Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to establish a program for the development, provision, and evaluation of genetic disease testing. Existing law establishes the continuously appropriated Genetic Disease Testing Fund (GDTF) , consisting of fees paid for newborn screening tests. Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that all costs of the genetic disease testing program be fully supported by fees paid for newborn screening tests, which are deposited in the GDTF. Existing law authorizes moneys in the GDTF to be used for the expansion of the Genetic Disease Branch Screening Information System, as specified, to include cystic fibrosis, biotinidase, and severe combined immunodeficiency. Existing law exempts the amendment of contracts for this purpose from provisions of the Public Contract Code that establish standards for contracts and require the Department of General Services to approve these contracts. Existing law also exempts the amendment of contracts for this purpose from standards for personal services contracts and from provisions that give the California Technology Agency authority over the application of information technology for state agencies. This bill would require the department, until January 1, 2018, to expand statewide screening of newborns to include screening for 2 types of lysosomal storage diseases, Hurler syndrome and Krabbe disease, and would exempt the amendment of contracts for this purpose from provisions that establish standards for contracts, require the Department of General Services to approve contracts, and give the California Technology Agency authority over information technology projects, as described above.
Sponsored bills
Under existing law, a person, firm, or corporation that interferes with the access rights of a disabled individual is liable for the actual damages of each offense and any amount determined by a judge or jury of up to 3 times the amount of the actual damages, but in no case less than $1,000. Existing law requires the State Architect to develop and submit for approval and adoption building standards for making buildings, structures, sidewalks, curbs, and related facilities accessible to, and usable by, persons with disabilities, as specified. This bill would establish notice requirements for an alleged aggrieved party to follow before bringing an action against a business for an alleged violation of the above-described provisions. The bill would require that party to provide specified notice to the owner of the property, agent, or other responsible party where the alleged violation occurred. The bill would require that owner, agent, or other responsible party to respond within 30 days with a description of the improvements to be made or with a rebuttal to the allegations, as specified. If that owner, agent, or other responsible party elects to fix the alleged violation, the bill would provide 120 days to do so. The bill would provide that its provisions do not apply to claims for recovery of special damages for an injury in fact, and would authorize the court to consider previous or pending actual damage awards received or prayed for by the alleged aggrieved party for the same or similar injury. The bill would further state the intent of the Legislature to institute certain educational programs related to special access laws. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law, the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937, authorizes counties to establish retirement systems for county employees, authorizes counties to establish a board of retirement, and authorizes the board of retirement to provide cost-of-living adjustments. This bill would provide for the annual cost-of-living adjustment of the monthly allowance of members of the Orange County Employees Retirement System to be made beginning with the 2nd calendar year following retirement on or after April 1, subject to specified limitations. The bill would provide that the operation of these provisions is contingent upon the Orange County Board of Supervisors adopting a resolution making those provisions applicable in that county, as specified.
The County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 authorizes counties to establish retirement systems for county employees, authorizes counties to establish a board of retirement, and authorizes the board of retirement to provide cost-of-living adjustments and certain supplemental cost-of-living allowances. This bill would authorize the board of supervisors of Orange County, by resolution adopted by majority vote, to preclude the board of retirement from providing excess percentage increases or supplemental cost-of-living increases, as specified, as of the date of the resolution.
(1) Existing law prohibits a permanent school employee from being dismissed except for one or more specified offenses. This bill would prohibit a collective bargaining agreement entered into or renewed on or after January 1, 2013, from requiring the removal, after a specified time period, from an employee's record of records pertaining to discipline, complaints, reprimands, or investigations relating to the employee's commission, or potential commission, of one of those specified offenses. (2) Existing law authorizes a governing board of a school district to give notice to a permanent employee of its intention to dismiss or suspend him or her for specified causes at the expiration of 30 days from the date of service of the notice, unless the employee demands a hearing. Existing law prohibits that notice from being given between May 15th and September 15th in any year. This bill would remove that prohibition. (3) Existing law prohibits the governing board of a school district from acting upon any charges of unprofessional conduct, or unsatisfactory performance, unless at least 45, or 90, calendar days, respectively, prior to the date of the filing of the charges the governing board, or its authorized representative, has given the employee written notice, as specified. This bill would remove those 45-day and 90-day requirements. (4) Existing law requires the governing board of a school district to immediately place an employee on compulsory leave of absence if the employee is charged with a mandatory leave of absence offense, as defined. This bill would require the governing board to transfer a certificated employee to nonclassroom duties that do not involve contact with pupils if the governing board has reasonable cause to believe that the employee is under investigation by a law enforcement agency for commission of a mandatory leave of absence offense. The bill would require an employee transferred under these provisions to continue to receive his or her regular salary during the period of the transfer. If the governing board returns the employee to classroom duties, the bill would require the governing board to record the reason or reasons for the return in a resolution adopted by the governing board. By placing additional duties on school district governing boards regarding the transfer of employee duties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (5) Existing law establishes a Commission on Professional Competence for each dismissal or suspension hearing requested by an employee, consisting of specified members. Existing law deems the decision of the Commission on Professional Competence to be the final decision of the governing board of the school district. This bill would make various changes to the provisions relating to the hearing, including requiring the Commission on Professional Competence to consist solely of an administrative law judge, as well as providing that the decision of the commission would be advisory, and the final decision regarding the discipline of the employee would be determined by action of the governing board of the school district. The bill would provide that an employee requesting a hearing may be placed on administrative leave without pay, and that an employee who is placed on administrative leave would be required to be paid his or her regular salary if he or she furnishes to the school district acceptable security, as specified. (6) Existing law prohibits testimony from being given or evidence being introduced at the hearing relating to matters that occurred more than 4 years prior to the date of the filing of the notice of dismissal or suspension. This bill would remove that 4-year limitation. (7) This bill would make nonsubstantive and conforming changes. (8) 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.
The Public Employees' Medical and Hospital Care Act (PEMHCA) , which is administered by the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System, establishes provisions governing postemployment health care benefits for members and their families, upon meeting vesting requirements and subject to various limitations. That law permits a contracting agency to be subject to the act for its employees and annuitants, upon meeting specified criteria. Existing law also establishes various postemployment health care benefits under other benefit systems, including those offered by counties, districts, and cities. This bill would prohibit a public employer, as defined, for employees first hired on or after January 1, 2013, from providing postemployment health care benefits on behalf of its employees unless it fully funds those benefits, as determined by an actuary. This bill would also require a public employer, as defined, to fund actuarially postemployment health care benefits to be provided to its public employees, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for governments, as specified, to ensure that those benefits are fully funded.
The Public Employees' Medical and Hospital Care Act (PEMHCA) , which is administered by the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System, establishes provisions governing postemployment health care benefits for members and their families, upon meeting vesting requirements and subject to various limitations. Existing law also establishes various postemployment health care benefits under other benefit systems, including those offered by counties, districts, cities, and the University of California. This bill would prohibit a public employer, for employees first hired on or after January 1, 2013, from entering into a memorandum of understanding or other collective bargaining agreement that provides for defined postemployment health care benefits unless each employee pays at least 50 percent of the actuarially required contributions to fund those health care benefits. The bill would also declare that ensuring the statewide integrity and security of state and local government health care plans is a matter of statewide concern and not a municipal affair, and that, therefore, all cities, including charter cities, would be subject to the provisions of the bill. The bill would also declare that these provisions apply to the University of California to ensure the financial security of the university.
Existing law provides for unemployment compensation benefits to eligible persons who are unemployed through no fault of their own. Existing law also provides that, insofar as federal law requires that state unemployment insurance law contains such a provision of certification, the amount of unemployment compensation benefits, extended duration benefits, and federal-state extended benefits payable to an individual in a period with respect to which that individual is receiving a governmental or other pension, retirement or retired pay, annuity, or any other similar periodic payment shall be reduced by an amount equal to the amount of the pension, retirement or retired pay, annuity, or other payment reasonably attributable to that week, as specified. This bill would provide that the amount of unemployment compensation benefits, extended duration benefits, and federal-state extended benefits payable to an individual for any week which begins after January 1, 2013, in a period with respect to which that individual is receiving a governmental pension, retirement or retired pay, annuity, or any other similar periodic payment, and which is based on the previous work of the individual, shall be reduced by an amount equal to the amount of the pension, retirement or retired pay, annuity, or other payment, which is reasonably attributable to that week, without a requirement from federal law, as specified.
Existing law establishes the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) and the State Teachers' Retirement System (STRS) for the purpose of providing pension benefits to their employees. Existing law also establishes the Judges' Retirement System II which provides pension benefits to elected judges and the Legislators' Retirement System which provides pension benefits to elective officers of the state other than judges and to legislative statutory officers. The County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 authorizes counties, cities, and districts to establish retirement systems pursuant to its provisions in order to provide pension benefits to employees. The Regents of the University of California have established the University of California Retirement System as a trust for this purpose. This bill would require a public employer, as defined, to reserve the right to subsequently modify or revise any postemployment benefits, including any retirement benefits, and the right not to provide any new comparable advantages if disadvantages to employees result from any modification or revision. The bill would prohibit a public employee from having an implied right to future postemployment benefits and would authorize a public employer to change a retirement benefit formula, employee contribution rate, or retirement eligibility age, except as prohibited by federal law. The bill would prohibit accrued benefits earned for prior service from being reduced without written consent unless otherwise authorized by law.
Existing law establishes the Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors in the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law recognizes various engineering disciplines. Existing law prohibits the practicing of civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering by any person who has not passed a specified examination and who is not appropriately licensed by the board in that discipline. Existing law makes various violations of the Professional Engineers Act a crime, including the practice or offer to practice by a person of civil, electrical, or mechanical engineering without authorization as provided by the act. This bill would also prohibit the practice of agricultural, chemical, control system, fire protection, industrial, metallurgical, nuclear, petroleum, and traffic engineering, as defined, by any person who has not passed a specified examination and who is not appropriately licensed by the board in the particular discipline. The bill would authorize any licensed engineer to practice engineering work in any of those fields in which he or she is competent and proficient. The bill would make other changes to related provisions. By revising the definition of a crime to include additional engineering disciplines, 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.