Asm. Tasha Boerner

This measure would declare March 5, 2020, as Family Justice Center Day in California and would recognize the lifesaving and hope-giving work of the California Family Justice Center Network and its member Family Justice Centers as they work with rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, human trafficking agencies, prosecutors' offices, law enforcement agencies, and other professionals and community-based organizations to ensure that adult and child survivors of trauma can access all of their services in one setting.

This measure would recognize March 7, 2020, as California Arbor Day, and would urge California residents to observe the day with appropriate tree-planting activities and programs.

This measure would memorialize the achievements of Rosa Parks in the Civil Rights Movement and would commemorate the 20th Anniversary of Rosa Parks Day in California on February 4, 2020.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various professions and vocations by boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law provides for the issuance of reciprocal licenses in certain fields where the applicant, among other requirements, has a license to practice within that field in another jurisdiction, as specified. Existing law requires a board within the department to expedite the licensure process for an applicant who holds a current license in another jurisdiction in the same profession or vocation and who supplies satisfactory evidence of being married to, or in a domestic partnership or other legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in California under official active duty military orders. This bill would prohibit a board from charging an initial or original license fee to an applicant who meets these expedited licensing requirements.

Under existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, the Governor is authorized to proclaim a state of emergency, as defined, under specified circumstances. The California Emergency Services Act also authorizes the governing body of a city, county, city and county, or an official designated by ordinance adopted by that governing body, to proclaim a local emergency, as defined. The act authorizes certain training programs for first responders relating to states of emergency, including hazardous substance and terrorism incidents. This bill would, for purposes of the act, define "first responder" as an employee of the state or a local public agency who provides emergency response services, including a peace officer, a firefighter, a paramedic, an emergency medical technician, rescue service personnel, including an open water lifeguard or harbor patrol officer, or an emergency manager.

Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires that health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies provide coverage for certain services and treatments, including emergency medical transportation services. This bill would require a health care service plan contract or a health insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2021, that offers coverage for emergency ground medical transportation services to include those services as in-network services and would require the plan or insurer to pay those services at the contracted rate pursuant to the plan contract or policy. Because a willful violation of the bill's requirements relative to a health care service plan 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 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 various benefits under the Medi-Cal program, including substance use disorder treatment and mental health services that are delivered through the Drug Medi-Cal Treatment Program, the Drug Medi-Cal organized delivery system, and the Medi-Cal Specialty Mental Health Services Program. This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to provide state funding for a pilot program in the County of San Diego to establish a unit of care coordinators whose responsibility will be to manage all of the details of a patient's care to facilitate continued access to services and improve the quality of medical and mental health service delivery.