(1) Existing law regulates the distribution and use of livestock drugs, as defined, by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. Existing law also requires a person to obtain a license from the secretary to manufacture, sell, distribute, or store commercial feed, including commercial feed containing drugs. This bill would, beginning January 1, 2018, prohibit the administration of medically important antimicrobial drugs, as defined, to livestock unless ordered by a licensed veterinarian through a prescription or veterinary feed directive pursuant to a veterinarian-client-patient relationship, as specified, and would prohibit the administration of a medically important antimicrobial drug to livestock solely for purposes of promoting weight gain or improving feed efficiency. The bill would require the Department of Food and Agriculture, in consultation with the Veterinary Medical Board, the State Department of Public Health, universities, and cooperative extensions, to develop antimicrobial stewardship guidelines and best management practices on the proper use of medically important antimicrobial drugs and would require the department to gather information on medically important antimicrobial drug sales and usage, antimicrobial resistant bacteria, and livestock management practice data. The bill would require information provided pursuant to those provisions to be held confidential, as specified. The bill would authorize the department to request and receive copies of veterinary feed directives from certain persons to implement the bill's provisions. The bill would make a first violation of the bill's provisions subject to a civil penalty of up to $250 for each day a violation occurs, and would make second and subsequent violations subject to an administrative fine of $500 for each day a violation occurs, except as specified. (2) Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
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The Political Reform Act of 1974 provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing and related matters, including the reporting of gifts, as defined. The act prohibits specified officers from receiving gifts in excess of $440 in value from a single source in a calendar year. The act exempts gift payments for the actual costs of specified types of travel that are reasonably related to a legislative or governmental purpose, or to an issue of state, national, or international public policy, from the annual limit on the value of gifts from a single source. This bill would require a nonprofit organization that regularly organizes and hosts travel for elected officials, as specified, and that pays for these types of travel for an elected state officer or local elected officeholder to disclose the names of donors who, in the preceding year, both donated to the nonprofit organization and accompanied an elected officer or officeholder for any portion of the travel, as specified. The bill would require a person who receives a gift of a travel payment from any source to report the travel destination on his or her statement of economic interests. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 87207 of the Government Code proposed by both this bill and AB 10, which would become operative only if both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2016, and this bill is chaptered last. A violation of the act's provisions is punishable as a misdemeanor. By expanding the scope 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. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.
Under the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, the Veterinary Medical Board licenses veterinarians and regulates the practice of veterinary medicine. The act requires an applicant for a renewal license to complete 36 hours of continuing education in the preceding 2 years. This bill would require a veterinarian who renews his or her license on or after January 1, 2018, to complete a minimum of one credit hour of continuing education on the judicious use of medically important antimicrobial drugs, as defined, every 4 years as part of the continuing education requirement. Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of skilled nursing facilities by the State Department of Public Health. Under existing law, a violation of the provisions governing skilled nursing facilities constitutes a crime. Existing law also establishes the Hospital Infectious Disease Control Program, which requires the department and general acute care hospitals to implement various measures relating to the prevention of health care associated infection. The program requires, by July 1, 2015, that each general acute care hospital adopt and implement an antimicrobial stewardship policy, in accordance with guidelines established by the federal government and professional organizations, that includes a process to evaluate the judicious use of antibiotics, as specified. This bill would require all skilled nursing facilities, as defined, by no later than January 1, 2017, to adopt and implement an antimicrobial stewardship policy that is consistent with the antimicrobial stewardship guidelines developed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or specified professional organizations. By expanding the scope 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 bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
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. Existing law extends eligibility for full-scope Medi-Cal benefits to individuals under 19 years of age who do not have, or are unable to establish, satisfactory immigration status, commencing after the Director of Health Care Services determines that systems have been programmed for implementation of this extension, but in no case sooner than May 1, 2016. Existing law requires these individuals to enroll in a Medi-Cal managed care health plan in those counties in which a Medi-Cal managed care health plan is available. This bill would require individuals under 19 years of age enrolled in restricted-scope Medi-Cal at the time the director makes the above-described determination to be enrolled in the full scope of Medi-Cal benefits, if otherwise eligible, pursuant to an eligibility and enrollment plan, as specified. The bill would require the department, beginning January 31, 2016, and until the director makes the above-described determination, to provide monthly updates to the policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, as specified. The bill would also require that an individual who is eligible pursuant to these provisions enroll in a Medi-Cal managed care health plan. The bill would not preclude a beneficiary from being enrolled in any other children's Medi-Cal specialty program that he or she would otherwise be eligible for.
Existing law, the Urban Water Management Planning Act, requires every urban water supplier to prepare and adopt an urban water management plan for submission to the Department of Water Resources and other entities that includes specified content, including an urban water shortage contingency analysis. Existing law requires this analysis to include actions to be undertaken by the urban water supplier to prepare for, and implement during, a catastrophic interruption of water supplies, including an earthquake. Existing law requires an urban water supplier to update its plan at least once every 5 years on or before December 31, in years ending in 5 and 0, except that the 2015 plan is required to be updated and submitted to the department by July 1, 2016. This bill would require an urban water supplier to include within its plan, beginning January 1, 2020, a seismic risk assessment and mitigation plan to assess the vulnerability of each of the various facilities of a water system and mitigate those vulnerabilities. This bill would authorize an urban water supplier to comply with this requirement by submitting a copy of the most recent adopted local hazard mitigation plan or multihazard mitigation plan under specified federal law that addresses seismic risk.
(1) The California Constitution establishes the Public Utilities Commission, with jurisdiction over the transportation of passengers and property by transportation companies, to the extent not preempted by federal law. The Household Goods Carriers Act and the Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act contain statements of the purposes of those acts and the use of the public highways pursuant to those acts. This bill would specify activities to be undertaken by the commission to achieve these purposes. The bill would require the commission to hire an independent entity for not more than $250,000 to, in consultation with carrier trade associations for industries under the jurisdiction of the commission, assess the commission's capabilities to carry out the specified activities and to report to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2017, which report would be required to contain an analysis of current capabilities and deficiencies, and recommendations to overcome any deficiencies identified. (2) A passenger stage corporation, as defined, which operates between fixed termini or over a regular route, is a common carrier subject to regulation by the commission pursuant to the Public Utilities Act. The Public Utilities Act, with certain exceptions, requires that a passenger stage corporation obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the commission to operate on any public highway in the state and requires it to display an identifying symbol issued by the commission. The Public Utilities Act makes any public utility that violates the Public Utilities Act, or that fails to comply with any part of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission guilty of a crime and makes it a misdemeanor for a person or corporation to hold out to the public that the person or corporation is in operation as a passenger stage corporation without having a valid certificate issued by the commission. The Public Utilities Act authorizes the commission to impose various fines and penalties for any violation of the act or an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission. The Public Utilities Act provides that the Department of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has the primary responsibility for regulating the safety of operation of passenger stage corporations and requires the commission to cooperate with the CHP to ensure safe operation of these carriers. A charter-party carrier of passengers, as defined, is subject to the jurisdiction and control of the commission under the Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act. The Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act requires a charter-party carrier of passengers to (A) obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity or a permit issued by the commission, (B) operate within the state on a prearranged basis, as defined, (C) comply with specified vehicle identification requirements, and (D) comply with accident liability protection requirements. The Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act additionally prohibits a charter-party carrier of passengers from advertising its services, or in any manner representing its services, as being a taxicab or taxi service. The Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act makes violation of these requirements a crime. The Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act authorizes the commission to impose fines and penalties for violations of the act. This bill would authorize peace officers, as defined, to enforce and assist in the enforcement of criminal violations of the Public Utilities Act, with respect to passenger stage corporations, and the Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act, with respect to charter-party carriers of passengers. The bill would require the commission to coordinate enforcement of those acts with peace officers through educational outreach and establishing lines of communication so that the commission is notified if an action is commenced so that the commission may take appropriate action to enforce the fine and penalty provisions of the acts. The bill would require the commission to ensure that the Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act is enforced and obeyed and that violations are promptly prosecuted and that penalty moneys due to the state are recovered and collected. The bill would authorize the Attorney General, a district attorney, or a city attorney to institute and prosecute actions or proceedings for the violation of the Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act. (3) The Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act authorizes a CHP officer to impound a bus of a charter-party carrier of passengers for 30 days if the officer determines that (A) the driver was operating the bus when the carrier did not have a permit or certificate issued by the commission or the carrier's permit or certificate was suspended, or (B) the driver was operating the bus without having a current and valid driver's license of the proper class, a passenger vehicle endorsement, or the required certificate. A provision of the Vehicle Code also authorizes a CHP officer to impound a bus of a charter-party carrier of passengers for 30 days if the officer makes any of the determinations described above. This bill would authorize a peace officer, as defined, to impound a bus or limousine, as defined, of a charter-party carrier of passengers, except as specified, for 30 days in those circumstances. The bill would revise the Vehicle Code to authorize a peace officer, identically defined, to impound a bus or limousine of a charter-party carrier of passengers, except as specified, for 30 days in those circumstances and authorize a peace officer to impound a bus or limousine belonging to a passenger stage corporation for 30 days if the officer determines (A) the driver was operating the bus or limousine when the passenger stage corporation did not have a required certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the commission, (B) the driver was operating the bus or limousine when the operating rights or certificate of public convenience and necessity of a passenger stage corporation was suspended, canceled, or revoked, or (C) the driver was operating the bus or limousine without having a current and valid driver's license of the proper class. (4) A household goods carrier, as defined, which transports household goods and personal effects over any public highway in the state for compensation, is subject to regulation by the commission pursuant to the Household Goods Carriers Act. The Household Goods Carriers Act requires that a household goods carrier obtain a permit from the commission to transport household goods entirely within the state and obtain a valid operating authority issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to transport household goods and personal effects from this state to another or from another state to this state. The Household Goods Carriers Act additionally requires a household goods carrier to comply with specified vehicle identification requirements and comply with accident liability protection requirements. The Household Goods Carriers Act makes a violation of the requirements of the act a misdemeanor, authorizes the commission to impose fines and penalties for violations of the act, and requires the commission to ensure that the act is enforced and obeyed, that violations are promptly prosecuted and that penalty moneys due to the state are recovered and collected. This bill would authorize peace officers, as defined, to enforce and assist in the enforcement of criminal violations of the Household Goods Carriers Act. The bill would require the commission to coordinate enforcement of the Household Goods Carriers Act with peace officers through educational outreach and establishing lines of communication so that peace officers can notify the commission if an action is commenced so that the commission may take appropriate action to enforce the fine and penalty provisions of the Household Goods Carriers Act. (5) This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 5387 of the Public Utilities Code proposed by SB 697 that would become operative only if SB 697 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2016, and this bill is chaptered last.
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various professions and vocations by boards, bureaus, commissions, divisions, and other agencies within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law requires an agency within the department to investigate a consumer accusation or complaint against a licensee and, where appropriate, the agency is authorized to impose disciplinary action against a licensee. Under existing law, an agency within the department may refer a complaint to the Attorney General or Office of Administrative Hearings for further action. This bill would require the Attorney General to submit a report to the department, the Governor, and the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2018, and on or before January 1 of each subsequent year, that includes specified information regarding the actions taken by the Attorney General pertaining to accusation matters relating to consumer complaints against a person whose profession or vocation is licensed by an agency within the department. Existing law creates the Division of Investigation within the department and requires investigators who have the authority of peace officers to be in the division to investigate the laws administered by the various boards comprising the department or commence directly or indirectly any criminal prosecution arising from any investigation conducted under these laws. This bill would, in order to implement the Consumer Protection Enforcement Initiative of 2010, require the Director of Consumer Affairs, through the Division of Investigation, to implement "Complaint Prioritization Guidelines" for boards to utilize in prioritizing their complaint and investigative workloads and to determine the referral of complaints to the division and those that are retained by the health care boards for investigation. The bill would exempt the Medical Board of California from required utilization of these guidelines. Under existing law, the California Board of Accountancy within the department is responsible for the licensure and regulation of accountants and is required to designate an executive officer. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2016. This bill would extend the repeal date to January 1, 2020. Existing law authorizes the California Board of Accountancy, after notice and hearing, to revoke, suspend, or refuse to renew any permit or certificate, as specified, or to censure the holder of that permit or certificate for unprofessional conduct. This bill would additionally authorize the board, after notice and hearing, to permanently restrict or limit the practice of a licensee or impose a probationary term or condition on a license for unprofessional conduct. This bill would authorize a licensee to petition the board for reduction of a penalty or reinstatement of the privilege, as specified, and would provide that failure to comply with any restriction or limitation imposed by the board is grounds for revocation of the license. Under existing law, the Contractors' State License Law, the Contractors' State License Board is responsible for the licensure and regulation of contractors and is required to appoint a registrar of contractors. Existing law repeals these provisions establishing the board and requiring it to appoint a registrar on January 1, 2016. This bill would extend these repeal dates to January 1, 2020. Existing law requires every applicant for an original contractor's license, the reactivation of an inactive license, or the reissuance or reinstatement of a revoked license to evidence financial solvency, as specified, and requires the registrar to deny the application of any applicant who fails to comply with that requirement. Existing law, as a condition precedent to the issuance, reinstatement, reactivation, renewal, or continued maintenance of a license, requires the applicant or licensee to file or have on file a contractor's bond in the sum of $12,500. This bill would repeal that evidence of financial solvency requirement and would instead require that bond to be in the sum of $15,000.
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act contains various provisions regulating the application for, the issuance of, the suspension of, and the conditions imposed upon, alcoholic beverage licenses by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Existing law provides for various annual fees for the issuance of alcoholic beverage licenses, depending upon the type of license issued. This bill, the Craft Distillers Act of 2015, would authorize the department to issue a craft distiller's license to manufacture distilled spirits, subject to specified conditions, including that the licensee manufacture no more than 100,000 gallons of distilled spirits per fiscal year, excluding brandy the craft distiller manufactures or has manufactured for them. The bill would allow the craft distiller's licensee to sell distilled spirits to specified consumers, to own interests in on-sale retail licenses, and to sell beer, wines, brandies, and distilled spirits to consumers for consumption on the premises of a bona fide eating place, as provided. The bill would impose an original fee and an annual renewal fee for the license, which would be deposited in the Alcohol Beverage Control Fund. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act authorizes a licensed distilled spirits manufacturer to conduct tastings of distilled spirits produced or bottled by, or produced or bottled for, the licensee, on the licensed premises, under specified conditions, including that tasting not be given in the form of a cocktail or mixed drink. This bill would extend that authorization to a licensed craft distiller and would revise the tasting conditions by allowing a tasting to be given in the form of a cocktail or mixed drink. Existing law prohibits a distilled spirits manufacturer's or distilled spirits manufacturer's agent's license from being held by a person that holds any ownership or interest in any distilled spirits wholesaler's, rectifier's, or retailer's license, as specified. This bill would additionally prohibit a distilled spirits manufacturer's or distilled spirits manufacturer's agent's license from being held by a person that holds any ownership or interest in a craft distiller's license.
Existing law makes it a crime to manufacture, assemble, sell, advertise for sale, possess, transport, import, or furnish to another a device that is primarily or exclusively designed or intended for eavesdropping upon the communication of another, or any device that is primarily or exclusively designed or intended for the unauthorized interception of reception of communications between a cellular radio telephone, as defined, and a landline telephone or other cellular radio telephone. Existing law additionally makes it a crime to purchase, sell, offer to purchase or sell, or conspire to purchase or sell, any telephone calling pattern record or list, without the written consent of the subscriber, or to procure, obtain, attempt to obtain, or conspire to obtain, any calling pattern record or list through fraud or deceit. Existing law contains certain exemptions from these crimes for law enforcement agencies. This bill would require every local agency that operates cellular communications interception technology, as defined, to maintain reasonable operational, administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect information gathered through use of the technology from unauthorized access, destruction, use, modification, or disclosure and implement a usage and privacy policy, as specified, to ensure that the collection, use, maintenance, sharing, and dissemination of information gathered through use of the technology complies with applicable law and is consistent with respect for an individual's privacy and civil liberties. The bill would, except as provided, prohibit a local agency from acquiring cellular communications interception technology unless that acquisition is approved by a resolution or ordinance adopted by its legislative body at a regularly scheduled public meeting of the legislative body held pursuant to a specified open meetings law. The bill would require that the resolution or ordinance set forth the policies of the local agency. The bill would require that the local agency make the usage and privacy policy available in writing to the public and if the local agency maintains an Internet Web site, to conspicuously post the usage and privacy policies on that site. The bill would, in addition to any other sanctions, penalties, or remedies provided by law, authorize an individual who has been harmed by a violation of these provisions to bring a civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction against a person who knowingly caused that violation.
The California Constitution provides that the Legislature may by statute prohibit retirement board investments if it is in the public interest to do so, and providing that the prohibition satisfies specified fiduciary standards. Existing law prohibits the Public Employees' Retirement System and the State Teachers' Retirement System from investing public employee retirement funds in a company with active business operations in Sudan, as specified, and requires these retirement systems to liquidate any investments in a company with business operations in Sudan. Existing law also prohibits these retirement systems from investing in a company that has specified investments in the energy sector of Iran, as defined, including in a company that provides oil or liquefied natural gas tankers, or products used to construct or maintain pipelines used to transport oil or liquefied natural gas. This bill would prohibit the boards of the Public Employees' Retirement System and the State Teachers' Retirement System from making new investments or renewing existing investments of public employee retirement funds in a thermal coal company, as defined. This bill would require the boards to liquidate investments in thermal coal companies on or before July 1, 2017, and would require the boards, in making a determination to liquidate investments, to constructively engage with thermal coal companies to establish whether the companies are transitioning their business models to adapt to clean energy generation. The bill would provide that it does not require a board to take any action unless the board determines in good faith that the action is consistent with the board's fiduciary responsibilities established in the constitution. The bill would make related legislative findings and declarations. This bill would require, on or before January 1, 2018, these boards to file a report to the Legislature and the Governor, containing specified information, including a list of companies of which they have liquidated their investments. The bill would provide that board members and other officers and employees shall be held harmless and be eligible for indemnification in connection with actions taken pursuant to the bill's requirements, as specified.