Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services through various delivery systems, including fee-for-service and managed care. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Under existing law, community health worker services are a covered Medi-Cal benefit subject to any necessary federal approvals. Under existing law, a community health worker is a liaison, link, or intermediary between health and social services and the community to facilitate access to services and to improve the access and cultural competence of service delivery. Existing law requires a Medi-Cal managed care plan to engage in outreach and education efforts to enrollees, and to notify providers, about the community health worker services benefit, as specified. This bill would require a Medi-Cal managed care plan, no later than July 1, 2025, to adopt policies and procedures to effectuate a billing pathway for supervising providers to claim for the provision of community health worker services to enrollees during an emergency department visit and as an outpatient followup to an emergency department visit. The bill would require that the policies and procedures be consistent with guidance developed by the department for use by supervising providers to claim for community health worker services to Medi-Cal members in the fee-for-service delivery system in the settings described above. The bill would define a "supervising provider" for purposes of these provisions as an enrolled Medi-Cal provider that is authorized to supervise a community health worker pursuant to the federally approved Medicaid state plan amendment and that ensures that a community health worker meets the qualifications as required by the department, as specified.
Sponsored bills
Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of disability insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a health care service plan contract or disability insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2021, to provide coverage for medically necessary treatment of mental health and substance use disorders, as defined, under the same terms and conditions applied to other medical conditions. This bill would require a plan or insurer subject to the above-described coverage requirement, and its delegates, to establish a process to reimburse providers for mental health and substance use disorder treatment services that are integrated with primary care services and provided under a contract or policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2025. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, the 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.
(1) Existing law requires the State Department of Education to develop resources or, as appropriate, update existing resources for in-service training on schoolsite and community resources for the support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) pupils, and strategies to increase support for LGBTQ pupils, as specified. This bill would require the State Department of Education to develop resources or, as appropriate, update existing resources, for supports and community resources for the support of parents, guardians, and families of LGBTQ pupils and strategies to increase support for LGBTQ pupils, as specified. (2) Existing law prohibits discrimination on the basis of, among other characteristics, gender, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation in any program or activity conducted by an educational institution that receives, or benefits from, state financial assistance, or enrolls pupils who receive state student financial aid. Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt regulations to implement these provisions. This bill would prohibit school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and the state special schools, and a member of the governing board or body of those educational entities, from enacting or enforcing any policy, rule, or administrative regulation that requires an employee or a contractor to disclose any information related to a pupil's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to any other person without the pupil's consent unless otherwise required by law, as provided. The bill would prohibit employees or contractors of those educational entities from being required to make such a disclosure unless otherwise required by law, as provided. The bill would prohibit employees or contractors of school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, or the state special schools, or members of the governing boards or bodies of those educational entities, from retaliating or taking adverse action against an employee on the basis that the employee supported a pupil in the exercise of specified rights, work activities, or providing certain instruction, as provided.
The California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018, approved by the voters as Proposition 68 at the June 5, 2018, statewide primary election, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $4,100,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a drought, water, parks, climate, coastal protection, and outdoor access for all program. Article XVI of the California Constitution requires measures authorizing general obligation bonds to specify the single object or work to be funded by the bonds and further requires a bond act to be approved by a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and a majority of the voters. This bill would enact the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, which, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $10,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance projects for safe drinking water, drought, flood, and water resilience, wildfire and forest resilience, coastal resilience, extreme heat mitigation, biodiversity and nature-based climate solutions, climate-smart, sustainable, and resilient farms, ranches, and working lands, park creation and outdoor access, and clean air programs. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution formally recognizes July 4 as Independence Day and encourages Californians to celebrate the occasion with reverence and gratitude. The document highlights the historical significance of the date, noting its role in commemorating American independence and the principles of liberty and democracy. It serves as a symbolic gesture to honor the sacrifices of military service members and the contributions of citizens to the nation. The resolution does not create new laws or change existing policies but rather expresses the Senate's collective sentiment regarding the holiday.
Existing law, the Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (PAGA) , authorizes an aggrieved employee, as defined, to bring a civil action, on behalf of that employee and other current or former employees, to enforce a violation of any provision of the Labor Code that provides for a civil penalty to be assessed and collected by the Labor and Workforce Development Agency or any of its departments, divisions, commissions, boards, agencies, or employees pursuant to certain notice and cure provisions, as prescribed. This bill would, among other things, authorize, on or after October 1, 2024, an employer that employed fewer than 100 employees in total during the period covered by the required notice to, within 33 days of receipt of the notice submit to the agency a confidential proposal to cure one or more of the alleged violations and, upon completing the cure, provide a sworn notification to the employee and agency that the cure is completed, as prescribed. By expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the agency to verify whether the cure is complete within 20 days of receiving the employer's notification, as specified. This bill would also authorize an employer who employed at least 100 employees in total during the period covered by the required notice to, upon being served with a summons and complaint asserting a claim under PAGA, file a request and participate in, as prescribed, an early evaluation conference in the proceedings of the claim and a request for a stay of court proceedings before, or simultaneous with, that defendant's responsive pleading or other initial appearance in the action that includes the claim. This bill would apply its provisions to a civil action brought on or after June 19, 2024, except as specified. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would become operative only if AB 2288 of the 2023–24 Regular Session is enacted and takes effect on or before January 1, 2025. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law, the Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (PAGA) , authorizes an aggrieved employee, as defined, to bring a civil action, on behalf of that employee and other current or former employees, to enforce a violation of any provision of the Labor Code that provides for a civil penalty to be assessed and collected by the Labor and Workforce Development Agency or any of its departments, divisions, commissions, boards, agencies, or employees pursuant to certain notice and cure provisions, as prescribed. This bill would, among other things, instead authorize an aggrieved employee to bring a civil action as described above on behalf of the employee and other current or former employees against whom a violation of the same provision was committed. With respect to a violation by a person of a provision that does not provide for a civil penalty, PAGA makes that person liable for a civil penalty of $500 if, at the time of the alleged violation, the person does not employ one or more employees. If, at the time of the alleged violation, the person employed one or more employees, PAGA makes that person liable for a civil penalty of $100 for each aggrieved employee per pay period for the initial violation and $200 for each aggrieved employee per pay period for each subsequent violation. PAGA requires 75% of civil penalties recovered by aggrieved employees to be distributed to the Labor and Workforce Development Agency for enforcement of labor laws, including the administration of PAGA, and for education of employers and employees about their rights and responsibilities under the Labor Code, as specified, and requires 25% of civil penalties recovered by aggrieved employees to be distributed to the aggrieved employees, except as prescribed. This bill would instead, if, at the time of the alleged violation, the person employed one or more employees, make that person liable for a civil penalty of $100 for each aggrieved employee per pay period, except if certain mitigating factors apply, including that the alleged violation resulted from an isolated, nonrecurring event that did not extend beyond the lesser of 30 consecutive days or 4 consecutive pay periods, in which case the bill would make the civil penalty $25 or $50, except as provided. The bill would, subject to an exception, also reduce the civil penalties prescribed by PAGA by 15% or 30%, as specified, if a person accused of a violation has taken all reasonable steps to comply with the provisions alleged to have been violated in the required notice provided by the aggrieved employee, as prescribed. This bill would apply its provisions to a civil action brought on or after June 19, 2024, except as specified. This bill would become operative only if SB 92 of the 2023–24 Regular Session is enacted and takes effect on or before January 1, 2025. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution designates November 30, 2024, as Native American Women Equal Pay Day in California to highlight the significant wage gap faced by Native American women compared to White men. The measure is based on data showing that Native American women earn significantly less for equivalent work, with the disparity widening as their education levels increase. By proclaiming this specific date, the resolution aims to raise awareness about economic inequality and encourage employers and government entities to pursue policies that ensure fair compensation. The bill does not create new laws or mandate specific actions but serves as a formal recognition of the issue within the state legislature.
Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution declares September 2024 as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in California to honor those affected by the disease and promote public understanding. The measure highlights critical statistics about ovarian cancer, such as its high mortality rate and the fact that early detection significantly improves survival chances. By drawing attention to these facts, the resolution encourages women to monitor their health and consult medical professionals regarding unexplained symptoms. Ultimately, the bill serves as a formal acknowledgment of the disease's impact and a call to support ongoing efforts in research, advocacy, and patient care.
Existing law requires the Governor to proclaim various days as holidays and days of remembrance. This bill would require the Governor to annually proclaim December 1 as World AIDS Day.