Sen. Monique Limón

Existing law establishes the California Emergency Solutions and Housing Program, under the administration of the Department of Housing and Community Development and requires the department to, among other things, provide rental assistance and housing relocation and stabilization services to ensure housing affordability to people who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness. This bill would require the department, subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, to develop and administer a program to award grants to qualified homeless shelters, as described, for the provision of shelter, food, and basic veterinary services for pets owned by people experiencing homelessness. The bill would authorize the department to use up to 5% of the funds appropriated in the annual Budget Act for those purposes for its costs in administering the program.

Existing law designates 8 agencies in state government and requires the secretary of an agency to be generally responsible for the sound fiscal management of each department, office, or other unit within the agency. Existing law further requires the secretary of an agency to, among other duties, continually seek to improve the organization structure, the operating policies, and the management information systems of each department, office, or other unit. This bill would, until January 1, 2029, establish the Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Agency as an agency within state government, to be headed by a secretary who is appointed by the Governor and subject to Senate confirmation. The bill would specify that the purpose of the agency is to reduce obstacles and enhance immigrant integration, as defined, into the social, cultural, economic, and civic life of the state. The bill would establish the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs within the agency. The bill would transfer functions relating to immigrants and refugees to the office and would declare the intent to incorporate existing and future programs created to assist immigrants and refugees into the office. The bill would transfer the property of any office, agency, or department that relates to functions transferred to the office by these provisions and would transfer the unencumbered balance of any appropriation and any other funds that are available for use in connection with any function transferred to the office. The bill would also provide that every officer and employee who is serving in the state civil service, as provided, and who is transferred to the office, shall retain the status position, and rights. The bill would create the Immigrant and Refugee Integration Fund within the State Treasury, and would make the moneys available in the fund available to the secretary of the office to administer the duties of the office. This bill would establish the duties and responsibilities of the agency and the office which includes, among other duties, establishing a permanent structure within the state to serve immigrants, assisting other state agencies in evaluating their programs for accessibility and effectiveness in providing services to immigrants and refugees, and recommending policy and budget mechanisms for meeting immigrant and refugee integration goals. The bill would prohibit interagency sharing of personal information and would prohibit use of agency resources to directly or indirectly participate or assist in immigration enforcement activity. Existing law establishes the Statewide Director of Immigrant Integration and requires the director serve as the statewide lead for the planning and coordination of immigrant services and policies in California. Existing law requires, among other things, that the director develop a comprehensive statewide report on programs and services that serve immigrants, develop an online clearinghouse of immigrant services, resources, and programs, and monitor the implementation of statewide laws and regulations that serve immigrants. This bill would recast those provisions to rename the director as the Statewide Director of Immigrant and Refugee Integration. The bill would place the director in charge of the office, and would require the director to report to the Governor and the Legislature on programs and services that serve immigrants and refugees by January 1, 2023, and require the director to provide a statewide plan for better implementation and coordination of immigrant and refugee assistance policies and programs. The bill would require the director to incorporate refugee services, resources, and programs into the online clearinghouse by January 1, 2023, and would require the director to monitor statewide laws and regulations that serve refugees, in addition to immigrants. The changes made by this bill would be in effect until January 1, 2029, and as of that date would be repealed. The provisions of this bill would only become operative if funds have been appropriated for the purposes described in the bill in the annual Budget Act or another statute. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

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, including specialty mental health services, and Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment services for an individual under 21 years of age. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Under existing law, one of the methods by which Medi-Cal services are provided is pursuant to contracts with various types of managed care health plans, including mental health plans that provide specialty mental health services. Existing law requires the department to ensure that Medi-Cal managed care contracts include a process for screening, referral, and coordination with mental health plans of specialty mental health services, to convene a steering committee to provide advice on the transition and continuing development of the Medi-Cal mental health managed care systems, and to ensure that the mental health plans comply with various standards, including maintaining a system of outreach to enable Medi-Cal beneficiaries and providers to participate in and access Medi-Cal specialty mental health services under the mental health plans. With respect to specialty mental health services provided under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Program, on or after January 1, 2022, this bill would require the department to develop standard forms, including intake and assessment forms, relating to medical necessity criteria, mandatory screening and transition of care tools, and documentation requirements pursuant to specified terms and conditions, and, for purposes of implementing these provisions, would require the department to consult with representatives of identified organizations, including the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California. The bill would authorize the department to develop and maintain a list of department-approved nonstandard forms, and would require the department to conduct, on or before July 1, 2023, regional trainings for county mental health plan personnel and their provider networks on proper completion of the standard forms. The bill would require each county mental health plan contractor to distribute the training material and standard forms to their provider networks, and to commence, by July 1, 2023, exclusively using the standard forms, unless they use department-approved nonstandard forms.

This measure would declare June 23, 2021, as California Nonprofits Day in recognition of the importance of nonprofit organizations to the economy and well-being of this state.

Existing law establishes in state government the offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Controller, Attorney General, Board of Equalization, and Insurance Commissioner. Existing law, the Political Reform Act of 1974, regulates campaign finance, ethics and conflicts of interest of public officials, and the conduct of lobbyists, lobbying firms, and lobbying employers. Existing law, the California Coastal Act of 1976, establishes the California Coastal Commission and requires specified commissions and agencies to review the provisions of the act. This bill would remove gendered language from and would make additional nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.

This measure would proclaim June 2021 as California Grown Flower Month to recognize and honor the people who comprise the California grown flower industry for their dedication, productivity, and economic value to the state.

This measure would recognize the month of June 2021 as Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month and Sunday, June 20, 2021, as The Longest Day, and would urge all Californians to commemorate the month of June 2021 as Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month.