Existing law authorizes a court to grant pretrial diversion to a defendant in specified cases, including when the defendant is suffering from a mental disorder, specified controlled substances crimes, and when the defendant was, or currently is, a member of the United States military. This bill would, until January 1, 2026, authorize the Counties of San Joaquin, Santa Clara, and Yolo to develop, manage, staff, and offer a secured residential treatment pilot program, known as Hope California, for individuals suffering from substance use disorders (SUDs) who have been convicted of qualifying drug-motivated felony crimes, as specified. The bill would require the program to meet certain conditions relating to, among other things, a risk, needs, and psychological assessment, a comprehensive curriculum, a determination by a judge of the length of treatment, data collection, licensing and monitoring of the facility by the State Department of Health Care Services, and reporting to the department and the Legislature. The bill would require the judge to offer the defendant voluntary participation in the pilot program, as an alternative to a jail or prison sentence otherwise imposed, if the defendant's crime was caused, in whole or in part, by the defendant's SUD, the crime was not a sex crime, serious or violent felony, or nonviolent drug possession, and the judge makes their determination based on the recommendations of the treatment providers, on a finding by the county health and human services agency that the defendant's participation would be appropriate, and on a specified report prepared with input from interested parties. Under the bill, the defendant would be eligible to receive credits for participation in the program, as specified. The bill would set forth a procedure for the transfer of a participant out of the secured residential treatment program based on the recommendations of the treatment providers or program administrators or based on the participant's request, as specified. The bill would require Hope California facilities to provide participants with an individualized medically assisted treatment program and provide participants with support services, including instruction on, among other things, money management, career planning, and applying for employment. If the participant successfully completes the court-ordered drug treatment, as determined by treatment providers, pursuant to the pilot program, the bill would require the court to expunge and seal the conviction from the participant's record and would authorize the court to expunge the conviction of any previous drug possession or drug use crimes on the participant's record. Existing law establishes 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 and substance use disorder services, pursuant to a schedule of benefits. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law, with certain exceptions based in part on the type and location of the service, provides for the suspension of Medi-Cal benefits to an inmate of a public institution. This bill would, to the extent permitted under federal and state law, make treatment provided to a participant during the program reimbursable under the Medi-Cal program, if the participant is a Medi-Cal beneficiary and the treatment is a covered benefit under the Medi-Cal program. If treatment services are not reimbursable under the Medi-Cal program or through the participant's personal health care coverage, the bill would authorize funds allocated to the state from the 2021 Multistate Opioid Settlement Agreement, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature, to be used to reimburse those treatment services to the extent consistent with the terms of the settlement agreement and the court's final judgment, as specified. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of San Joaquin, Santa Clara, and Yolo.
Sponsored bills
Existing law establishes the California Conservation Corps in the Natural Resources Agency and requires the corps to implement and administer the conservation corps program. Existing law authorizes the Director of the California Conservation Corps, in implementing the California Conservation Corps program, to perform certain tasks, including recruiting and enrolling corpsmember and special corpsmembers. This bill would also authorize the director to enter into any contracts that the director determines is consistent with the corps' mission and necessary for the maintenance, service, and improvement of real property used by the corps as a long-term base of program operations, and to lease facilities, as provided. The bill would require a corpsmember to receive hiring priority at a state agency if the corpsmembers meets specified criteria, including that the corpsmember meets the minimum qualification standards in the vacancy announcement for the state agency position. The bill would provide that it is the intent of the Legislature that the corps conduct outreach to underrepresented groups for corps membership, as provided.
Existing law establishes the Government Operations Agency, which consists of various entities, including the Department of General Services and the Department of Human Resources. Existing law requires, as part of the California Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the California Workforce Development Board to, among other things, identify opportunities for "earn and learn" job training opportunities that meet the industry's workforce demands and that are in high road, high-demand jobs. Under existing law, "earn and learn" programs include subsidized employment with an employer of record, which may include, but not be limited to, an employment social enterprise, as defined, or a worker cooperative, as defined, particularly for individuals with barriers to employment. This bill would require, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the Government Operations Agency to establish the California Regional Initiative for Social Enterprises Program to provide grants that expand the capacity of small business technical assistance centers, as defined, to provide consulting and training to employment social enterprises, as defined, and to expand the capacity of employment social enterprises in the state, through competitive subgrants administered by small business technical assistance centers. Successful subapplicant employment social enterprises would be eligible for grants of up to $250,000 annually, and technical assistance during the duration of the grant period. The bill would describe the eligibility criteria and application requirements for the small business technical assistance centers. The bill would require the agency to issue a notice to the small business technical assistance centers upon approval of an award, as provided, and would require the small business technical assistance centers to provide a final written performance and financial report to the agency consistent with specified requirements.
Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program (Cal Grant Program) , establishes the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement Awards, the California Community College Expanded Entitlement Awards, the California Community College Transfer Entitlement Awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B Awards, and the Cal Grant T Awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements and maximum levels for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions, as defined. Existing law prohibits the aggregate amount students may receive in a 4-year period under the Cal Grant Program from being increased as a result of accelerating progress to a degree by attending summer terms, sessions, or quarters. This bill would delete the provision that prohibits increasing the aggregate amount students may receive under the Cal Grant Program as a result of accelerating progress to a degree by attending summer terms, sessions, or quarters. The bill would require that a student that accelerates colleges attendance and receives an award for coursework taken during a summer term, session, or quarter be enrolled in 30 or more semester units, or the equivalent, in that academic year. The bill would specify, that for purposes of meeting the 30 or more semester units or the equivalent requirement, units taken during a summer term, session, or quarter may be included.
Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the primary state agency for the administration of state-authorized student financial aid programs available to students attending all segments of postsecondary education. 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 also establishes the California Food Assistance Program and requires the State Department of Social Services to use state funds appropriated for that program to provide nutrition benefits to households that are ineligible for CalFresh benefits solely due to their immigration status. This bill, until May 1, 2028, would require the Student Aid Commission to establish the Food Support Pilot Program to provide food support grants to qualifying students who submit a California Dream Act application, as specified. The bill would require the commission to allocate the award on a semester or quarterly basis to a qualifying institution, as defined, if certain program eligibility requirements are met and would require a qualifying institution to provide the funds to the student, as specified. The bill would guarantee an award in the amount of $2,808 per year to each student meeting the program eligibility requirements. The bill would require the commission to conduct a student survey every two years to determine the effectiveness of the Food Support Pilot Program, and to report certain information to the Legislature, as specified. The bill would make its provisions operative only upon an appropriation of funds for its purposes. To the extent the bill imposes additional duties on community colleges, 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.
Under existing law, the Stop Tobacco Access to Kids Enforcement Act, an enforcing agency, as defined, may assess civil penalties against any person, firm, or corporation that sells, gives, or furnishes specified tobacco and cigarette related items, including cigarette papers, to a person who is under 21 years of age, except as specified. The existing civil penalties range from $400 to $600 for a first violation, up to $5,000 to $6,000 for a 5th violation within a 5-year period. Existing law prohibits the sale, distribution, or nonsale distribution of tobacco products directly or indirectly to any person under 21 years of age through the United States Postal Service or other public or private postal or package delivery service. Under existing law, a district attorney, city attorney, or the Attorney General may assess civil penalties against a violator of not less than $1,000 or more than $2,000 for the first violation and up to $10,000 for a 5th or subsequent violation within a 5-year period. Under existing law, every person, firm, or corporation that knowingly or under circumstances in which it has knowledge, or should otherwise have grounds for knowledge, sells, gives, or furnishes a cigarette, among other specified items, to another person who is under 21 years of age is, except as specified, subject to either a criminal action for a misdemeanor or to a civil action brought by a city attorney, a county counsel, or a district attorney, punishable by a fine of $200 for the first offense, $500 for the 2nd offense, and $1,000 for the 3rd offense. This bill would prohibit a person or entity from selling, giving, or furnishing to another person of any age in this state a single-use electronic cigarette, as defined, except as specified. The bill would prohibit that selling, giving, or furnishing, whether conducted directly or indirectly through an in-person transaction, or by means of any public or private method of shipment or delivery to an address in this state. This bill would authorize a city attorney, county counsel, or district attorney to assess a $500 civil fine against each person determined to have violated those prohibitions in a proceeding conducted pursuant to the procedures of the enforcing agency, as specified. This bill would make its provisions operative on January 1, 2024.
This measure would respectfully memorialize the President of the United States and the Congress of the United States to take action to restore honor to Bernard B. James, and to take the necessary actions to ensure the treatment of Bernard B. James is rectified by a full exoneration, including having the military record of Bernard B. James cleared of any court judgment and less-than-honorable discharge.
This measure would designate a specified portion of Interstate Highway Route 405 in the County of Los Angeles as the Officer Tommy Scott Memorial Highway. The measure would request that the Department of Transportation determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, erect those signs.