This measure would designate the month of October 2021 as Women's Small Business Month and encourage all citizens to recognize the economic importance of women's small businesses in California.
This measure would designate the month of September 2021 as Opioid Awareness Month in California.
This measure would extend to the people of the Province of Syunik in Armenia an invitation to join with California in a sister state relationship until January 1, 2026.
This measure would proclaim the month of September 2021 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in California and state the commitment of the Legislature to support efforts to find cures for, and achieve prevention of, childhood cancer.
Existing law, the California Hospice Licensure Act of 1990, requires a person, political subdivision of the state, or other governmental agency to obtain a license from the State Department of Public Health to provide hospice services to an individual who is experiencing the last phase of life due to a terminal illness, as defined. A violation of the act is a misdemeanor. Under the act, a licensed hospice, at the department's option, is subject to periodic inspection by a duly authorized representative of the department. The act requires that the reports of each inspection be prepared by the representative who conducted the inspection and be filed with the department. This bill would instead require that a licensed hospice be inspected by a representative every 3 years. The bill would require that results of an inspection be made available to the public to the extent consistent with federal and state privacy laws. Existing federal law sets forth standards for purposes of certification and recertification of a terminal illness and for purposes of qualifying for reimbursement for hospice services under the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs. For the initial 90-day period, existing federal law requires the hospice to obtain certification from (1) the medical director of the hospice or the physician member of the hospice interdisciplinary group, and (2) the individual's attending physician, if applicable. Under existing federal law, for recertification during subsequent periods, the only requirement is certification by the medical director or the physician member of the hospice interdisciplinary group. This bill would require that the recertification of the terminal illness of a patient be conducted by at least one independent physician in conjunction with the medical director of the hospice or the physician member of the hospice interdisciplinary group, to the extent permitted by federal law. Because a violation of this new requirement would be a crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing federal law, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, authorizes the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services to approve new drugs and products, including vaccines, for introduction into interstate commerce, and authorizes the secretary to authorize vaccines for use in an emergency upon declaring a public health emergency. On February 4, 2020, the secretary determined that there is a public health emergency and declared circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of drugs and biological products. The secretary subsequently authorized the emergency use of 3 vaccines for the prevention of COVID-19, and on August 23, 2021, the secretary approved a vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19. The California Emergency Services Act authorizes the Governor to declare a state of emergency during conditions of disaster or extreme peril to persons or property, including epidemics. On March 4, 2020, the Governor declared a state of emergency relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pursuant to this authority, the Governor issued several executive orders requiring individuals in specified employment, health care, school, or other settings to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination status, unless specified exceptions are met. This bill would require a public or private entity that requires a member of the public to provide documentation regarding the individual's vaccination status for any COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of receipt of any service or entrance to any place to accept a written medical record or government-issued digital medical record in satisfaction of the condition, as specified.
Existing law, subject to an appropriation, establishes an Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) program, administered by the California Department of Aging, to provide information to consumers and their families on available long-term services and supports (LTSS) programs and to assist older adults, caregivers, and persons with disabilities in accessing LTSS programs at the local level. Under existing law, area agencies on aging and independent living centers are the core local partners in developing ADRC programs, after completing an application to be designated as an ADRC program. This bill would, subject to an appropriation, require the department to establish a grant program, with funds awarded to area agencies on aging and independent living centers, for the purpose of providing telephone support services for seniors and individuals with disabilities. The bill would require a grant recipient to coordinate with paraprofessional volunteers, who would receive training to recognize when a professional referral should be made. The bill would also require a grant recipient to contact seniors and individuals with disabilities and provide a "listening setting" through the telephone support service to identify available resources for reducing anxiety or other behavioral challenges, in order to combat social isolation and to help rebuild social capital.
The Ralph C. Dills Act provides that once an employee organization is recognized as the exclusive representative of an appropriate unit, it may enter into an agreement with the state employer providing for organizational security in the form of maintenance of membership or fair share fee deduction. The act provides that fair share fee deductions shall continue, until the effective date of a successor agreement or implementation of the state's last, best, and final offer, whichever comes first. Existing law requires every employee organization subject to these provisions to keep itemized financial records and to make those records available within 90 days after the end of its fiscal year, as specified. This bill would shorten that timeframe and instead require the financial records to be made available within 60 days after the end of the fiscal year.
Existing law provides for certain personal rights by statute, including the right to protection from bodily restraint or harm, from personal insult, from defamation, and from injury to personal relations. Under this bill, known as the California Parents' Bill of Rights, the state would recognize certain rights, including, among others, the right of a parent or guardian to advise on the moral or religious training of their minor child. The bill would specify that the recognition of those rights does not preclude an employee of a local educational agency, as defined, from acting in the employee's official capacity within the scope of the employee's authority. Existing law provides a parent or guardian of a pupil enrolled in a public school the right to participate in the education of their children, as specified, including, among others, the right to observe their child's classroom within a reasonable period of time following a request therefor. This bill would require a charter school, school district, or county office of education to, among other things, provide parents and guardians with opportunities to participate in schools to improve parent and teacher cooperation in areas including homework, school attendance, and discipline. The bill would also require those local educational agencies to post on their respective internet website specified information, including how to receive information about school choice options offered by the local educational agency. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, 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.
