Asm. Brian Maienschein

This measure would proclaim January 13, 2018, as Korean American Day.

This measure would honor the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

This measure would designate the month of January 2018 as Gang Awareness and Prevention Month in the State of California and would encourage cities and constituents across the state to observe the month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to prevent future gang activity and honor those who lost their lives due to gang activity.

Existing law generally protects employees who disclose illegal or improper workplace activities by prohibiting interference with, and retaliation for, making such disclosures. Existing law provides procedures for a person to file a complaint alleging violations of legislative ethics. Existing law also authorizes each house of the Legislature to adopt rules for its proceedings and to select committees necessary for the conduct of its business. This bill would impose criminal and civil liability on a Member of the Legislature or legislative employee, as defined, who interferes with, or retaliates against, a legislative employee's exercise of the right to make a protected disclosure, which is defined as a good faith allegation made by a legislative employee to specified entities that a Member of the Legislature or a legislative employee has engaged in, or will engage in, activity that may constitute a violation of law, including sexual harassment, or a violation of a legislative standard of conduct. The bill would also impose civil liability on an entity that interferes with, or retaliates against, a legislative employee's exercise of the right to make a protected disclosure, as specified. By creating new crimes, 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law, the Children's Mental Health Services Act, establishes an interagency system of care for children with serious emotional and behavioral disturbances that provides comprehensive, coordinated care. Existing law states that the programs are intended to ensure services will be provided to severely mentally ill children and that they be part of the children's system of care. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.

The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law allow various credits against the taxes imposed by those laws. This bill, for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2018, and before January 1, 2023, would allow a credit under those laws to a qualified employer that pays or incurs to a qualified employee a wage equal to or exceeding the minimum wage during the taxable year, as provided. The bill would define a qualified employee as an individual with a disability who may be paid a special minimum wage under existing state or federal law. The credit would be allowed in an amount equal to the difference between the special minimum wage and the minimum wage, multiplied by the hours worked by the qualified employee. The bill would require the Franchise Tax Board to submit a report containing specified data relating to these credits to the Legislature by June 1, 2023. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

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 and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law provides for a schedule of benefits provided under the Medi-Cal program, which includes certain dental services that are referred to as Denti-Cal. Existing law, the California Healthcare, Research, and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016, or Proposition 56, which was approved by voters at the November 8, 2016, statewide general election, increases taxes imposed on distributors of cigarettes and tobacco products and allocates a specified percentage of those revenues to the department to increase funding for existing health care programs under the Medi-Cal program. Existing law establishes the Healthcare Treatment Fund for this purpose. This bill would require the department, for the 2017–18 fiscal year, to double Denti-Cal provider reimbursement rates for the 15 most common prevention, treatment, and oral evaluation services based on the average rates per service established in the 2015–16 fiscal year. The bill would appropriate for the 2017–18 fiscal year such an amount as may be necessary to double the reimbursement rates from the Healthcare Treatment Fund to the department, as specified.

Existing state and federal law provides for various programs to provide services to elderly persons, as specified. Existing law provided for submission to the voters of the Senior Center Bond Act of 1984. This bill would provide for submission to the voters of the Elders Living with Dignity, Empathy, Respect, and Support (ELDERS) Bond Act of 2020. The bill would provide that, if enacted by the people, the state would be authorized to issue and sell general obligation bonds in the aggregate amount of $200,000,000. The proceeds of these bonds would be placed in a fund, which would be appropriated to the Controller, without regard to fiscal years, for allocation, at the request of the Treasurer. The bill would provide that money in the fund would be allocated to public or private nonprofit agencies or organizations for the purpose of acquiring, renovating, constructing, or purchasing equipment for, specialized day services centers for adults with complex chronic medical, cognitive, or behavioral health conditions, including, but not limited to, Alzheimer's disease or related dementias, funding startup costs of eligible facilities, or program expansion of eligible facilities, as specified. The bill would make legislative findings and declarations relating to California's senior population. The bill would provide for submission of the bond act to the voters at the general statewide election occurring on November 3, 2020. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.