Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care Services to pay capitation rates to health plans participating in the Medi-Cal managed care program using actuarial methods and authorizes the department to establish health-plan- and county-specific rates. Existing law requires the department to utilize a county- and model-specific rate methodology to develop Medi-Cal managed care capitation rates for contracts entered into between the department and any entity pursuant to specified provisions that govern certain managed health care models. This bill would require the department to utilize fee-for-service data in setting rates for an entity that has contracted with the department as a primary care case management organization pursuant to specified provisions of law, including provisions that authorize the department to contract with primary care providers that serve persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) , in the same manner and for the same purposes as it used this data to establish rates for other specified managed care health care models. The bill would make various findings and declarations relating to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
Sponsored bills
Existing law authorizes the board of supervisors of any county to authorize the correctional administrator, as defined, to offer a program under which only inmates being held in lieu of bail in a county jail or other county correctional facility may participate in an electronic monitoring program if the inmate is not the subject of a hold or an outstanding warrant and any one of certain conditions are met. This bill would authorize a defendant arrested without a warrant for a bailable offense that is a felony punishable in a county jail to apply for release on a reduced bail if the defendant agrees to be placed in an electronic monitoring program administered by the county-authorized correctional administrator. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
This measure would designate April 2012 as California Autism Awareness Month, would affirm the Legislature's commitment to the important issues related to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) , and would emphasize that each and every individual with an ASD is a valued and important member of our society.
This measure would recognize that the Federal Trade Commission and other consumer organizations have designated the week of March 4 through March 10, 2012, as National Consumer Protection Week in order to empower consumers with knowledge to help them make informed choices in their purchases and to protect themselves from fraud and identity theft, and would declare the support of the Legislature for National Consumer Protection Week.
Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, with the approval of the State Board of Education, to develop an Academic Performance Index (API) to measure school and pupil performance. Existing law requires a school to demonstrate comparable improvement in academic achievement as measured by the API by all numerically significant pupil subgroups at the school, including ethnic subgroups, socioeconomically disadvantaged pupils, English learners, and pupils with disabilities. For purposes of these provisions, existing law defines a numerically significant pupil subgroup as one that either consists of at least 50 pupils each of whom has a valid test score, or one that constitutes at least 15% of the total population of pupils at a school who have valid test scores, except as specified. This bill would require that reporting conducted pursuant to these provisions include performance data for pupil subgroups consisting of 10 or more pupils with valid test scores. The bill would require that reporting conducted pursuant to these provisions for any pupil subgroup that is not numerically significant, as defined, be marked with an asterisk that indicates less statistical certainty than data based on a numerically significant subgroup. The bill would require that this reporting be conducted in accordance with specified federal privacy laws, and would state the Legislature's intent that this data not be used for federal or state accountability purposes.
Existing law requires agents and insurers to fulfill certain requirements with regard to the replacement of existing life insurance policies and annuities. This bill would require insurers and insurance producers, as defined, to comply with specified requirements regarding the purchase, exchange, or replacement of an annuity recommended to a consumer, including, but not limited to, having reasonable grounds for the insurance producer believing the annuity transaction would be suitable for the consumer, as provided. The bill would also prohibit an insurance producer from selling annuities unless he or she has received Insurance Commissioner-approved training, and would authorize the commissioner to require certain actions by, and impose sanctions and penalties on, insurers and their agents for a violation of the bill's provisions. The bill would further provide that sales by a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker-dealer that comply with the suitability and supervision system requirements of FINRA shall be deemed to satisfy the suitability and supervision system requirements of this bill, as specified.
Existing law provides for the certification and regulation of shorthand reporters by the Court Reporters Board of California in the Department of Consumer Affairs, and provides for the regulation of shorthand reporting schools by the board. Existing law provides for the renewal of a shorthand reporter's certificate if specified requirements are met. Existing law sets forth specified fees for the examination for, and the issuance and renewal of, a shorthand reporter's certificate. This bill would require the board, on or before July 1, 2012, to adopt regulations to establish minimum approved continuing education requirements for renewal of a shorthand reporter's certificate, with certain exceptions, and would require the board to establish a procedure for approving providers of continuing education courses, as specified. The bill would also authorize the board to, by regulation, establish a fee for approval of a continuing education provider, in an amount no greater than $40, to cover the reasonable regulatory cost to the board of approving those providers.
(1) Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, with the approval of the State Board of Education, to develop an Academic Performance Index (API) , consisting of specified indicators, to measure the performance of schools and pupils. This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2014, and repeal them as of January 1, 2015. The bill would require the Superintendent, in consultation with a specified advisory committee, to develop an Education Quality Index (EQI) , which would replace the API and consist of a State Assessment Index, a Graduation Rate Index, a College Preparedness Index, and a Career Readiness Index. The bill would require that these indices consist of specified criteria. In developing the EQI, the Superintendent and this advisory committee would be required to consult with the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, the Employment Development Department, and other appropriate entities. The bill would require the state board to provide opportunities for public input, make changes as necessary, and adopt the EQI no later than August 1, 2014. Commencing with the 2014–15 school year, the bill would require that all schools and school districts be evaluated using an EQI value. The bill would require the Superintendent to report to the Governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature by July 1, 2013, and annually thereafter, specified information relating to the creation of additional indices. The bill also would require the Superintendent, in consultation with a specified advisory committee, and subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act or another statute for this purpose, to contract for an independent evaluation of the effectiveness and reliability of the EQI and any statutory changes recommended for improvement, and to submit the evaluation and recommendations in a report to the Governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature by July 1, 2018. To the extent that this bill would impose new duties on school districts in connection with the establishment of the EQI, including, but not limited to, new reporting duties, it would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would also make conforming and clarifying changes relating to the duties of a specified advisory committee. The bill would require this advisory committee, for purposes of work relating to the EQI, to seek input through the establishment of subcommittees or other methods from persons with expertise in various areas, and, commencing January 1, 2012, through July 1, 2016, to hold a public meeting at least once each quarter per year. (2) 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.
Existing law provides for the regulation of various professions and vocations by regulatory boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law creates in the department a Division of Investigation and authorizes the Director of Consumer Affairs to employ investigators, inspectors, and deputies as are necessary to investigate and prosecute all violations of any law the enforcement of which is charged to the department or to any board in the department. Inspectors used by the boards are not required to be employees of the Division of Investigation, but may be employees of, or under contract to, the boards. Investigators of the Division of Investigation and of the Medical Board of California and the Dental Board of California have the authority of peace officers. Those entities are also authorized to employ individuals who are not peace officers to provide investigative services. This bill would extend the application of those provisions to the Board of Registered Nursing. The bill would make conforming changes to related provisions. Existing law, until January 1, 2012, creates within the Department of Consumer Affairs the Board of Registered Nursing, and provides for the board to select an executive director. Under existing law, boards scheduled for repeal are required to be evaluated by the Joint Sunset Review Committee of the Legislature. This bill would extend the operation of these provisions until January 1, 2016, and would specify that the board is subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. The bill would require meetings of the board to be held in northern and southern California. Existing law defines the term "approved school of nursing" and requires the board to approve and regulate registered nursing schools that are institutions of higher education or are affiliated with an institution of higher education, as specified. Existing law requires a school of nursing that is not affiliated with an institution of higher education to make an agreement with such an institution for purposes of awarding nursing degrees. This bill would delete the provisions requiring an agreement and would instead provide that a school of nursing that is not an institution of higher education or that is affiliated with an institution of higher education, and that is subject to the requirements set forth in the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009, requires board approval to grant nursing degrees. The bill would require new nursing schools seeking board approval to be recognized or approved by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. The bill would specify that the term "approved school of nursing" includes an approved nursing program. The bill would subject all approved schools of nursing to specified fees for deposit into the Board of Registered Nursing Fund, a continuously appropriated fund. Because the bill adds a new source of revenue to a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation. Existing law provides that it is unlawful for anyone to conduct a school of nursing unless the school has been approved by the board. This bill would authorize the board to issue cease and desist orders to a school of nursing that is not approved by the board and would require the board to notify the office of the Attorney General of such a school. The bill would also provide that it is unprofessional conduct for any registered nurse to violate that provision.