Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, 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, the Medi-Cal Emergency Medical Transportation Reimbursement Act, commencing July 1, 2018, and subject to federal approval and the availability of federal financial participation, imposes a quality assurance fee for each emergency medical transport provided by an emergency medical transport provider subject to the fee in accordance with a prescribed methodology. Existing law requires the Director of Health Care Services to deposit the collected quality assurance fee into the continuously appropriated Medi-Cal Emergency Medical Transport Fund, for exclusive use in a specified order of priority to enhance federal financial participation for ambulance services under the Medi-Cal program, and to provide additional reimbursement to, and to support quality improvement efforts of, emergency medical transport providers, to pay for state administrative costs, and to provide funding for health care coverage for Californians. Existing law requires each emergency medical transport provider to report to the department data on the number of actual emergency medical transports by payer type and on gross receipts, as defined. The act increases Medi-Cal reimbursement to emergency medical transport providers for emergency medical transports, as specified. Existing law authorizes a Medi-Cal provider of ground emergency medical transportation services, that is owned or operated by the state, a city, county, city and county, fire protection district, special district, community services district, health care district, or a federally recognized Indian tribe, to receive supplemental Medi-Cal reimbursement in addition to the rate of payment the provider would otherwise receive for those services. Existing law requires the department to develop a modified supplemental reimbursement program, with necessary federal approvals, that would seek to increase the reimbursement to an eligible provider, as specified. Existing law requires the nonfederal share of any supplemental reimbursement provided under the modified program to be derived from voluntary intergovernmental transfers of local funds. Existing law states the Legislature's intent in enacting these provisions to provide the supplemental reimbursement without any expenditure from the General Fund. This bill would exempt the above-described providers owned or operated by the specified governmental entities from the Medi-Cal Emergency Medical Transportation Reimbursement Act and the quality assurance fee requirements. The bill, subject to any necessary federal approvals, would change the calculation of the supplemental Medi-Cal reimbursement by requiring those governmental entities to participate in a managed care intergovernmental transfer program. The bill would require the combined amounts of payment under the new calculation to equal 100% of projected costs for ground emergency medical transportation services by each qualified provider. The bill would require the department to review and evaluate providers' requests for rate changes and make adjustments to those rates, as specified. The bill would require that the department be reimbursed for costs associated with administering the modified program and for any state revenue not obtained due to government providers being exempted from the quality assurance fee. The bill would also make technical, nonsubstantive changes to the above-described provisions. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Sponsored bills
Existing law establishes the Office of Emergency Services, which is required to, among other things, allocate and award funds to communities developing and providing ongoing citizen involvement and crime resistance programs. This bill would require the office, to the extent funds are available for this purpose and until January 1, 2023, to allocate and award funds to up to 11 district attorney offices that employ a vertical prosecution methodology for the prosecution of human trafficking crimes and that meet other specified criteria, including minimum staffing levels for the program. The bill would require the office, on or before January 1, 2021, to submit to the Legislature and the Governor's office a report that describes the counties that received funding pursuant to this program, the number of prosecutions for human trafficking cases filed by the counties receiving funding, the number of human trafficking convictions obtained by those counties, and the sentences imposed for human trafficking crimes in those counties. The bill would be operative only to the extent that funding is provided in the annual Budget Act or another statute for the purposes of the bill.
The California Constitution establishes the Fish and Game Commission and provides for the delegation to the commission of powers relating to the protection and propagation of fish and game. Existing law requires the commission to hold no fewer than 8 regular meetings per calendar year and authorizes the commission to hold special meetings or hearings to receive additional input from the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the public. Existing law requires the Fish and Game Commission to form a marine resources committee and a wildlife resources committee from its membership consisting of at least one commissioner for each committee. This bill would require the commission to provide a live video broadcast on its Internet Web site of every commission meeting or hearing that is open and public and every meeting or hearing conducted by the marine resources committee, wildlife resources committee, or tribal committee that is open and public.
This measure would mark May 6, 2018, as the 136th anniversary of the enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Act in order to recognize the harm caused by racially discriminatory immigration measures, and to honor the contributions of all immigrants and refugees who have enriched our communities. The measure would also declare the opposition of the Legislature to executive orders and a presidential proclamation signed by President Trump relating to immigration, call upon the President to revoke those orders and that proclamation, condemn the expansion of deportations being undertaken under the current presidential administration, and reaffirm that the state is open and welcoming to immigrants and refugees who are integral to life in our state.
This measure would declare the intent of the Legislature to further support the housing needs of individuals with developmental disabilities by exploring models that facilitate the private donation of homes in perpetuity and would recognize the work of organizations that have developed a property donation program.
This measure would recognize the history and significance of the Eagle Staff to Native American tribes. The measure would express the Legislature's commitment to inclusiveness for all Native Americans and respect for the traditions and symbolism of the Eagle Staff and would urge state government departments to incorporate these principles into their policies and practices.
This measure would proclaim June 2018 as California Grown Flower Month to recognize and honor the people of the California grown flower industry for their dedication and productivity.