Under existing law, the governing board of a school district may require each prospective bidder for certain contracts involving an expenditure of more than $50,000 to submit a standardized questionnaire and financial statement, including information relating to financial ability and experience in performing public works. Existing law further requires a school district requiring the above information to adopt and apply a uniform system of rating bidders on the basis of the completed questionnaires and financial statements, as specified. This bill would require the questionnaire and the uniform system of rating bidders described above to contain, at a minimum, substantially similar information, questions, and requirements as that of the standardized questionnaire and model guidelines for rating bidders developed by the Department of Industrial Relations for public entities, as specified. The bill would also require the governing board of a school district, for contracts involving projects valued at $1,000,000 or more, if the district chooses not to follow specified bidding procedures for school districts, to use other procedures for bidding applicable to public entities, as prescribed. By imposing new duties on local officials, 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, 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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Existing law requires a magistrate presented with the affidavit of a peace officer or a designated local transportation officer establishing reasonable cause to believe that a vehicle, described by vehicle type and license number, is being operated as a taxicab or other passenger vehicle for hire in violation of licensing requirements adopted by a local authority to issue a warrant or order authorizing the peace officer or designated local transportation officer to immediately seize and cause the removal of the vehicle. Existing law also provides that the vehicle may be impounded for a period not to exceed 30 days and establishes, among other things, procedures for storage, a poststorage hearing, payment of storage charges, and release of the vehicle. A violation of these provisions is an infraction. This bill would establish similar procedures for the seizure and removal of a tow truck that is being operated in violation of local licensing requirements. The bill would also provide that a towing company owner, its agent, or a tow truck operator who violates licensing requirements adopted by a local authority is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a $5,000 fine. By creating a new 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 establishes procedures regarding the registration of voters. Under existing law, a person may not be registered to vote except by affidavit of registration, and a voter may not vote in an election unless his or her affidavit of registration is executed and received by the county elections official on or before the 15th day prior to the election. Existing law permits any registered voter to vote by a vote by mail ballot, and further permits any voter using a vote by mail ballot to vote the ballot at the office of the elections official beginning 29 days before the election. This bill would establish one-stop voting whereby a person would be permitted to register to vote and immediately vote on election day or at any time prior to election day when ballots may be cast. The bill would require a voter, in order to register and vote by means of one-stop voting, to visit a location at which one-stop voting is available, to present proof of identity and current residence, as specified, and to complete an affidavit of registration. Upon completing that registration, the voter would be immediately eligible to vote by regular ballot. If the voter is unable to complete that registration because the voter is unable to present proof of identity or proof of current residence, the voter would be permitted to register and vote by provisional ballot. The bill would require each county elections official to compile an index of voters who register to vote by one-stop voting. After the official canvass of the votes for that election is completed, the elections official would be required to review the names on the index and cancel duplicate registrations. The elections official would be required to send a voter registration form to every person who properly registered to vote by one-stop voting, and those persons would be registered for future elections at the address that the voter declared for purposes of voter registration. The elections official would be required to notify the district attorney and the Secretary of State if it appears that a person has engaged in fraudulent voting. The bill would require that one-stop voting be available at every permanent office of a county elections official beginning January 1 of the year following the implementation of VoteCal. In addition, the bill would require that each location at which one-stop voting is available have a separate area for the process and have at least one precinct board member who is trained in one-stop voting. The bill would authorize the Secretary of State to adopt appropriate regulations to implement one-stop registration and voting. The provisions of the bill establishing one-stop voting would become operative as of January 1 following the date that VoteCal is implemented. By creating new duties for local elections officials, 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.
Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to provide breast cancer and cervical cancer screening services to eligible low-income individuals under a federal grant made under the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention breast and cervical cancer early detection program. Funding for these services is provided by a combination of federal and state moneys. Existing law requires these services to be provided at the level of funding budgeted from state and other resources during the fiscal year in which the Legislature has appropriated funds to the department for this purpose. This bill would, insofar as consistent with federal law and without jeopardizing federal funding, require the department to provide breast cancer screening and diagnostic services to individuals of any age who are exhibiting symptoms, with a physician's recommendation, and individuals 40 years of age or older, provided the individual otherwise meets the state eligibility requirements. This bill would appropriate an unspecified amount to the department for the breast and cervical cancer early detection program.
Existing law does not provide a system of universal health care coverage for California residents. 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. 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 provide that a resident of the state with a household income, as specified, at or below 200% of the federal poverty level would be eligible for the type of benefits provided under the Medi-Cal program. 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. The bill would create the Healthcare Fund and 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, 2013, 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, 2011, with its remaining provisions becoming operative on 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. The bill would require that system to be operative within 2 years of that date and would provide for various transition processes for that period. 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, independent medical review, and associated matters. 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 office of the Inspector General, and charges the Inspector General with various duties and responsibilities. Existing law establishes the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and charges it with various duties and responsibilities. This bill would require the Inspector General to oversee, and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to oversee and conduct, periodic and random searches of employees and vendors entering the secure perimeter of the state prisons under the jurisdiction of the department for contraband, and to report to the Inspector General quarterly regarding those searches, as specified.
Existing law provides for unemployment compensation benefits to eligible persons who are unemployed through no fault of their own. Existing law, until January 1, 2015, provides for retraining benefits to eligible individuals pursuant to the federal Trade Act of 1974, as amended by the federal Trade Act of 2002. Existing law authorizes an unemployed individual who files a claim for unemployment compensation benefits or extended duration benefits, or an application for federal-state extended benefits or any federally funded unemployment compensation benefits, to apply to the Employment Development Department for benefits during a period of training or retraining. This bill would establish the California Training Benefits Program, which, among other things, would, instead, specify that an unemployed individual shall be automatically eligible for those training and retraining benefits, regardless of whether the individual applies to the department for a determination of potential eligibility if specified criteria apply, or if the Director of Employment Development makes a determination of eligibility. Existing law requires that a determination of potential eligibility for specified training and retraining benefits be issued to an unemployed individual if the Director of Employment Development finds that specified conditions apply. This bill would delete those provisions, and instead specify that an unemployed individual who is able to work is eligible to receive training and retraining benefits if he or she certifies on the unemployment insurance claim form for benefits that he or she is enrolled in a training program that meets criteria specified by this bill, and a responsible person connected with the training or retraining program certifies that the individual is enrolled and is satisfactorily pursuing the training or retraining program. Existing law specifies that any unemployed individual receiving certain unemployment compensation benefits, who applies for a determination of potential eligibility for those benefits no later than the 16th week of his or her receiving those benefits, and is determined to be eligible for those benefits, is entitled to a training extension on his or her unemployment claim, if necessary, to complete approved training. This bill would eliminate that requirement that an individual apply for a determination of potential eligibility no later than the 16th week of his or her receiving those benefits, and would instead require that any unemployed individual receiving unemployment compensation benefits be entitled to a training extension on his or her unemployment compensation claim, if necessary, to complete approved training. Existing law requires the department to inform all individuals who claim unemployment insurance compensation benefits in this state of the benefits potentially available, as provided. This bill would require the department to also publicize and promote the benefits available under those provisions on its Internet Web site. Existing law specifies that, for purposes of provisions governing eligibility for work with respect to any week an individual is eligible for unemployment benefits, an unemployed individual who is able to work is eligible to receive benefits with respect to any week during a period of training or retraining, if the director finds that specified conditions apply. This bill would remove that requirement that the director make a specified finding for an unemployed individual who is able to work to be eligible to receive those benefits, if those specified conditions apply. Because the bill would make various changes to existing eligibility requirements for training and retraining benefits, which would result in additional amounts being payable from the Unemployment Fund, the bill would make an appropriation.
Existing law requires the Secretary of State to adopt uniform standards for the training of precinct board members. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation requiring the Secretary of State to periodically update poll worker training standards and to monitor county adherence to these standards.
Existing law provides that a discount buying organization is required to establish a trust account at a federally insured bank or savings and loan association for the deposit of contract payments, as specified. Existing law places certain restrictions on the ability of a discount buying organization to withdraw funds from this trust account. Existing law exempts an affiliate discount buying organization that meets certain requirements from these provisions, and specifies alternate trust account and trust funds withdrawal provisions for these affiliates. This bill would completely exempt an affiliate discount buying organization that operates under a parent in good standing, as defined, from all the requirements related to the establishment of or withdrawal of funds from a trust account.
The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to administer a tire recycling program and authorizes the tire recycling program to include, among other things, the awarding of grants to public entities involved in activities and applications that result in reduced landfill disposal of used whole tires and reduced illegal disposal or stockpiling of used whole tires. This bill would require a public entity that submits an application for a grant from the Local Government Waste Tire Cleanup and Amnesty Event Grant Program administered by the department to ask the local community conservation corps, as the bill would define that term, if it wishes to assist with cleanup or amnesty events in the event that the public entity receives a program grant. The public entity would be required to include with its application a statement that it has complied with that requirement and a statement of whether the local community conservation corps wishes to participate. If there is no local community conservation corps in the city in which cleanup or amnesty events will occur, the public entity would be required to include with its application a statement to that effect.