Asm. Laurie Davies

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of adult alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities by the State Department of Health Care Services and authorizes the department to enforce those provisions. Existing law also requires the department to implement a program certification procedure for alcohol and other drug treatment recovery services. Existing law generally prohibits specified persons, programs, or entities, such as an alcoholism or drug abuse treatment facility or a person employed by, or working for, an alcohol or other drug program, from giving or receiving anything of value for the referral of a person who is seeking alcoholism or drug abuse recovery and treatment services, and authorizes the department to investigate allegations of violations of those provisions, and to assess various penalties upon a person, program, or entity that is found in violation of those provisions. Existing law requires all programs licensed or certified by the department pursuant to those provisions to disclose any ownership or control of, or financial interest in, a recovery residence, as defined. This bill would create the California Ethical Treatment for Persons with Substance Use Disorder Act to provide protection for substance use disorder treatment clients and their families. The bill would declare the intent for its provisions to be construed in favor of maximizing protections for clients, families, and their communities. The bill would impose requirements and proscribe unlawful acts relating to marketing and advertising with respect to treatment providers, as defined by the bill. The bill would require a treatment provider doing business in the state to adopt a client bill of rights for persons receiving treatment for substance use disorder, as specified, and to make the bill of rights available to all clients and prospective clients. The bill would require a treatment provider to maintain records of referrals to or from a recovery residence, as specified. Specified acts made unlawful by the bill would be subject to a civil fine of up to $20,000 per violation. The bill would authorize the Attorney General, a district attorney, a county counsel, a city attorney, or any injured person or entity to bring a claim for declaratory relief or to recover a civil penalty, as specified. The bill also would authorize the department to investigate allegations of violations of the bill and to take subsequent action, including assessing penalties and suspending or revoking a provider's license or certification.

Existing law generally provides for the placement of foster youth in various placement settings, and governs the provision of child welfare services, which is defined to mean public social services that are directed toward the accomplishment of specified purposes, including protecting and promoting the welfare of all children, preventing the unnecessary separation of children from their families, and restoring to their families children who have been removed. Existing law places various requirements on the State Department of Social Services in the provision of those public social services. This bill would require the department to develop a program to give children in the foster care system who are 12 years of age or older access to a savings account at a financial institution. The bill would require the department to ensure that a financial institution contracted with meets various requirements, including that the financial institution provides a debit card that is accepted at any place that takes electronic benefits transfer (EBT) payments. The bill would require the department to ensure that the child meets various requirements, including taking a financial literacy class to be developed by the department. The bill would authorize a contracting financial institution to hold a child with a savings account opened pursuant to those provisions responsible for overdraft costs up to $100. The bill would limit access to the savings account to the child who established the account, as specified. The bill would make related findings and declarations.

This measure would proclaim March 7, 2022, to March 11, 2022, inclusive, as School Breakfast Week and would recognize the importance of school nutrition programs and school nutrition staff in addressing the needs of the state's pupils.

This measure would proclaim the week of March 6, 2022, to March 12, 2022, inclusive, as Women in Construction Week.

This measure would proclaim March 2022 as Visual and Performing Arts Education Month and urge all residents to become interested in and give full support to quality visual and performing arts education programs for children and youth.

Existing law makes it a crime to possess for sale or purchase for purpose of sale, transport, sell, furnish, administer, give away, manufacture, compound, convert, produce, derive, process, or prepare various controlled substances, including, among others, fentanyl, peyote, and various other opiates and narcotics. This bill would require a person who is convicted of, or who pleads guilty or no contest to, the above crimes to receive a written advisory of the danger of manufacturing and distribution of controlled substances and that, if a person dies as a result of that action, the manufacturer or distributor can be charged with murder. The bill would require that the fact the advisory was given be on the record and recorded on the abstract of conviction.

This measure would recognize February 2022 as Black History Month, urge all citizens to join in celebrating the accomplishments of African Americans during Black History Month, and encourage the people of California to recognize the many talents of African Americans and the achievements and contributions they make to their communities to create equity and equality for education, economics, and social justice. The measure would also recognize the significance in protecting citizens' right to vote and remedying racial discrimination in voting.

This measure would proclaim February 24, 2022, as Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day.