Existing law, the California International Trade and Investment Act, specifies that the Governor is the primary state officer representing the state's interest in international affairs and the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency is the primary state agency responsible for international trade and investment activities in the state. Existing law requires the Office of Planning and Research to maintain, and update, a full and comprehensive list of all state agreements made with foreign governments, as provided. This bill would require the Governor to establish a memorandum of understanding to formalize a relationship between the state and Israel to foster technology development, business development, and educational opportunities in solar energy and environmental technology industries.
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Existing law requires payments, issued by county welfare departments, for 24-hour out-of-home care to be provided on behalf of any seriously emotionally disturbed child who has been placed out of home pursuant to an individualized education program (IEP) developed under a specified provision of existing law. Existing law restricts payments for this purpose to children placed in privately operated residential facilities licensed in accordance with the California Community Care Facilities Act. This bill, until January 1, 2013, would authorize these payments to be made to an out-of-state privately owned residential facility that meets applicable licensing requirements, and that is organized and operated on a for-profit basis, if specified conditions are met. The bill would require the State Department of Mental Health, in collaboration with the California Mental Health Directors Association, to provide prescribed information to the Legislature regarding the out-of-home placement of seriously emotionally disturbed children. This bill would also deem reimbursable specified costs of care for a seriously emotionally disturbed child with an individualized education program developed on or before the date the bill is enacted, that would otherwise satisfy the requirements of the bill. By increasing available placement options for seriously emotionally disturbed children, this bill would require additional duties of county welfare departments, and would thus 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, 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
(1) Existing law requires the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development to convene a biennial economic strategy panel, known as the California Economic Strategy Panel and consisting of specified appointed members, for purposes of providing recommendations regarding a California Economic Development Strategic Plan and to review those recommendations made by the panel in its biennial economic development strategic plan document, as specified. Existing law requires the panel to address various specified matters of concern, including the development of a system of accountability for use in the annual state budget process and in the legislative process to measure the performance of all state policies, programs, and tax expenditures intended to stimulate the economy. Existing law also requires the panel to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than one year after its first meeting after January 1, 2005. This bill would, instead, require the California Economic Strategy Panel to prepare and submit a preliminary version of the California Economic Development Strategic Plan to the Governor and the Legislature prior to May 1, 2010, and to prepare a final version of the plan within 5 months of the conclusion of required hearings by the Legislature on the preliminary version of the plan. The bill would require the development of the plan to be funded from private donations. The bill would require the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development to collaborate with the Secretaries of Business, Transportation and Housing and Food and Agriculture in leading the preparation of the California Economic Development Strategic Plan and would require the panel to assess specified matters in preparing the plan, to consult with other state entities, and to review and include certain materials appropriate to completion of the plan. The bill would require that particular components be included in the plan and would delete a system of accountability for use in the state budget process from required elements for the panel's consideration. The bill would require the panel to review the plan 5 years after its finalization and every 5 years thereafter and to update the plan as the panel determines necessary. The bill would modify the composition of the California Economic Strategy Panel by adding the Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing, the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, the Director of the Office of Small Business Advocate, and the Executive Director of the California Council on Science and Technology as members of the panel and would require, beginning October 1, 2010, the panel to report biennially to the Legislature on its activities. (2) Existing law creates the California Economic Development Fund, and provides for the deposit of government and private economic development funds into it. Under existing law, these funds, upon appropriation by the Legislature, may be expended by the Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing for economic development purposes. This bill would authorize the Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing to accept monetary gifts, which would be deposited in the California Economic Development Fund, for the cost of developing and updating economic and workforce development studies, strategies, and policies. The bill would require the secretary to record each gift and to file a copy of the record with the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. (3) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The Personal Income Tax Law authorizes various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including a credit in an amount equal to 50% of specified adoption costs, not to exceed $2,500 per minor child who is a citizen or legal resident of the United States and who is in the custody of a public agency in this state. This bill would, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2010, and before January 1, 2015, increase the credit limitation to a maximum of $5,000 with respect to the adoption of a minor child, as described, who is over 12 years of age or who was living in a group home or residential treatment facility, as defined, for a period of at least 6 months within 18 months prior to the time the adoption is completed. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, and pursuant to which, health care services are provided to qualified low-income persons. Under existing law, one of the utilization controls to which services are subject under the Medi-Cal program is the treatment authorization request (TAR) process, which is approval by a department consultant of a specified service in advance of the rendering of that service based upon a determination of medical necessity. Existing law requires the department to pursue means to improve and streamline the TAR process. This bill would require the department, in pursuing means to improve and streamline the TAR process, to do so in specified ways, including performing a cost-benefit analysis for each procedure requiring a TAR and reducing the number of TARs required. Existing law specifies the number of days within which certain TARs are required to be authorized. This bill would reduce the number of days within which these TARs shall be authorized.
Existing law provides for licensing and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Insurance Commissioner. Existing law authorizes a health care service plan or health insurer to exclude an applicant from coverage for a specified time for preexisting conditions. A willful violation of provisions governing health care service plans is a crime. This bill would prohibit an individual health care service plan contract or health insurance policy from denying coverage to, or excluding coverage for, an enrollee or insured due to a preexisting condition provision or otherwise, as specified, due to a mental or physical condition that is not life threatening nor chronic or severe, that is not considered to be a present condition at the time of enrollment, and for which the enrollee or insured has not received treatment for the past 12 months. By imposing a new requirement on health care service plans, the willful violation of which would be a crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law provides for the licensure, registration, and certification of the various healing arts professionals, including, but not limited to, setting forth the scope of practice, establishing the regulatory boards, department, or bureaus, and setting forth the powers and duties of these entities. This bill would establish similar licensure, registration, and certification provisions relating to alcohol and other drug counselors to be administered by the State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, and would authorize the department to commence issuing these licenses, registrations, and certificates on January 1, 2012. The bill would make a violation of these provisions a crime. The bill would authorize the department to assess related fees, and would require deposit of the fees into the Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor License Fund, which the bill would establish for expenditure for the purposes of this bill, upon appropriation by the Legislature. By establishing 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 In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, under which qualified aged, blind, and disabled persons receive services enabling 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. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which health care services are provided to qualified low-income persons. Under existing law, IHSS recipients who are eligible for the Medi-Cal program are provided with personal care option services, as defined, in lieu of receiving these services under the IHSS program. Existing law, enacted in 2009, makes various statutory changes with respect to the provision of in-home supportive services, relating to matters, including, but not limited to, provider enrollment procedures, criminal background checks, orientation, and duties, as well as eligibility standards for recipients, unannounced home visits, and program integrity and fraud prevention. This bill would make the operation of the statutory changes described above subject to a stakeholder process, to be conducted, as specified, by the State Department of Social Services, prior to the implementation of those changes. The bill would require implementation of any of the statutory changes described in the bill to occur either on the date specified in an applicable statute, or 60 days after the department notifies the Joint Legislative Budget Committee that the changes may be implemented, whichever is later. This bill would prohibit information notices relating to the implementation of these statutory changes from being sent to recipients or providers until the stakeholder process is completed. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The California Public Records Act requires state and local agencies to make their records available for public inspection and to make copies available upon request and payment of a fee unless those records are exempt from disclosure. The act defines the terms "local agency" and "state agency" for purposes of the act. This bill would revise the definition of the term "local agency" to additionally include specified auxiliary organizations established for the purpose of providing support services and specialized programs for the general benefit of a community college. This bill would revise the definition of the term "state agency" to additionally include specified auxiliary organizations and other specified entities. The bill would exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act the names of individuals who donate to specified entities if those individuals request anonymity. However, the bill would provide that this exemption does not apply if a donor, in a quid pro quo arrangement, receives anything that has more than a nominal value in exchange for the donation. This bill would also provide that it is the intent of the Legislature to reject the court's interpretation of state law regarding the application of the act to auxiliary organizations, such as the CSU Fresno Association, at issue in California State University, Fresno Assn., Inc. v. Superior Court (2001) 90 Cal.App.4th 810. The bill would also provide that it is the intent of the Legislature that specified organizations be included in the definition of "state agency" solely for the purposes of the California Public Records Act.
Existing law provides that a minor may be adjudged a dependent child or a ward of the juvenile court under specified circumstances. Existing law authorizes the court to place a minor who has been removed from the custody of his or her parent or guardian in foster care among other placements, as specified. Existing law provides for the termination of the juvenile court jurisdiction when the minor reaches a specified age. This bill would require a probation officer or parole officer, whenever the juvenile court terminates jurisdiction over a ward, or upon release of a ward from a nonfoster care facility, to provide to the person a written notice stating that the person is a former foster child and may be eligible for the services and benefits that are available to a former foster child through public and private programs, and information that informs the person of the availability of, and assistance to enable the ward to apply for and gain acceptance into, federal and state programs that provide independent living services and benefits to former foster children for which the person is or may be eligible. By imposing additional duties upon probation officers, this bill would create 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, 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.