Existing federal law, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) , enacts various health care coverage market reforms that took effect January 1, 2014. Among other things, PPACA requires each health insurance issuer that offers health insurance coverage in the individual or group market in a state to accept every employer and individual in the state that applies for that coverage and to renew that coverage at the option of the plan sponsor or the individual. PPACA also requires each state to establish an American Health Benefit Exchange that facilitates the purchase of qualified health plans by qualified individuals and qualified small employers, as specified. Existing law establishes the California Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) within state government, specifies the powers and duties of the board governing the Exchange, and requires the board to facilitate the purchase of qualified health plans through the Exchange by qualified individuals and small employers. Existing law requires the board, among other things, to determine the criteria and process for eligibility, enrollment, and disenrollment of enrollees and potential enrollees in the Exchange and coordinate that process with state and local government entities administering other specified health care coverage programs, as specified. This bill would prohibit the Exchange from disclosing personal information that was obtained from the application for health care coverage to a certified insurance agent or certified enrollment counselor without the consent of the applicant. The bill would provide that these provisions do not preclude the Exchange from sharing the information of current enrollees or applicants with the same certified enrollment counselor or certified insurance agent of record that provided the applicant assistance with an existing application, or their successor or authorized staff, as specified. The bill would define the term "personal information" for these purposes. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Sponsored bills
This measure would recognize the year of 2016 as the 50th anniversary of California's community-based developmental services system, and would reaffirm the commitment of the Legislature to support this system. This measure would declare the importance of ensuring a sustainable system that protects the rights of individuals with developmental disabilities.
This measure would proclaim the month of June 2016 to be Dairy Month in California and would encourage Californians to continue to support the American dairy industry by including dairy products as part of a healthy diet.
Existing law describes the California Interscholastic Federation as a voluntary organization that consists of school and school-related personnel with responsibility for administering interscholastic athletic activities in secondary schools, and sets forth the Legislature's intent regarding the California Interscholastic Federation's implementation of certain policies. Existing law required the California Interscholastic Federation, on or before January 1, 2016, to report to the Legislature and the Governor on its evaluation and accountability activities undertaken pursuant to specified provisions. Existing law repeals those provisions on January 1, 2017. This bill would delete the repeal date, and would require the California Interscholastic Federation, on or before January 1, 2023, and on or before January 1 every 7 years thereafter, to report to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature and the Governor on its evaluation and accountability activities undertaken pursuant to specified provisions. The bill would require the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature, upon receiving a report, to hold a joint hearing at which the California Interscholastic Federation would be required, and members of the public would be encouraged, to testify on information in the report.
Existing law, known as the Civic Center Act, authorizes the governing board of a school district to grant the use of school facilities or grounds as a civic center, for specified purposes, upon terms and conditions deemed proper by the governing board of the school district. The act requires the governing board of a school district to authorize the use of school facilities or grounds by a nonprofit organization, or by a club or an association organized to promote youth and school activities, including, but not necessarily limited to, the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts, Camp Fire USA, the YMCA, a parent-teacher association, or a school-community advisory council. The act authorizes and requires the governing board of a school district to charge certain fees for use of its school facilities or grounds. This bill would specifically authorize a governing board of a school district to authorize the use of school facilities or grounds by a nonprofit organization, or by a club or an association organized to promote youth and school activities, that is a recreational youth sports league that charges participants an average of no more than $60 per month.
Existing law establishes the "Sexual Assault Victims' DNA Bill of Rights," which, among other things, encourages a law enforcement agency assigned to investigate specified sexual assault offenses to perform DNA testing of rape kit evidence or other crime scene evidence in a timely manner to assure the longest possible statute of limitations. Existing law also requires a law enforcement agency to inform victims of certain unsolved sexual assault offenses if the law enforcement agency elects not to analyze DNA evidence within certain time limits. This bill would require law enforcement agencies to report information regarding rape kit evidence to the department through a database established by the department. The bill would require that information to include, among other things, the number of kits collected, the number of kits from which one or more biological evidence samples were submitted to a DNA laboratory for analysis, and the number of kits from which a probative DNA profile was generated. The bill would additionally require a public DNA laboratory, or a law enforcement agency contracting with a private laboratory, to provide a reason for not testing a sample every 120 days the sample is untested, except as specified. By imposing additional duties on local law enforcement, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. This bill would require the department to file a report to the Legislature on an annual basis summarizing the information in its database. The bill would prohibit law enforcement agencies or laboratories from being compelled to provide any contents of the database in a civil or criminal case, except as required by a law enforcement agency's duty to produce exculpatory evidence to a defendant in a criminal case. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. 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 requires the Department of Justice to present a report to the Governor annually containing the statewide criminal statistics of the preceding year. Existing law also requires specified local agencies, including chiefs of police and sheriffs, to report statistical data to the department at the time and in the manner the department prescribes. This bill would require that report to include statistics on child molestation, as defined, in the same format and within existing Table 1 and Table 2 that report on the number, rate per 100,000 population, and percentage change in other violent crimes, including rape.
Existing law provides for 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 provides for a schedule of benefits provided under the Medi-Cal program, which includes certain dental services that are referred to as Denti-Cal. This bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services to increase Denti-Cal provider reimbursement rates for the 15 most common prevention, treatment, and oral evaluation services to the regional average commercial rates, effective January 1, 2017.
Existing law requires the Department of Parks and Recreation to issue a park pass for free use of all park facilities in the state park system to any veteran of war, as defined, in which the United States has been, or may be, engaged, and who meets specified criteria, such as being a resident of this state, presenting to the department proof of a service-connected disability, being held captive as a prisoner of war, or receiving a Congressional Medal of Honor, and having been honorably discharged from service. This bill would instead require the Department of Parks and Recreation to issue a park pass for free use of all park facilities in the state park system to any veteran who meets the criteria set forth above. The bill would make related conforming changes. The bill would require the department to report in its proposed budget, on or before January 1, 2019, on revenue losses with regard to the issuance of free veterans passes under these provisions.
(1) The existing Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, enacted as an initiative statute by Proposition 47, as approved by the electors at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, makes the theft of property that does not exceed $950 in value petty theft, and makes that crime punishable as a misdemeanor, with certain exceptions. The California Constitution authorizes the Legislature to amend an initiative statute by another statute that becomes effective only when approved by the electors. This bill would amend that initiative statute by making the theft of a firearm grand theft in all cases and punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months, or 2 or 3 years. (2) Under existing law, a person who buys or receives property that has been stolen, knowing the property to be stolen, or who conceals, sells, withholds, or aids in concealing, selling, or withholding property from the owner, knowing the property to be stolen, is guilty of a misdemeanor or a felony, except that if the value of the property does not exceed $950. Proposition 47 makes the offense punishable as a misdemeanor if the defendant has not previously been convicted of one or more specified serious or violent felonies or of an offense requiring registration as a sex offender. This bill would amend that initiative statute by making the buying or receiving of a stolen firearm, with knowledge that the property was stolen, or the concealing, selling, withholding, or aiding in concealing, selling, or withholding of a firearm, with knowledge that the property was stolen, a misdemeanor or a felony. (3) This bill would call a special election to be consolidated with the November 8, 2016, statewide general election. This bill would require the Secretary of State to submit the provisions of the bill that amend the initiative statute to the electors for their approval at the November 8, 2016, consolidated election. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an act calling an election.