This measure would urge the President and the Congress of the United States to craft a balanced and workable approach to reduce incentives for and minimize unnecessary patent litigation while ensuring that legitimate patent enforcement rights are protected and maintained.
This measure would recognize June 2015 as Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, and June 21, 2015, as The Longest Day in California, and would urge all residents to wear purple on this day to help spread global awareness of the Alzheimer's Association's vision of imagining a world without Alzheimer's disease.
This measure would request the Congress of the United States of America to further amend the GI Bill of Rights to make benefits available to veterans for use as startup capital in the establishment of first businesses.
This measure would proclaim June 2015 as California-Grown Flower Month to recognize and honor the men and women of the California-grown flower industry for their dedication and productivity.
Existing federal law provides for the federal Medicare Program, which is a public health insurance program for persons 65 years of age and older and specified persons with disabilities who are under 65 years of age. Existing law authorizes a county sheriff, police chief, or other public agency that contracts for health care services, to contract with providers of health care services for care to local law enforcement patients. Existing law requires hospitals that do not contract with the county sheriff, police chief, or other public agency that contracts for health care services to provide health care services to local law enforcement patients at a rate equal to 110% of the hospital's actual costs according to the most recent Hospital Annual Financial Data report issued by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, as calculated using a cost-to-charge ratio. This bill would authorize, for claims that have not previously been paid or otherwise determined by local law enforcement, those costs to be calculated according to the most recent approved cost-to-charge ratio from the Medicare Program. The bill would authorize the hospital, with the approval of the county sheriff, police chief, or other public agency responsible for providing health care services to local law enforcement patients, to choose which cost-to-charge ratio is most appropriate, and would require the hospital to give notice of any change. If the hospital chooses to use the cost-to-charge ratio from the Medicare Program, the bill would require the hospital to attach supporting Medicare documentation and an expected payment calculation to the claim. If a claim does not contain that documentation and payment calculation, or if, within 60 days of the hospital's request for approval to use the cost-to-charge ratio from the Medicare Program, approval is not granted by the county sheriff, police chief, or other public agency responsible for providing health care services to local law enforcement patients, the bill would require the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development cost-to-charge ratio to be used to calculate the payment. The bill would also make technical, nonsubstantive changes.
Existing law requires that whenever a person is arrested for a vehicle-related infraction or misdemeanor, he or she be taken immediately before a magistrate if he or she fails to present his or her driver's license or other satisfactory evidence of identity for examination. This bill would additionally require that the arrested person be taken immediately before a magistrate if he or she fails to present both his or her driver's license or other evidence of identity and an unobstructed view of his or her full face for examination.
Existing law enumerates costs that a prevailing party in a civil action may recover. Existing law allows a prevailing party to recover court interpreter fees under specified conditions. Existing law also allows recovery of certain costs related to depositions. This bill would allow a prevailing party to recover interpreter fees for the deposition of a party or witness who does not proficiently speak or understand the English language.
Existing law, the Real Estate Appraisers' Licensing and Certification Law, regulates the licensing of real estate appraisers and provides definitions of specified terms that govern the construction of that law. Existing law provides that the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice sets forth the minimum standards of conduct and performance for real estate appraisers in any work or service performed that is addressed by those standards. This bill would instead provide that the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice constitutes the minimum standard of conduct and performance for federally related real estate appraisal activity, as defined. The bill would revise existing, and additionally include new, definitions for specified terms for purposes of the Real Estate Appraisers' Licensing and Certification Law. The bill would also authorize, if a licensee is performing a nonfederally related appraisal activity, a standard of valuation practice, as defined, for a licensee if that practice is disclosed to, and agreed upon, by the client, and if that practice is described in an appraisal, as provided.
Existing property tax law establishes a veterans' organization exemption under which property is exempt from taxation if, among other things, that property is used exclusively for charitable purposes and is owned by a veterans' organization. This bill would provide that the veterans' organization exemption shall not be denied to a property on the basis that the property is used for fraternal, lodge, or social club purposes, and would make specific findings and declarations in that regard. The bill would also provide that the exemption shall not apply to any portion of a property that consists of a bar where alcoholic beverages are served. Section 2229 of the Revenue and Taxation Code requires the Legislature to reimburse local agencies annually for certain property tax revenues lost as a result of any exemption or classification of property for purposes of ad valorem property taxation. This bill would provide that, notwithstanding Section 2229 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse local agencies for property tax revenues lost by them pursuant to the bill. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
