Existing federal law, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) , enacts various health care coverage market reforms as of January 1, 2014. Among other things, PPACA requires each health insurance issuer that offers health insurance coverage in the individual or group market in a state to accept every employer and individual in the state that applies for that coverage and to renew that coverage at the option of the plan sponsor or the individual. Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a health care service plan or health insurer, on and after October 1, 2013, to offer, market, and sell all of the plan's insurer's health benefit plans that are sold in the individual market for policy years on or after January 1, 2014, to all individuals and dependents in each service area in which the plan or insurer provides or arranges for the provision of health care services, as specified, but requires plans and insurers to limit enrollment in individual health benefit plans to specified open enrollment and special enrollment periods. Existing law requires a plan or insurer to provide an initial open enrollment period from October 1, 2013, to March 31, 2014, inclusive, and annual enrollment periods for plan years on or after January 1, 2015, from October 15 to December 7, inclusive, of the preceding calendar year. This bill would require a plan or insurer to provide an annual enrollment period for the policy year beginning on January 1, 2015, from November 15, 2014, to February 15, 2015, inclusive. Because a willful violation of that requirement by a health care service plan would be a crime, the 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
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Existing provisions of the California Constitution require the Governor to submit to the Legislature a budget for the ensuing fiscal year within the first 10 days of each calendar year and prohibit the Legislature from sending to the Governor for consideration a Budget Bill that would appropriate from the General Fund a total amount that exceeds General Fund revenues for that fiscal year estimated as of the date of the Budget Bill's passage. This measure would require the Director of Finance to submit estimates of General Fund revenues and expenditures for the ensuing fiscal year and the 3 fiscal years thereafter within 10 days following the submission of a budget by the Governor, following the submission of proposed adjustments to the Governor's Budget, as required by statute, and following the enactment of the Budget Bill. Existing provisions of the California Constitution require the Legislature to establish a prudent state reserve fund in an amount the Legislature deems reasonable and necessary. Existing provisions of the California Constitution, approved by the electors on March 2, 2004, additionally establish the Budget Stabilization Account in the General Fund and require the Controller, commencing no later than September 30, 2006, and for each fiscal year thereafter, to transfer from the General Fund to the account a specified percentage of estimated General Fund revenues. Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution (Proposition 98) sets forth a formula for computing the minimum amount of General Fund revenues that the state is required to appropriate for the support of school districts, as defined, and community college districts for each fiscal year. This measure would establish a replacement version of the Budget Stabilization Account, and would require the Controller, commencing with the 2015–16 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, to transfer from the General Fund to the account 1.5% of the estimated amount of General Fund revenues for that fiscal year. Commencing with the 2015–16 fiscal year, this measure would also require the Controller to annually transfer from the General Fund to the account amounts determined pursuant to specified formulae, consisting of General Fund proceeds of taxes derived from personal income taxes paid on net capital gains that exceed a designated level, based on estimates provided in the Budget Act. This measure, for the 2015–16 fiscal year through the 2029–30 fiscal year, would require the Legislature to appropriate 50% of these total amounts for one or more designated fiscal obligations of the state, including accrued school funding obligations, repayment of budgetary loans, payment of accrued claims for mandate costs, and payment of unfunded pension liabilities and prefunding of other postemployment benefits. For the 2030–31 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, this measure would instead authorize the Legislature to appropriate up to 50% of these total amounts for one or more of these designated fiscal obligations of the state. This measure would require the Department of Finance, commencing with the 2015–16 fiscal year, to annually report to the Legislature certain fiscal information necessary to calculate the amount of the transfer from the General Fund to the Budget Stabilization Account for that fiscal year, and would require certain of these estimates to be included in the annual Budget Act. Commencing with the 2017–18 fiscal year, the measure would require the department to provide updated estimates for each of the 2 preceding fiscal years, calculated separately, for the purpose of determining the maximum allowable transfer from the General Fund to the Budget Stabilization Account for each of these fiscal years. This measure would prohibit the balance in the Budget Stabilization Account from exceeding 10% of estimated General Fund proceeds of taxes. It also would limit the use of funds, that otherwise would be transferred to the account, to appropriation for the funding of infrastructure, as defined in a specified statute, including deferred maintenance. This measure would establish the Public School System Stabilization Account, to provide a reserve for public school funding. Commencing with the 2015–16 fiscal year and pursuant to specified calculations, the Controller would transfer certain moneys from the General Fund into the Public School System Stabilization Account, for subsequent allocation to school districts and community college districts in fiscal years for which the minimum state funding obligation under Proposition 98 falls below specified levels. The measure would prohibit the transfer of moneys into the Public School System Stabilization Account for a fiscal year for which a maintenance factor is created under Proposition 98 or before a previously determined maintenance factor has been fully reimbursed. The measure would also prohibit the transfer of funds into the account in a fiscal year in which provisions of Proposition 98 have been suspended. The funds transferred into the Public School System Stabilization Account under the measure in a fiscal year would be counted toward the state's annual funding obligation for that fiscal year under Proposition 98, rather than in a fiscal year in which those funds are allocated. The measure would authorize the Controller to utilize funds in the account, that he or she determines to be unnecessary to meet foreseeable obligations, to help manage General Fund daily cash flow needs if that use does not interfere with the purpose of the account. Existing provisions of the California Constitution authorize the Governor to issue a proclamation declaring an emergency in specified circumstances. This measure would authorize the Legislature, upon the Governor's proclamation declaring a budget emergency, as described, to enact a statute that returns funds from the Budget Stabilization Account to the General Fund for appropriation to address the budget emergency, appropriates funds in the Public School System Stabilization Account for the support of school districts and community college districts, or suspends or reduces the transfer of funds from the General Fund to the Budget Stabilization Account or the Public School System Stabilization Account. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to submit ACA 4 of the 2009–10 Regular Session, a proposed legislative constitutional amendment relating to state finance, to the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election. This bill would direct the Secretary of State to withdraw ACA 4 from the ballot.
This measure would proclaim the Legislature's support for the extension of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program and would memorialize the United States Congress to promptly renew the extension of unemployment benefits.
Until January 1, 2014, the provisions of the Horse Racing Law required a thoroughbred racing association and fair that conducts a racing meeting to deduct a percentage of the total amount handled in exotic parimutuel pools of thoroughbred racing, to be distributed to a specified organization for the purpose of defraying the costs of workers' compensation insurance in connection with thoroughbred horse racing. Until January 1, 2014, provisions of the Horse Racing Law authorized similar deductions from the total amount handled for races for quarter horses and other breeds, and for harness races, to be distributed to specified organizations for defraying workers' compensation insurance costs for trainers and owners in connection with those races. This bill would reestablish those provisions requiring the deduction specified above to be made by a thoroughbred racing association, and would reestablish those provisions authorizing the deductions to be made for races for quarter horses and other breeds, and for harness races. Because a violation of the Horse Racing Law is generally a misdemeanor, the bill would create new crimes, thereby imposing 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law provides, among other things, that skin cancer developing in active lifeguards, as defined, is presumed to arise out of and in the course of employment, unless the presumption is rebutted. The presumption is extended to a lifeguard following termination of service for a period of 3 calendar months for each full year of the requisite service, but not to exceed 60 months in any circumstance, commencing with the last date actually worked in the specified capacity. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities by the State Department of Public Health. Existing law requires hospitals to maintain a written policy regarding discount payments for financially qualified patients as well as a written charity care policy. Existing law requires a hospital to limit the expected payment for services it provides to certain low-income patients to the highest amount the hospital would expect to receive for providing services from a government-sponsored program of health benefits in which the hospital participates. Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care. This bill would, until January 1, 2019, require a diagnosis and billing outlier hospital, as defined, and a hospital that is part of a diagnosis and billing outlier health system, as defined, to notify the patient and all payers of that status and that the hospital's total billed charges may be subject to adjustment as described below. The bill would make a failure to provide that notification a felony or a misdemeanor. By expanding the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, until January 1, 2019, to assign each hospital, as defined, a separate diagnosis and billing indicator rate for 4 specified disorders and to calculate a hospital's diagnosis and billing indicator rate for each of those disorders, as specified. The bill would require the office to post specified information on its Internet Web site by January 15, 2014, including those diagnosis and billing indicator rates and a list of diagnosis and billing outlier hospitals. The bill would require the State Department of Public Health, by July 1, 2014, and until January 1, 2019, to contract with one or more independent medical review organizations, or the Department of Managed Health Care, to conduct reviews that a patient or payer could request within one year of receiving a bill from a diagnosis and billing outlier hospital or a hospital in a diagnosis and billing outlier health system, on and after January 15, 2014. The bill would require the review, among other things, to address the appropriateness of diagnostic codes, whether the billed services were actually provided to the patient, whether provided services were medically necessary or appropriate, and what adjustments, if any, should be made to the bills to decrease the total charges. The bill would require, upon receipt of the final report, the State Public Health Officer to immediately adopt the findings of the independent medical review organization, and promptly issue a written decision to the patient, other payers, and the hospital that would be binding on the hospital. The bill would require a hospital to adjust any charges necessary in accordance with the written decision within 30 days. The bill would subject a hospital that fails to provide the above-described adjusted bill or reimbursement of excess charges to a $100 civil penalty each day until it complies. The bill would authorize the State Department of Public Health to adopt regulations to implement these provisions. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
This measure would designate a portion of Interstate 10 in the County of Los Angeles as the CHP Officers Harold E. Horine and Bill Leiphardt Memorial Highway. The measure would request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost for appropriate signs showing this designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.
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. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would make necessary improvements to the Medi-Cal program.
Existing law permits the governing board of any community college district without advertising for bids, and when that board has determined it to be in the best interests of the district, to authorize by contract, lease, requisition, or purchase order, any public corporation or agency, as specified, to lease data-processing equipment, purchase materials, supplies, equipment, automotive vehicles, tractors, and other personal property, as specified. This bill would also permit a community college district to authorize the lease or purchase of personal property directly from a vendor by contract, lease, requisition, or purchase order and make payment to the vendor on the same terms as provided in an existing contract between a public corporation or agency and the vendor for the lease or purchase of the personal property.