Under existing law, the Department of Human Resources succeeds to and is vested with those powers, duties, and authorities necessary to operate the state civil service system. Prior to January 1, 2013, existing law required the State Personnel Board to develop, implement, and maintain equal employment opportunity guidelines. On and after January 1, 2013, existing law requires the Department of Human Resources to develop, implement, and maintain equal employment opportunity guidelines. Under existing law, regulations adopted by the State Personnel Board are exempt from the Administrative Procedure Act, except that regulations concerning certain matters are subject to the Administrative Procedure Act. These matters include, but are not limited to, the representation of minorities, women, and persons with disabilities in the state workforce, equal employment opportunities, and reasonable accommodation. This bill would delete the representation of minorities and women in the state workforce and equal employment opportunities from that list of matters subject to the Administrative Procedure Act. The bill would revise and recast this provision, and except as specified, the bill would make board hearing procedures relating to disciplinary and merit matters, and disability discrimination complaints, including claims of discrimination based upon medical condition, mental disability or physical disability, and denial of reasonable accommodation subject to the Administrative Procedure Act. However, the bill would specify that certain provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act relating to the content of the rulemaking file do not apply those specified matters. The bill would also make other technical changes.
Sponsored bills
This measure would state that the Legislature supports ensuring a clean and healthy marine environment to protect existing shellfish beds and access to additional acreage for shellfish farming and restoration, and further supports a dialogue between industry, environmental, and federal and state agency leaders to develop an improved permitting process that is efficient and economical for both shellfish restoration and commercial farming.
Existing law establishes the Pierce's Disease Control Program in the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Pierce's Disease Management Account in the Food and Agriculture Fund. Existing law allows money in this account to be expended as specified to combat Pierce's disease and its vectors, including the glassy-winged sharpshooter, and for purposes relating to other designated pests and diseases, as provided. Existing law makes these provisions inoperative on March 1, 2016, and repeals them on January 1, 2017. This bill would extend to March 1, 2021, the date on which the above provisions become inoperative, and would repeal those provisions on January 1, 2022. Existing law creates in the department the Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board, which consists of specified members, and prescribes the functions and duties of the board with respect to implementation of the Pierce's disease program. Existing law provides for an annual assessment to be paid by grape processors, as defined, into the Food and Agriculture Fund for the purposes of, among other things, research and other activities related to the Pierce's disease program. Existing law repeals these provisions on March 1, 2016. This bill would extend the repeal date of these provisions to March 1, 2021, and would make related conforming changes. Because assessments collected pursuant to these provisions are deposited into the Food and Agriculture Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, by extending the date until which the assessments are collected, the bill would make an appropriation.
This measure would designate September 2014 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in the State of California.
This measure would designate each of the Mad River Bridges on State Highway Route 101 in the County of Humboldt as the Bicyclist John Mello Memorial Bridge. This measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering those costs, to erect those signs.
This measure would declare the month of May 2014 as Foster Care Month.
Existing law created the California Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) as an independent public entity in the state government, not affiliated with an agency or department. The Exchange is governed by an executive board consisting of 5 members who are residents of California. Of the members of the board, 2 are appointed by the Governor, one is appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and one is appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. The Secretary of California Health and Human Services or his or her designee serves as a voting, ex officio member of the board. Each person appointed to the board is required to have demonstrated and acknowledged expertise in at least 2 listed areas, including, but not limited to, individual health care coverage, health care finance, and purchasing health plan coverage. This bill would add marketing of health insurance products, information technology system management, management information systems, and enrollment counseling assistance, with priority to cultural and linguistic competency, to the list of areas of expertise.
The Personal Income Tax Law provides for modified conformity to specified provisions of federal income tax law relating to the exclusion of the discharge of qualified principal residence indebtedness, as defined, from an individual's income if that debt is discharged after January 1, 2007, and before January 1, 2013, as provided. The federal American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 extended the operation of those provisions to qualified principal residence indebtedness that is discharged before January 1, 2014. This bill would conform to the federal extension, discharge indebtedness for related penalties and interest, and make legislative findings and declarations regarding the public purpose served by the bill. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
This measure would urge the United States Congress to enact legislation that would establish reasonable deadlines for the prohibition of the testing and marketing of cosmetic products that have been tested on animals. The measure would also urge the federal government to mandate alternative methods to animal testing of cosmetic products and to prioritize the validation and acceptance of additional nonanimal tests.
The Local Health Care District Law authorizes health care districts in the state to provide for various forms of financing for the purpose of carrying out their duties under the law, including financing secured by public revenues. This bill would require that all obligations of the Palm Drive Health Care District in connection with specified certificates of participation be secured by a statutory lien on all of the revenues generated from certain dedicated parcel taxes, according to specified criteria. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Palm Drive Health Care District. This bill would declare that it would take effect immediately as an urgency statute.