Existing law establishes the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is responsible for administering various programs and services for the benefit of veterans. Under existing law, the department is authorized to assist every veteran of the United States in establishing the veteran's right to any privilege, preference, care, or compensation provided for by the laws of the United States or of the state. This bill would, notwithstanding any other law, specifically authorize the department to refer a veteran to a drug and alcohol treatment program for veterans that is administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill would also authorize the department to, by regulation, create a form for the purpose of making these referrals. Existing law authorizes each county board of supervisors to appoint a county veterans service officer to perform specified veterans-related services. Under existing law, the county veterans service officer is required to assist every veteran of the United States in establishing the veteran's right to any privilege, preference, care, or compensation provided for by the laws of the United States or of the state. This bill would, notwithstanding any other law, specifically authorize a county veterans service officer to refer a veteran to a drug and alcohol treatment program for veterans that is administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill would authorize a county veterans service officer to use the form described above for the purpose of making these referrals.
Sponsored bills
(1) Existing law establishes in state government the Transportation Agency, which includes various departments and state entities, including the California Transportation Commission. Existing law vests the California Transportation Commission with specified powers, duties, and functions relative to transportation matters. Existing law requires the commission to retain independent authority to perform the duties and functions prescribed to it under any provision of law. This bill would exclude the California Transportation Commission from the Transportation Agency, establish it as an entity in state government, and require it to act in an independent oversight role. The bill would also make conforming changes. (2) Existing law requires the Department of Transportation to prepare a state highway operation and protection program every other year for the expenditure of transportation capital improvement funds for projects that are necessary to preserve and protect the state highway system, excluding projects that add new traffic lanes. The program is required to be based on an asset management plan, as specified. Existing law requires the department to specify, for each project in the program, the capital and support budget and projected delivery date for various components of the project. Existing law provides for the California Transportation Commission to review and adopt the program, and authorizes the commission to decline to adopt the program if it determines that the program is not sufficiently consistent with the asset management plan. This bill would additionally require the department to program capital outlay support resources for each project in the program. The bill would provide that the commission is not required to approve the program in its entirety, as submitted by the department, and may approve or reject individual projects programmed by the department. The bill would require the department to submit any change in a programmed project's cost, scope, or schedule to the commission for its approval.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project, as defined, that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment, as defined, or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect, subject to certain exceptions. The bill would create the Advanced Mitigation Program in the Department of Transportation to implement environmental mitigation measures in advance of future transportation projects. The bill would require the department to set aside certain amounts of future appropriations for this purpose.
This measure would recognize "Women Warriors" by proclaiming the week of March 14, 2016, to March 20, 2016, inclusive, as Women's Military History Week in California and would encourage Californians to recognize, among other things, the contributions of women to our military and our freedom and the historic lifting of the ban on women in combat on January 24, 2013.
The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act requires the State Department of Developmental Services to contract with regional centers to provide services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities. Under existing law, the regional centers purchase needed services for individuals with developmental disabilities through approved service providers or arrange for those services through other publicly funded agencies. Existing law establishes specified rates to be paid to certain service providers and the rates to be paid for certain developmental services. Existing law requires that rates to be paid to other developmental service providers either be set by the department or negotiated between the regional center and the service provider. Existing law prohibits certain provider rate increases, but authorizes increases to those rates as necessary to adjust employee wages to meet the state minimum wage law and to provide paid sick leave. Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which basic health care services are provided to qualified low-income persons. 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, as specified. This bill would, to the extent that General Fund revenues for the 2014–15 fiscal year exceed the revenues estimated for that fiscal year in the Budget Act of 2015 and that General Fund revenues for the 2015–16 fiscal year are expected to exceed the revenues estimated for that fiscal year in the Budget Act of 2015, appropriate certain sums to the State Department of Developmental Services to increase rates for certain developmental service providers and to increase regional center operating budgets, and appropriate certain sums to the State Department of Health Care Services for the purpose of increasing Medi-Cal provider rates for providers whose rates were reduced. The bill would require the Director of Finance to determine the percentage increases to be provided to developmental service providers, regional center operating budgets, and Medi-Cal providers based on the amount by which General Fund revenues exceed, or are expected to exceed, the revenues budgeted for the 2014–15 and 2015–16 fiscal years. The bill would make the rate increases, if any, retroactive to July 1, 2015.
This measure would recognize the Lunar New Year Celebration.
This measure would proclaim January 13, 2016, as Korean American Day.
The California Constitution prohibits a committee or either house of the Legislature from hearing or acting upon a bill until 31 days after it has been introduced, unless the house dispenses with this requirement by a rollcall vote with ¾ of the membership concurring. The California Constitution also prohibits either house from passing a bill until the bill with amendments has been printed and distributed to the Members of the Legislature. This measure would authorize a committee to hear or act upon a bill before 31 days have passed following the bill's introduction if the bill, in the form to be considered by the committee, has been in print and published on the Internet for at least 15 days. This measure would also prohibit either house of the Legislature from passing a bill until it has been made available to the public, in print and on the Internet, for at least 72 hours before a vote on the measure, except for certain bills that address a state of emergency declared by the Governor. The California Constitution provides that the Budget Bill and other bills providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill may be passed by a majority vote in each house of the Legislature and shall take immediate effect upon being signed by the Governor. The California Constitution defines "other bills providing for appropriations related to the budget bill" to mean bills identified as related to the budget in the Budget Bill passed by the Legislature. The California Constitution requires that the Legislature pass the Budget Bill by midnight on June 15 of each year. If the Budget Bill is not passed by the deadline, the California Constitution prohibits an appropriation from the current budget or future budget to pay any salary or reimbursement for travel or living expenses for Members of the Legislature during any regular or special session for the period from midnight on June 15 until the day that the Budget Bill is presented to the Governor. This measure would require that the Budget Bill be enacted by midnight on June 15. The measure would require that other bills that provide for appropriations relating to the Budget Bill be necessary to implement the budget. The measure would provide that a Budget Bill or other bill providing for appropriations relating to the Budget Bill that is passed in each house by a majority vote shall not take effect if it is not enacted by midnight on June 15, thereby requiring a Budget Bill or other bill providing for appropriations relating to the Budget Bill that is enacted after midnight on June 15 to be passed by a 23 vote. The measure would prohibit an appropriation to pay any salary or reimbursement for travel or living expenses for Members of the Legislature and the Governor from midnight on June 15 until the Budget Bill and all other bills providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill are enacted.
Existing law vests in the State Department of Developmental Services jurisdiction over state hospitals referred to as developmental centers for the provision of residential care to individuals with developmental disabilities. Existing law requires the department to comply with procedural requirements when closing a developmental center, including submitting a detailed plan to the Legislature and holding at least one public hearing. Under existing law, the department allocates funds to private nonprofit entities known as regional centers, which are required to provide, or arrange for the provision of, services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities. This bill would require the Department of Finance, upon the closure of the Sonoma Developmental Center, Fairview Developmental Center, or the nonsecured portion of the Porterville Developmental Center, to deposit the net savings from the closure of each center, as defined, into the Lanterman Act Community-Based Services Fund, s newly created fund. The bill would make the moneys in the fund available to the department, upon appropriation, to be used to supplement existing purchase-of-service funds used by regional centers to purchase services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities.