Existing law imposes various taxes that are administered by the Franchise Tax Board, the State Board of Equalization, and the Employment Development Department. This bill would require, on or before January 1, 2017, the State Board of Equalization, the Franchise Tax Board, and the Employment Development Department to collaborate and focus the agencies' current and future information technology efforts to conduct a feasibility study on the development of a single Internet Web site portal that virtually consolidates the agencies to enable online, self-service access to the agencies, as provided, and to submit the study to the Legislature. The bill would also require these agencies, upon a joint determination by the agencies that a need exists to improve cost-effective services to taxpayers and an appropriation by the Legislature, to consolidate forms, applications, and other documents to reduce or eliminate the number of multiple submissions of the same information by taxpayers.
Sponsored bills
This measure would proclaim the month of January 2016 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month, encourage all Californians to become educated about human trafficking and work to eradicate these criminal practices within and beyond our borders, and encourage Members of the Legislature, as well as organizations, businesses, and individuals, to host or sponsor and attend community events in order to bring visibility and support to efforts made by nongovernmental organizations to recognize and combat human trafficking.
Existing law, the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, prohibits a person from introducing into interstate commerce any new drug unless the drug has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) . Existing law requires the sponsor of a new drug to submit to the FDA an investigational new drug application and to then conduct a series of clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of the drug in human populations and submit the results to the FDA in a new drug application. Existing law, the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law, regulates the packaging, labeling, and advertising of drugs and devices and is administered by the State Department of Public Health. A violation of that law is a crime. The Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law prohibits, among other things, the sale, delivery, or giving away of a new drug or new device unless either the department has approved a new drug or device application for that new drug or new device and that approval has not been withdrawn, terminated, or suspended or the drug or device has been approved pursuant to specified provisions of federal law, including the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The Medical Practice Act provides for the licensure and regulation of physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California and requires the board to take action against a licensee who is charged with unprofessional conduct. The Osteopathic Act provides for the licensure and regulation of osteopathic physicians and surgeons by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California and requires the board to enforce the Medical Practice Act with respect to its licensees. This bill would permit a manufacturer of an investigational drug, biological product, or device to make the product available to eligible patients with an immediately life-threatening disease or condition, as specified. The bill would authorize, but not require, a health benefit plan, as defined, to provide coverage for any investigational drug, biological product, or device made available pursuant to these provisions. The bill would prohibit the Medical Board of California and the Osteopathic Medical Board of California from taking any disciplinary action against the license of a physician based solely on the physician's recommendation to an eligible patient regarding, or prescription for or treatment with, an investigational drug, biological product, or device if the recommendation or prescription is consistent with protocol approved by the physician's institutional review board or an accredited institutional review board, and would require the institutional review board to biannually report specified information to the State Department of Public Health, among others. The bill would prohibit a state agency from altering any recommendation made to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding a health care provider's certification to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid program based solely on the recommendation from an individual health care provider that a patient have access to an investigational drug, biological product, or device.
Existing law defines "public works," for purposes of requirements regarding the payment of prevailing wages for public works projects, to include, among other things, the hauling of refuse from a public works site to an outside disposal location with respect to contracts involving any state agency, including the California State University and the University of California, or any political subdivision of the state. Existing law makes a willful violation of law relating to payment of prevailing wages on public works a misdemeanor. This bill would expand the definition of "public works" for these purposes to include the hauling and delivery of ready-mixed concrete, as defined, to carry out a public works contract, with respect to contracts involving any state agency or any political subdivision of the state. The bill would require the applicable prevailing wage rate to be the rate for the geographic area in which the concrete factory or batching plant is located. The bill would require the entity hauling or delivering ready-mixed concrete to enter into a written subcontract agreement with, and to provide employee payroll and time records to, the party that engaged that entity, as specified. The bill would provide that these provisions apply to public works contracts awarded on or after July 1, 2016. By expanding the definition of a crime, this 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act contains various provisions regulating the application for, the issuance of, the suspension of, and the conditions imposed upon, alcoholic beverage licenses by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Existing law provides for various annual fees for the issuance of alcoholic beverage licenses, depending upon the type of license issued. This bill, the Craft Distillers Act of 2015, would authorize the department to issue a craft distiller's license to manufacture distilled spirits, subject to specified conditions, including that the licensee manufacture no more than 100,000 gallons of distilled spirits per fiscal year, excluding brandy the craft distiller manufactures or has manufactured for them. The bill would allow the craft distiller's licensee to sell distilled spirits to specified consumers, to own interests in on-sale retail licenses, and to sell beer, wines, brandies, and distilled spirits to consumers for consumption on the premises of a bona fide eating place, as provided. The bill would impose an original fee and an annual renewal fee for the license, which would be deposited in the Alcohol Beverage Control Fund. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act authorizes a licensed distilled spirits manufacturer to conduct tastings of distilled spirits produced or bottled by, or produced or bottled for, the licensee, on the licensed premises, under specified conditions, including that tasting not be given in the form of a cocktail or mixed drink. This bill would extend that authorization to a licensed craft distiller and would revise the tasting conditions by allowing a tasting to be given in the form of a cocktail or mixed drink. Existing law prohibits a distilled spirits manufacturer's or distilled spirits manufacturer's agent's license from being held by a person that holds any ownership or interest in any distilled spirits wholesaler's, rectifier's, or retailer's license, as specified. This bill would additionally prohibit a distilled spirits manufacturer's or distilled spirits manufacturer's agent's license from being held by a person that holds any ownership or interest in a craft distiller's license.
Existing law generally provides for the regulation of insurers by the Department of Insurance pursuant to laws set forth in the Insurance Code. Existing law authorizes the Insurance Commissioner to make certain examinations, investigations, and prosecutions and, upon making a determination of the existence of certain conduct, conditions, or grounds, to issue orders reasonably necessary to correct, eliminate, or remedy the conduct, conditions, or grounds. Existing law exempts from the requirements set forth in the Insurance Code firemen's, policemen's, and peace officers' benefit and relief associations that comply with specified criteria, including, among other things, a requirement that the membership consist solely of peace officers, members of police or fire departments, and emergency medical personnel employed by fire departments, as specified. Existing law prohibits an association from operating or doing business in the state without a certificate of authority. This bill would require every association that holds a certificate of authority and that issues long-term disability or long-term care policies or contracts, as specified, to submit to the commissioner the opinion, as specified, of a qualified actuary as to whether the reserves and related actuarial items that support the policies or contracts issued are expected to be adequate to satisfy contractual provisions, are based on reasonable assumptions, and are based on specified actuarial standards. The bill would also require an association seeking a certificate of authority to file an opinion that meets specified requirements and that establishes that it would have adequate resources to provide benefits, as specified, as required to satisfy its proposed contractual obligations. The bill would recognize that information submitted by a company pursuant to those provisions and in the possession or control of the department as proprietary and containing trade secrets. The bill would require that information to be confidential and privileged, exempt from disclosure by the commissioner pursuant to the California Public Records Act, and not subject to subpoena or discovery from the commissioner or admissible into evidence in a private civil action if obtained from the commissioner. The bill would require the commissioner to notify the association of the deficiencies in the filing if the association fails to provide an opinion and supporting memoranda to the commissioner that meets the requirements of the bill, as specified. The bill would require an association that self-funds all or part of the benefits to include specified disclosure language in all contracts that are not regulated by the department and in certificates evidencing coverage under those contracts. The bill would also require the commissioner, if he or she determines that the laws governing these associations are inadequate to protect the interests of the members of the associations, to develop and deliver recommendations to the Assembly Committee on Insurance and the Senate Committee on Insurance regarding changes in the law necessary to protect the interests of members of the associations. The provisions of the bill would remain in effect only until December 31, 2018, and as of that date would be repealed. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
The Mobilehome Residency Law governs tenancies in mobilehome parks and, among other things, authorizes the management of a mobilehome park, under specified circumstances, to either remove the mobilehome from the premises and place it in storage or store the mobilehome on its site. Existing law provides the management with a warehouse lien for these costs and imposes various duties on the management to enforce this lien. Existing law also imposes various duties on the management of a mobilehome park when seeking to sell an abandoned mobilehome and its contents. Existing law requires a court to enter a judgment of abandonment if the criteria for abandonment has been satisfied and no party establishes an interest in the mobilehome at the hearing. Existing law requires the management, under certain circumstances, to obtain a tax clearance certificate from the county tax collector of the county in which the mobilehome is located when selling an abandoned mobilehome. Existing law, the Manufactured Housing Act of 1980, requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to enforce various laws pertaining to manufactured housing, mobilehomes, park trailers, commercial coaches, special purpose commercial coaches, and recreational vehicles. Existing law requires all fees accruing to the department pursuant to the act to be deposited within the Mobilehome Revolving Fund, which is continuously appropriated to the department for carrying out the act. This bill would amend the Mobilehome Residency Law to, among other things, authorize the management to enforce a warehouse lien and to designate a mobilehome for disposal without requiring the management or other person enforcing the lien to pay past or current vehicle license fees or obtain a tax clearance certificate. The bill would require a court to enter a judgment of abandonment if, instead, the criteria for abandonment has been satisfied and no party establishes an interest in the mobilehome and tenders all past due rent and other charges. The bill would authorize a procedure for the management of a mobilehome park to dispose of an abandoned mobilehome and its contents without requiring the management to pay past or current vehicle license fees or obtain a tax clearance certificate. This bill would require the management to notify the county tax collector in the county in which the mobilehome park is located that management will either apply to have the mobilehome designated for disposal after a warehouse lien sale or dispose of an abandoned mobilehome and its contents pursuant to these provisions. This bill would also require the management to file a notice of disposal, as specified, and to submit certain information required for completing the disposal process under penalty of perjury. This bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to charge a fee, as specified, for processing the notice of disposal and any information required for completing the disposal process. By establishing additional fees to be deposited into the Mobilehome Revolving Fund, this bill would make an appropriation. By expanding the crime of perjury, this 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
This measure would proclaim April 12 through April 19, 2015, as California Holocaust Memorial Week and would urge Californians to observe these days of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust in an appropriate manner.
This measure would establish the California Task Force on Family Caregiving, to meet, if a nonstate organization agrees to provide administrative support to the task force, to examine issues relative to the challenges faced by family caregivers and opportunities to improve caregiver support, review the current network and the services and supports available to caregivers, and make policy recommendations to the Legislature. The task force would be required to submit an interim report to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2017, and a final report no later than July 1, 2018.