Existing law establishes the Tobacco Education and Research Oversight Committee to provide advice to the State Department of Public Health and the State Department of Education with respect to policy development, integration, and evaluation of tobacco education programs. Existing law requires the State Department of Education to allocate funds to county offices of education for tobacco use prevention, intervention, and cessation activities. Existing law also requires all school districts and county offices of education that receive funding, as specified, to adopt and enforce a tobacco-free campus policy, no later than July of each fiscal year, prohibiting the use of tobacco products, any time, in district-owned or leased buildings, on district property and in district vehicles. This bill would expand eligibility for funding for the tobacco use prevention program to include charter schools. The bill would require the State Department of Education to require that all school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education receiving funding under the program adopt and enforce a tobacco-free campus policy prohibiting the use of products containing tobacco and nicotine, as specified. The bill would also prohibit the use of tobacco and nicotine products in a county office of education, a charter school or school district-owned or leased building, on school or district property, and in a school or district vehicle without regard to whether those entities receive funding. The bill would require school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education to prominently display signs at all entrances to school property stating "Tobacco use is prohibited." By imposing new duties on local educational agencies, 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, 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.
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The Cigarette and Tobacco Products Tax Law imposes a tax on every distributor of cigarettes and tobacco products at specified rates. That law specifies that the taxes imposed by that law are in lieu of all other state, county, municipal, or district taxes on the privilege of distributing cigarettes or tobacco products. The California Constitution prohibits the Legislature from imposing taxes for local purposes, but allows the Legislature to authorize local governments to impose them. This bill would authorize the board of supervisors of a county or city and county to impose a tax on the privilege of distributing cigarettes and tobacco products in the county or city and county, including within an incorporated city within the county.
This measure would recognize the Lunar New Year Celebration.
This measure would proclaim January 13, 2016, as Korean American Day.
The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act requires the State Department of Developmental Services to contract with regional centers to provide services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities. Under existing law, regional centers purchase needed services for individuals with developmental disabilities through approved service providers or arrange for those services through other publicly funded agencies. Existing law establishes specified rates and wages to be paid to certain service providers and the rates to be paid for certain developmental services. Existing law requires that rates to be paid to other developmental service providers either be set by the department or negotiated between the regional center and the service provider. Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which basic health care services are provided to qualified low-income persons. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments to be reduced, as specified. This bill would appropriate a specified sum to the State Department of Developmental Services to, commencing July 1, 2016, among other things, increase rates and wages for certain developmental services providers and fund incentive payments for competitive integrated employment opportunities and internships for individuals with developmental disabilities. The bill would require the department to submit a rate study to specified committees of the Legislature on or before March 1, 2019, regarding community-based services for individuals with developmental disabilities. The bill would require each regional center to report specified information to the department regarding increased funding for regional center operations. The bill would, for dates of service on or after August 1, 2016, increase the payment rates for intermediate care facilities and skilled nursing facilities that provide services to developmentally disabled individuals under the Medi-Cal program, as specified. The bill would also prohibit the State Department of Health Care Services from seeking to retroactively implement certain Medi-Cal provider payment reductions and limitations with regards to reimbursements for services provided by skilled nursing facilities that are distinct parts of general acute care hospitals for dates of service on or after June 1, 2011, and on or before September 30, 2013, and from seeking to recoup overpayments, as specified. Existing law requires the department and regional centers to annually collaborate to compile specified data relating to purchase of service authorization, utilization, and expenditure by each regional center. Existing law requires each regional center to annually report to the department regarding the regional center's implementation of these requirements, including whether the data indicates a need to reduce disparities in the purchase of services among consumers in the regional center's catchment area and the regional center's recommendations and plan to promote equity, and reduce disparities, in the purchase of services. Existing law requires the department to consult with specified stakeholders to review the data, develop recommendations to help reduce disparities in purchase of service expenditures, and encourage development and expansion of culturally appropriate services, among other things, and to report the status of its efforts during the 2016–17 legislative budget subcommittee hearing process. The bill would also require the department, subject to available funding, to allocate funding to regional centers to assist in implementing specified recommendations and plans, including the recommendations and plans of the regional centers to promote equity, and reduce disparities, in the purchase of services. Existing law requires an entity that receives payments between $250,000 and $500,000 per year from one or more regional centers to obtain either an independent audit or an independent review report of its financial statements, and requires an entity that receives payments that are equal to or more than $500,000 per year to obtain an independent audit. This bill would instead require an entity that receives payments between $500,000 and $2,000,000 from one or more regional centers to obtain an independent review report of its financial statements, and would authorize these entities to apply for, and require the regional center to grant, a 2-year exemption from this requirement if the regional center does not find issues in the independent review report that have an impact on regional center services. The bill would require an entity that receives payments from one or more regional centers that are equal to or more than $2,000,000 to obtain an independent audit and would authorize these entities to apply for, and require the regional center to grant, a 2-year exemption from the audit requirement if the audit resulted in an unmodified opinion, an unmodified opinion with additional communication, or a qualified opinion with issues that are not material. The bill would require a regional center to annually report to the State Department of Developmental Services any exemptions granted pursuant to these provisions.
Existing law requires a county elections official to, among other things, provide certain voter registration cards in sufficient quantities to any individuals or organizations that wish to distribute the cards, except as specified. Existing law requires the individuals and organizations distributing those voter registration cards who receive completed voter registration cards to return the completed cards to the county elections official or deposit those cards in the postal service within 3 days of receipt from a voter. This bill would require a homeless shelter that registers a person to vote to keep a record of the person it has registered to vote, including certain information about the person, and to transmit that information to certain government entities at least once per year. Existing law requires each driver's license issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles to include, among other things, the licensee's mailing address. Existing law requires an identification card issued by the department to resemble in appearance, so far as is practicable, a driver's license issued by the department. This bill would authorize an applicant who is a homeless individual to list the shelter, public space, cross street, or post office where he or she is living as his or her address on a driver's license or identification card.
This measure would declare the month of January 2016 as Pet Care Education Month and would request Californians to observe the month by ensuring that their companion animals receive the proper preventative care by establishing a financial plan for pet health emergencies and by contributing to charitable organizations that provide low-cost spay and neuter services and vaccinations or funds to help low-income individuals pay for veterinary care.
The Child Care and Development Services Act is enacted for, among other purposes, the purpose of providing a comprehensive, coordinated, and cost-effective system of child care and development services for children from infancy to 13 years of age and their parents, including a full range of supervision, health, and support services through full- and part-time programs. Existing law authorizes a family enrolled in state or federally funded child care and development program whose services would otherwise be terminated because the family no longer meets the program criteria to continue to receive child development services in another state or a federally funded child care and development program, as provided. This bill would require a child to be deemed eligible for the remainder of the program year subsequent to enrollment in a state or federally funded child care program.
Existing law prohibits a person under 18 years of age from operating a bicycle, riding on a bicycle as a passenger, or riding in a trailer towed by a bicycle unless the person is wearing a bicycle helmet meeting specified standards. A violation of those provisions is an infraction punishable by a fine of not more than $25. This bill would require the Office of Traffic Safety, in coordination with the Department of the California Highway Patrol, to conduct a comprehensive study of bicycle helmet use, including specified information, and to report the study's findings by January 1, 2017, as specified.