Sen. Sabrina Cervantes

Existing law, the Early Education Act, requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to, among other things, provide an inclusive and cost-effective preschool program. Existing law requires the Superintendent to develop standards for the implementation of high-quality preschool programs. This bill would rename the Early Education Act as the Universal Preschool Act, and would revise and recast the act to, among other things, require the State Department of Education, in consultation with the State Department of Social Services, to administer the universal preschool program. The bill would require the Superintendent and the Director of Social Services to convene a statewide coordination council to develop, among other things, goals, guidelines, and best practices to be used at a local level to implement a universal preschool program, as provided. The bill would require the Superintendent, in consultation with the Director of Social Services, to develop standards for the implementation of high-quality preschool programs in all settings, including, among other settings, transitional kindergarten. The act establishes a standard reimbursement rate for both the part- and full-day preschool programs, as provided. The act defines the term "attendance" for purposes of this reimbursement to include excused absences by children because of illness, quarantine, illness or quarantine of their parent, family emergency, or to spend time with a parent or other relative as required by court of law or that is clearly in the best interest of the child. This bill would require the State Department of Education, in consultation with the State Department of Social Services, to instead ensure the standard reimbursement rate provides at least a living wage for all universal preschool site supervisors, teachers, and staff. The bill would delete the definition of "attendance" for purposes of this reimbursement. The Early Education Act establishes eligibility requirements, including income eligibility requirements, for the part- and full-day preschool programs. The act establishes a fee schedule for families receiving preschool services. This bill would delete the requirements relating to eligibility and the fee schedule, and instead would provide that the universal preschool program shall be free, inclusive, and available to all 3- and 4-year-olds. The Early Education Act provides that the same fee as that prescribed for a credential shall be charged for either the issuance or renewal of each child development permit authorizing service in the supervision and instruction of children in child development programs or authorizing service as a supervisor in a program. This bill would instead provide that no fees shall be charged for either the issuance or renewal of each child development permit authorizing service in the supervision and instruction of children in child development programs or authorizing service as a supervisor in a program. The bill would require the State Department of Education, in consultation with the State Department of Social Services, to offer financial support to current and aspiring universal preschool site supervisors, teachers, and other support staff in obtaining required credentials and degrees to work in the preschool classroom or setting, as provided. This bill would make other related changes to the administration of the newly named Universal Preschool Act. Existing law requires childcare resource and referral programs to provide specified services, including the establishment of a referral process that responds to parental need for information, as provided. This bill would require the Director of Social Services, in partnership with the Superintendent, to expand existing childcare resource and referral services to include navigation, referral, and enrollment services for the universal preschool program, as provided. This bill would provide that the above described changes to law would become operative only upon an appropriation of funds by the Legislature for these purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute.

This measure would proclaim the week of May 23 through May 27, inclusive, as Firefighter Mental Health Awareness Week.

This measure would proclaim Friday, May 27, 2022, as National Poppy Day.

This measure would declare June 8, 2022, as California Nonprofits Day in recognition of the importance of nonprofit organizations to the economy and well-being of this state.

(1) The Personal Income Tax Law, beginning on or after January 1, 2015, in modified conformity with federal income tax laws, allows an earned income tax credit against personal income tax and a payment from the Tax Relief and Refund Account for an allowable credit in excess of tax liability to an eligible individual that is equal to that portion of the earned income tax credit allowed by federal law as determined by the earned income tax credit adjustment factor, as specified. The law provides that the amount of the credit is calculated as a percentage of the eligible individual's earned income and is phased out above a specified amount as income increases and provides alternative calculation factors under specified circumstances. The law requires, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2019, specified earned income amounts, phaseout amounts, and the amount of disqualified income that would disallow this credit to be recomputed annually in the same manner as the recomputation of income tax brackets, as prescribed. This bill, upon appropriation, for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2022, would revise the alternative calculation factors and phaseout amounts and remove the earned income threshold at which the phaseout ends, thereby increasing the amount of eligible taxpayers. (2) The Personal Income Tax Law allows a young child tax credit against the taxes imposed under that law and a payment from the Tax Relief and Refund Account for an allowable credit in excess of tax liability to a qualified taxpayer in a specified amount multiplied by the earned income tax credit adjustment factor, as provided. Existing law defines "qualified taxpayer" for this purpose to include an eligible individual who has a qualifying child, as defined, and is allowed an earned income tax credit, as specified. That law limits the definition of "qualifying child" for this purpose to a child younger than 6 years of age. This bill, for taxable years for which an appropriation is made by the Legislature, would increase the amount of the young child tax credit, would allow a young child tax credit to a qualified taxpayer for each qualifying child, would expand the definition of "qualifying child," as specified, and would expand the definition of "qualified taxpayer," as specified.

This measure would designate the month of May 2022 as Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Month in California.

This measure would proclaim the month of May 2022 as Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month.

Existing law provides that every individual possesses a fundamental right of privacy with respect to their personal reproductive decisions. Existing law prohibits the state from denying or interfering with the right to choose or obtain an abortion before the fetus is viable, or when the abortion is necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant person. Existing law requires an abortion to be performed by a specified licensed or certified health care provider and prohibits an abortion from being performed on a viable fetus if continuation of the pregnancy did not pose a risk to the life or health of the pregnant person. The United States Constitution generally requires a state to give full faith and credit to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state. Existing law sets forth procedures by which a person may enforce a judgment for the payment of money issued by the court of a state other than California. This bill would declare another state's law authorizing a civil action against a person or entity that receives or seeks, performs or induces, or aids or abets the performance of an abortion, or who attempts or intends to engage in those actions, to be contrary to the public policy of this state. The bill would prohibit the application of that law to a case or controversy heard in state court, and would prohibit the enforcement or satisfaction of a civil judgment received under that law. The bill would declare these provisions to be severable. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law requires the Governor to proclaim various days as holidays and days of remembrance. This bill would require the Governor to annually proclaim November 20 as Transgender Day of Remembrance

This measure would proclaim May 18, 2022, as AAPI Day Against Bullying and Hate.