Sen. Sabrina Cervantes

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 17 designates February 2025 as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month in California. It encourages schools, communities, families, and youth to hold programs that raise awareness about teen dating violence and teach skills for healthy relationships. The resolution references CDC data showing one in three adolescents experiences dating abuse but does not create new laws or funding. It is a symbolic, non-binding resolution to promote awareness and community action.

Existing law permits the governing body of a city or district to request that the county render specified services to the city or district regarding the conduct of an election. This bill would prohibit a local government from enacting or enforcing any charter provision, ordinance, or regulation requiring a person to present identification for the purpose of voting or submitting a ballot at any polling place, vote center, or other location where ballots are cast or submitted, as specified. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.

Under the Emergency Ambulance Employee Safety and Preparedness Act, an initiative measure enacted by the voters as Proposition 11 at the November 6, 2018, statewide general election, every emergency ambulance employee is entitled to employer-paid mental health services through an employee assistance program (EAP) , and requires the EAP coverage to provide up to 10 mental health treatments per issue per calendar year. This bill would require an emergency ambulance provider, as defined, to offer to all emergency ambulance employees, upon the employee's request, peer support services to provide peer representatives who are available to come to the aid of their fellow employees on a broad range of emotional or professional issues. The bill would require a peer support program to be implemented through a labor-management agreement negotiated separately from a collective bargaining agreement covering affected emergency ambulance employees. This bill would specify conditions under which prescribed confidential communications between an emergency ambulance employee and a peer support team member may be disclosed. The bill would specify that an emergency ambulance employee who provides peer support services as a member of a peer support team, and the ambulance agency that employs them, shall not be liable for damages unless an act, error, or omission in performing peer support services constitutes gross negligence or intentional misconduct, except for an action for medical malpractice.

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 disability insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law imposes various requirements and restrictions on health care service plans and disability insurers, including, among other things, a requirement that every group health care service plan contract or disability insurance policy that is issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 1990, offer coverage for the treatment of infertility, except in vitro fertilization. This bill would require large and small group health care service plan contracts and disability insurance policies issued, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2025, to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility services. With respect to large group health care service plan contracts and disability insurance policies, the bill would require coverage for a maximum of 3 completed oocyte retrievals, as specified. The bill would revise the definition of infertility, and would remove the exclusion of in vitro fertilization from coverage. The bill would also delete a requirement that a health care service plan contract and disability insurance policy provide infertility treatment under agreed-upon terms that are communicated to all group contractholders and policyholders. The bill would prohibit a health care service plan or disability insurer from placing different conditions or coverage limitations on fertility medications or services, or the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility services, than would apply to other conditions, as specified. The bill would make these requirements inapplicable to a religious employer, as defined, and specified contracts and policies. Because the 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 requires, in conformance with federal law, that the Secretary of State and the Department of Motor Vehicles establish and implement the California New Motor Voter Program for the purpose of increasing opportunities for voter registration for qualified voters. Existing law requires the department to transmit to the Secretary of State specified information related to a person's eligibility to vote, which the person provides when applying for a driver's license or identification card or when the person notifies the department of an address change. Existing law requires that if this information transmitted to the Secretary of State constitutes a completed affidavit of registration, the Secretary of State must register or preregister the person to vote, as applicable, unless the person affirmatively declines to register or is ineligible to vote, as specified. This bill would require the Secretary of State and the department to develop a process for the department to use information from the statewide voter registration database to determine whether a person who submits a driver's license application is already registered or preregistered to vote in the state. The bill would require the department, based upon this determination, to transmit specified information provided by the person during their transaction with the department to the Secretary of State for the purpose of registering or preregistering that person to vote or to update their registration information. The bill would prohibit the department from providing a person the opportunity to attest to meeting voter eligibility requirements when they submit a driver's license application, if the person provides a document to the department during the transaction demonstrating that the person is not a United States citizen. The bill would permit the Secretary of State, upon a determination that sufficient technology infrastructure exists, to promulgate regulations concerning the establishment of a list of individuals who are eligible to be preapproved for voter registration, as specified. This bill would make these provisions operative on the earlier of January 1, 2030, or 5 days after the Secretary of State and the department certify that the information technology infrastructure necessary to substantially implement the bill is functional. The bill would permit the Secretary of State and the department, beginning on January 1, 2025, to perform administrative actions necessary to implement these provisions.

Existing law requires the Governor to appoint every officer whose mode of appointment is not prescribed by law. Existing law also prescribes the manner of the Governor's appointment of those officers. This bill would require the office of the Governor, commencing January 1, 2026, to maintain on its internet website a list of every state board and commission that includes, for each state board or commission, the membership list, stated purpose, duties, meeting frequency, internet website, and vacancies in the membership. The bill would require the office of the Governor, on or before January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, to create and publish on its internet website a report containing aggregate demographic information of appointments made by the office during the prior calendar year, as specified.

(1) Existing law includes maxims of jurisprudence in civil law. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to some of these provisions. (2) Existing law requires that, if a jury commissioner requires a person to complete a questionnaire, the questionnaire must ask only questions related to juror identification, qualification, and ability to serve as a prospective juror. Existing law authorizes a court or trial judge to require a prospective juror to complete such additional questionnaires as may be deemed relevant and necessary for assisting in the voir dire process or to ascertain whether a fair cross section of the population is represented as required by law, or as proposed by counsel in a particular care to assist the voir dire process. This bill would require, after January 1, 2026, the Judicial Council to adopt a standard of judicial administration to ensure that juror identification and any juror questionnaire is inclusive, as specified.

Existing unemployment compensation disability law requires workers to pay contribution rates based on, among other things, wages received in employment and benefit disbursement, for payment into the Unemployment Compensation Disability Fund, for purposes of compensating in part for the wage loss sustained by any individual who is unable to work due to the employee's own sickness or injury, among other reasons. Existing law sets forth standards for eligibility to receive unemployment compensation disability benefits. Existing law establishes, within the above state disability insurance program, a family temporary disability insurance program, also known as the paid family leave program, for the provision of wage replacement benefits for up to 8 weeks to workers who take time off work for prescribed purposes, including to care for a seriously ill family member. Existing law requires, for purposes of unemployment compensation disability benefits, the Employment Development Department to issue the initial payment for unemployment compensation disability benefits to a monetarily eligible claimant who is otherwise determined eligible by the department within 14 days of receipt of the claimant's properly completed first disability claim. Existing law provides for purposes of the paid family leave program that eligible workers shall receive benefits generally in accordance with unemployment and disability compensation law. This bill would instead require, for purposes of unemployment compensation disability benefits, the issuance of the initial payment for those benefits within 14 days of receipt of the claimant's properly completed first disability claim or as soon as eligibility begins, whichever is later. The bill would apply the same initial payment issuance schedule applicable to unemployment compensation disability benefits to the paid family leave program and repeal the requirement that eligible workers receive benefits generally in accordance with unemployment and disability compensation law. The bill would make these changes operative when these changes are incorporated in the Employment Development Department's integrated claims management system as part of the EDDNext project. Under the state disability insurance and paid family leave programs, a first claim is required to be filed not later than the 41st consecutive day following the first compensable day with respect to which the claim is made for benefits, as specified. This bill would authorize an individual to initiate the claims process up to 30 days in advance of the anticipated first compensable day. The bill would make these changes operative when the changes are incorporated in the Employment Development Department's integrated claims management system as part of the EDDNext project.

Existing law, the Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act of 1983, establishes a program of seismic safety building standards for certain hospitals. Existing law requires, by January 1, 2030, owners of all acute care inpatient hospitals to either seismically retrofit all acute care inpatient hospitals, or demolish, replace, or change to nonacute care use all hospital buildings not in substantial compliance with regulations and standards developed by the department in accordance with the act, as specified. This bill would authorize the Children's Hospital Los Angeles to seek approval from the Department of Health Care Access and Information for an extension to the January 1, 2030, compliance deadline described above by up to 3 years. The bill would authorize the hospital to submit a seismic compliance plan, as specified, and, if necessary, a Nonstructural Performance Category-5 evaluation report in order to seek an extension. The bill would also require the hospital and department to identify least 2 major milestones relating to the seismic compliance plan that will be used as the basis for determining whether a hospital is making adequate progress towards meeting the hospital's seismic compliance deadline. The bill would subject the submitted seismic compliance plan to departmental review for reasonableness and require the hospital seeking the extension to submit any documentation requested by the department to assist its review. The bill would require the department to approve or deny a seismic compliance plan and any extension to the seismic compliance deadline within 120 days. The bill would also authorize the department to adjust the approved extension of time, the milestones agreed upon, or both, as necessary to deal with contractor, labor, or material delays, acts of God, governmental entitlements, or other circumstances beyond the hospital's control. The bill would impose a fine of $5,000 per calendar day for the hospital's failure to comply with a revised construction schedule or to meet any major milestone established by the department until the requirements or milestones, respectively, are met. The bill would also generally prohibit these hospitals from being issued a building permit for any building in the facility except those required for seismic compliance, maintenance, and emergency repairs until the milestone is met and the hospital is adequately progressing toward meeting the hospital's seismic compliance, as determined by the department. The bill would require the department to implement the above-described provisions by regulation, as specified. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Los Angeles.

Existing law establishes the Citizens Redistricting Commission in the County of Riverside. Existing law requires the commission to adjust the boundary lines of the districts of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Riverside in accordance with specified criteria and by following specified procedures. Existing law establishes the qualifications for membership on the commission. Existing law, the FAIR Maps Act of 2023, establishes specified criteria for certain local jurisdictions to follow when adopting district boundaries. This bill would require the Citizens Redistricting Commission in the County of Riverside to adjust district boundaries in accordance with the criteria set forth in the FAIR Maps Act of 2023. The bill would require the commission to follow additional procedures relating to the translation of materials. The bill would prohibit members of the commission from communicating with an individual regarding redistricting matters outside of a public meeting, as specified, and would prohibit a member from engaging in certain activities while serving on the commission and for three years thereafter. By increasing the duties on local officials, the 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 unique circumstances facing the County of Riverside. 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.