This measure would urge lawmakers in Poland to reverse or revise a recent Polish law on speech related to the Holocaust, would call on Congress to join that effort, and would call for a renewed commitment to Holocaust education in California.
This measure would recognize the month of May 2018 as Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges that children, and particularly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, face in the foster care system, as specified.
This measure would recognize May 2018 as National Mental Health Awareness Month in California to enhance public awareness of mental illness.
Existing law requires every person or agency dealing with crimes or criminals to maintain the records necessary to report statistical data, and to report statistical data to the Department of Justice and the Attorney General. Existing law requires the Attorney General, subject to the availability of adequate funding, to direct local law enforcement agencies to report information related to hate crimes, as defined, to the Department of Justice. This bill would require specified reports of law enforcement agencies to include a check box and specified question that indicate whether an incident was a suspected hate crime. The bill would require law enforcement agencies to implement the provisions of the bill on or before July 1, 2019. By imposing requirements on local law enforcement agencies, 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, 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 the statutory provisions noted above.
Under existing law, the Public Utilities Commission has broad regulatory authority pursuant to the California Constitution and the Public Utilities Act over public utilities, as defined. Existing law provides compensation for reasonable advocate's fees, reasonable expert witness fees, and other reasonable costs for participation or intervention in a hearing or proceeding of the commission. Existing law specifies that no state, federal, or local government agency, publicly owned public utility, or entity that, in the commission's opinion, was established or formed by a local government entity for the purpose of participating in a commission proceeding is eligible to receive that compensation, except as specified. This bill would authorize small school districts, as defined, participating in the general rate cases of electrical or gas corporations, to receive that compensation.
Existing law, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, requires the State Department of Developmental Services (department) to contract with regional centers to provide services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities, or consumers, as defined, and their families. Existing law requires an individual to disclose to a regional center during an assessment whether he or she is eligible to receive health benefits, including under Medi-Cal. Existing law requires the department to maintain the confidentiality of information and records obtained in the course of providing intake, assessment, and services, as specified. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and 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 generally requires a county to redetermine a Medi-Cal beneficiary's eligibility to receive Medi-Cal benefits every 12 months and whenever the county receives information about changes in a beneficiary's circumstances that may affect his or her eligibility for Medi-Cal benefits. This bill would instead require a consumer of services provided by a regional center to disclose during the initial intake whether he or she is enrolled in the Medi-Cal program. The bill would authorize the department to disclose to the county or DHCS information for the purposes of enabling the county or DHCS to perform determinations or redeterminations of eligibility for Medi-Cal beneficiaries. This bill would require a county to perform the annual eligibility redetermination of a regional center consumer with information that the county acquired during the last 36 months that is relevant to the beneficiary's Medi-Cal eligibility, and would authorize continued eligibility, until the county makes a specific determination based on facts clearly demonstrating that the beneficiary is no longer eligible for Medi-Cal benefits, as specified. The bill would require the department to make available to the counties and DHCS, on a regular basis to be determined by DHCS, a list identifying consumers receiving services at regional centers. The bill would require the implementation of these provisions only if and to the extent that federal financial participation is available and any necessary federal approvals or waivers have been obtained. Because the bill would require counties to perform additional duties regarding Medi-Cal eligibility determinations related to department consumers, 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, 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 the statutory provisions noted above.
The California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 provides the Division of Occupational Safety and Health within the Department of Industrial Relations with the power, jurisdiction, and supervision over all employment and places of employment necessary to enforce and administer all occupational health and safety laws,and standards and to protect employees. The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, an independent entity within the department, has the exclusive authority to adopt occupational safety and health standards within the state. Existing law requires every employer to comply with those standards. A violation of these standards and regulations under specific circumstances is a crime. This bill would require the board to adopt occupational safety and health standards for state public works projects to prevent and control coccidioidomycosis, more commonly known as Valley Fever. By expanding the definition of an existing crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
This measure would declare the support of the Legislature for the expansion of sensory-friendly movie screenings and similar programs for people with autism, and would encourage families to attend a sensory-friendly movie screening during April 2018, which is National Autism Awareness Month.
