Asm. Lorena Gonzalez

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 prescribes the adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12, inclusive. That course of study is required to include, English, social sciences, foreign language, physical education, science, mathematics, visual and performing arts, applied arts, career technical education, automobile driver education, and other studies that the governing board may prescribe. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes in the provision described above.

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, the State Bar Act, provides for the regulation and licensure of attorneys by the State Bar of California. Existing law imposes various duties on an attorney, including the duty to maintain the confidences and preserve the secrets of his or her client at every peril to himself or herself. Existing law authorizes the Board of Trustees of the State Bar, with the approval of the Supreme Court, to formulate and enforce rules of professional conduct for all members of the State Bar. Existing law requires the State Bar, if a client files a complaint alleging that his or her trust fund is being mishandled, to investigate and, if the State Bar determines that circumstances warrant, to require an audit. This bill would additionally impose on an attorney the duty to deposit into a client trust account funds received in advance from, or for, the client for fees, costs, or expenses for legal services, which are to be withdrawn by the attorney only as fees are earned or costs or expenses are incurred. The bill would authorize specified legal services to be provided in stages, and would authorize an attorney to withdraw fees when he or she has performed and completed a specified stage or stages, if the agreement with the client specifies each stage and sets the amount of the advance fee for each stage. The bill would provide that any fee that is paid in advance as the set amount of the fee for specified legal services, whether paid as a "fixed" fee, a "flat" fee, or under any other label, is earned only when the attorney has performed and completed the legal services agreed to be provided in exchange for that fee. The bill would require the State Bar to adopt for approval by the Supreme Court any necessary amendments to its rules of professional conduct to conform with this provision.

The Passenger Charter-Party Carriers' Act, with certain exceptions, prohibits a charter-party carrier of passengers from engaging in transportation services subject to regulation by the Public Utilities Commission without obtaining a specified certificate or permit, as appropriate, from the commission, and imposes various other requirements. Existing law imposes certain penalties for violation of the act. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to these provisions.

Existing law requires that each live birth, fetal death, death, and marriage that occurs in the state be registered. Existing law charges the State Registrar with the execution of provisions regulating these and other vital records. Existing law requires the registrar to prescribe and furnish all record forms for use in carrying out those purposes, or to prescribe the format, quality, and content of forms electronically produced in each county for those purposes, and provides that no record forms or formats other than those prescribed by the registrar may be used. Existing law also provides for the registration of domestic partnerships and requires 2 persons desiring to become domestic partners to complete and file a Declaration of Domestic Partnership with the Secretary of State, who returns to the parties a copy of the registered form and a Certificate of Registered Domestic Partnership. Existing law also requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue drivers' licenses and identification cards. Existing law prescribes the form and content of Certificates of Registered Domestic Partnership, drivers' licenses, and identification cards. This bill would require the State Registrar to ensure that diacritical marks on English letters are properly recorded on all certificates of live birth, fetal death, or death, and all marriage licenses, including, but not limited to, accents, tildes, graves, umlauts, and cedillas. The bill would require the registrar to develop procedures to include other reasonable requests relating to names on certificates of live birth. The bill would impose similar requirements on the Secretary of State, with respect to Certificates of Registered Domestic Partnership, and on the Department of Motor Vehicles, with respect to drivers' licenses and identification cards. The bill would state findings and declarations of the Legislature relative to the use of diacritical marks on certificates of live birth and other forms of state-issued identity documentation.

Existing law requires each county to provide cash assistance and other social services to needy families through the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program using federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) block grant program, state, and county funds. Existing law specifies the amounts of cash aid to be paid each month to CalWORKs recipients. This bill would require that an additional young child special needs supplement be paid in the amount of $80 per month to a child who is under 2 years of age in an assistance unit, and that this amount be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the cost of living. The bill would require the State Department of Social Services to implement this provision through an all-county letter or similar instruction by April 1, 2015, and through regulations by July 1, 2016. Existing law provides that necessary supportive services shall be available to every participant in the CalWORKs program, including child care, as specified. This bill would give participants the option to request supportive services through the Internet Web site of the county if the county is capable of accepting those requests through its Internet Web site. If the county is not capable of accepting requests through its Internet Web site, the bill would require the county to accept those requests in the manner necessary to ensure that participants are able to request the supportive services they need. By increasing the administrative duties of counties administering the CalWORKs program, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program. This bill would instead provide that the continuous appropriation would not be made for purposes of implementing the bill. 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.

Existing law, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) , requires each state to establish an American Health Benefit Exchange that facilitates the purchase of qualified health plans by qualified individuals and qualified small employers, and meets certain other requirements. PPACA specifies that an individual who is not a citizen or national of the United States or an alien lawfully present in the United States shall not be treated as a qualified individual and may not be covered under a qualified health plan offered through an exchange. Existing law creates the California Health Benefit Exchange for the purpose of facilitating the enrollment of qualified individual and qualified small employers in qualified health plans as required under PPACA. Existing law governs health care service plans and insurers. A violation of the provisions governing health care service plans is a crime. This bill would create the California Health Exchange Program for All Californians within state government and would require that the program be governed by the executive board that governs the California Health Benefit Exchange. The bill would specify the duties of the board relative to the program and would require the board to, by January 1, 2016, facilitate the enrollment into qualified health plans of individuals who are not eligible for full-scope Medi-Cal coverage and would have been eligible to purchase coverage through the Exchange but for their immigration status. The bill would require the board to provide premium subsidies and cost-sharing reductions to eligible individuals that are the same as the premium assistance and cost-sharing reductions the individuals would have received through the Exchange. The bill would create the California Health Trust Fund For All Californians as a continuously appropriated fund, thereby making an appropriation, would require the board to assess a charge on qualified health plans, and would make the implementation of the program's provisions contingent on a determination by the board that sufficient financial resources exist or will exist in the fund. The bill would enact other related provisions. The bill would require health care services plans and health insurers to fairly and affirmatively offer, market, and sell in the Exchange at least one product within each of 5 levels of coverage, as specified. Because a violation of the requirements imposed on health care service plans would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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. The federal Medicaid Program provisions prohibit payment to a state for medical assistance furnished to an alien who is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence or otherwise permanently residing in the United States under color of law. This bill would extend eligibility for full-scope Medi-Cal benefits to individuals who are otherwise eligible for those benefits but for their immigration status. The bill would require that benefits for those services be provided with state-only funds only if federal financial participation is not available. Because counties are required to make Medi-Cal eligibility determinations and this bill would expand Medi-Cal eligibility, 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.