Asm. Marie Waldron

Existing law, the California Coastal Act of 1976, requires any person wishing to perform or undertake any development in the coastal zone, as defined, in addition to obtaining any other permit required by law from any local government or from any state, regional, or local agency, to obtain a coastal development permit from the local government or California Coastal Commission, as specified. This bill would limit the growth-inducing impacts the commission may consider in its review of a coastal development permit for a water supply project.

This measure would proclaim the month of March 2016 as Grand Jury Awareness Month in California, recognize those who volunteer in a grand jury, and encourage all Californians to learn about its role in the judicial system.

Existing law makes it an offense to drive a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Existing law requires the court to impose as a condition of probation for a conviction for a first violation of driving under the influence, in a county where the board of supervisors has approved, and the State Department of Health Care Services has licensed, a driving-under-the-influence program, that the driver successfully complete the program in the driver's county of residence or employment, as designated by the court. Existing law provides that enrollment and participation in, and completion of, an approved program shall be subsequent to the date of the current violation. This bill would require a court to impose an alcohol dependence assessment, as specified, as a condition of probation for a person in an 18-month or 30-month driving-under-the-influence program, or for a first offender who had a specified blood alcohol level. The bill would require the entity administering the assessment to advise the person, among other things, that there are medications that can address alcohol dependence, and that the person should consult his or her physician regarding the results of the assessment. The bill would state findings and declarations of the Legislature regarding driving under the influence.

This measure would declare April 7, 2016, and every April 7 thereafter, as Biotechnology Day in California.

Existing law authorizes a school district governing board, a county board of education, or the State Board of Education to grant a charter to a charter school for an initial period not to exceed 5 years followed by renewals every 5 years. This bill would provide that each of the first 2 renewals shall be for a period of 5 years and subsequent renewals shall be for a period requested by the charter school not to exceed 15 years. To the extent this bill would impose additional duties on school districts or county offices of education, 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, 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 these statutory provisions.

Existing law establishes the California Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) within state government, specifies the powers and duties of the board governing the Exchange, and requires the board to facilitate the purchase of qualified health plans through the Exchange by qualified individuals and small employers. Existing law requires the board, among other things, to determine the criteria and process for eligibility, enrollment, and disenrollment of enrollees and potential enrollees in the Exchange and coordinate that process with state and local government entities administering other specified health care coverage programs, as specified. The board membership is required to possess acknowledged expertise in information technology system management, among other areas, and to hire a chief technology and information officer. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income persons receive health care benefits. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Under existing law, the department exercises a specified federal option to extend continuous Medi-Cal eligibility to children 19 years of age and younger. This bill would require the Exchange's enrollment system to be upgraded so an enrollee whose family income qualifies him or her for subsidized coverage, but only qualifies children in the household 19 years of age or younger for Medi-Cal, would be presented with the option of either enrolling in a plan with subsidized coverage for himself or herself and enrolling the eligible child or children in Medi-Cal, or enrolling in a single plan for the family that preserves the enrollee's subsidized coverage and purchasing unsubsidized coverage under the same plan for the child or children under 19 years of age. The bill would require the upgraded enrollment system to be operational no later than July 1, 2017, and would require the chief information and technology officer or his or her designee to oversee the upgrading process.

The California Environmental Quality Act requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. The act also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. The act requires the lead agency to determine whether a project may have a significant effect on the environment based on substantial evidence in light of the whole record. The act exempts certain specified projects from its requirements. This bill would exempt a project to expand the storage capacity of an existing surface water storage facility, or to replace an existing surface water storage facility, that is owned and operated by a public entity if that public entity adopts, by resolution, findings and declarations that the project meets specified criteria.