Asm. Sharon Quirk-Silva

Existing law declares the intent of the Legislature to preserve and strengthen a child's family ties whenever possible, removing the child from the custody of his or her parents only when necessary for the child's welfare or for the safety and protection of the public. Existing law declares the further intent of the Legislature that all children live with a committed, permanent, and nurturing family, with services and supports that are tailored to meet the needs of the individual child and family being served, with the ultimate goal of maintaining the family, or when this is not possible, transitioning the child or youth to a permanent family or preparing the child or youth for a successful transition to adulthood. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.

Existing law authorizes the formation of a seaport infrastructure financing district to finance port or harbor infrastructure projects. Existing law requires that a harbor agency, as defined, prepare an infrastructure financing plan as part of a proposal to form a seaport infrastructure financing district, and requires that the plan meet specified requirements. Existing law authorizes a seaport infrastructure financing district to fund infrastructure projects through tax increment financing, consistent with the infrastructure financing plan and with the agreement of the new seaport infrastructure financing district's affected taxing entities. Existing law, the Bergeson-Peace Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank Act, establishes the Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank within the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, and requires the bank to establish criteria, priorities, and guidelines for the selection of projects to receive financial assistance from the bank, including, but not limited to, any combination of grants, loans, and the proceeds of bonds issued by the bank. This bill would require the bank, after consulting with appropriate state and local agencies, to establish criteria, priorities, and guidelines for the selection of infrastructure development and equipment purchase projects submitted by harbor agencies, as defined, for assistance from the bank, as specified. The bill would require the harbor agency to adopt a resolution that includes specified information, including, among other information, the state fiscal and economic impacts estimated to result from the proposed infrastructure development or equipment purchase project. The bill would require the bank to approve the infrastructure development and equipment purchase project if the bank finds that the project is more likely than not to result in the harbor agency's estimated state fiscal and economic impacts and would require the bank to adopt a resolution approving funding, as specified. The bill would authorize the bank to require the harbor agency to meet a specified condition prior to providing the moneys appropriated by the Legislature for the infrastructure development and equipment purchase project.

Existing law, the Investment in Mental Health Wellness Act of 2013, provides that funds appropriated by the Legislature to the California Health Facilities Financing Authority for purposes of the act be made available to selected counties or counties acting jointly, except as otherwise provided, and used to increase capacity for client assistance and services in specified areas, including crisis intervention and crisis stabilization. This bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services to create a pilot crisis stabilization program in the County of Orange to provide mental health and safety support for older adults, and would appropriate an unspecified sum from the General Fund to the department for the purposes of implementing these provisions.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of home health agencies by the State Department of Public Health. Existing law requires all private or public organizations that provide or arrange for skilled nursing services to patients in the home to obtain a home health agency license. Existing law also 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. Existing law provides that home health care services are covered Medi-Cal benefits, subject to utilization controls. This bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2018, to establish an incentive-based, supplemental payment program, as defined, which would apply to licensed home health agencies that treat children who are receiving continuous nursing care or private duty nursing services through the Medi-Cal program. The purpose of the program would be to increase access to quality in-home nursing services and encouraging additional home health agencies to participate in nursing care for children receiving Medi-Cal services. The bill would require the department to collaborate with designated stakeholders in establishing the payments, and would authorize the department to establish reasonable provider eligibility standards, as specified. The supplemental payment program would be implemented only to the extent that federal financial participation is available and would require the department to submit any necessary applications to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to implement the supplemental payment program. The bill would require the department to submit a report evaluating the effectiveness of the supplemental payment program to specified committees of the Legislature on or before July 1, 2021. The bill would remain in effect until January 1, 2022, and as of that date would be repealed.

The Cal Grant Program establishes Cal Grant C awards, which may be used only for institutional fees, and other costs, as specified, for occupational or technical training in a course of not less than 4 months, under the administration of the Student Aid Commission. The program requires the commission to give priority in granting Cal Grant C awards to students pursuing occupational or technical training in areas that meet at least 2 criteria. This bill, among other things, would (1) rename these awards the Competitive Cal Grant C awards, (2) set the maximum Competitive Cal Grant C award amount at $2,462 for tuition and fees and $547 for certain other costs, (3) establish an additional Competitive Cal Grant C award in an annual amount not to exceed $2,462 for community college students for occupational and technical training to cover access costs, training-related costs, and tuition and fees, and (4) establish a Cal Grant C Entitlement award for access costs for community college students who are enrolled in a for-credit certificate or credential instructional program that is less than one academic year in length and that is an occupational or technical training program identified by the commission, as specified.

The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including certain credits that are allowed in modified conformity to credits allowed by federal income tax laws. Federal income tax laws allow a refundable earned income tax credit for certain low-income individuals who have earned income from wages, salaries, tips, and other employee compensation plus net earnings from self-employment and who meet certain other requirements. The Personal Income Tax Law, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2015, in modified conformity with federal income tax laws, allows an earned income credit against personal income tax, which is only for earned income from wages, salaries, tips, and other employee compensation, and a payment in excess of that credit amount, to an eligible individual that is equal to that portion of the earned income tax credit allowed by federal law as determined by the earned income tax credit adjustment factor as set forth in the annual Budget Act which, unless otherwise specified in that act, is 0%. This bill, for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2017, would expand the earned income credit allowed by the Personal Income Tax Law by providing additional conformity with federal income tax law to include specified net earnings from self-employment in earned income, thus allowing an earned income credit for taxpayers for those earnings. This bill would additionally set the earned income tax credit adjustment factor as 85%. Existing law establishes the continuously appropriated Tax Relief and Refund Account and provides that payments required to be made to taxpayers or other persons from the Personal Income Tax Fund are to be paid from that account, including any amount allowable as an earned income credit in excess of any tax liabilities. By authorizing new payments from that account for additional amounts in excess of personal income tax liabilities, this bill would make an appropriation. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law requires all moneys, except for fines and penalties, collected by the State Air Resources Board from the auction or sale of allowances as part of a market-based compliance mechanism relative to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Existing law continuously appropriates specified portions of the annual proceeds in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to various programs, including 20% for the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program administered by the Strategic Growth Council. Existing law provides for that program to fund projects that implement land use, housing, transportation, and agricultural land preservation practices to support infill and compact development and that support other related and coordinated public policy objectives. Existing law specifies the types of projects eligible for funding under the program. This bill would provide that a project receiving funding pursuant to the program shall be encouraged, among other things, to employ local entrepreneurs and workers utilizing appropriate workforce training programs. The bill would make related revisions to the policy objectives for the program.

Existing law establishes the Department of Veterans Affairs and requires the department to develop a transition assistance program to assist veterans successfully transition from military to civilian life and complement the transition program offered by the United States Department of Defense. This bill would, until July 1, 2023, require the department to create a task force to study the health of California women veterans comprised of members with specified qualifications. The bill would prohibit task force members from receiving compensation or reimbursement of expenses for their service. The bill would require the task force to study the health care needs of women veterans in the state, as specified. The bill would also require the task force to submit 2 reports to the Governor and the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature that includes the task force's findings and recommendations. The bill would require the task force, when conducting its study and preparing its reports, to consult with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the State Department of Public Health, the Department of Managed Health Care, and representatives of county veterans service offices.