Asm. Shirley N. Weber

This measure would proclaim January 13, 2015, as Korean-American Day.

This measure would proclaim January 26, 2015, as India Republic Day, and would urge all Californians to join in celebrating India Republic Day.

Existing law, the Target Area Contract Preference Act, provides, except as specified, that the state shall award preferences to California-based companies submitting bids or proposals for state contracts who demonstrate and certify under penalty of perjury that of the total labor hours required to manufacture the goods and perform the contract, at least 50 percent of the hours shall be accomplished at an identified worksite or worksites located in a distressed area by persons with a high risk of unemployment if the contract is for goods or services in excess of $100,000. Existing law also provides that the maximum preference and incentive a bidder may be awarded pursuant to these provisions is $50,000 for any bid, and $100,000 for the combined cost of these preferences and incentives and those provided pursuant to any other provision of law. This bill would instead provide that the maximum preference and incentive a bidder may be awarded pursuant to these provisions shall not exceed $350,000 for any bid, and $400,000 for the combined cost of these preferences and incentives and those provided pursuant to any other provision of law. Existing law, the Small Business Procurement and Contract Act, provides for various programs to encourage the participation of small businesses, as certified by the Department of General Services, in state agency contracts, including a microbusiness and a disabled veteran business enterprise. Existing law requires directors of state agencies, in awarding prescribed contracts, to provide a 5% preference to small businesses and microbusinesses, and a preference of up to 5% to a nonsmall business that provides for small business or microbusiness subcontractor participation, not to exceed prescribed amounts. Existing law provides, in solicitations where an award is made to the lowest responsible bidder, that the preferences shall not exceed $50,000 for any bid and that the combined cost of preferences granted shall not exceed $100,000. Existing law provides that, in bids in which the state has reserved the right to make multiple awards, the $50,000 maximum preference cost shall be applied. This bill would provide, in solicitations where an award is made to the lowest responsible bidder, that the preference to small business and microbusiness be 5% of the lowest responsible nonsmall business bidder meeting specifications and that the preference to nonsmall business bidders that provide for small business or microbusiness subcontractor participation be up to a maximum of 5% of the lowest responsible nonsmall business bidder. This bill also would provide that the preference not exceed $350,000 for any contract award and that the combined cost of preferences granted not exceed $400,000. This bill would require that the $350,000 maximum preference cost be applied in multiple contract awards.

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which basic health care services are provided to qualified low-income persons. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments to be reduced by 1% or 5%, and provider payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 1%, for dates of service on and after March 1, 2009, and until June 1, 2011. Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments and payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 10% for dates of service on and after June 1, 2011. This bill would, instead, prohibit the application of those reductions for payments to providers for dates of service on or after June 1, 2011. The bill would also require payments for managed care health plans for dates of service following the effective date of the bill to be determined without application of some of those reductions. The bill would require the Director of Health Care Services to implement this provision to the maximum extent permitted by federal law and for the maximum time period for which the director obtains federal approval for federal financial participation for those payments. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law establishes a public school financing system that requires state funding for county superintendents of schools, school districts, and charter schools to be calculated pursuant to a local control funding formula, as specified. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to that provision.

Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program establishes the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement awards, the California Community College Transfer Cal Grant Entitlement awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards, the Cal Grant C awards, and the Cal Grant T awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. Among the eligibility requirements for the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement awards is a requirement that the applicant submit a complete financial aid application postmarked no later than March 2 of the academic year of high school graduation or its equivalent, or no later than March 2 of the academic year following high school graduation or its equivalent, for the 2nd award year. This bill, commencing with the 2015–16 award year and continuing each award year thereafter, would extend this period of eligibility by one year, allowing an applicant for Cal Grant A and B Entitlement awards to submit a complete financial aid application no later than March 2 of the 2nd academic year after his or her high school graduation or its equivalent for an award commencing the academic year following the application.

This measure would request the Congress of the United States to, among other things, act immediately to avert federal spending cuts known as "sequestration" to protect the California and national economies.

Existing law provides for a public postsecondary education system in this state. This system consists of the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges. Existing law authorizes these institutions to require that mandatory systemwide fees and tuition, among other fees, be paid by enrolled students. Existing law establishes the Student Aid Commission as the primary state agency for the administration of state-authorized student financial aid programs available to students attending all segments of postsecondary education. This bill would require the Student Aid Commission and the Legislative Analyst to conduct a study of the effects of enacting, in future legislation, a Pay it Forward, Pay it Back Pilot Program and would designate the Legislative Analyst as the lead agency in charge of preparing the study. The study would evaluate a pilot program designed to provide an additional option for students to finance the costs of their education, by paying the costs of upfront tuition, fees, and room and board, for enrollment at institutions of higher education, for admitted resident students who sign a binding contract to, upon graduation, pay 2 to 4%, inclusive, of their annual adjusted gross incomes to the state or the institution for a specified number of years, as provided. The bill would further specify that the pilot program could vary by institution. This bill would require the study to, among other things, identify at least one campus of each segment of public higher education and one campus of a nonprofit private postsecondary educational institution to participate in the pilot program and establish an immediate source of funding for the first 15 to 20 years, inclusive, of the pilot program, as provided. The bill would require that the study be presented for consideration by the Legislature, and would require the Student Aid Commission to submit a report on the study to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education and the Senate Committee on Education on or before September 30, 2015. The bill would also make legislative findings and declarations related to these provisions.