Rep. Patrick O'Donnell

This measure would proclaim Sunday, June 12, 2022, as Loving Day.

This measure would call upon the Biden Administration to cancel all federal student debt.

(1) Existing law establishes the California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program, administered by the State Department of Education, with the purpose of encouraging, maintaining, and strengthening the delivery of high-quality career technical education programs. Existing law provides, for the 2021–22 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, that $300,000,000 shall be available to the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the program. Existing law requires an applicant to demonstrate a proportional dollar-for-dollar match and sets that amount for the 2021–22 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, at $2 for every $1 received from the program. Existing law prohibits an applicant from being awarded an amount higher than the amount that the allocation formula determines them to be eligible to receive under the program. This bill instead would provide, for the 2023–24 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, that $450,000,000 shall be made available to the department upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the program. The bill would reduce the proportional match for the 2022–23 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, to $1 for regional occupational centers or programs operated by a joint powers authority or those operated by a county office of education, and to $1.50 for local educational agencies. The bill would delete the prohibition against an applicant being awarded more than the amount determined by the allocation formula. (2) Existing law requires grant applicants to meet minimum requirements, including, among other things, reporting to the Superintendent of Public Instruction data on the number of pupils completing career technical education coursework. This bill would require applicants to additionally report data on the number of pupils completing a career technical education pathway consisting of a sequence of 2 or more career technical education courses in the same career technical education subject matter discipline. (3) Existing law requires the Superintendent to take specified actions for purposes of administering the California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program. This bill would require the Superintendent to establish, in collaboration with the executive director of the State Board of Education, a stakeholder workgroup on or before January 31, 2023, to consider and provide recommendations on methods to simplify the allocation of funding under the program and maximize career technical education opportunities for pupils, as provided, and to report those recommendations to the policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, the Department of Finance, and the Governor by July 1, 2023. The bill would require the Superintendent to ensure a level of professional staffing within the department that is dedicated to career technical education, sufficient to effectively administer the program and other federal and state career technical education programs, as specified. (4) Existing law requires the K–12 Workforce Pathway Coordinators and the K–14 Technical Assistance Providers to provide technical assistance and support to grant recipients, as provided. This bill would, commencing with the 2023–24 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter, instead require $12,000,000 to be made available to the department, subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act or another statute, to provide regional career technical education coordinators for the provision of technical assistance and support to local educational agencies in implementing all of their career technical education courses, programs, and pathways, as provided. (5) Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes the Strong Workforce Program to provide funding to career technical education regional consortia made up of community college districts, as specified. Existing law also establishes a K–12 component of the Strong Workforce Program. Existing law provides that, commencing with the 2018–19 fiscal year, the amount appropriated in the annual Budget Act for the K–12 component of the program is used to create, support, or expand high-quality career technical education programs at the K–12 level that are aligned with the workforce development efforts occurring through the program. This bill would, as of July 1, 2023, repeal the K–12 component of the Strong Workforce Program and would require the administration of any outstanding allocations for the K–12 component of the Strong Workforce Program to be administered by the department pursuant to the California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program.

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. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed by, and funded pursuant to, federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law establishes the Administrative Claiming process under which the department is authorized to contract with local governmental agencies and local educational consortia for the purpose of obtaining federal matching funds to assist with the performance of administrative activities relating to the Medi-Cal program that are provided by a local governmental agency or local educational agency (LEA) . Existing law also provides that specified services provided by LEAs are covered Medi-Cal benefits and are reimbursable on a fee-for-service basis under the LEA Medi-Cal Billing Option. Existing law requires the department to engage in specified activities relating to the LEA Medi-Cal Billing Option, including amending the Medicaid state plan to ensure that schools are reimbursed for all eligible services, consulting with specified entities in formulating state plan amendments, examining methodologies for increasing school participation in the LEA Medi-Cal Billing Option, and conducting an audit of a Medi-Cal Billing Option claim consistent with prescribed requirements, such as generally accepted accounting principles. Existing law requires the department to file an annual report with the Legislature that includes, among other things, a summary of department activities. This bill would require the department to revise the state plan to establish a revised audit process for Medi-Cal Billing Option claims submitted for dates of service on or after January 1, 2024, pursuant to specified requirements and limitations. The bill would require the department to report to the relevant policy committees and post on its internet website any changes made to the state plan pursuant to the requirement to revise the state plan. The bill would require the department to provide technical assistance to the LEA or to complete appeals by the LEA within 180 days if an audit disallows a specified percentage of an LEA's total value of claims. The bill would prohibit an auditor from disallowing certain claims, except as specified. The bill would require the department's summary of activities in the above-described report to also include training for LEAs and a summary of the number of audits conducted of Medi-Cal Billing Option claims, as specified. The bill would require the department to ensure, for those claims, that "medical necessity" for a beneficiary under 21 years of age has a specified meaning. The bill would make other technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.

Existing law requires each pupil completing grade 12 to satisfy certain requirements as a condition of receiving a diploma of graduation from high school. These requirements include the completion of designated coursework in grades 9 to 12, inclusive. The coursework requirements include, among others, the completion of one course in visual or performing arts, foreign language, or, commencing with the 2012–13 school year, career technical education. Existing law eliminates the authorization for career technical education to count toward that graduation requirement on July 1, 2022, or upon the occurrence of a specified event relating to career technical education requirements of the University of California and the California State University, whichever occurs earlier, as specified. This bill would extend the inoperative date of that graduation requirement to July 1, 2027, or upon the occurrence of a specified event relating to career technical education requirements of the University of California and the California State University, whichever occurs earlier, as specified. If a pupil completed a career technical education course that met that graduation requirement, between July 1, 2022, and January 1, 2023, the bill would, notwithstanding any other law, require the course to be deemed to have fulfilled that requirement. To the extent the bill would impose additional duties on local educational agency officials, 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.

The California Constitution declares that defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining safety, happiness, and privacy are inalienable rights, and that a person may not be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law or equal protection of the laws. Existing law, the Reproductive Privacy Act, declares that every individual possesses a fundamental right of privacy with respect to personal reproductive decisions and prohibits the state from denying or interfering with a person's right to choose or obtain an abortion before viability of the fetus, or when the abortion is necessary to protect the life or health of the person. This measure would amend the California Constitution to prohibit the state from denying or interfering with an individual's reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions, which includes their fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and their fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives.

This measure would proclaim the week of May 23 through May 27, inclusive, as Firefighter Mental Health Awareness Week.

This measure would designate the month of May 2022 as California Fairgrounds Appreciation Month and would extend the Legislature's warmest regards and appreciation to the thousands of volunteers, fair directors, staff, business supporters, and sponsors who keep the network of California state fairgrounds strong, vibrant, relevant, and successful.