Sen. Dave Cortese

This measure would recognize June 21, 2023, as the 2023 International Day of Yoga in California.

Existing law establishes the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, which is permitted to adjudge certain children to be dependents of the court under certain circumstances until the dependent child attains 21 years of age. Existing law also authorizes the juvenile court to resume jurisdiction over a nonminor who has attained 18 years of age, but not yet attained 21 years of age, and for whom the court has dismissed dependency, delinquency, or transition jurisdiction. Existing law, the California Fostering Connections to Success Act, revises and expands the scope of various programs relating to the provision of cash assistance and other services to and for the benefit of certain foster and adopted children, and other children who have been placed in out-of-home care, including children who receive Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care (AFDC-FC) , Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) , California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) , and Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment (Kin-GAP) benefits. Among other provisions, the act extends specified foster care benefits to nonminor dependents up to 21 years of age, if specified conditions are met. Existing law defines a nonminor dependent for these purposes as a foster child who is a current dependent child or ward of the juvenile court, or who is a nonminor under the transition jurisdiction of the juvenile court pursuant to a voluntary reentry agreement, and in accordance with a transitional independent living case plan who has attained 18 years of age while under an order of foster care placement by the juvenile court and is not older than 21 years of age. This bill would, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute for this purpose, require the State Department of Social Services to administer a 3-year pilot program in at least 3 counties that choose to participate to extend foster care services to nonminor dependents up to 22 years of age if the nonminor dependent is experiencing homelessness or is at reasonable risk of homelessness if they are not under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. Under the pilot program, the bill would expand the jurisdiction of the juvenile court to include, as a nonminor dependent, a nonminor who is 21 years of age and who was previously under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court if the juvenile court makes a finding on the record by a preponderance of the evidence that the nonminor is experiencing homelessness or is at reasonable risk of homelessness if they are not under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, among other requirements, would expand the eligibility of foster care by revising the definition of nonminor dependent to include a foster child who meets the above-described requirements and is 21 years of age if the court makes that same finding, and would make these nonminor dependents eligible for benefits under AFDC-FC, CalWORKs, Kin-GAP, and AAP. Existing law continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program. This bill would provide that the continuous appropriation would not be made for purposes of implementing the bill.

Existing state law forbids a public employer from deterring or discouraging public employees from becoming or remaining members of an employee organization. Existing federal law forbids employers from interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees in the exercise of rights relating to organizing, forming, joining, or assisting a labor organization for collective bargaining purposes, or from working together to improve terms and conditions of employment, or refraining from any such activity. This measure, the Right to Organize and Negotiate Act, would ensure that all Californians have the right to join a union and to negotiate with their employers, through their legally chosen representative, to protect their economic well-being and safety at work. This measure would require the Legislature to provide for the enforcement of these rights. This measure would also prohibit, after January 1, 2023, the passing of any statute or ordinance that interferes with, negates, or diminishes the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively over their wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment and workplace safety.

This measure would dedicate the month of May 2023 as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month.

This measure would designate the month of May 2023 as National Bike Month in California and would encourage Californians to ride bicycles for commuting and recreation, and California cities and counties to make streets safer for cycling.

This measure would proclaim May 10, 2023, as the Day of the Teacher.

This measure would request the Congress of the United States to enact, and the President to sign, legislation that would repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision from the Social Security Act.

Existing law establishes the Middle Class Scholarship Program (MCSP) under the administration of the Student Aid Commission. Existing law makes an undergraduate student eligible for a scholarship award under the MCSP if the student is enrolled at the University of California or the California State University, or enrolled in upper division coursework in a community college baccalaureate program, and meets certain eligibility requirements. This bill would extend awards under the MCSP to community college students who are current or former foster youth pursuing transfer to a 4-year postsecondary educational institution, an associate degree, an associate degree for transfer, or a community college career technical education certificate and meet other MCSP requirements, as provided. The bill would require the commission to summarize the provisions of the MCSP that apply to these current or former foster youth and title those provisions as "The Fostering Futures Program" on a page on its internet website.

This measure would recognize May 14, 2023, as the 116th annual Mother's Day and would urge all Californians to recognize, appreciate, and be grateful for the gifts and good works of mothers on that day.