Sen. María Elena Durazo

Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Existing law sets forth the minimum requirements for a services credential with a specialization in health for a school nurse, which include, among other requirements, a baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited institution for a preliminary credential and, for a professional credential, an additional year of coursework beyond a baccalaureate degree in a program approved by the commission. This bill would instead require the baccalaureate or higher degree to be from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. The bill would authorize the commission to approve a program offered by a local educational agency for one year of coursework beyond the baccalaureate degree, as provided.

(1) Existing law requires a pupil to complete designated coursework while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school. These graduation requirements include, among others, the completion of 3 years of courses in English and 3 years of courses in social studies, including one-year courses in United States history and geography and world history, culture, and geography, a one-semester course in American government and civics, and a one-semester course in economics. Existing law requires the Instructional Quality Commission to develop, and the State Board of Education to adopt, modify, or revise, a model curriculum in ethnic studies. Existing law also encourages each school district and charter school that maintains any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, and that does not otherwise offer a standards-based ethnic studies curriculum to offer, beginning in the school year following the adoption of the model curriculum, a course of study in ethnic studies based on the model curriculum. This bill would add the completion of a one-semester course in ethnic studies, meeting specified requirements, to the graduation requirements commencing with pupils graduating in the 2029–30 school year, including for pupils enrolled in a charter school. The bill would expressly authorize local educational agencies, including charter schools, to require a full-year course in ethnic studies at their discretion. The bill would require local educational agencies, including charter schools, to offer an ethnic studies course commencing with the 2025–26 school year, as specified. The bill would authorize, subject to the course offerings of a local educational agency, including a charter school, a pupil to satisfy the ethnic studies course requirement by completing either (A) a course based on the model curriculum in ethnic studies developed by the commission, (B) an existing ethnic studies course, (C) an ethnic studies course taught as part of a course that has been approved as meeting the A–G requirements of the University of California and the California State University, or (D) a locally developed ethnic studies course approved by the governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school. The bill would prohibit a course that does not use ethnic studies content as the primary content through which the subject is taught from being used to satisfy the ethnic studies course requirement. The bill would require a pupil who completes a course described above to also accrue credit for coursework in the subject that the course is offered, including, if applicable, credit towards satisfying a course required for a diploma of graduation from high school. These provisions would become operative only upon an appropriation of funds by the Legislature for these purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute. Because the bill would add new duties to local educational agencies, it would constitute a state-mandated local program. (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 the statutory provisions noted above.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report (EIR) on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA establishes a procedure by which a person may seek judicial review of the decision of the lead agency made pursuant to CEQA. This bill would, until January 1, 2025, establish specified procedures for the administrative and judicial review of the environmental review and approvals granted for an environmental leadership transit project, as defined, proposed by a public or private entity or its affiliates that is located wholly within the County of Los Angeles or connects to an existing transit project wholly located in that county and that is approved by the lead agency on or before January 1, 2024. The bill would require the project applicant of the environmental leadership transit project to take certain actions in order for those specified procedures to apply to the project. The bill would require the Judicial Council, on or before January 1, 2023, to adopt rules of court establishing procedures requiring actions or proceedings seeking judicial review of the certification of an environmental impact report for an environmental leadership transit project or the granting of any project approval, including any appeals to the court of appeal or the Supreme Court, to be resolved, to the extent feasible, within 365 calendar days of the filing of the certified record of proceedings with the court to an action or proceeding seeking judicial review of the lead agency's action related to an environmental leadership transit project. The bill would require the environmental leadership transit project to meet certain labor requirements. The bill would require the lead agency to prepare the EIR for an environmental leadership transit project in a specified manner and would require the concurrent preparation of the record of proceedings. The bill would specify that these requirements would only apply to the first 7 environmental leadership transit projects obtaining a certified environmental impact report. Because the bill would impose additional duties on the lead agency, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Los Angeles. 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 establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to provide instruction at the campuses they operate. This bill would require the governing board of the Los Angeles Community College District to develop and implement a pilot program to provide affordable housing to students or employees of the Los Angeles Community College District, and to provide a report to the Legislature, no later than January 1, 2032, with findings and recommendations on the success of the program. The bill would require priority to be given to low-income students experiencing homelessness for the affordable units of the affordable housing for students or employees. By imposing new duties on a community college district, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a community college district to let to any private person, firm, or corporation, any real property that belongs to the community college district if the instrument by which the property is let requires the lessee to construct on the demised premises, or provide for the construction on the real property of, a building or buildings for the joint use of the community college district and the private person, firm, or corporation during the term of the lease or agreement if certain conditions are met, including that no rental fee or other charge for the use of the building or buildings is paid by the community college district. Existing law authorizes a community college district to enter into a lease or agreement with a city, county, or city and county for the joint occupancy, or a private educational institution for its sole occupancy, of the real property and buildings of the community college district, as provided. Existing law limits the duration of those leases or agreements to a term not to exceed 5 years, as specified. Existing law prohibits the governing board of a community college district from leasing real property for less than fair rental value, as defined, to any entity unless the entity meets certain conditions. This bill would authorize the Los Angeles Community College District to let to any nonprofit entity any real property, as specified. The bill would authorize the Los Angeles Community College District to agree to a rental fee or other charge for that use if the constructed building or buildings are developed and operated as affordable housing for students or employees, as defined, of the Los Angeles Community College District, or for both those students and employees. The bill would authorize the Los Angeles Community College District to enter into a lease or agreement with a nonprofit entity, private person, firm, or corporation for joint occupancy of the real property and buildings of the community college district, if the real property and buildings are intended for affordable housing for students or employees of the community college district, or for both those students and employees. The bill would authorize a lease or agreement for joint occupancy of real property and buildings of the Los Angeles Community College District that are intended for affordable housing for students or employees of the community college district, or for both those students and employees, for a term that does not exceed 66 years. The bill would authorize the governing board of the Los Angeles Community College District to lease real property for less than fair rental value to an entity if that entity intends to enter into a lease or agreement with the community college district for joint occupancy of the real property and buildings of the community college district to develop and operate affordable housing for students or employees of the community college district, or for both those students and employees. This bill would repeal the pilot program on January 1, 2033. 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 the statutory provisions noted above.

Existing law requires a school district, county office of education, or charter school to ensure that a grade 12 pupil who has not opted out, as specified, completes and submits a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or, if the pupil is exempt from paying nonresident tuition under existing law, completes and submits a form for purposes of the California Dream Act. Existing law requires the Student Aid Commission, on or before July 1, 2022, to adopt regulations that include, but are not limited to, model opt-out forms and acceptable use policies for the purpose of providing guidance on applicable state laws. Existing law requires the school district, county office of education, or charter school to exempt a pupil or the pupil's parent or legal guardian from completing a form if the local educational agency determines the pupil is unable to complete the form, and prohibits a pupil's ability to graduate from being affected by a pupil's failure to fill out a form. This bill would require, on or before September 1, 2022, and each year thereafter, the commission and the State Department of Education to facilitate the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the form established for purposes of the California Dream Act, by requiring the department to share the current school year's roster of pupils with the commission, and requiring the commission to match data on pupil completion of financial aid forms, as specified.

(1) Existing law prohibits, during the prosecution of specified sex crimes, the admission of evidence of the manner in which the victim was dressed, when offered by either the prosecution or the defendant on the issue of consent, unless the court finds the evidence relevant and admissible in the interests of justice. This bill would prohibit the court from admitting evidence, in the above circumstances, of the manner in which the victim was dressed, upon a finding that the evidence is relevant and admissible in the interests of justice. (2) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 1103 of the Evidence Code proposed by AB 1171 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1171 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. (3) The California Constitution provides that relevant evidence shall not be excluded in any criminal proceeding except as provided by statute enacted by a 23 vote of the membership of each house of the Legislature. Because this bill would limit the admissibility of evidence in criminal proceedings, it would require a 23 vote.

Existing law requires the Governor to proclaim certain days each year for specified reasons. This bill would designate August 26 of each year as California Farmworker Day, and require the Governor to annually proclaim August 26 as California Farmworker Day. The bill would make legislative findings in this regard.

Existing law authorizes the Department of Toxic Substances Control to undertake response or corrective actions under the hazardous waste control laws or the Carpenter-Presley-Tanner Hazardous Substance Account Act in response to a release or threatened release of hazardous substances. This bill would require the department, where feasible, to at least partially incorporate fixed-price contracting for contracts for the cleanup of hazardous substances released into the environment carried out by the department. The bill would require the department to establish performance milestones for cleanups of hazardous substances released into the environment carried out or overseen by the department to ensure that the cleanups are performed at the appropriate pace and to post on its internet website information regarding those cleanups, including specified information for each cleanup. This bill would require moneys recovered by the state from responsible parties relating to the former Exide Technologies lead-acid battery recycling facility in the City of Vernon to be used to repay the General Fund and the Lead-Acid Battery Cleanup Fund for loans made for the oversight or performance of closure activities and response and corrective actions to protect public health and the environment from hazardous substances or hazardous waste at or near the former Exide Technologies facility, and to repay other sources of state funding for costs incurred for that same purpose. The bill would also require moneys recovered by the state to be used to repay the Lead-Acid Battery Cleanup Fund for repayments to the General Fund.

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 provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law authorizes an individual to add a dependent to their health care service plan contract or health insurance policy, including adding a dependent outside of an initial enrollment period if certain criteria are met. Existing law defines "dependent" for the purpose of an individual contract or policy to mean the spouse, registered domestic partner, or child of an individual. Existing law establishes the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) in the California Department of Aging to provide Medicare beneficiaries and those imminently eligible for Medicare with counseling and advocacy regarding health care coverage options. This bill would require an individual health care service plan contract or health insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2023, that provides dependent coverage to make dependent coverage available to a qualified dependent parent or stepparent. The bill would require a plan, an insurer, or the California Health Benefit Exchange to provide an applicant seeking to add a dependent parent or stepparent with written notice about HICAP and would require a solicitor or agent to provide specified HICAP contact information, as specified. The bill would expand the definition of "dependent" for an individual health care service plan contract or health insurance policy to include a qualified dependent parent or stepparent. Because a willful violation of these provisions 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.

Existing law, the CalSavers Retirement Savings Trust Act, creates in state government the CalSavers Retirement Savings Board and requires the board to, among other things, design and implement the CalSavers Retirement Savings Program. This bill, the California Public Banking Option Act, until January 1, 2032, would require the Treasurer to convene, on or before September 1, 2022, the CalAccount Blue Ribbon Commission to be composed of certain members, including the Treasurer or the Treasurer's designee. The act would require the commission to, on or before July 1, 2024, conduct, by contracting with one or more entities with appropriate expertise, and deliver, as prescribed, a market analysis to determine if it is feasible to implement a "CalAccount Program," which, if implemented, would have certain characteristics, including that it would be a program established by the state for the purpose of protecting consumers who lack access to traditional banking services from predatory, discriminatory, and costly alternatives, which offers Californians access to a voluntary, zero-fee, zero-penalty, federally insured transaction account, known as a CalAccount, and related payment services at no cost to accountholders, including robust and geographically diverse mechanisms for accessing account funds and account management tools that facilitate the automation of basic financial transactions designed to serve the needs of individuals with low or fluctuating income. The bill would require the commission to hold a public hearing to review the market analysis and, after holding that hearing, would authorize the commission to issue a report to accompany the market analysis, as prescribed. The bill would make the operation of the act contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature in the Budget Act or another statute for its purposes.