Asm. Laurie Davies

This measure would reaffirm the Legislature's commitment to upholding the human rights of immigrants, commend the courage and determination of immigrant community leaders, and celebrate the 26th annual Immigrant Day of Action.

This measure would request the United States Congress and the President of the United States to immediately take action to increase resources for the enforcement of regulating vessel anchorages to both regulate the backlog of cargo ships and prevent future oil spills related to anchor strikes.

This measure would request the Congress of the United States to pass legislation and the President of the United States to sign into law a statute providing for, and the United States Department of Transportation and all federal agencies implementing any federal statute or regulation providing federal funding for ports or multimodal freight transportation to provide, a fair allocation of federal transportation funding for freight projects in California, specifically, and on the Pacific Coast of the United States, generally, based on the volume of containerized freight moved.

Existing federal law provides for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , known in California as CalFresh, formerly the Food Stamp Program, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county. Under existing law, households are eligible to receive CalFresh benefits to the extent permitted by federal law. Existing federal law provides that students who are enrolled in college or other institutions of higher education at least 12 time are not eligible for SNAP benefits unless they meet one of several specified exemptions, including, but not limited to, an exemption for students receiving federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) . Existing law requires the Student Aid Commission to provide written notice to recipients of Cal Grant awards whose grants include any amount of funding that has been derived from the TANF block grant or state match, in order for the students to verify that they qualify for participation in the CalFresh program under an exemption. This bill would additionally require the commission, to the extent that it is permitted by federal law to use information to determine a student's CalFresh eligibility and possesses the pertinent information, to provide written notice to students of their exemption and that they may be eligible for benefits under the CalFresh program. The bill would also require the commission to confer with stakeholders on at least an annual basis to implement this provision and to continuously improve the process of securing CalFresh benefits for eligible students.

Existing law generally requires the State Department of Public Health to license, inspect, and regulate health facilities, including long-term health care facilities, as defined. Existing law authorizes dental services, as defined under the Dental Practice Act, to be provided in health facilities by persons licensed by the Dental Board of California. The Dental Practice Act provides for the licensing, regulation, and discipline of, among others, registered dental hygienists in alternative practice. This bill would provide that a registered dental hygienist in alternative practice may provide dental hygiene services to a patient in a long-term care facility, as defined. The bill would also authorize a registered dental hygienist in alternative practice to provide oral health inservice training to staff in a long-term health care facility.

Under existing law, the Department of Consumer Affairs is composed of various boards that license and regulate various professions and vocations. Existing law requires a board within the department to expedite, and authorizes a board to assist in, the initial licensure process for an applicant who supplies satisfactory evidence to the board that the applicant has served as an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States and was honorably discharged. Existing law, the Contractors State License Law, provides for the licensing and regulation of contractors by the Contractors State License Board, which is within the department. Existing law authorizes the board to set fees by regulation, according to a prescribed schedule. This bill would require the board to grant a 50% fee reduction for an initial license or registration fee to an applicant who provides specified documentation to the board that the applicant is a veteran who has served as an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces, including the National Guard or Reserve components, and was not dishonorably discharged.

This measure would urge the federal government to provide school lunches free of charge to all elementary, middle school, and high school students in the United States.