The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 establishes the State Air Resources Board, commonly known as the state board, as the state agency responsible for monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases. The act requires the state board to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit, as defined, to be achieved by 2020, equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions levels in 1990. The state board is additionally required to adopt rules and regulations in an open public process to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective greenhouse gas emission reductions. Pursuant to the act, the state board has adopted the Low Carbon Fuel Standard regulations. Existing law requires, beginning November 1, 2003, and every 2 years thereafter, the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, commonly known as the California Energy Commission, to adopt an integrated energy policy report that contains an overview of certain topics including specified transportation forecasting and assessment activities. This bill would require the California Energy Commission, commencing November 1, 2014, until November 1, 2020, to conduct the transportation forecasting and assessment activities annually and, in conducting the transportation forecasting and assessment activities, to also evaluate the sufficiency of credits issued under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard regulations, as specified.
Sponsored bills
The Medi-Cal Act establishes 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 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 require that, to the extent permitted by federal law, this payment reduction not apply to skilled nursing facilities or subacute care units that are a distinct part of a general acute care hospital, intermediate care or other specified facilities serving developmentally disabled individuals, or specified Medi-Cal provider payments for fee-for-service benefits, including payments to pharmacies, for dates of service on or after June 1, 2011. The bill would also provide that this payment reduction shall not apply to managed health care plans for dates of service after the effective date of the bill. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law requires the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, on or before September 1, 2011, to adopt emergency regulations to establish a fire prevention fee in an amount not to exceed $150 to be charged on each structure on a parcel that is within a state responsibility area, as defined, and requires that the fire prevention fee be adjusted annually using prescribed methods. Existing law requires the State Board of Equalization to collect the fire prevention fees, as prescribed, commencing with the 2011–12 fiscal year. Existing law establishes the State Responsibility Area Fire Prevention Fund and prohibits the collection of fire prevention fees if, commencing with the 2012–13 fiscal year, there are sufficient amounts of moneys in the fund to finance specified fire prevention activities for a fiscal year. Existing law requires that the fire prevention fees collected, except as provided, be deposited into the fund and be made available, to the board and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for certain specified fire protection activities that benefit the owners of structures in state responsibility areas who are required to pay the fee. Existing law further requires the board, on and after January 1, 2013, to submit an annual written report to the Legislature on specified topics. This bill would repeal the above provisions relating to the fire prevention fees.
Existing law specifies the manner in which moneys in the California Beverage Container Recycling Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, are expended, including authorizing the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to annually expend up to $5,000,000 for a statewide public education and information campaign. The department is required to convene a specified advisory committee before expending those funds. This bill would repeal the authorization of the department to spend those funds in that manner and would make conforming changes.
Existing law requires that a vote by mail ballot be received by the issuing elections official or the precinct board no later than the close of polls on election day. This bill would make an exception for military or overseas voters, as defined, and would instead require that their vote by mail ballots be postmarked on or before election day and received by their elections officials not later than 10 days after election day. Existing law permits a military or overseas voter to return his or her vote by mail ballot by facsimile transmission and requires the ballot returned by facsimile transmission to be received no later than the closing of the polls on election day. Existing law provides that a military or overseas voter should return his or her ballot by facsimile transmission only if doing so is necessary for the ballot to be received before the closing of the polls on election day. This bill would instead provide that a military or overseas voter should return his or her ballot by facsimile transmission only if doing so is necessary for the ballot to be timely cast. Because the bill would impose additional duties on local elections officials, it 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.
This measure would urge the President and Congress of the United States of America to repeal the excise tax on medical devices to protect the medical device industry and its consumers.
This measure would designate that January 20, 2014, be observed as the official memorial of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birth and commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement in changing public policy in California and in the United States of America. This measure would also recognize the anniversaries of the Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington in connection with the advancement of civil rights.
Existing law prescribes the procedures for the relinquishment of a child to the State Department of Social Services or a licensed adoption agency for adoption, and requires the relinquishment to be signed and acknowledged before specified persons. Existing law specifies certain time periods during which a birth parent may revoke a relinquishment for adoption, but also provides that a birth parent may elect to sign a waiver of the right to revoke relinquishment in the presence of specified persons. Existing law requires that if the waiver is signed in the presence of an authorized representative of a private licensed adoption agency, the relinquishment becomes final and irrevocable at the close of the next business day. This bill would additionally provide that if the waiver is signed in the presence of an authorized representative of a private licensed adoption agency, the relinquishment becomes final and irrevocable at either the close of the next business day or at the close of the next business day after expiration of any holding period specified in writing, whichever is later. The bill would also provide that the waiver of the right to revoke relinquishment is invalid if the relinquishment is determined to be invalid, is revoked during any holding period specified in writing, or is rescinded, as specified. Under existing law, at the discretion of the department, county adoption agency, or a licensed adoption agency, an abbreviated assessment or home study of the prospective adoptive parent may be performed, as provided, if the prospective adoptive parent of a child is a foster parent with whom the child has lived for a minimum of 6 months or a relative caregiver who has had an ongoing and significant relationship with the child. This bill would permit an abbreviated assessment or home study for a licensed or certified foster parent with whom the child has lived for a minimum of 6 months, an approved relative caregiver or nonrelated extended family member with whom the dependent child has had an ongoing and significant relationship, a court-appointed relative guardian of the child, as specified, or a prospective adoptive parent who has completed an agency-supervised adoption within the last 2 years. The bill would require that the abbreviated assessment include a review by the department, county adoption agency, or licensed adoption agency of all previous guardianship investigation reports, home study assessments, and preplacement evaluations of each applicant, and would authorize the department or these adoption agencies to receive a copy of any of these reports upon a written request that is accompanied by a signed release from the applicant. The bill would state that these provisions do not apply to independent adoptions, and would authorize the department to promulgate regulations. Existing law requires prospective adoptive parents in an independent adoption to pay a fee to the department or delegated county adoption agency for the cost of investigating the adoption petition. Under existing law, the department or delegated adoption agency may reduce the fee to no less than $500 if the prospective adoptive parents are very low income according to the income limits published by the Department of Housing and Community Development. This bill would instead authorize the department or delegated adoption agency to reduce the fee if the prospective adoptive parents are lower income according to those income limits.
Existing law requires certain veterans of a war in which the United States is or has been engaged, upon application and presentation to the Department of Parks and Recreation of certain proof, including proof of a disability or proof of being held captive as a prisoner of war, to be issued a pass entitling the bearer use of all facilities, including boat launching facilities, in units of the state park system. This bill would authorize the department to offer a veteran, as defined, or current active duty or reserve military personnel for the United States Armed Forces or the National Guard of any state, a reduced fee or free day use of the California state parks, as provided, on Memorial Day and Veterans Day if certain conditions are met, including that proper proof is supplied.
Under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) , each state is required, by January 1, 2014, to establish an American Health Benefit Exchange that makes available qualified health plans to qualified individuals and small employers. Existing state 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 by January 1, 2014. Existing law requires the board to employ necessary staff and authorizes the board to enter into contracts. Existing law requires the board, consistent with federal guidance applicable to state-based exchanges, to submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information of specified individuals whose duties include or would include access to confidential information, personal identifying information, personal health information, federal tax information, financial information, or any other information as required by federal law or guidance applicable to state-based exchanges for the purposes of obtaining information as to the existence and content of a record of state or federal convictions and information as to the existence and content of a record of state or federal arrests for which the Department of Justice establishes that the person is free on bail or on his or her recognizance pending trial or appeal. This bill would revise these provisions to require that the fingerprint images and related information be submitted to the Department of Justice consistent with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) , Catalog of Minimum Acceptable Risk Standards for Exchanges (MARS-E) , Exchange Reference Architecture Supplement version 1.0, issued on August 12, 2012, or further updates, guidance, or regulations, for those individuals whose duties include or would include access to the specified information contained in the information systems and devices of the Exchange. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.