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 provides that federally qualified health center (FQHC) services and rural health clinic (RHC) services, as defined, are covered benefits under the Medi-Cal program, to be reimbursed, to the extent that federal financial participation is obtained, to providers on a per-visit basis. "Visit" is defined as a face-to-face encounter between a patient of an FQHC or RHC and specified health care professionals, including a physician and marriage and family therapist. Under existing law, "physician," for these purposes, includes, but is not limited to, a physician and surgeon, an osteopath, and a podiatrist. This bill would authorize reimbursement for a maximum of 2 visits taking place on the same day at a single location if after the first visit the patient suffers illness or injury requiring additional diagnosis or treatment, or if the patient has a medical visit and a mental health visit or a dental visit, as defined. The bill would authorize an FQHC or RHC that currently includes the cost of a medical visit and a mental health visit that take place on the same day at a single location as a single visit for purposes of establishing the FQHC's or RHC's rate to apply for an adjustment to its per-visit rate, and after the department has approved that rate adjustment, to bill a medical visit and a mental health visit that take place on the same day at a single location as separate visits, in accordance with the bill. This bill would also include a licensed acupuncturist within those health care professionals covered under the definition of "visit." The bill would require the department, by July 1, 2020, to submit a state plan amendment to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reflect certain changes described in the bill, and to seek necessary federal approvals. The bill would also make conforming and technical changes.
Sponsored bills
This measure would urge the Congress and the President of the United States to work together to enact the robust bipartisan federal infrastructure legislation necessary to restore California's and other states' crumbling road and freight infrastructure, respond to growing traffic congestion, and increase investment in public transportation, most particularly, by expanding paratransit services for the elderly and those with special needs. The measure would additionally urge the Congress and the President of the United States to address the shortfall in the federal Highway Trust Fund by restoring the lost purchasing power of the federal fuel tax, in order to provide the long-term funding stability necessary for California and other states.
The Personal Income Tax Law authorizes various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including a credit for qualified renters in the amount of $120 for spouses filing joint returns, heads of household, and surviving spouses if adjusted gross income is $50,000, as adjusted, or less, and in the amount of $60 for other individuals if adjusted gross income is $25,000, as adjusted, or less. Existing law requires the Franchise Tax Board to annually adjust for inflation these adjusted gross income amounts. For 2018, the adjusted gross income limit is $83,282 and $41,641, respectively. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax credit to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax credit will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. Existing law establishes the continuously appropriated Tax Relief and Refund Account in the General Fund and provides that payments required to be made to taxpayers or other persons from the Personal Income Tax Fund are to be paid from that account, including any amount allowable as an earned income tax credit in excess of any tax liabilities. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, and before January 1, 2025, and only when specified in a bill relating to the Budget Act, would increase the credit amount for a qualified renter to $220 and $434, as provided. In the event the increased credit amount is not specified in a bill relating to the Budget Act, the existing credit amounts of $120 and $60, as described above, respectively, would be the credit amounts for that taxable year. The bill would require the Franchise Tax Board to annually recompute for inflation the credit amount for taxable years on or after January 1, 2021, and before January 1, 2025, unless otherwise provided. The bill would provide findings and declarations relating to the goals, purposes, and objectives of this credit. The bill, for credits allowable for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, and before January 1, 2025, would provide that the credit amount in excess of the qualified renter's liability would be refundable and paid from the Tax Relief and Refund Account to the qualified renter upon appropriation by the Legislature. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the tax imposed by that law. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax credit to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax credit will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would allow credits against the tax imposed by the Personal Income Tax Law for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2020, and before January 1, 2025, to a qualified taxpayer for qualified costs relating to qualified home hardening, as defined, and for qualified costs relating to qualified vegetation management, as defined, in specified amounts. The bill also would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new income tax credit and would require the Legislative Analyst's Office to prepare a written report regarding the credits, as provided. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Existing law authorizes a court to sentence a person convicted of an infraction to perform community service in lieu of the total fine, as defined, that would otherwise be imposed, upon a showing that payment of the total fine would pose a hardship on the defendant or the person's family. This bill would authorize a person who has been convicted of an infraction to elect to perform that community service in the county in which the infraction violation occurred, the county of the person's residence, or any other county to which the person has substantial ties if the court determines that the person has shown that payment of the total fine would pose a hardship on the person and the person has elected to perform community service in lieu of paying the total fine. The bill would require the court to retain jurisdiction until the community service has been verified as complete regardless of the county in which the person elects to perform the community service.
Existing law establishes processes for printing on presidential primary ballots the names of candidates for President of the United States who are considered to be generally recognized candidates or who are selected by a sufficient number of registered voters. Existing law, applicable to non-presidential direct primary elections, requires the Secretary of State to transmit to each county elections official a certified list of candidates who are eligible to be voted for in the official's county at a direct primary election. This bill would enact the Presidential Tax Transparency and Accountability Act, which would require a candidate for President, in order to have the candidate's name placed upon a primary election ballot, to file the candidate's income tax returns for the 5 most recent taxable years with the Secretary of State, as specified. The act would require the Secretary of State, within 5 days of receiving the returns, to make redacted versions of the returns available to the public on the Secretary of State's internet website. This bill would impose the same requirements on candidates for Governor. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law designates certain portions of authorized state highway routes as part of the state scenic highway system, if certain scenic highway standards are implemented. Existing law requires the Department of Transportation to designate a state highway within the scenic highway system as an official state scenic highway if the department determines that a corridor protection program has been implemented, as specified. This bill would designate State Route 128 as a route in the state scenic highway system.
Existing law authorizes the board of supervisors of specified counties to, by ordinance, consolidate the duties of the offices of Auditor-Controller and Treasurer-Tax Collector into the elected office of Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector. This bill would additionally authorize the board of supervisors of the County of Lake to consolidate the duties of the offices of Auditor-Controller and Treasurer-Tax Collector into the elected office of Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax-Collector when a vacancy in either the office of Auditor-Controller or in the office of Treasurer-Tax Collector occurs. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Lake.
(1) Existing law establishes a public school financing system that requires state funding for school districts and charter schools to be calculated pursuant to a local control funding formula, as specified. Existing law requires funding pursuant to the local control funding formula to include, in addition to a base grant, supplemental and concentration grant add-ons that are based on the percentage of pupils who are English learners, foster youth, or eligible for free or reduced-price meals, as specified, served by the school district or charter school. Existing law authorizes schools participating in certain federal school meals programs to establish a base year for purposes of calculating the number of pupils at the school who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals by determining each pupil's eligibility status in that base year and using that number to report eligibility for up to each of the following 3 school years. This bill would additionally allow schools participating in those federal school meals programs to establish a base year by carrying over the number of pupils at the school who were eligible for free or reduced-price meals from the school year in which the school applied to use a federal universal school meal provision. (2) Existing law requires a school district or county superintendent of schools maintaining a kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to provide a needy pupil, as defined, one nutritionally adequate free or reduced-price meal during each schoolday, and authorizes the school district or county superintendent of schools to use funds available from any federal or state school meals program to comply with that requirement. Existing law authorizes certain educational entities that participate in the federal School Breakfast Program, commencing with the 2019–20 fiscal year, to provide universal breakfast, as specified. This bill would establish the California-Grown for Healthy Kids Program, administered by the State Department of Education, to increase the provision of universally free school meals made with fresh, California-grown fruits and vegetables. The bill would require fresh, California-grown fruits and vegetables provided pursuant to the program to be provided free of charge to all pupils. The bill, contingent upon an appropriation made for these purposes, would make a school food authority, as defined, that meets specified requirements, including that it makes universally free school breakfast available in all schoolsites and provides universally free breakfast and lunch to all pupils in very high poverty schools, eligible to receive supplemental funding of $0.10 per breakfast served. The bill would authorize a school food authority to combine funding received pursuant to the program with other public or private funding sources to ensure that fresh, California-grown fruits or vegetables, or both, are provided to pupils. The bill would require, as a condition of receipt of funds pursuant to the program, a schoolsite to offer nutrition education activities and provide pupils with culturally appropriate meals.
This measure would urge Congress to swiftly enact House Resolution 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, to require background checks for all firearm sales.