Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh

Maddy summaryThis bill designates Thursday, July 25, 2024, as Hire a Veteran Day in California to honor veterans and encourage their employment. The measure is a commemorative resolution that does not create new laws, regulations, or funding but serves as an official state recognition of the date. By acknowledging this day, the Legislature aims to highlight the skills veterans bring to the workforce and support efforts to reduce veteran unemployment. The resolution requires no action from businesses or individuals other than observing the designated date.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates October 2024 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month to highlight the issue and encourage community support. It does not change any laws or allocate funding but serves as a symbolic recognition of the problem's impact on survivors across all demographics. The measure aims to raise public awareness about domestic violence statistics and the importance of prevention programs.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 95 is a non-binding statement that formally recognizes the importance of literacy in California and calls for schools to adopt curricula based on the science of reading. The resolution urges educational institutions to identify students who struggle with reading and provide them with remediation or referrals to support services. It also encourages collaboration among schools, community groups, and businesses to improve literacy rates and allocates no specific funding or mandates. Because this is a resolution rather than a bill, it expresses the Senate's position without creating new laws or changing state statutes.

(1) Existing law establishes the Board of Behavioral Sciences within the Department of Consumer Affairs and requires the board to regulate various registrants and licensees under the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act (LMFTA) , the Educational Psychologist Practice Act (EPPA) , the Clinical Social Worker Practice Act (CSWPA) , and the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act (LPCCA) . Existing law makes a violation of the provisions under those acts a crime. Existing law, under those acts, requires a licensee to display their license in a conspicuous place in the licensee's primary place of practice. Existing law requires a licensee or registrant to provide, before initiating specified services or as soon as practicably possible thereafter, a client with a prescribed written notice that specifies that the board receives and responds to complaints regarding services within the scope of the licensed practiced, among other things. This bill would provide that a licensee is required to display their license in a conspicuous place in the licensee's primary place of practice when rendering professional clinical services in person. The bill, commencing July 1, 2025, would require the above-described written notice to additionally include information about the licensee or registrant, including, among others, the licensee's or registrant's full name as filed with the board and the license or registration number, as prescribed. (2) Existing law, under the LMFTA, CSWPA, and LPCCA, requires an applicant for licensure to have, among other things, at least one hour of direct supervisor contact, as defined, in each week for which experience is credited in each work setting. For purposes of that definition, existing law refers to the individual receiving supervision as the supervisee. Existing law prohibits supervisors of supervisees, as specified, from serving as individual or triadic supervisors for more than 6 supervisees at any time, as provided. This bill would revise the definition of "one hour of direct supervisor contact," delete references to "supervisee," and instead refer to that individual as the person receiving supervision for providing clinical mental health services. The bill would delete the above-described prohibition and instead prohibit supervisors in nonexempt settings from serving as individual or triadic supervisors for more than a total of 6 persons who are not fully licensed at the highest level for independent clinical practice and who are receiving supervision for providing clinical mental health services in a nonexempt setting. (3) Existing law, under the CSWPA, requires a licensee to complete specified actions on or before the expiration date of the license to renew an unexpired license. Existing law requires the current renewal receipt to be displayed near the licensee's license. This bill would repeal the above-described requirement that the current renewal receipt be displayed near the licensee's license. (4) Because the bill would impose new requirements on licensees and registrants under the LMFTA, EPPA, CSWPA, and LPCCA, the violation of which is 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 establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services through various delivery systems, including fee-for-service and managed care. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Under existing law, community health worker services are a covered Medi-Cal benefit subject to any necessary federal approvals. Under existing law, a community health worker is a liaison, link, or intermediary between health and social services and the community to facilitate access to services and to improve the access and cultural competence of service delivery. Existing law requires a Medi-Cal managed care plan to engage in outreach and education efforts to enrollees, and to notify providers, about the community health worker services benefit, as specified. This bill would require a Medi-Cal managed care plan, no later than July 1, 2025, to adopt policies and procedures to effectuate a billing pathway for supervising providers to claim for the provision of community health worker services to enrollees during an emergency department visit and as an outpatient followup to an emergency department visit. The bill would require that the policies and procedures be consistent with guidance developed by the department for use by supervising providers to claim for community health worker services to Medi-Cal members in the fee-for-service delivery system in the settings described above. The bill would define a "supervising provider" for purposes of these provisions as an enrolled Medi-Cal provider that is authorized to supervise a community health worker pursuant to the federally approved Medicaid state plan amendment and that ensures that a community health worker meets the qualifications as required by the department, as specified.

Existing law requires any person who purchases or receives a firearm to possess a firearm safety certificate, with specified exemptions, including active or honorably retired members of the armed forces, as specified, where individuals in those organizations are properly identified. Under existing law, proper identification includes the Armed Forces Identification Card or other written documentation certifying that the individual is an active or honorably retired member of the armed forces. This bill would additionally include the Veteran Health Identification Card issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs as proper identification for the above provisions.

Existing law allows individuals, until January 1, 2025, to designate on their personal income tax return that a specified amount in excess of their tax liability be contributed to the California Breast Cancer Research Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund, which is continuously appropriated to the Franchise Tax Board, the Controller, and the University of California for specified purposes. Existing law also allows individuals, until January 1, 2025, to designate on their tax returns that a specified amount in excess of their tax liability be contributed to the California Cancer Research Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund, which is continuously appropriated to the Franchise Tax Board, the Controller, and the University of California for specified purposes. Existing law requires that each of these funds equal or exceed a minimum contribution amount of $250,000 to continue appearing on the return. This bill would extend the operation of each fund's provisions to January 1, 2032. By extending operation of continuously appropriated funds, this bill would make an appropriation.

Existing law, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, administered by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, regulates the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages and the granting of licenses for the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages within the state. The act limits the amount of on-sale general licenses that may be issued by the department based on the population of the county in which the licensed premises are located, as provided. Existing law makes various exceptions to this limitation, including for premises located on land owned by the State of California, any incorporated city, county, city and county, airport district, or other district or public corporation of the State of California provided that the premises are operated as a bona fide public eating place, except as specified. This bill would specify that the exception described above does not require on-sale general bona fide eating place licensed premises located on land owned by the County of Riverside and operated as the Riverside County Fairgrounds to be operated as a bona fide public eating place, except as specified. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Riverside.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Concurrent Resolution recognizes June 14, 2024, as Flag Day in California. The measure serves as a formal declaration to encourage citizens to celebrate the American flag and remember the sacrifices made for freedom. It does not create new laws or impose any requirements on individuals or organizations. The text includes historical background on the flag's design and the origins of Flag Day observances.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 71 officially designates September 2024 as Service Dog Appreciation Month in California to honor the vital contributions of service dogs and their handlers. This legislative measure does not alter laws or create new regulations but serves as a commemorative proclamation acknowledging the training, dedication, and life-improving benefits these animals provide to individuals with disabilities. The resolution highlights the significant challenges in obtaining service dogs, such as long wait times and rigorous training standards, while celebrating their role in enhancing health and independence for owners across the state.