This measure would recognize and honor the men and women of California agriculture for their dedication and productivity by observing March 18, 2015, as National Agriculture Day, and designating March 18, 2015, as California Agriculture Day.
Existing law authorizes a system of incentives to encourage high schools to operate International Baccalaureate Diploma Programs, and to encourage pupils in these schools to enroll in, attempt, and pass the International Baccalaureate course of study and examinations that lead to the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, from funds appropriated for the purpose of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, to annually allocate to each school district, on behalf of each high school or middle school within the district that offers the program, up to $25,000 for each participating high school and middle school to cover the costs of professional development required by the program and to help pay the test fees for low- and middle-income pupils in need of financial assistance. Existing law authorizes a school district receiving economic impact aid funds to expend any portion of those funds to pay for all or part of the costs of one or more advanced placement examinations that are charged to economically disadvantaged pupils, as defined. This bill would, to the extent federal funding is available, establish a grant program, administered by the State Department of Education, for the purpose of awarding grants to cover the costs of advanced placement examination fees or International Baccalaureate examination fees, or both, for eligible economically disadvantaged high school pupils, as defined. The bill would authorize a school district to apply to the department for grant funding under the program based on the number of economically disadvantaged pupils in the school district who will take the next offered advanced placement examinations and would require that grants be expended only to pay the fees required of eligible economically disadvantaged high school pupils to take an advanced placement or International Baccalaureate examination, or both. The bill would require funding priority be given to advanced placement examination fees if there is insufficient funding allocated to the grant program in a given fiscal year.
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 medical transportation services. Existing law and regulations prescribe various requirements governing payment policies and reimbursement rates for these services. This bill would require the department, by July 1, 2015, to adopt regulations establishing the Medi-Cal reimbursement rate for ground ambulance services using one of 2 specified methodologies.
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, as described, 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 and specified health care professionals. This bill would require the department to authorize a 3-year alternative payment methodology (APM) pilot project for FQHCs that would be implemented in any county and FQHC willing to participate. Under the APM pilot project, participating FQHCs would receive capitated monthly payments for each Medi-Cal managed care enrollee assigned to the FQHC in place of the wrap-around, fee-for-service per-visit payments from the department. The bill would require, except as specified, that an evaluation of the APM pilot project be conducted by an independent entity within 6 months after the APM pilot project is completed, and that the independent entity report the findings to the department and the Legislature.
This measure would designate Monday, May 5, 2014, as California Peace Officers' Memorial Day, urge all Californians to use that day to honor California peace officers, and recognize specified California peace officers who were killed in defense of their communities.
Existing law dissolved redevelopment agencies and community development agencies as of February 1, 2012, and provides for the designation of successor agencies to wind down the affairs of the dissolved redevelopment agencies. Existing law requires revenues equivalent to those that would have been allocated to each redevelopment agency, had the agency not been dissolved, to be allocated to the Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund of each successor agency for making payments on the principal of and interest on loans, and moneys advanced to or indebtedness incurred by the dissolved redevelopment agencies. Existing law requires, from February 1, 2012, to July 1, 2012, inclusive, and for each fiscal year thereafter, the county auditor-controller, after deducting administrative costs, to allocate property tax revenues in each Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund in a specified manner. This bill, for the 2014–15 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, would prohibit any revenues derived from the imposition of a property tax rate, approved by the voters of a city, county, or city and county to make payments in support of pension programs and levied in addition to the general property tax rate, from being allocated to a Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund and would, instead, require these revenues be allocated to, and when collected to be paid into, the fund of the city, county, or city and county whose voters approved the tax unless, following a written request with each Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule cycle from the successor agency to the city, county, or city and county whose voters approved the tax, the city, county, or city and county authorizes the use of the revenues by the successor agency to pay any enforceable obligation, as specified. The bill would require any revenues derived from the imposition of a property tax rate as so described that have been pledged as security for the payment of any indebtedness obligation to be allocated to the successor agency to pay that indebtedness obligation, as specified. The bill would require all allocations of revenues derived from the imposition of a property tax rate as so described made by any county auditor-controller prior to July 1, 2014, to be deemed correct, and would prohibit any city, county, city and county, county auditor-controller, successor agency, or affected taxing entity from being subject to any claim, as specified. By adding to the duties of local government officials, this 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income persons receive health care benefits. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid provisions. Existing law, with certain exceptions, requires the department to claim against the estate of a decedent, or against any recipient of the property of that decedent by distribution or survival, an amount equal to the payments for Medi-Cal services received or the value of the property received by any recipient from the decedent by distribution or survival, whichever is less. Existing law provides for certain exemptions that restrict the department from filing a claim against a decedent's property, including when there is a surviving spouse during his or her lifetime. Existing law requires the department, however, to make a claim upon the death of the surviving spouse, as prescribed. Existing law, which has been held invalid by existing case law, provides that the exemptions shall only apply to the proportionate share of the decedent's state or property that passes to those recipients, by survival or distribution, who qualify for the exemptions. This bill would instead provide that the department shall make these claims only in specified circumstances and would define health care services for these purposes. The bill would delete the proportionate share provision and would delete the requirement that the department make a claim upon the death of the surviving spouse. The bill would also require the department to provide a current or former beneficiary, or his or her authorized representative, upon request and free of charge, with the total amount of Medi-Cal expenses that have been paid on his or her behalf that would be recoverable under these provisions, as specified.
(1) Existing law, the Safe, Clean, and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2012, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $11,140,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a safe drinking water and water supply reliability program. Existing law provides for the submission of the bond act to the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election. This bill would repeal these provisions. (2) Under existing law, various measures have been approved by the voters to provide funds for water supply and protection facilities and programs. Existing law, the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006, an initiative measure approved by the voters as Proposition 84 at the November 7, 2006, statewide general election, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $5,388,000,000 for the purposes of financing safe drinking water, water quality and supply, flood control, natural resource protection, and park improvements. Existing law, the Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond Act of 2006, approved by the voters as Proposition 1E at the November 7, 2006, general statewide election, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $4,090,000,000 for the purposes of financing disaster preparedness and flood prevention projects. Existing law, the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Act of 2002, an initiative measure approved by the voters as Proposition 50 at the November 5, 2002, statewide general election, authorizes, for the purposes of financing a safe drinking water, water quality, and water reliability program, the issuance of bonds in the amount of $3,440,000,000. Existing law, the Costa-Machado Water Act of 2000, approved by the voters as Proposition 13 at the March 7, 2000, statewide primary election, authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $1,970,000,000 for the purposes of financing a safe drinking water, clean water, watershed protection, and flood protection program. Existing law, the Safe, Clean, Reliable Water Supply Act, approved by the voters as Proposition 204 at the November 5, 1996, statewide general election, authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $995,000,000 for the purposes of financing a safe, clean, reliable water supply program. Existing law, the Water Conservation and Water Quality Bond Law of 1986, approved by the voters as Proposition 44 at the June 3, 1986, statewide primary election, authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $150,000,000 for the purposes of financing a water conservation and water quality program. This bill would enact the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, which, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $7,120,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a water quality, supply, and infrastructure improvement program. This bill, upon voter approval, would reallocate $425,000,000 of the unissued bonds authorized for the purposes of Propositions 1E, 13, 44, 50, 84, and 204 to finance the purposes of a water quality, supply, and infrastructure improvement program. This bill would provide for the submission of these provisions to the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election. (3) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The California Constitution prohibits the state from discriminating against, or granting preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting. This measure would eliminate this prohibition on state discrimination or preference in the operation of public education.
Existing law establishes health care coverage programs to provide health care to segments of the population meeting specified criteria who are otherwise unable to afford health care coverage and provides for the licensure and regulation of health insurers and health care service plans. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to establish a system to provide valid health care performance information that is publicly available and can be used to improve the safety, appropriateness, and medical effectiveness of health care, and to provide care that is safe, medically effective, patient-centered, timely, affordable, and equitable. The bill would require the Secretary of California Health and Human Services to, no later than January 1, 2016, enter into a contract with one or more private, independent, nonprofit organizations to establish and administer the California Health Care Cost and Quality Database. The bill would require the secretary to include specified terms in that contract or contracts, including, among others, that the nonprofit organization or organizations establishing and administering the California Health Care Cost and Quality Database develop methodologies relating to the submission of health care data by health care entities. The bill would require certain health care entities, including health care service plans, to provide specified information to the nonprofit organization or organizations establishing and administering the California Health Care Cost and Quality Database. The bill would require all data disclosures made pursuant to these provisions to comply with all applicable state and federal laws for the protection of the privacy and security of the data and would prohibit the public disclose of any unaggregated, individually identifiable health information. The bill would require the nonprofit organization or organizations establishing and administering the California Health Care Cost and Quality Database to receive, process, maintain, and analyze information from specified data sources including, among others, disease and chronic condition registries. The bill would require, no later than January 1, 2018, the nonprofit organization or organizations establishing and administering the California Health Care Cost and Quality Database to publicly make available a web-based, searchable database and would require that database to be updated regularly. This bill would also require the secretary to convene an advisory committee composed of a broad spectrum of health care stakeholders and experts, as specified, to research and recommend strategies for promoting high-quality health care and containing health care costs, and to make recommendations regarding the California Health Care Cost and Quality Database. The bill would require the committee to issue a report to the Legislature and the Governor that examines and addresses specified issues, including, among others, containing the cost of health care services and coverage. The bill would provide that the commission not be convened until the Director of Finance has determined that sufficient private or federal funds have been received and appropriated for that purpose, and that members of the committee not receive a per diem or travel expense reimbursement, or any other expense reimbursement.
