Existing law urges publishers of textbooks to take specified actions aimed at reducing the amounts that students pay for textbooks, including providing to faculty and departments considering textbook orders a list of all the different products the publisher sells. By January 1, 2020, existing law requires publishers of textbooks offered for sale at postsecondary educational institutions to make the textbooks available, in whole or in part, to the extent practicable, in an electronic format, and requires electronic versions of textbooks to include the same content as the printed versions. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would ensure clear and consistent practices surrounding electronic textbooks for the state's college and university students.
Sponsored bills
Existing law defines "long-term English learner" and "English learner at risk of becoming a long-term English learner" and requires the State Department of Education to annually ascertain and provide to school districts and schools the number of pupils in each school district and school, as specified, who are, or are at risk of becoming, long-term English learners. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change in this latter provision.
The Warren-911-Emergency Assistance Act establishes the State 911 Advisory Board to advise on specified subjects relating to the state's 911 emergency telephone response system. The board is comprised of 11 members who are appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Governor. Existing law also provides that members of the advisory board may not serve more than 2 consecutive 2-year terms except for (1) the presiding Chief of the California 911 Emergency Communications Office, who is required to serve for the duration of his or her tenure; and (2) 4 of the members who are required to serve an initial term of 3 years. This bill would delete this second exception.
Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for a person who, with intent to mislead the voters in connection with his or her campaign for nomination or election to a public office or in connection with the campaign of another person for nomination or election to a public office, assumes, pretends, or implies, by his or her statements or conduct, that he or she is the incumbent of a public office, or that he or she has been acting in the capacity of a public officer, when that is not the case. This bill, in addition, would make it a misdemeanor for an individual to become, or induce another individual to become, a candidate for a local or state elective office under a name that is identical to, or very similar to, another candidate for that same office, with the sole intent of deliberately misleading voters who desire to vote for that other candidate, and otherwise would vote for that other candidate, but for confusion caused by the similarity in names. The bill also would authorize a candidate for a local or state office election in which this conduct occurs to seek a writ of mandate or an injunction requiring the removal of the offending candidate from the ballot. The bill would make the authority to issue a peremptory writ of mandate or injunction contingent upon clear and convincing proof that the specified conduct has occurred. By creating a new crime, this 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 provides for the regulation by the State Department of Social Services of activities relating to continuing care contracts that govern care provided to an elderly resident in a continuing care retirement community for the duration of the resident's life or a term in excess of one year. Existing law imposes certain financial reporting and reserve requirements on providers of continuing care. Existing law requires that a provider that has entered into a Type A contract, as defined, file with the department an actuary's opinion as to the actuarial financial condition of the provider's continuing care operations. This bill would additionally require a provider that has entered into a Type A contract to make the above-described actuarial opinion available online or to a current resident upon request.
Existing law regulates air emissions from cruise ship engines and oceangoing ship engines. Regulations of the State Air Resources Board limit the time during which auxiliary diesel engines of container vessels, passenger vessels, and refrigerated cargo vessels are operated while those vessels are docked at berth at a California port. This bill would deem an oceangoing vessel, as defined, that meets specified requirements to have met the limitations on hours of operation of auxiliary diesel engines while at berth for that vessel visit. The bill would require an oceangoing vessel that is equipped to receive shore power to conduct the testing and inspection necessary to validate the safety of utilizing the shore power equipment during its current and future visits to that berth upon each initial visit by that vessel to specified marine terminals. The bill would require an oceangoing vessel that exceeds specified hours of service limitations because the testing and safety inspections of the equipment on the vessel that allows the use of electricity from the terminal have not validated the safety of the equipment to be subject to these provisions under specified circumstances.
Existing law establishes the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program, which requires the Public Utilities Commission to implement annual procurement targets for the procurement of eligible renewable energy resources, as defined, for all retail sellers, as defined, to achieve the targets and goals of the program. Existing law provides that a facility engaged in the combustion of municipal solid waste shall not be considered an eligible renewable energy resource unless it is located in the County of Stanislaus and was operational prior to September 26, 1996. This bill would additionally provide that a facility engaged in the combustion of municipal solid waste shall not be considered an eligible renewable energy resource unless it is located in the County of Los Angeles and was operational prior to September 26, 1996. This bill would, with respect to a facility located in the County of Los Angeles as previously described, provide that it shall not be considered an eligible renewable energy resource on or after January 1, 2045, unless it has converted into a system that does not perform traditional direct combustion of municipal solid waste, and the facility diverts an amount of waste from landfills that equals or exceeds its capability as it existed prior to the conversion of the facility. 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 Department of Rehabilitation within the California Health and Human Services Agency. Existing law authorizes the department to adopt, amend, or repeal those rules and regulations as may be reasonably necessary to enable it to carry out its duties and powers, as specified. This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to those provisions.
Existing law requires the California Health and Human Services Agency, in consultation with specified entities, to establish a single, standardized, accessible application form and related renewal procedures for insurance affordability programs, as defined, in accordance with specified requirements. Existing law authorizes the form to include questions that are voluntary for applicants to answer regarding demographic data categories, including race, ethnicity, primary language, disability status, and other categories recognized by the federal Secretary of Health and Human Services pursuant to federal law. This bill would authorize the form to also include questions that are voluntary for applicants to answer regarding sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. The bill would, effective January 1, 2016, require the form to include questions that are voluntary for applicants to answer regarding those demographic data categories.
The Medi-Cal Act establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments to be reduced by 1% or 5%, and provider payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 1%, for dates of service on and after March 1, 2009, and until June 1, 2011. Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments and payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 10% for dates of service on and after June 1, 2011. This bill would instead require that, to the extent permitted by federal law, this payment reduction not apply to skilled nursing facilities or subacute care units that are a distinct part of a general acute care hospital, intermediate care or other specified facilities serving developmentally disabled individuals, or specified Medi-Cal provider payments for fee-for-service benefits, including payments to pharmacies, for dates of service on or after June 1, 2011. The bill would also provide that this payment reduction shall not apply to managed health care plans for dates of service after the effective date of the bill. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.