Sen. Bob Wieckowski

The California Building Standards Law provides for the adoption of building standards by state agencies by requiring all state agencies that adopt or propose adoption of any building standard to submit the building standard to the California Building Standards Commission for approval and adoption. In the absence of a designated state agency, the commission is required to adopt specific building standards, as prescribed. Existing law requires the commission to publish, or cause to be published, editions of the code in its entirety once every 3 years. The commission is authorized to act through a procedure for emergency standards, as defined, upon a finding of an emergency. This bill would require the commission, the Department of Housing and Community Development, and the State Fire Marshal to cooperate in developing a guidebook to assist local agencies in implementing building standards and permitting processes for solar distributed generation technology on residential and commercial property and post the guidebook on their respective Internet Web sites. The bill would provide that a city, county, city and county, or charter city that adopts the policies from the guidebook may receive a preference or priority related to grant funds from the California Energy Commission or the State Air Resources Board, as specified.

(1) Existing law provides for licensing and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care. A willful violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Insurance Commissioner. Existing law requires health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of severe mental illnesses, including pervasive developmental disorder or autism, under the same terms and conditions applied to other medical conditions, as specified. Commencing July 1, 2012, and until July 1, 2014, existing law requires health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies to provide coverage for behavioral health treatment, as defined, for pervasive developmental disorder or autism. This bill would require health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies to provide coverage for the screening, diagnosis, and treatment, other than behavioral health treatment, of pervasive developmental disorder or autism. The bill would, however, provide that no benefits are required to be provided that exceed the essential health benefits that will be required under specified federal law. The bill would prohibit health care service plans and health insurers from denying, terminating, or refusing to renew coverage solely because the individual is diagnosed with or has received treatment for pervasive developmental disorder or autism. Because the bill would change the definition of a crime with respect to health care service plans, it would thereby impose a state-mandated local program. (2) 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 designate November 2012 as California Sikh American Awareness and Appreciation Month. It would recognize and acknowledge the significant contributions made by Californians of Sikh heritage to the state and afford all Californians the opportunity to understand, recognize, and appreciate the rich history and shared principles of Sikh Americans.

This measure would declare May 2012 to be American Stroke Month in California.

This measure would call on the United States Congress to pass the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011, Senate Bill No. 1925, authored by Senators Leahy and Crapo, and ensure the sustainability of vital programs designed to keep women and families safe from violence and abuse.

The County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 prescribes the rights, benefits, and duties of members of the retirement systems established pursuant to its provisions. The act vests the management of these systems in retirement boards, and sets forth the membership and qualifications of the boards. Existing law authorizes the board of supervisors of any county in which the assets of the retirement system exceed $800,000,000 to, by resolution, establish a board of investments, which would be responsible for all investments of the retirement system. This bill would require a retirement board and a board of investments to adopt a policy for providing education for members of retirement boards, as specified, and would require all board members to receive a minimum of 24 hours of board member education within the first 2 years of assuming office and for every subsequent 2-year period in which the person serves on the board. The bill would require each board to maintain a record of a board member's compliance with the policy and to post the policy and an annual report on board member compliance on the retirement system's Internet Web site.

The Joint Exercise of Powers Act permits 2 or more public agencies to enter into an agreement to jointly exercise any power common to the contracting parties. Existing law, notwithstanding this provision, authorizes certain private, nonprofit hospitals to enter into joint powers agreements with specified public agencies. This bill would authorize St. Rose Hospital, a private, nonprofit hospital in the County of Alameda, to enter into a joint powers agreement with the Washington Township Healthcare District. The bill would state the finding and declaration of the Legislature that a special law is necessary and that a general law cannot be made applicable.