This measure calls on the United States President and Congress to urge the government of the Republic of Turkey to honor its obligations under international treaties and human rights law.
This measure would resolve that the Legislature is proud to join the Girl Scouts of the USA in recognizing their 100th anniversary.
This measure would recognize January 2012 as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, and would encourage prompt access to preventive services and medical care in order to overcome barriers to care and treatment for cervical cancer.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse a local government whenever the Legislature or a state agency mandates a new program or higher level of service on the local government, with specified exceptions. Existing law establishes a procedure for local governments to file claims for reimbursement of these costs with the Commission on State Mandates. Existing law requires these procedures to include, among other things, a statewide cost estimate that is adopted within 12 months after receipt of a test claim, as specified. Existing law permits a claimant or the commission to request an extension of the deadline for the statewide cost estimate for up to 6 months. This bill would instead allow a statewide cost estimate to be extended for up to 4 months.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse a local government, including a school district, whenever the Legislature or a state agency mandates a new program or higher level of service on the local government, with specified exceptions. Existing law establishes a test claim procedure for local governmental agencies to file claims for reimbursement of these costs with the Commission on State Mandates. Existing law authorizes the test claimant and the Department of Finance to notify the commission of their intent to develop a reasonable reimbursement methodology and statewide estimate of costs for the initial claiming period and budget year for reimbursement of costs mandated by the state, as specified. Existing law requires the test claimant and the Department of Finance to submit to the commission a joint proposal, which includes, among other things, the reasonable reimbursement methodology and statewide estimate of costs for the initial claiming period and budget year, no later than 60 days before a commission hearing. This bill would instead require the test claimant and the Department of Finance to submit the proposal to the commission no later than 45 days before a commission hearing.
Existing law provides for the creation of various programs to provide health care services to persons who have limited incomes and meet various eligibility requirements. These programs include the Healthy Families Program administered by the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, and the Medi‑Cal program administered by the State Department of Health Care Services. Existing law provides for the regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Commencing January 1, 2014, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires every individual to be covered under minimum essential coverage, as specified, and requires every health insurance issuer issuing individual or group health insurance coverage to accept every employer and individual who applies for coverage. Existing law establishes the California Health Benefit Exchange to facilitate the purchase of qualified health plans through the Exchange by qualified individuals and small employers by January 1, 2014. This bill would establish the California Healthcare System to be administered by the newly created California Healthcare Agency under the control of a Healthcare Commissioner appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by the Senate. The bill would make all California residents eligible for specified health care benefits under the California Healthcare System, which would, on a single-payer basis, negotiate for or set fees for health care services provided through the system and pay claims for those services. The bill would require the commissioner to seek all necessary waivers, exemptions, agreements, or legislation to allow various existing federal, state, and local health care payments to be paid to the California Healthcare System, which would then assume responsibility for all benefits and services previously paid for with those funds. The bill would create the Healthcare Policy Board to establish policy on medical issues and various other matters relating to the system. The bill would create the Office of Patient Advocacy within the agency to represent the interests of health care consumers relative to the system. The bill would create within the agency the Office of Health Planning to plan for the health care needs of the population, and the Office of Health Care Quality, headed by a chief medical officer, to support the delivery of high-quality care and promote provider and patient satisfaction. The bill would create the Office of Inspector General for the California Healthcare System within the Attorney General's office, which would have various oversight powers. The bill would prohibit health care service plan contracts or health insurance policies from being issued for services covered by the California Healthcare System, subject to appropriation by the Legislature, and would authorize the collection of penalty moneys for deposit into the Healthcare Fund, which the bill would create. The bill would create the Payments Board to administer the finances of the California Healthcare System. The bill would create the California Healthcare Premium Commission (Premium Commission) to determine the cost of the California Healthcare System and to develop a premium structure for the system that complies with specified standards. The bill would require the Premium Commission to recommend a premium structure to the Governor and the Legislature on or before January 1, 2014, and to make a draft recommendation to the Governor, the Legislature, and the public 90 days before submitting its final premium structure recommendation. The bill would specify that only its provisions relating to the Premium Commission would become operative on January 1, 2013, with its remaining provisions becoming operative on the earlier of the date the Secretary of California Health and Human Services notifies the Legislature, as specified, that sufficient funding exists to implement the California Healthcare System and the date the secretary receives the necessary federal waiver under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The bill would extend the application of certain insurance fraud laws to providers of services and products under the system, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program by revising the definition of a crime. The bill would enact other related provisions relative to budgeting, regional entities, federal preemption, subrogation, collective bargaining agreements, compensation of health care providers, conflict of interest, patient grievances, and independent medical review. 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.
Existing law provides for the Division of Apprenticeship Standards within the Department of Industrial Relations to establish standards for the competency and training of electricians, including apprenticeship programs. Existing law provides that a person in an approved apprenticeship program may perform specified electrical and other work under the supervision of a licensed electrical contractor. This bill would specify the kinds of nonelectrical tasks, as described, that may be validly performed by nonlicensed electrical apprentices working for a licensed electrical contractor.
Existing law requires the Commission on State Mandates to adopt parameters and guidelines for reimbursement of claims by local agencies and school districts for state mandates pursuant to statute. Existing law authorizes a local agency, school district, or the state to file a claim asking the commission to amend, modify, or supplement the parameters or guidelines. Existing law authorizes the request to amend parameters and guidelines to be filed to make specified changes to parameters and guidelines, including amending the boilerplate language. This bill would require that any amendment of the boilerplate language that does not increase or decrease the reimbursable costs shall limit the eligible filing period commencing with the fiscal year in which the amended parameters and guidelines were adopted.
Under the California Constitution, whenever the Legislature or a state agency mandates a new program or higher level of service on any local government, including school districts, the state is required to provide a subvention of funds to reimburse the local government, with specified exceptions. Existing law establishes a test claim procedure for local governmental agencies to file claims for reimbursement of these costs with the Commission on State Mandates. This bill would revise these provisions to require the commission to adopt procedures for receiving test claims from school districts that eliminate specified existing requirements. The bill would require the commission to create a school district test claim advisory committee, with a prescribed membership, for the purpose of consulting with commission staff regarding specified information relating to a school district test claim. The bill would require the commission staff to prepare an analysis of the test claim and a proposed statement of decision for consideration by the commission, as specified. The bill would also require the advisory committee to prepare and submit the parameters and guidelines for an approved test claim to the commission for approval on behalf of a school district claimant, as specified.
Existing law provides for the licensure of various health facilities, including general acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and intermediate care facilities, and congregate living health facilities by the State Department of Public Health. Certain of these facilities are included under the category of long-term health care facilities, as defined. A violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law requires each hospital to have in effect a written discharge planning policy and process that requires appropriate arrangements for posthospital care and a process that requires that each patient be informed, orally or in writing, of the continuing care requirements following discharge from the hospital, as specified, and additionally requires specific information to be provided to a patient anticipated to be in need of posthospital care. This bill would require a hospital that is required to provide, as part of its discharge policy, information to patients anticipated to need posthospital care, to provide the information both orally and in writing to the patient and, if necessary, to his or her representative, at the earliest possible opportunity prior to discharge. By changing the definition of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law establishes the California Partnership for Long-Term Care Program and requires the State Department of Health Care Services to adopt regulations to administer the program. This bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services to initiate a process to develop or identify, by no later than July 1, 2013, a tool for the uniform long-term care services assessment of individuals in order to assist eligible consumers in finding long-term care services of their choice, as specified. The department would be required to submit a report on the use of these assessments to the Legislature. This bill, among other things, would require a county to establish a long-term care case management program for specified persons if the director makes a specified certification. The bill would require the program to provide prescribed services, including assessment of care needed for persons in long-term health care facilities, as defined, to enable them to reside in the community and the services necessary to provide that care, and would require the county or its designees to assign care managers to each long-term health care facility within the county. After these facilities are notified of the appropriate case manager, each facility would be required to inform the case manager when a new patient or resident is admitted and may need specified assistance. By changing the definition of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill also would require a long-term health care facility to display at least one poster, in an area accessible to residents, advertising the telephone number of the facility's designated case manager, thus changing the definition of an existing crime and imposing a state-mandated local program. The bill would also require these persons, upon a discharge from a long-term health care facility, to be provided with prescribed services by the county, and would express intent pertaining to the funding of these services. Because the bill would impose various duties on each county, the bill would create 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
