Existing law provides 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. Existing law also 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 establish the California Training Benefits Program, which, among other things, would revise those eligibility requirements to, instead, specify that an unemployed individual who qualifies for unemployment compensation benefits, extended duration benefits, or federal-state extended benefits or any federally funded unemployment compensation benefits, and applies for the program shall be deemed to automatically be eligible for the program during a period of training or retraining. Existing law requires that a determination of potential eligibility for training or retraining benefits be issued to an unemployed individual if the director makes a specified finding. This bill would, instead, require that a determination of automatic eligibility for training or retraining be issued to an unemployed individual if any of specified conditions apply. The bill would also require that, if training or retraining is not authorized under those provisions governing automatic eligibility for those benefits, a determination of potential eligibility for benefits be issued to the unemployed individual if the director finds that specified criteria apply. Existing law requires the department to inform all individuals who claim unemployment compensation benefits in this state of the benefits potentially available, and permits the department to convey this information verbally or in written form, as provided. This bill would, instead, require the department to convey that information verbally, in written form, or online, and would require that the information be made available on the department's Internet Web site in close proximity to information on unemployment compensation claim forms. This bill would provide that these changes are effective on January 1, 2011, unless the department determines that implementation by that date is not feasible, in which case it would require the department to implement the changes no later than July 1, 2011. 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 for those benefits, the bill would make an appropriation. The bill would require the department, not later than September 1, 2016, to prepare and submit to the Governor and the Legislature a report evaluating the effectiveness of the program, containing data and information as prescribed.
Sponsored bills
(1) The California Water District Law provides for the formation and operation of California water districts. That district law authorizes the Irvine Ranch Water District and the Santa Margarita Water District, which are California water districts, to form improvement districts and to issue and sell general obligation bonds and consolidated general obligation bonds for improvement districts of those districts in accordance with specified requirements. This bill would authorize the Irvine Ranch Water District and the Santa Margarita Water District to pledge and apply all or part of the revenues of each district to the payment or security of any or all of the principal, redemption price, and purchase price of general obligation bonds for improvement districts and consolidated general obligation bonds for improvement districts, and the interest thereon, in accordance with specified requirements. The bill would require each district, on or before January 1, 2014, to submit a report to specified persons describing the district's use, if any, of the authority this bill would grant. By imposing duties on these districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would make legislative findings and declarations regarding the need for special legislation. (2) 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 generally regulates life and disability insurance policies, and requires the Insurance Commissioner to disapprove any disability policy for issuance or delivery in this state in specified circumstances. This bill would provide that if a policy, contract, certificate, or agreement offered, issued, delivered, or renewed, whether or not in California, that provides or funds life insurance or disability insurance coverage for any California resident contains a provision that reserves discretionary authority to the insurer, or an agent of the insurer, to determine eligibility for benefits or coverage, to interpret the terms of the policy, contract, certificate, or agreement, or to provide standards of interpretation or review that are inconsistent with the laws of this state, that provision would be void and unenforceable. The bill would define the term "discretionary authority" for these purposes. The bill would also require the commissioner to disapprove any disability policy that contains a provision of this type.
(1) The Public Employees' Retirement Law (PERL) provides a comprehensive set of rights and benefits for various employees of the state and local agencies. That law also establishes the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) and sets forth the provisions for the delivery of benefits, including retirement benefits, health benefits, and an optional tax-deferred compensation program, to its members. Under that law, the retirement benefits of a retirement system member are based, in part, on the completed service credit and compensation received by that member. This bill would make technical and clarifying changes to those provisions of law, including amendments that rename the current "deferred compensation program" as the "tax-preferred retirement savings program." (2) PERL permits the Board of Directors of PERS to select, purchase, or acquire in the name of the system, real property, improved or unimproved, and to construct or remodel, and equip, an office building, including appropriate satellite structures, as specified. Existing law authorizes the board to lease any space in its buildings and improvements that is in excess of the immediate requirements of the board at rates that are equal to fair market value and sufficient to pay a reasonable rate of return for the costs of construction and maintenance of the leased portions of the buildings and improvements. This bill would eliminate the requirement that the lease rates are to be equal to fair market value and sufficient to pay a reasonable rate of return for the costs of construction and maintenance of the leased portions of the buildings and improvements. (3) PERL requires the Board of Directors of PERS to annually employ a certified public accountant, who is not in public employment, to audit the financial statements of this system. Existing law limits the contract period to 5 years and prohibits the board from contracting with the same certified public accountant for 2 consecutive 5-year terms. This bill would eliminate the provisions that restrict the period of time for which the board may retain the same certified public accountant to audit the financial statements of the system. (4) Existing law provides health benefits to employees and annuitants of specified contracting public agencies. Existing law requires the employer and each employee or annuitant to contribute a portion of the costs of providing these benefits. These contributions are deposited into the Public Employees' Contingency Reserve Fund, which is a continuously appropriated trust fund. This bill would authorize a contracting public agency to elect to provide health benefits to a family member of a deceased annuitant who retired from a contracting agency prior to the effective date of the agency's contract to provide health coverage, and who was validly enrolled in the agency's health benefit plan on the day prior to the effective date of the contract, if that family member does not receive an allowance in place of the annuitant. This bill would require the contracting agency to pay the costs of the benefits and premiums and would authorize the employer to require the family member to pay all or a portion of the costs of the health premium. By increasing member contributions into a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation.
(1) The Donahoe Higher Education Act sets forth, among other things, the missions and functions of California's public and independent segments of higher education, and their respective institutions of higher education. Provisions of the act apply to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by appropriate resolution, act to make a provision applicable. Existing law requires that a person, other than a nonimmigrant alien, as defined, who has attended high school in California for 3 or more years, who has graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalent thereof, who has registered at or attends an accredited institution of higher education in California not earlier than the fall semester or quarter of the 2001–02 academic year, and who, if he or she is an alien without lawful immigration status, has filed a prescribed affidavit, is exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the California Community Colleges and the California State University. This bill would amend the Donahoe Higher Education Act to provide that persons who are exempt from paying nonresident tuition under the above provision, or who meet equivalent requirements adopted by the regents, are eligible to apply for, and participate in, any student financial aid program administered by the State of California to the full extent permitted by federal law. This bill would require the Student Aid Commission to establish procedures and forms that enable those persons who are exempt from paying nonresident tuition under the above provision to apply for, and participate in, all student financial aid programs administered by the State of California to the full extent permitted by federal law. This bill would prohibit persons who are exempt from paying nonresident tuition under the provision described above from being eligible for Competitive Cal Grant A and B Awards unless specified conditions are met. The bill would make these provisions operative as of July 1, 2011. (2) Existing federal law requires that a state may provide that an alien who is not lawfully present in the United States is eligible for any state or local public benefit for which that alien would otherwise be ineligible under a specified federal law only through enactment of a state law that affirmatively provides for that eligibility. This bill would find and declare that the amendments to the Donahoe Higher Education Act described above are state laws within the meaning of this federal provision. (3) This bill would provide that it would become operative only if SB 1460 of the 2009–10 Regular Session is enacted and becomes effective on or before January 1, 2011.
Existing law, the Physician Assistant Practice Act, is administered by the Physician Assistant Committee of the Medical Board of California and provides for the licensure and regulation of physician assistants. Existing law provides that a physician assistant may perform the medical services that are set forth by the regulations of the board when the services are rendered under the supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon. Existing law requires a physician assistant and his or her supervising physician to establish written guidelines for the adequate supervision of the physician assistant. Existing law provides that those requirements may be satisfied by adopting protocols for some or all of the tasks performed by the physician assistant, as specified. This bill would provide that a physician assistant acts as the agent of the supervising physician when performing authorized activities, and would authorize a physician assistant to perform physical examinations and other specified medical services, as defined, and sign and attest to any document evidencing those examinations and other services, as required pursuant to specified provisions of law. The bill would further provide that a delegation of services agreement may authorize a physician assistant to order durable medical equipment and make arrangements with regard to home health services or personal care services. The bill would make conforming changes to provisions in the Education Code and the Public Utilities Code with regard to the performance of those examinations and services and acceptance of those attestations. The bill would also authorize a physician assistant to perform a physical examination that is required for participation in an interscholastic athletic program, as specified.
(1) Existing law, the Donahoe Higher Education Act, establishes the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. These segments include the California State University, administered by the Trustees of the California State University, the University of California, administered by the Regents of the University of California, and the California Community Colleges, administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. A provision of the act applies to the University of California only to the extent that the regents, by resolution, make that provision applicable. Existing provisions of the act require the governing bodies of the 3 public postsecondary segments, with appropriate consultation with the academic senates of the respective segments, to develop, maintain, and disseminate a common core curriculum in general education courses for the purposes of transfer. This provision requires that a person who has successfully completed the transfer core curriculum is to be deemed to have completed all lower division general education requirements for the University of California and the California State University. Existing law requires the governing board of each community college district to direct the appropriate officials at their respective campuses to provide students with a copy of the current transfer core curriculum and to distribute and publish copies of the transfer core curriculum in a specified manner and in specified locations. This bill would require the California State University and the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to work together to establish the most effective methods to inform students, college advisers, and the general public about specified transfer pathways. The bill would require the final methods to be completed prior to the beginning of the fall term of the 2011–12 academic year and included as part of a specified report. The bill would authorize community college districts to use the methods established by the California State University and the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to inform community college students of the California State University majors that are considered to be similar to community college majors or areas of emphasis required to obtain an associate degree for transfer. (2) Existing law requests the University of California, among other things, to address deficiencies in the articulation of major preparation courses between the community colleges and University of California campuses, to identify commonalities and differences in similar majors across University of California campuses, to articulate courses and course sequences at each campus of the California Community Colleges for specified major degree programs for purposes of student transfer, and to conduct a specified review of transcripts of transfer students. This bill would request the University of California to continue those efforts with a goal of working in collaboration with the California Community Colleges to design community college transfer degrees that provide students adequate preparation for entry into a major. The bill would also request the University of California to consider and implement other specified actions to increase transfer between the university and the California Community Colleges. The bill would request the University of California to provide an interim report on the university's review, and a final report on the university's implementation, of specified transfer pathways to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature by specified dates. (3) Existing law requires the Chancellor of the California State University to establish transfer student admissions requirements to give highest priority to certain transfer students, to specify lower division transfer curriculum for specified major degree programs, and to articulate courses at each campus of the California Community Colleges for specified major degree programs for purposes of student transfer. Existing law requires each campus of the California State University to identify nonelective course requirements beyond systemwide lower division transfer curriculum requirements for each major for purposes of student transfer, in accordance with prescribed requirements. This bill would require the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in a manner that is consistent with the general common course numbering system used by community college districts, to establish a process to facilitate the identification of courses that satisfy lower division preparation requirements throughout the California Community Colleges system, which would be required to be included as part of a specified report. (4) This bill would provide that it would not become operative unless SB 1440 of the 2010–11 Regular Session is chaptered.
Existing law establishes the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. These segments include the California State University, the campuses of which are administered by the Trustees of the California State University, the University of California, which is administered by the Regents of the University of California, and the California Community Colleges, which are administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to provide instruction to students at community college campuses. Existing law, known as the Donahoe Higher Education Act, authorizes the community colleges to grant associate in arts and associate in science degrees. The act also requires the regents, the trustees, and the board of governors to have as a fundamental policy the maintenance of a healthy and expanded program to increase the number of transfer students from community colleges. This bill would enact the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act, which, commencing with the 2011–12 academic year, would require a student that receives an associate degree for transfer to be deemed eligible for transfer into a California State University baccalaureate program when the student meets prescribed requirements. The bill would condition a community college district's receipt of state apportionment funds on its development and granting of associate degrees for transfer, unless each of the state's community college districts waives reimbursement for specified state-mandated costs of implementing the bill in accordance with a prescribed procedure. This bill would prohibit a community college district from imposing any requirements, in addition to these requirements, for a student to be eligible for the associate degree for transfer, and would prohibit remedial noncollegiate level coursework from being counted towards the units required for the associate degree for transfer. This bill would require the California State University to guarantee admission with junior status to any community college student who meets the requirements for the associate degree for transfer. This bill would not guarantee a student admission for specified majors or campuses, but would require the California State University to grant a student priority admission to his or her local California State University campus and to a program or major that is similar to his or her community college major or area of emphasis, as determined by the California State University campus to which the student is admitted. This bill would authorize the California State University to require a transferring student to take additional coursework at the California State University in specified circumstances, and would prohibit the California State University from requiring a transferring student to repeat courses that are similar to those taken at the community college that counted towards the units required for the associate degree for transfer. This bill would also require the Legislative Analyst's Office to review and report to specified legislative committees and subcommittees, within a prescribed time period, on specified outcomes and recommendations related to this act. By requiring a community college district to grant the associate degree for transfer in exchange for receipt of state apportionment funds, 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, 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 provides that the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training establish and keep updated various training programs to maintain the level of competence of various law enforcement officers. This bill would require the commission to assess the training needed by peace officers on the topic of returning veterans or other persons suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) . Should the commission find a need for the training, the bill would require the commission, in consultation with designated entities with expertise in TBI and PTSD, to create and make available a course for peace officers, who are first responders in emergency situations, on how to recognize and interact with persons suffering from TBI or PTSD, as specified. The bill would also require the commission to distribute, as necessary, a training bulletin via the Internet to specified law enforcement agencies on the topics of TBI and PTSD, and to report to the Legislature, no later than June 30, 2012, on the extent to which peace officers are receiving adequate training in how to interact with persons suffering from TBI or PTSD.
Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, establishes the Medical Board of California within the Department of Consumer Affairs, which licenses physicians and surgeons and regulates their practice. The Medical Practice Act restricts the employment of licensed physicians and surgeons and podiatrists by a corporation or other artificial legal entity, subject to specified exemptions. Existing law makes it unlawful to knowingly make, or cause to be made, any false or fraudulent claim for payment of a health care benefit, or to aid, abet, solicit, or conspire with any person to do so, and makes a violation of this prohibition a public offense. This bill would make a business organization that provides outpatient elective cosmetic medical procedures or treatments, that is owned and operated in violation of the prohibition against employment of licensed physicians and surgeons and podiatrists, and that contracts with or employs these licensees to facilitate the offer or provision of those procedures or treatments that may only be provided by these licensees, guilty of a violation of the prohibition against knowingly making or causing to be made any false or fraudulent claim for payment of a health care benefit. Because the bill would expand a public offense, it would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would state that its provisions are declaratory of existing law. 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.