Sen. María Elena Durazo

Existing law prohibits a healing arts licensee, as defined, or an employee or agent of that licensee, from charging treatment or costs to a open-end credit or loan extended by a third party that is arranged for or established in the licensee's office without first providing a specified written or electronic notice and a specified list of which treatment and services are being charged. Existing law requires a licensee, or an employee or agent of that licensee, to refund the lender of any payment received through credit or a loan extended by a third party that is arranged for or established in the licensee's office for treatment that has not been rendered or costs that have not been incurred. Existing law also requires a licensee to give a patient a specified written treatment plan before arranging for, or establishing credit or a loan extended by a third party, as provided. This bill would remove the condition that the open-end credit or loan be arranged for or established in the licensee's office in order for the provisions described above to apply. The bill, among other things, would also require the licensee to give a patient that treatment plan before referring to establishing credit or a loan extended by a third party. The bill would define "refer to," for these purposes, as giving a patient information about a specific open-end credit product or company.

Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income persons receive health care benefits. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law also establishes the Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment (Family PACT) Program, administered by the Office of Family Planning within the department, under which comprehensive clinical family planning services are provided to a person who has a family income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, and who is eligible to receive these services. Existing law provides that comprehensive clinical family planning services under the program includes preconception counseling, maternal and fetal health counseling, and general reproductive health care, among other things. This bill would expand comprehensive clinical family planning services under the program to include the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for persons of reproductive age.

Existing law generally governs a patient's access to the patient's own health records. Existing law establishes procedures for providing access to health care records or summaries of those records by patients and by those persons who have responsibility for decisions regarding the health care of others, as described. Existing law sets forth the Legislature's findings and declarations regarding the right of access to that information, as specified. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those findings and declarations.

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. 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. This bill would authorize the 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 of the community college district, or for both those students and employees. 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. This bill would authorize a community college district to additionally enter into a lease or agreement with a 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. Notwithstanding the 5-year limitation, the bill would authorize a lease or agreement for joint occupancy of real property and buildings of the 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. 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 governing board of a community college district to additionally 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.

Existing law, the Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, regulates the collection of consumer debts by debt collectors and defines various terms for that purpose. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to those definition provisions.

The Personal Income Tax Law imposes a tax on the taxable income of a resident taxpayer, provides for specified treatment of the income of nonresidents, defines various terms for the purposes of that law, and specifies that those definitions govern the construction of that law. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to that law.

Existing law vests the Department of Transportation with full possession and control of the state highway system and associated real property. Existing law, if the department determines that real property, or an interest in the property, acquired for highway purposes is no longer necessary for those purposes, authorizes the department to sell or exchange the property or property interest in the manner and upon terms, standards, and conditions established by the California Transportation Commission, as specified. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.

The Corporation Tax Law allows various credits against the tax imposed by that law. This bill would allow a credit under the Corporation Tax Law for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2020, and before January 1, 2026, to a qualified taxpayer that employs an eligible individual during the taxable year, in an amount between $2,500 and $10,000 per eligible individual, not to exceed $30,000 per taxable year, depending on the amount of hours worked by the eligible individual. The bill would define various terms for purposes of the credit, including defining "eligible individual" as a person who is homeless. The bill would require an eligible employer to obtain an eligible employer certification from the Employment Development Department to receive the credit, and would require the Employment Development Department to issue a certification to eligible employers, as specified. The bill would require each continuum of care to issue certifications to eligible individuals that are homeless, as specified. By increasing the duties of local continuum of care, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would also include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. 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. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

The California Clean Energy Jobs Act, an initiative approved by the voters as Proposition 39 at the November 6, 2012, statewide general election, made changes to corporate income taxes and, except as specified, provided for the transfer of $550,000,000 annually from the General Fund to the Clean Energy Job Creation Fund for 5 fiscal years beginning with the 2013–14 fiscal year. Moneys in the fund are available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes of funding eligible projects that create jobs in California improving energy efficiency and expanding clean energy generation. Existing law provides for the allocation of moneys remaining in the fund after the 2017–18 fiscal year, and, commencing with the 2018–19 fiscal year, establishes the Clean Energy Job Creation Program to fund projects that create jobs in California improving energy efficiency and expanding clean energy generation, if those projects meet specified criteria, including, among others, that the projects are cost effective with the total benefits being greater than the costs of the project over time. Under existing law, the project selection may, in addition to energy benefits, include consideration of nonenergy benefits, such as health and safety. This bill would explicitly authorize consideration of job quality in project selection as a nonenergy benefit.

Existing law authorizes the Trustees of the California State University to enter into agreements for the performance of acts or for the furnishing of services, facilities, materials, goods, supplies, or equipment under certain conditions. The trustees are required to prescribe policies and procedures for the acquisition of services, facilities, materials, goods, supplies, or equipment, subject to specified criteria. This bill would require the trustees, for each food service contract and participation in a hotel development project, to require the person contracting with the trustees and each food service employer or hotel employer, to be party to a labor peace agreement with any labor organization that represents or seeks to represent food service employees performing work under the food service contract or hotel employees at the hotel development project, as specified. The bill would extend that requirement to any food service contract or hotel development project in which the California State University or an auxiliary organization has a proprietary interest and that is performed pursuant to a contract entered into or awarded by an auxiliary organization.