Sen. Melissa Hurtado

Existing federal law provides for allocation of federal funds through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program to eligible states. Existing law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program under which, through a combination of state and county funds and federal funds received through the TANF program, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits, including allowances for other purposes such as pregnancy, homeless assistance, and recurring special needs, to qualified low-income families. This bill would, beginning April 1, 2025, make a menstruating person who is qualified for aid under the CalWORKs program and between 10 and 55 years of age, inclusive, entitled to $20 per month to assist with menstrual product costs. The bill would require the State Department of Social Services to work with the County Welfare Directors Association of California and the California Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS) to develop and implement the necessary system changes on or before April 1, 2025. By increasing the duties of counties administering the CalWORKs program, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program. This bill would instead provide that the continuous appropriation would not be made for purposes of implementing the bill. 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 the statutory provisions noted above.

Existing law, the California Disaster Assistance Act, requires the Director of Emergency Services to provide financial assistance to local agencies for their personnel costs, equipment costs, and the cost of supplies and materials used during disaster response activities, incurred as a result of a state of emergency proclaimed by the Governor, subject to specified criteria. The act continuously appropriates moneys in the Disaster Assistance Fund and its subsidiary account, the Earthquake Emergency Investigations Account, without regard to fiscal year, for purposes of the act. This bill would enact the California Individual Assistance Act to establish a grant program to provide financial assistance to local agencies, community-based organizations, and individuals for specified costs related to a disaster, as prescribed. The bill would require the director to allocate from the fund, subject to specified conditions, funds to meet the cost of expenses for those purposes. By authorizing increased expenditure of moneys from a continuously appropriated fund for a new purpose, the bill would make an appropriation. This bill would authorize the director to adopt regulations, as determined to be necessary, to govern the administration of the program. The bill would require the director to enter into agreements with local agencies or community-based organizations to retroactively provide individual and family grants for specific disaster events. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

This measure would designate the plaza at the center of the California State Capitol World Peace Rose Garden in the City of Sacramento as the Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird Justice For All Plaza. The measure would also request the Department of General Services to determine the cost of erecting appropriate plaques and markers showing the designation and, upon receiving donations, to cover the cost to erect signage.

This measure would proclaim the month of June to be June Dairy Month in California and would encourage all Californians to continue to support the American dairy industry by including dairy products as part of a healthy diet.

The California Constitution provides that only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California, and federal law permanently enjoins the state from enforcing this constitutional provision. This measure would repeal this unenforceable constitutional provision and would instead provide that the right to marry is a fundamental right, as specified.

This measure would proclaim October 5, 2023, as Latina Equal Pay Day in California, in recognition of the need to eliminate the gender gap in earnings by women and to promote policies to ensure equal pay for all.

Existing law requires a tax return filed with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) that reports gross receipts for sales and use tax purposes to segregate the gross receipts of the seller and the sales price of the property on a line or a separate form when the place of sale in this state or for use in this state is on or within the real property of a state-designated fair, as defined, or any real property of a state-designated fair that is leased to another party. Existing law requires, on or before November 1 of each year, the CDTFA to report to the Department of Finance the amount of the total gross receipts segregated on these tax returns for the prior fiscal year, and that 34 of 1% of the total gross receipts be included in the next annual Governor's Budget for use by the Department of Food and Agriculture for allocation to fairs and that those funds be transferred by the Controller to the Fair and Exposition Fund, which is continuously appropriated, as prescribed. Existing law provides that certain revenues deposited into the Fair and Exposition Fund are appropriated without regard to fiscal years for allocation by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture for capital outlay to California fairs, as specified. This bill would increase the amount of the total gross receipts required to be included in the next annual Governor's Budget for use by the Department of Food and Agriculture and transferred to the Fair and Exposition Fund, as specified, from 34 of 1% to 3.5%. From the funds subject to allocation by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture for capital outlay to California fairs, which the bill would increase by adding this 3.5% gross receipts transfer, the bill would require, each fiscal year, the sum of $2,500,000, or an amount equal to 5% of the fund, whichever is greater, to be paid to the department for purposes of providing administrative services to fairs, as specified. The bill would also require, each fiscal year, from the amounts available in the Fair and Exposition Fund after the payment made to the department, the sum of $500,000 to be paid to the nonprofit organization representing all fairs in the network of California fairs for purposes of providing services to fairs, as specified. The bill would make other nonsubstantive changes regarding appropriations to the department for fairs. This bill would require the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, by May 15 of each year, to prepare an annual expenditure plan for funds from the Fair and Exposition Fund for review and approval by the Joint Committee on Fairs Allocation and Classification, as provided. By increasing the amounts to be deposited into the Fair and Exposition Fund, which is continuously appropriated, and by appropriating these amounts for new purposes, the bill would make an appropriation. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

This measure would declare May 23, 2023, as GM1 Gangliosidosis Awareness Day in California.

This measure would proclaim the month of May of 2023, and each May every year thereafter, as Latina Maternal Health Awareness Month in California.

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