Sen. Mike Morrell

Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, governs the procedure for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of regulations by state agencies and for the review of those regulatory actions by the Office of Administrative Law. Existing law requires the agency to assess the potential for adverse economic impact on California business enterprises and individuals, as specified. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to this provision.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various healing arts professions and vocations by boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law requires the rules and regulations of these healing arts boards to provide for methods of evaluating education, training, and experience obtained in military service if such training is applicable to the requirements of the particular profession or vocation regulated by the board. Under existing law, specified other healing arts professions and vocations are licensed or certified and regulated by the State Department of Public Health. In some instances, a board with the Department of Consumer Affairs or the State Department of Public Health approves schools offering educational course credit for meeting licensing or certification qualifications and requirements. This bill would require the State Department of Public Health, upon the presentation of evidence by an applicant for licensure or certification, to accept education, training, and practical experience completed by an applicant in military service toward the qualifications and requirements to receive a license or certificate for specified professions and vocations if that education, training, or experience is equivalent to the standards of the department. If a board within the Department of Consumer Affairs or the State Department of Public Health accredits or otherwise approves schools offering educational course credit for meeting licensing and certification qualifications and requirements, the bill would, not later than January 1, 2015, require those schools seeking accreditation or approval to have procedures in place to evaluate an applicant's military education, training, and practical experience toward the completion of an educational program that would qualify a person to apply for licensure or certification, as specified. Under existing law, the Department of Veterans Affairs has specified powers and duties relating to various programs serving veterans. Under existing law, the Chancellor of the California State University and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges have specified powers and duties relating to statewide health education programs. With respect to complying with the bill's requirements and obtaining specified funds to support compliance with these provisions, this bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Chancellor of the California State University, and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to provide technical assistance to the healing arts boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs, the State Department of Public Health, and to the schools offering, or seeking to offer, educational course credit for meeting licensing qualifications and requirements.

Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant Program, establishes the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement awards, the California Community College Transfer Entitlement awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards, the Cal Grant C awards, and the Cal Grant T awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. Existing law sets maximum tuition award amounts for Cal Grant A and B awards for new recipients attending private for-profit and nonprofit postsecondary educational institutions, as specified. This bill would, until June 30, 2014, increase those maximum tuition award amounts for recipients attending private for-profit and nonprofit postsecondary educational institutions to $9,708. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law specifies the number of judges of the superior court for each county, and allocates additional judgeships to the various counties in accordance with uniform standards for factually determining additional need in each county, as approved by the Judicial Council, and other specified criteria. Existing law requires the Judicial Council to report biennially to the Legislature and the Governor on the factually determined need for new judgeships in each superior court, using that uniform criteria. This bill would require the Judicial Council, upon the availability of funding, to allocate 12 additional judges each fiscal year to those counties in which the current judicial position allocations are disproportionate to the Judicial Council's recommendation of assessed judicial need.

Existing law authorizes the governing board of any school district to permit a person, except a person required to register as a sex offender, as specified, to volunteer to supervise pupils during the school lunch period or any breakfast period or nutrition period, or to serve as a nonteaching volunteer aide under the immediate supervision and direction of the certificated personnel of the district, as specified. Existing law prohibits a school district from abolishing any of its classified positions and utilizing those volunteers for those services in place of classified employees laid off as a result of the abolition of a position. This bill would delete this prohibition. The bill would authorize the governing board of a school district, as defined, to permit a person, except a person required to register as a sex offender, as specified, to volunteer time or resources under the supervision of a district employee for the maintenance or improvement of a school facility, as provided. The bill would prohibit a collective bargaining agreement entered into after January 1, 2014, from prohibiting a school district from using volunteers. Existing law provides that it is the intent of the Legislature to permit a school district to use volunteer aides to enhance its educational program but not to permit displacement of classified employees nor to allow a district to utilize volunteers in lieu of normal employee requirements. This bill would instead state that it is the intent of the Legislature to permit a school district to use volunteers to enhance its educational program or facilities but not to encourage displacement of classified employees nor to encourage districts to use volunteers in lieu of normal employee requirements.

Existing law requires each county and city and county receiving specified funds to establish and maintain a local health and welfare fund comprised of several accounts, including a mental health account, a social services account, and a health account. This bill would authorize a county or city and county to reallocate up to 10% of the amount deposited each fiscal year in the local health account, or local social services account, or both, to the local mental health account, as specified.

Under the Ralph M. Brown Act, all meetings of a legislative body of a local agency, as defined, are required to be open and public. The act requires each legislative body of a local agency, with exceptions, to provide, by ordinance or other specified action, the time and place for holding regular meetings. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.

The California Constitution requires that a bill be read by title 3 times in each house or a bill with amendments be printed and distributed to the Members of each house before it may be passed. This bill would provide that a vote shall not be taken in either house of the Legislature on the Budget Bill or any other bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill, as defined in the Constitution, until the bill has been made available to the public for 3 days on a publicly available Internet Web site.

Existing law requires a person appointed as a personal representative of an estate to post a bond approved by the court before letters are issued, except as specified. Existing law authorizes the court to fix the amount of the bond, not to exceed the sum of specified items, including the estimated value of the personal property and the probable annual gross income of the estate. This bill would, commencing July 1, 2014, require the reasonable amount for the cost of recovery to collect on the bond, including attorney's fees and costs, to be included in the above-described sum.

Existing law, known as Laura's Law, until January 1, 2017, regulates designated assisted outpatient treatment services, which a county may choose to provide for its residents. In a county where assisted outpatient treatment services are available, a person is authorized to receive specified mental health services pursuant to an order if requisite criteria are met, as specified. Under that law, participating counties are required to provide prescribed assisted outpatient services, including a service planning and delivery process that provides for services that are client-directed and employ psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery principles. Existing law contains provisions governing the operation and financing of community mental health services for the mentally disordered in every county through locally administered and locally controlled community mental health programs. Existing law, the Mental Health Services Act, an initiative measure enacted by the voters as Proposition 63 at the November 2, 2004, statewide general election, funds a system of county mental health plans for the provision of mental health services, as specified. The act provides that it may be amended by the Legislature by a 23 vote of each house as long as the amendment is consistent with and furthers the intent of the act, and that the Legislature may also clarify procedures and terms of the act by majority vote. The act establishes the Mental Health Services Fund, continuously appropriated to and administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, to fund specified county mental health programs, including prevention and early intervention programs, which include outreach, and programs implemented under the Adult and Older Adult Mental Health System of Care Act. The Adult and Older Adult Mental Health System of Care Act establishes services standards that require, among other things, that a service planning and delivery process provides for services that are client-directed and employ psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery principles. This bill would declare that it is consistent with and furthers the intent of the Mental Health Services Act. This bill would clarify that services provided under Laura's Law may be provided pursuant to the Mental Health Services Act. This bill would provide that outreach under prevention and early intervention programs may include the provision of funds to school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools for the purposes of obtaining and providing training to identify students with mental health issues that may result in a threat to themselves or others. By allocating moneys in the Mental Health Services Fund for new purposes, this bill would make an appropriation. This bill would delete obsolete provisions and make other conforming changes. Because the bill would amend Proposition 63, it would require a 23 vote of the Legislature.