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, including mental health services that are provided through county mental health plans. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law provides that Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) services, which includes screening 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, is covered under the Medi-Cal program for any individual under 21 years of age pursuant to federal law. This bill would authorize a county mental health plan to contract with a local educational agency (LEA) to provide EPSDT services, including mental health assessments, and mental health, social work, and counseling services, to Medi-Cal eligible pupils. The bill would require the department to permit an LEA to make claims for federal financial participation directly to the department for EPSDT services, to examine methodologies for increasing LEA participation in the Medi-Cal program, and to seek federal approval to implement these provisions.
Sponsored bills
Existing law requires a pupil to complete specified courses as a condition of receiving a diploma of graduation from high school, including the completion of a one-semester course in American government and civics. Existing law provides that a pupil who completes all requirements for a high school diploma and demonstrates mastery of the curriculum in at least 6 subject matter areas, 4 of which are mathematics, English language arts, science, and United States history, with the remaining 2 subject matter areas selected by the pupil, qualifies for a Golden State Seal Merit Diploma. This bill would instead require a pupil to demonstrate mastery of the curriculum in at least 6 subject matter areas, 5 of which are mathematics, English language arts, science, United States history, and American government or civics, with the remaining subject area selected by the pupil, to qualify for that merit diploma.
The Economic Revitalization Act establishes the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, also known as GO-Biz, to serve as the Governor's lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth. The office, among others, makes recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature regarding policies, programs, and actions to advance statewide economic goals. This bill would require the economic development activities of this state to be guided by the policies, priorities, and actions identified in the California Economic Development Strategic Action Plan, which would, among other things, set a comprehensive agenda and framework for the purposes of supporting regional economic priorities, increasing the state's overall national and international competitiveness, and resulting in inclusive economic growth. This bill would require GO-Biz to facilitate the development of the action plan through a public engagement process that includes local and regional stakeholders, and to post the first action plan on its internet website on or before January 10, 2021. The bill would require, by July 1, 2020, GO-Biz to prepare or cause to be prepared an economic status report before the development of the action plan that would include, among other things, an evaluation of California's national and international competitiveness, as specified. This bill would require the action plan to be reviewed biennially and revised every 5 years in accordance with certain requirements. Existing law creates the California Economic Development Fund in the State Treasury for the purpose of receiving federal, state, local, and private economic development funds, which, upon appropriation by the Legislature, may be expended by GO-Biz to provide matching funds for loans or grants to public and private entities and for other economic development purposes. The bill would authorize GO-Biz to accept nonstate moneys for the purposes of preparing, developing, and updating the economic status report and the action plan. The bill would require the deposit of any amounts received by GO-Biz into the Economic Action Plan Account, which this bill would establish in the California Economic Development Fund. This bill would make those amounts available to the office for those purposes upon appropriation by the Legislature.
Existing law generally requires the Board of Parole Hearings to conduct youth offender parole hearings to consider the release of offenders who committed specified crimes when they were under 26 years of age and who were sentenced to state prison. Existing law makes a youth offender eligible for parole during the their 15th year of incarceration if the sentence is a determinate sentence, during their 20th year of incarceration if the sentence is a life term of less than 25 years to life, and during their 25th year of incarceration if the sentence is a life term of 25 years to life. Under existing law, youth offender parole hearings do not apply to cases in which sentencing occurs pursuant to the Three Strikes Law or to the Sexual Predator Punishment and Control Act (Jessica's Law) , approved as Proposition 83 at the November 7, 2006, statewide general election, or to cases in which an individual is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for a controlling offense that was committed after the person had attained 18 years of age. This bill would make youth offender parole hearings inapplicable to a person convicted of murder in the first or 2nd degree dor a murder that was committed after the person had attained 18 years of age.
Existing law requires the State Department of Education to award grants for the establishment of Family Empowerment Centers on Disability in 32 regions in the state to provide training and services to children and young adults with disabilities and their families. Existing law establishes a minimum base rate of $150,000 for each center awarded a grant and requires a center that receives a grant to complete specified actions related to providing that training and those services. This bill would require the department to give priority to grant applicants in those of the 32 regions in the state that do not have a center. The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to determine additional criteria on the basis of which to give priority in awarding grants no later than February 15, 2021, and would require the department to give priority in that manner once it is determined by the Superintendent.
Existing law prescribes comprehensive requirements relating to minimum wages, overtime compensation, and standards for working conditions for the protection of employees applicable to an employment relationship. Existing law makes it unlawful for a person or employer to avoid employee status for an individual by voluntarily and knowingly misclassifying that individual as an independent contractor. Existing law authorizes the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to take specified actions against violators of these provisions, authorizes civil penalties, and authorizes the Labor Commissioner to enforce those provisions pursuant to administrative authority or by civil suit. Existing case law establishes a three-part test, known as the "ABC" test, for determining whether a worker is considered an independent contractor for purposes of specified wage orders. Under this test, a worker is properly considered an independent contractor only if the hiring entity establishes; 1) that the worker is free from the control and direction of the hirer in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for performance of the work and in fact; 2) that the worker performs work outside the usual course of the hiring entity's business; and 3) that the worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, or business of the same nature as the work performed for the hiring entity. This bill would, instead, require a determination of whether a person is an employee or an independent contractor to be based on a specific multifactor test, including whether the person to whom service is rendered has the right to control the manner and means of accomplishing the result desired, and other identified factors. The bill would make related, conforming changes.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report (EIR) on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA establishes procedures and requirements by which an action or proceeding can be brought challenging a public agency's action on the ground of noncompliance with CEQA. CEQA limits the judicial inquiry in that action or proceeding to whether there was a prejudicial abuse of discretion. CEQA prohibits an action or proceeding from being brought unless the alleged grounds for noncompliance were presented to the public agency orally or in writing during the public comment period on the project provided pursuant to CEQA or before the close of the public hearing on the project before the issuance of the notice of determination. This bill would, for an action or proceeding challenging a public agency's action for a project for the development of new housing units brought pursuant to CEQA, specify that prejudicial abuse of discretion occurred if the court finds that the grounds of noncompliance with CEQA likely affected the decision of the public agency to approve the project and significantly affected the general public's ability to evaluate the project's overall impacts, and would prohibit such action or proceeding unless the alleged grounds for noncompliance with CEQA were presented to the public agency by any person during the public comment period provided pursuant to CEQA in connection with the version of the EIR in which the alleged grounds first appeared. Existing law authorizes an appeal to the court of appeal from a final judgment of a superior court. This bill would, for an action or proceeding challenging a public agency's action for a project for the development of new housing units brought pursuant to CEQA, require a party seeking review of a judgment of the superior court to file a petition for a peremptory writ of mandate with the court of appeal within 60 days of the service of the notice of entry of judgment. The bill would require the court of appeal to issue an alternative writ or order to show cause only with respect to the grounds for noncompliance with CEQA in which the party seeking review has at least a 50% chance of prevailing.
Under existing law, when a vacancy occurs in the office of Representative to Congress, or in either house of the Legislature, the Governor is required, within 14 calendar days after the occurrence of the vacancy, to call an election to fill the vacancy, as specified. With regard to a vacancy in the office of the United States Senate, however, existing law authorizes the Governor to appoint a person to fill the vacancy, as specified. This bill would instead require that a vacancy in the United States Senate be filled in the same manner as a vacancy in a congressional representative or state legislative office. The bill would make conforming and technical changes.
Existing law prohibits a person or entity from printing an individual's social security number on any card required for the individual to access products or services provided by the person or entity. This bill would expand this provision to prohibit a person or entity from printing an individual's social security number on any card required for the individual to access products, goods, or services provided by the person or entity. The bill would also make other nonsubstantive changes.
Existing law establishes the Department of Motor Vehicles and provides for its general powers and duties, including, among other things, the registration of vehicles, the licensing of drivers, and the regulation of vehicles generally. This bill would prohibit the department from operating an office in the City of Sacramento, or in any other location in the state, that is closed to the general public and provides any general field office services, including, but not limited to, vehicle registration, driver's license, and identification card services, only to a limited group of the general public.