Health to establish the Office of Suicide Prevention to, among other things, convene experts and stakeholders, including, but not limited to, stakeholders representing populations with high rates of suicide, to encourage collaboration and coordination of resources for suicide prevention. This bill would require the department to establish an Ending Military Suicide Task Force to systematically reduce military suicides and to develop a plan to eliminate all military suicides in the state, as specified. Commencing June 1, 2023, the bill would require the task force to submit a specified report to the Governor and the Legislature on the state of veteran suicide prevention, as specified, including, among other things, an analysis of the plans, activities, strategies, and programs undertaken pursuant to the task force's recommendations and their effects on reducing military suicides in the state.
Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, generally prohibits housing discrimination with respect to the personal characteristics of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income, disability, veteran or military status, or genetic information. This bill would make it an unlawful housing practice for the owner of a rental housing accommodation to inquire about, or require an applicant for a rental housing accommodation to disclose, a criminal record during the initial application assessment phase, as defined, unless otherwise required by state or federal law. After the successful completion of the initial application assessment phase, the bill would permit an owner to request a criminal background check of the applicant and consider an applicant's criminal record in deciding whether to rent or lease to the applicant. The bill would require an owner who is considering denying an application on the basis of the applicant's criminal record to, within 5 days of receiving the information that is the basis of the possible denial, provide the applicant with a written statement listing the reasons for the possible denial before making a final decision. If, within 3 days of receipt of the written statement of the possible denial, the applicant provides the owner notice of evidence demonstrating the inaccuracy of the item or items within the applicant's criminal record or evidence of rehabilitation or other mitigating factors, as specified, the bill would require the owner to reconsider their decision for a specified time, and would require the owner to provide written notification to the applicant of the owner's final decision to deny the application. The bill would prohibit the owner, in a rental application or as otherwise part of the application process, from seeking, considering, using, or taking an adverse action based in whole or in part on specified information or occurrences, including, among others, arrests that did not result in conviction, convictions that have been voided, and juvenile justice determinations. The bill would also require an owner to provide an applicant notice, as specified, in the application itself and before requesting a criminal background check. The bill would provide that its provisions do not apply under specified circumstances, including if the rental housing accommodation is a single-family home, duplex, triplex, or accessory dwelling unit in which the owner occupies a unit or bedroom as a principal residence. The act provides that, in connection with specified unlawful practices related to housing discrimination, proof of a violation causing a discriminatory effect is shown if an act or failure to act has the effect, regardless of intent, of unlawfully discriminating on the basis of any of the personal characteristics described above. The act provides that a business establishment whose action or inaction has an unintended discriminatory effect shall not be considered to have committed an unlawful housing practice in violation of the act if the business establishment can establish that the action or inaction is necessary to the operation of the business and effectively carries out the significant business need it is alleged to serve. This bill would instead provide that a business establishment whose action or inaction has an unintended discriminatory effect shall not be considered to have committed an unlawful housing practice in violation of the act if the business establishment can establish that the action or inaction is necessary to achieve one or more substantial, legitimate, nondiscriminatory business interests and effectively carries out the significant business interest it is alleged to serve. The act establishes the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, under the direction of an executive officer to, among other things, receive, investigate, conciliate, mediate, and prosecute complaints alleging practices made unlawful under the act. The act establishes procedures for the prevention and elimination of discrimination in housing made unlawful under its provisions, including authorizing any person claiming to be aggrieved by an alleged violation of specified provisions to file a verified complaint in writing with the department. The act requires the department to investigate an alleged violation and, in the case of failure to eliminate a violation that has occurred, or is about to occur, through conference, conciliation, mediation, or persuasion, requires the director to file a civil action in the name of the department on behalf of that person. This bill would extend the application of those enforcement procedures to the above-described unlawful housing practices.
Under existing law, classified employees of school districts and community college districts subject to layoff as a result of the expiration of a specially funded program at the end of a school year are required to be given written notice on or before April 29 informing them of certain rights. Existing law also requires that notice be given not less than 60 days before the effective layoff date if the termination date of a specially funded program is other than June 30, or if classified employees are subject to layoff as a result of a bona fide reduction or elimination of a service performed by a department. This bill instead would revise and recast provisions relating to the layoff of classified employees of school districts and community college districts to require certain notices and opportunities for a hearing when a permanent classified employee's services will not be required for the ensuing year due to lack of work or lack of funds. The bill would, for the purposes of specified notice and hearing rights, define "permanent classified employee" to include both an employee who was permanent at the time the notice or right to a hearing was required and an employee who became permanent after the date of the required notice. The bill would express the intent of the Legislature in enacting the bill to provide permanent classified school employees and those who become permanent classified school employees with the same rights to notice and hearing with respect to layoffs as are provided to certificated employees of school districts, including teachers and administrators, and academic employees of community college districts. If classified positions must be eliminated as a result of the expiration of a specially funded program, the bill would require written notice of the layoff date and certain rights be given to the classified employees not less than 60 days before the effective layoff date. If, after January 1, 2021, the Legislature provides certificated or academic employees with any additional rights to notice or hearing as to layoffs, the bill would require the respective permanent classified employees, as described, to be afforded the same rights by the school district or community college district, as applicable. To the extent school districts and community college districts are required to perform additional duties, 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.
(1) Under existing law, county superintendents of schools superintend the schools of that county, maintain responsibility for the fiscal oversight of each school district in that county, and visit and examine each school in the county at reasonable intervals to observe its operation and learn of its problems. This bill would recast and revise the duties of the county superintendent. The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction, commencing with the 2021–22 fiscal year, to identify a list of schools pursuant to a specified procedure based on the schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement and additional targeted support and improvement or as low-performing pursuant to specified federal laws, and to additionally include on the list schools where 15% or more of the teachers are holders of a permit, certificate, or any other authorization that is a lesser certification than a preliminary or clear California teaching credential. The bill would require, after the initial list is established in the 2021–22 fiscal year, the Superintendent to identify a list of these schools again in the 2022–23 fiscal year, and then every 3 fiscal years thereafter, during the same fiscal year that the schools are identified for comprehensive support and improvement or additional targeted support and improvement, as specified. The bill would require the county superintendent to annually inspect those schools on the list in the county, and submit a report that describes the state of those schools in that county. To the extent that this bill would create new duties for county superintendents of schools, it would constitute a state-mandated local program. (2) 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 requires a school district, county office of education, or charter school to ensure that a grade 12 pupil who has not opted out, as specified, completes and submits a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or, if the pupil is exempt from paying nonresident tuition under existing law, completes and submits a form for purposes of the California Dream Act. Existing law requires the Student Aid Commission, on or before July 1, 2022, to adopt regulations that include, but are not limited to, model opt-out forms and acceptable use policies for the purpose of providing guidance on applicable state laws. Existing law requires the school district, county office of education, or charter school to exempt a pupil or the pupil's parent or legal guardian from completing a form if the local educational agency determines the pupil is unable to complete the form, and prohibits a pupil's ability to graduate from being affected by a pupil's failure to fill out a form. This bill would require, on or before September 1, 2022, and each year thereafter, the commission and the State Department of Education to facilitate the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the form established for purposes of the California Dream Act, by requiring the department to share the current school year's roster of pupils with the commission, and requiring the commission to match data on pupil completion of financial aid forms, as specified.
(1) Existing law governs the cultivation of industrial hemp in this state and establishes a registration program administered by county agricultural commissioners and the Department of Food and Agriculture for growers of industrial hemp, hemp breeders, and established agricultural research institutions, as defined. Existing law requires specified registrants that grow industrial hemp, before the harvest of each crop, to obtain a laboratory test report indicating the THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) levels of a random sampling of the industrial hemp, and requires that sampling to occur no more than 30 days before harvest. Existing law requires a registrant that grows industrial hemp to destroy the industrial hemp grown upon receipt of a laboratory test report indicating a percentage concentration of THC that exceeds a specified level. Unless otherwise provided, a violation of these provisions is a crime. This bill would instead require the sampling to occur within a timeframe determined by the department. The bill would require a registrant to destroy or dispose of the industrial hemp grown upon receipt of a laboratory test result described above. The bill would require that laboratory test reports of hemp include the measurement of uncertainty, as defined, associated with the test results. The bill would also require laboratories to use appropriate, validated methods and procedures for all testing activities, including when estimating the measurement of uncertainty. By adding new requirements for hemp testing, the violation of which could be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires the registration application for an established agricultural research institution and hemp breeder to include, among other things, a plan for testing all of the plants cultivated. Existing law requires the registration application for a grower of industrial hemp to include, among other things, the approved cultivar to be grown, including the state or county of origin. This bill would require the testing plan of an established agricultural research institution and hemp breeder to provide for testing of a representative sample, instead of all, of the plants cultivated. The bill would require a grower of industrial hemp to include the country of origin, instead of the county of origin, of the approved cultivar in the registration application. (3) Existing law creates the Industrial Hemp Advisory Board, consisting of 13 members appointed by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, to advise the secretary and make recommendations on all matters pertaining to industrial hemp. Under existing law, the membership of the board includes, among other members, 5 members who are registered growers of industrial hemp and one member who is a representative of the Hemp Industries Association or its successor industry association. This bill would change the membership of the board by increasing the number of members who are registered growers of industrial hemp to 6 and eliminating the member who is a representative of the Hemp Industries Association from the board. (4) Existing law requires the Department of Food and Agriculture to submit specified registration information to the United States Department of Agriculture. This bill would instead require the department to submit information relating to registrations described in a specified federal regulation to the United States Department of Agriculture. The bill would require each registered established agricultural research institution, registered grower of industrial hemp, and registered hemp breeder to report to the Farm Service Agency of the United States Department of Agriculture specified information regarding its hemp production in the state, including the location, acreage, and license or registration number associated with each location in the state where hemp will be produced. By imposing new reporting requirements, the violation of which could be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (5) Existing federal law, the Agricultural Act of 2014, authorizes an institution of higher education, as defined, or a state department of agriculture, as defined, to grow or cultivate industrial hemp under an agricultural pilot program, as defined, under certain conditions. Existing federal law, the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, requires a state desiring to have primary regulatory authority over the production of industrial hemp in the state to submit to the United States Secretary of Agriculture, through the state department of agriculture, a plan, with specified contents, under which the state monitors and regulates hemp production. Existing state law authorizes the Department of Food and Agriculture to establish and carry out an agricultural pilot program in accordance with the above-described provision of the federal Agricultural Act of 2014. Before cultivating industrial hemp, existing state law requires an established agricultural research institution to provide the Global Positioning System coordinates of the planned cultivation site to the county agricultural commissioner of the county in which the site is located. This bill would make both of these provisions of state law inoperative on the date on which a state plan for California is approved by the United States Secretary of Agriculture, and would repeal these provisions on January 1 of the following year. (6) Existing law establishes certain enforcement procedures with respect to industrial hemp that become operative as of the effective date that a state plan to regulate the production of industrial hemp is approved pursuant to the federal Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended by the federal Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. Under existing law, these procedures require the enforcement of the approved state plan to comply with specified provisions of that federal law. In accordance with that federal law, these procedures require a grower of industrial hemp, established agricultural research institution, or hemp breeder that the Secretary of Food and Agriculture determines has violated the approved state plan to be subject to certain consequences depending on whether the violation is negligent or whether the violation is committed intentionally or with recklessness or gross negligence. This bill would revise these enforcement procedures to conform to the requirements for a state plan under that federal law by specifying that a grower of industrial hemp, established agricultural research institution, or hemp breeder, as a result of a negligent violation, is not subject to any criminal enforcement action by the state or a local government. (7) This bill would make other related changes to provisions governing the cultivation of industrial hemp. (8) 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.