Sen. Bill Monning

This measure would recognize the importance of the right of freedom of speech, would condemn biased, hurtful, and dangerous speech intended to stoke fear and intimidation in its listeners, as specified, and would encourage public postsecondary educational institutions to ensure that they provide a safe, encouraging environment for exercising the right of freedom of speech.

Under existing law, the State Water Resources Control Board and the California regional water quality control boards prescribe waste discharge requirements in accordance with the federal Clean Water Act and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, referred to as the state act. The state act imposes various penalties for a violation of its requirements. The state act requires specified penalties be deposited into the Waste Discharge Permit Fund and separately accounted. The state act requires penalty moneys in the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to be expended by the state board to assist regional boards and prescribed other public agencies in cleaning up or abating the effects of waste on waters of the state or to assist a regional board attempting to remedy a significant unforeseen water pollution problem. This bill would appropriate $500,000 from the fund, as specified, to the state board for use by the Greater Monterey County Regional Water Management Group to develop an integrated plan to address the drinking water and wastewater needs of disadvantaged communities in the Salinas Valley whose waters have been affected by waste discharges, thereby making an appropriation. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for Monterey County.

(1) Existing law, the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Act, establishes the Monterey County Water Resources Agency as a flood control and water agency within the County of Monterey. This bill would authorize the agency to award a design-build contract for the combined design and construction of a project to connect Lake San Antonio, located in the County of Monterey, and Lake Nacimiento, located in the County of San Luis Obispo, with an underground tunnel or pipeline for the purpose of maximizing water storage, supply, and groundwater recharge. Certain alternative provisions of the bill that would authorize the agency to use a different design-build procedure, as specified, would become operative only if SB 785 is enacted and becomes effective on or before January 1, 2015. (2) The bill would declare that, due to the unique circumstances of the agency, a general statute within the meaning of specified provisions of the California Constitution cannot be made applicable and a special statute is necessary.

(1) Existing law establishes the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System, as provided. Existing law requires the State Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst's Office, and contingent upon the receipt of federal funds, to prepare the system to include data on pupil attendance, as specified. Existing law requires the system to support local educational agencies in their efforts to identify and support pupils at risk of dropping out and that it be capable of issuing periodic reports to local educational agencies that include district, school, class, and individual pupil reports on the rates of absence and chronic absentees. This bill would, subject to available state, federal, or private funding, require the State Department of Education to enhance the system, as provided. The bill would require the periodic reports to local educational agencies to include reports on the rates of absence, rates of chronic absenteeism and the number of chronic absentees, rates of truancy and the number of truants, rates of habitual truancy and the number of habitual truants, and rates of chronic truancy and the number of chronic truants. The bill would delete class information from the periodic reports. The bill would establish a definition for "rates of absence." (2) Existing law, once the system is prepared to accept data on a quarterly rate of pupil attendance, authorizes a local educational agency to submit data to the State Department of Education on a quarterly rate of pupil attendance, and other indicators as identified by the department. This bill would, once the system is enhanced to accept data on pupil attendance, authorize a local educational agency to submit the specified data to the system at any time throughout the year that meets its needs, but would require a local educational agency to, at a minimum, submit and certify the specified data, and other indicators identified by the department, to the system at the end of the school year or on dates to be determined by the department. The bill would authorize a local educational agency to receive reports with the specified data disaggregated as provided. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) This bill would also make conforming and nonsubstantive changes. (4) 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.

Existing law defines a truant as any pupil subject to compulsory full-time education or to compulsory continuation education who is absent from school without a valid excuse 3 full days in one school year, or tardy or absent for more than any 30-minute period during the schoolday without a valid excuse on 3 occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof. Existing law provides that a pupil who is required to be reported as a truant is subject to specified penalties for the first to 4th instances that a truancy report is issued to a pupil, and, under certain circumstances, he or she may be judged a ward of the juvenile court. Existing law provides that a parent, guardian, or other person having control of or charge of any pupil who is a truant or chronic truant is guilty of, among other things, an infraction and subject to specified penalties for the first to 3rd or subsequent convictions. Existing law provides that any minor pupil who is a habitual truant, is irregular in attendance at school, or is habitually insubordinate or disorderly during attendance at school may be referred to a school attendance review board or to the probation department for services if the probation department has elected to receive these referrals. Existing law, under specified circumstances, authorizes a school attendance review board to notify the district attorney or the probation officer, or both, if the district attorney or the probation officer has elected to participate in a truancy mediation program, as specified. Existing law, under specified circumstances, also authorizes a school attendance review board or probation officer to direct the county superintendent of schools to request a petition on behalf of the pupil in the juvenile court of the county. This bill would require a state or local agency conducting a truancy-related mediation or prosecuting a pupil or a pupil's parent or legal guardian pursuant to these provisions, among others, to provide the school district, school attendance review board, county superintendent of schools, probation department, or any other agency that referred the truancy-related mediation, criminal complaint, or petition with the outcome of each referral, as specified. By imposing additional duties on local officials, 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, 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.

Existing law, the Political Reform Act of 1974, provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing, including requiring the reporting of campaign contributions and expenditures and imposing other reporting and recordkeeping requirements on campaign committees. "Contribution" is defined for purposes of the act as a payment, a forgiveness of a loan, a payment of a loan by a third party, or an enforceable promise to make a payment, except to the extent that full and adequate consideration is received, unless it is clear from the surrounding circumstances that it is not made for political purposes. The definition does not include a payment made by an occupant of a home or office for costs related to any meeting or fundraising event held in the occupant's home or office if the costs for the meeting or fundraising event are $500 or less. The act prohibits a lobbyist from making, and an elected state officer or candidate for elective state office from accepting, a contribution if the lobbyist is registered to lobby the governmental agency for which the candidate is seeking election or the governmental agency of the elected state officer. This bill would revise the definition of "contribution" to include a payment made by a lobbyist or a cohabitant of a lobbyist for costs related to a fundraising event held at the home of the lobbyist, as specified. The bill would make these payments attributable to the lobbyist for purposes of the prohibition against a lobbyist making a contribution to specified candidates and elected officers. The bill would also revise the definition of "contribution" to include a payment made by a lobbying firm for costs related to a fundraising event held at the office of the lobbying firm. A violation of the act's provisions is punishable as a misdemeanor. By expanding the scope of an existing 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. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.

Existing law requires the Department of Industrial Relations, with the State Department of Public Health (DPH) , to establish a repository of current data on toxic materials and harmful physical agents in use or potentially in use in places of employment in the state. That repository is known as the Hazard Evaluation System and Information Service (HESIS) . Existing law requires HESIS, among other things, to provide information and collect and evaluate data relating to possible hazards to employees resulting from exposure to toxic materials or harmful physical agents. Existing law expressly does not require employers to report any information not otherwise required by law. This bill, except as specified, when there is new scientific or medical information and the Chief of HESIS, in consultation with the Director of Industrial Relations and the Chief of the Division of Environmental and Occupational Disease Control in DPH, makes a specified determination, would require chemical manufacturers, formulators, suppliers, distributors, importers, and their agents to provide to HESIS the names and addresses of their customers who have purchased specified chemicals or commercial products containing those chemicals, and certain other information related to those shipments, upon written request of HESIS, for every product the final destination of which may be a place of employment in California. The bill would deem the names and addresses of customers, the quantities and dates of shipments, and the proportion of a specified chemical within a mixture to be confidential. The bill would also provide that DPH would be entitled to reimbursement of attorney's fees and costs incurred in seeking an injunction to enforce this requirement. The California Public Records Act requires certain public records to be made available for public inspection, and lists records that are exempt from disclosure under the act. The bill would exempt from public disclosure under the act the names and addresses of customers, the quantities and dates of shipments, and the proportion of a specified chemical within a mixture provided to HESIS by chemical manufacturers, formulators, suppliers, distributors, importers, and their agents, that would be required pursuant to the bill, as provided, but would specifically authorize HESIS to disclose that information to officers or employees of the DPH, to officers or employees of the state who are responsible for carrying out the provisions of the Labor Code relating to safety in employment, or to specified state agencies. The bill would also state findings and declarations of the Legislature for limiting the public's right of access to the information.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to operate campuses and provide instruction. This bill would authorize the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to enter into agreements with up to 10 community college districts to provide additional funds for services in support of postsecondary education for foster youth. The bill would provide that these services include, when appropriate, but are not necessarily limited to, outreach and recruitment, service coordination, counseling, book and supply grants, tutoring, independent living and financial literacy skills support, frequent in-person contact, career guidance, transfer counseling, child care and transportation assistance, and referrals to health services, mental health services, housing assistance, and other related services. The bill would require a community college district that wishes to participate in this program to apply to the board of governors for funding under the program created by the bill, as specified. The bill would require, if more than 10 community college districts apply for funding, the board of governors to give priority to those districts with the higher number of eligible students. The bill would require that a participating student be a current or former foster youth in California whose dependency was established or continued by the court on or after the student's 16th birthday and be no older than 25 years of age at the commencement of any academic year in which he or she participates in the program. The bill would express the intent of the Legislature that, consistent with specified requirements in the Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012, and to the extent that a participating community college meets specified responsibilities set forth in that act, any student who participates in the program established by this bill also receive specified matriculation services under that act. The bill would require the board of governors to adopt regulations for the program and to be responsible for the administration of funds for the program, as specified. The bill would require the board of governors to submit a biennial report, commencing no later than March 31, 2018, and every 2 years thereafter, providing prescribed information, including recommendations on whether and how the program can be expanded to all community college districts and campuses. The bill would be operative in a fiscal year only if sufficient funds have been appropriated for purposes of the bill for that fiscal year.

Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. Existing law permits the department to make unannounced visits to an applicant or to a provider for the purpose of determining whether enrollment, continued enrollment, or certification as a provider is warranted, or as necessary for the administration of the Medi-Cal program. Existing law further requires that a provider be subject to temporary suspension from the Medi-Cal program, which includes temporary deactivation of the provider's number, for failure to remediate significant discrepancies in information that he or she provided to the department or for failure to remediate significant discrepancies that are discovered as a result of an announced or unannounced visit to the provider, as specified. Existing law requires the provider to be notified, in writing, of the temporary suspension and deactivation of provider numbers. This bill would require that notice of temporary suspension to contain a list of discrepancies to be remediated and the timeframe in which the provider needs to remediate those discrepancies, which must be at least 60 days from the date the notice of temporary suspension is issued. The bill would require the department to lift a temporary suspension and notify a provider that the temporary suspension has been lifted and that he or she is eligible to receive reimbursement for Medi-Cal services provided after the date the temporary suspension was lifted if the provider has demonstrated that the identified discrepancies have been remediated within the applicable timeframe. The bill would require the department to send a notice to a provider who fails to remediate the identified discrepancies in the applicable timeframe stating that he or she will be removed from enrollment as a provider in the Medi-Cal program by operation of law based on failure to remediate the identified discrepancies.

(1) Existing law, as added by Proposition 227, a measure approved by the voters at the June 2, 1998, statewide primary election, requires, among other things, that all children in California public schools be taught English by being taught in English. Proposition 227 specifies that English learner pupils, as defined, be educated through sheltered English immersion, as defined, during a temporary transition period not normally intended to exceed one year. Proposition 227 further provides that its requirements relating to sheltered English immersion instruction may be waived with the prior written consent of a pupil's parent or legal guardian, as specified. Proposition 227 also encourages family members and others to provide personal English language tutoring to English learner pupils. This bill would amend and repeal various provisions of Proposition 227. The bill would, among other things, delete the sheltered English immersion requirement and waiver provisions, and would instead provide that school districts and county offices of education shall, at a minimum, provide English learners with a structured English immersion program, as specified. The bill would authorize parents or legal guardians of pupils enrolled in the school to choose a language acquisition program that best suits their child, as provided. (2) Existing law requires, on or before July 1, 2014, the governing board of each school district and each county board of education to adopt a local control and accountability plan and requires the governing board of each school district and each county board of education to update its plan on or before July 1 of each year. As part of the process for developing the local control and accountability plan, existing law requires the superintendent of the school district or the county superintendent of schools to both present the plan or annual update to the plan to a parent advisory committee and an English learner parent advisory committee for review and comment, and to respond, in writing, to comments received from the committees. Existing law also requires the superintendent of the school district and the county superintendent of schools to notify members of the public of the opportunity to submit written comments regarding the specific actions and expenditures proposed to be included in the local control and accountability plan or annual update to the plan. This bill would, as part of the parent and community engagement process required for the development of a local control and accountability plan, require school districts and county offices of education to solicit input on, and provide to pupils, effective and appropriate instructional methods, including, but not limited to, establishing language acquisition programs, as defined. (3) Proposition 227 also specifies that a pupil's parent or legal guardian has standing to sue for enforcement of its provisions and, if successful, to receive normal and customary attorney's fees and actual damages, but not punitive or consequential damages. Proposition 227 further provides that school board members, other elected officials, and public school teachers or administrators who willfully and repeatedly refuse to implement its provisions may be held personally liable for fees and actual damages by a pupil's parent or legal guardian. This bill would delete those provisions. (4) Proposition 227 provides that its provisions may be amended by a statute to further its purpose passed by a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and signed by the Governor. This bill would delete the requirement that the amendment further the purpose of Proposition 227, and would revise the vote threshold to a majority vote in each house of the Legislature. (5) This bill would make these provisions operative on July 1, 2017. (6) The California Constitution authorizes the Legislature to amend or repeal an initiative statute by another statute that becomes effective when approved by the electors. This bill would provide that it would become effective only upon approval of the voters, and would require the Secretary of State to submit this measure to the voters for approval at the November 2016 statewide general election.