Sen. Abel Maldonado

This measure would urge Congress and the President to restore funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program.

This measure would request that the President and the Congress of the United States pass the H.R. 2474 that would restore funding for California veterans pursuing higher education.

Existing law provides for the county-administered In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, under which qualified aged, blind, and disabled persons are provided with services in order to permit them to remain in their own homes and avoid institutionalization. Existing law permits services to be provided under the IHSS program either through the employment of individual providers, a contract between the county and an entity for the provision of services, the creation by the county of a public authority, or a contract between the county and a nonprofit consortium. Under existing law, the State Department of Social Services is required, in consultation and coordination with county welfare departments, to establish and implement statewide hourly task guidelines and instructions to provide counties with a standard tool for consistently and accurately assessing service needs and authorizing service hours to meet those needs. This bill would require the standardized provider timesheet used to track the work performed by providers of services under this chapter to contain a legal certification, to be signed by the provider and recipient, verifying that the information provided in the timesheet is true and correct. The bill would authorize, in addition to other criminal penalties, the imposition of a specified civil penalty against a person who is convicted of fraud, as defined, resulting from intentional deception or misrepresentation in the provision of timesheet information under the IHSS program.

Existing law establishes various student financial aid programs under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for the receipt of awards under those programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. Existing law establishes the Military Department, which includes the California National Guard, the State Military Reserve, and the Naval Militia, to perform various duties regarding the state militia. This bill would establish the California National Guard Education Assistance Award Program on behalf of qualifying members of the California National Guard, the State Military Reserve, and the Naval Militia under the administration of the commission. The bill would require the Student Aid Commission, in consultation with the Military Department, to adopt emergency rules and regulations for the purpose of implementing the program. The bill would require the Student Aid Commission to report annually to the Legislature regarding program participation. The bill would require the Legislative Analyst, on or before January 1, 2016, to prepare and submit to the Legislature a report on the program. The bill would provide that the program would become operative only if funds are appropriated for the purposes of the program. The bill would also provide that implementation of the program would be contingent upon the receipt of federal funds. The program would become inoperative on July 1, 2019, and would be repealed on January 1, 2020.

(1) The Santa Clara Valley Water District Act establishes the Santa Clara Valley Water District and specifies its powers and purposes relating to water supply and flood management. This bill would authorize the district to take actions relating to water management, water quality, and energy and environmental benefits in the district. The bill also would authorize the district to provide incentives or assistance to water retailers to implement specified water conservation measures. The bill would authorize the district to implement other measures if the implementation of those measures is a precondition for continued delivery of imported water to the district pursuant to state or federal law. (2) The act requires the district to annually prepare a written report on the district's activities in the protection and augmentation of the water supplies of the district, and requires the report to include information prescribed by the act and other information the board may order. The act requires the report to include a recommendation as to whether or not a groundwater charge should be levied in any zone or zones of the district during the ensuing water year and, if a groundwater charge is recommended, a proposal of the rate or rates per acre-foot of water, as specified. This bill would require the report to additionally include groundwater monitoring information collected by the district. The bill would revise the required groundwater charge recommendation to instead require the district to make a recommendation as to whether a groundwater charge should remain unchanged, be decreased or increased, or be newly imposed in any zone or zones of the district. (3) The act requires the board of directors of the district (board) to hold a public hearing on the annual report, and prescribes notice requirements for purposes of the public hearing. This bill would repeal that public hearing requirement and the related notice requirements. (4) The act requires the board to determine whether to levy a groundwater charge in any zone or zones prior to the end of the water year based upon findings and determinations from the public hearing on the annual report. The act sets forth various requirements relating to the calculation of groundwater charges, including a requirement that certain increases in rates be directly related to the reduction in the affected zone groundwater levels in a specified period. The act prescribes public hearing and notice requirements for the imposition of new and adjusted groundwater charges. Article XIIID of the California Constitution, which was added pursuant to the approval by the voters of Proposition 218 at the November 5, 1996, statewide general election, generally requires that assessments, fees, and charges be submitted to property owners for approval or rejection after the provision of a written notice and the holding of a public hearing. Existing provisions of the Government Code prescribe specific procedures and parameters for local jurisdictions in complying with Article XIIID of the California Constitution. This bill would repeal the public hearing and notice requirements related to groundwater charges, and would instead authorize the board to impose a groundwater charge in any zone in compliance with Article XIIID of the California Constitution and specified provisions of the Government Code. The bill would revise certain requirements relating to the calculation of groundwater charges, and would delete the requirement that certain increases in groundwater charge rates be directly related to the reduction in the affected zone groundwater levels. (5) By imposing new requirements on the district, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. (6) 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.

Existing law, the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law, requires the State Department of Public Health to regulate the manufacture, sale, labeling, and advertising activities related to food, drugs, devices, and cosmetics in conformity with the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. A violation of these provisions is a crime. This bill would require a grocer that directly buys farm products, as defined, from a farmer to display the price the grocer paid the farmer for his or her farm product. The price would be required to be displayed underneath the price the grocer is charging the consumer for the farm product. By creating a new 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.

Existing law provides for the county-administered In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, under which qualified aged, blind, and disabled persons are provided with services in order to permit them to remain in their own homes and avoid institutionalization. Existing law permits services to be provided under the IHSS program either through the employment of individual providers, a contract between the county and an entity for the provision of services, the creation by the county of a public authority, or a contract between the county and a nonprofit consortium. Under existing law, the State Department of Social Services is required, in consultation and coordination with county welfare departments, to establish and implement statewide hourly task guidelines and instructions to provide counties with a standard tool for consistently and accurately assessing service needs and authorizing service hours to meet those needs. This bill would require the department, on or before December 31, 2011, to develop procedures to ensure that an IHSS provider receives a list specifying the approved duties to be performed for each recipient under the provider's care and a complete list of supportive service tasks available under the IHSS program.

The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law authorize various credits against the taxes imposed by those laws, including a credit for an increase in qualified employees of a qualified employer. This bill would, under both laws, for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2010, allow a credit in an amount equal to 25% of the wages, not exceeding $6,000, paid to each qualified veteran, as defined, by the taxpayer during the taxable year. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Existing law requires the Director of Pesticide Regulation to adopt regulations which govern the conduct of the business of pest control. This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to these provisions.

Existing law, the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, requires certain persons identified as "mandated reporters," including teachers and various other school employees, to report suspected child abuse or child neglect, as specified, and provides that a failure to report as required is an offense. Existing law encourages employers to provide their employees who are mandated reporters with training in the duties imposed by the act, and further requires school districts that do not train their employees who are identified as mandated reporters to report to the State Department of Education the reasons why the training is not provided. Under existing law, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing is required to adopt standards and procedures for the issuance and renewal of teaching and services credentials. This bill, effective January 1, 2011, would require the holder of a teaching or services credential issued by the commission to complete an approved training program by January 1, 2012, and every 2 years thereafter, in the duties imposed on mandated reporters, as specified. The bill would require the holder of the credential to submit verification that he or she has complied with the training requirement, and, on and after January 1, 2012, would prohibit the commission from renewing a credential of a person who has not complied with the requirement. The bill would require the Office of Child Abuse Prevention in the State Department of Social Services or another agency approved by the State Department of Social Services to make resources it may have for training for mandated reporters available to all school districts and school district personnel.