Sen. Melissa Hurtado

Existing law, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act of 2009, establishes the Delta Stewardship Council, which is required to develop, adopt, and commence implementation of a comprehensive management plan, known as the Delta Plan, for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This bill would require the council, at least once annually, to publish on its internet website, in consultation with relevant state and federal agencies and the public, a water supply reliability estimation for the water flows into the Delta and out of the Straits of Carquinez and into the San Francisco Bay.

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California. Existing law provides that the board is the only licensing board authorized to investigate or commence disciplinary actions relating to physicians and surgeons, as specified. This bill would authorize a board investigator and a medical consultant, at the discretion of the board, to inspect the business location and records of a physician or surgeon, including patient and client records. The bill would provide that in the case where consent of a patient to inspect patient records is not present, the board investigator and medical consultant may inspect records in the office of the licensee for the limited purpose of determining whether good cause exists to seek a subpoena for those records. Existing law, the Pharmacy Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of the practice of pharmacy by the 13-member California State Board of Pharmacy, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs. This bill would authorize the Medical Board of California to request records and other information from a pharmacist in conducting an investigation of a licensee. The bill would require a pharmacist receiving that request to respond in the same manner and timeframe as if the request came from the California State Board of Pharmacy. The Medical Practice Act also establishes the procedures for formal disciplinary proceedings, and requires that complainants against licensees who are subject to disciplinary proceedings be notified of the actions proposed to be taken against the licensee, as provided. The act allows complainants the opportunity to provide a statement to the deputy attorney general from the Health Quality Enforcement Section who is assigned the case. Under the act, these statements are not considered for purposes of adjudication, but may be considered after final adjudication for purposes of setting generally applicable policies and standards. This bill would also allow these statements to be considered for purposes of adjudication, and would require these statements to be made under penalty of perjury. By expanding the crime of perjury, 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 measure would proclaim March 7, 2022, to March 11, 2022, inclusive, as School Breakfast Week and would recognize the importance of school nutrition programs and school nutrition staff in addressing the needs of the state's pupils.

This measure would proclaim January 27, 2022, as Rose Ann Vuich Recognition Day, in recognition of Senator Rose Ann Vuich as the first woman elected to the California State Senate, to honor Senator Vuich's service to the Senate, and to appropriately reflect the Senator's stature and legacy.

Existing law authorizes the Counties of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare to develop a Central Valley Rural Crime Prevention Program, administered by the county district attorney's office or the county sheriff's department of each respective county under a joint powers agreement, as specified. Existing law requires, in order to receive funds for the program, each designated county agree to participate in a regional task force, known as the Central Valley Rural Crime Task Force. Existing law authorizes the Central Valley Rural Crime Prevention Task Force to develop a uniform procedure for all participating counties to collect, and authorizes each county to collect, data on agricultural crimes. Existing law authorizes the staff of each program to consist of personnel designated by the district attorney and sheriff for each county in accordance with the joint powers agreement. This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to those provisions.

Existing law creates the Food Biotechnology Task Force and authorizes the task force to request that particular agencies lead the effort to evaluate various factors related to food biotechnology, as specified. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.