Sen. Cathleen Galgiani

This measure would encourage the State Department of Health Care Services, the State Department of Public Health, and other state entities to partner with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) stakeholders to improve education regarding COPD in the course of implementing the statewide strategic plan. This measure would also designate November 2014 as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Awareness Month in California and encourage public officials and the citizens of California to increase awareness of the symptoms of, and the methods of preventing, COPD.

This measure would designate the month of November 2014 as California Runaway and Homeless Youth Month and would recognize the need for individuals, schools, communities, businesses, local governments, and the state to take action on behalf of runaway and homeless youth in California.

Existing law, the California Seed Law, provides for an optional subvention program under which a county may enter into a cooperative agreement with the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to receive an annual apportionment of funds from the secretary for maintaining a statewide compliance level on all seed within the county. Under those provisions, a county with no registered seed labelers may annually receive $100, at the discretion of the secretary and upon recommendation of the Seed Advisory Board, and a county with registered seed labeler operations may annually receive a subvention based on enforcement activity generated by the registered seed labeler operations within the county, and upon the performance of enforcement activities, in accordance with a method for calculating apportionments for participating counties based on units of activity, as specified. Existing law makes those provisions inoperative on July 1, 2016, except as specified, and repeals those provisions on January 1, 2017. This bill would extend the operative date specified above to July 1, 2019, and would extend the repeal date to January 1, 2020. The bill would delete the provisions establishing a method of calculating apportionments based on units of activity, and would instead require the amount of the subvention designated to each participating county to be established in a memorandum of understanding between the county agricultural commissioner and the secretary, in consultation with the Seed Advisory Board. Under existing law, the fees collected pursuant to the California Seed Law are continuously appropriated to the Department of Food and Agriculture to carry out its provisions. By extending the operation of these subvention provisions, this bill would make an appropriation.

This measure would acknowledge and applaud the Modesto City Schools' initiative and achievement in teaching the unique World Geography-World Religions class as a grade 9 required course for the last 15 years, and would recommend that the class be considered for adoption by other school districts in the state.

Existing law establishes the Pierce's Disease Control Program in the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Pierce's Disease Management Account in the Food and Agriculture Fund. Existing law allows money in this account to be expended as specified to combat Pierce's disease and its vectors, including the glassy-winged sharpshooter, and for purposes relating to other designated pests and diseases, as provided. Existing law makes these provisions inoperative on March 1, 2016, and repeals them on January 1, 2017. This bill would extend to March 1, 2021, the date on which the above provisions become inoperative, and would repeal those provisions on January 1, 2022. Existing law creates in the department the Pierce's Disease and Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board, which consists of specified members, and prescribes the functions and duties of the board with respect to implementation of the Pierce's disease program. Existing law provides for an annual assessment to be paid by grape processors, as defined, into the Food and Agriculture Fund for the purposes of, among other things, research and other activities related to the Pierce's disease program. Existing law repeals these provisions on March 1, 2016. This bill would extend the repeal date of these provisions to March 1, 2021, and would make related conforming changes. Because assessments collected pursuant to these provisions are deposited into the Food and Agriculture Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, by extending the date until which the assessments are collected, the bill would make an appropriation.

Existing law, the Buyer's Choice Act, prohibits a mortgagee or beneficiary under a deed of trust who acquired title to residential real property improved by 4 or fewer dwelling units at a foreclosure sale from requiring, directly or indirectly, as a condition of selling the property, that the buyer purchase title insurance or escrow services in connection with the sale from a particular title insurer or escrow agent. Under existing law, a seller who violates these provisions is liable to the buyer for an amount equal to 3 times all the charges made for the title insurance or escrow services. Existing law makes the act operative until January 1, 2015. This bill would delete the repeal of these provisions, thereby making them operate indefinitely.

Existing law authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to authorize the temporary removal of any inmate from prison or any other institution for the detention of adults under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, including removal for the purpose of attending college classes or permitting the inmate to participate in or assist with the gathering of evidence relating to crimes. Existing law also authorizes the secretary to require, except when the removal is for medical treatment or to assist with the gathering of evidence related to crimes, the inmate to reimburse the state, in whole or in part, for expenses incurred by the state in connection with the temporary removal. Existing law makes the provisions that specifically refer to removal for the purpose of permitting the inmate to participate in or assist with the gathering of evidence relating to crimes operative only until January 1, 2015. This bill would make those provisions operative indefinitely. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

(1) Existing law, the Safe, Clean, and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2012, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $11,140,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a safe drinking water and water supply reliability program. Existing law provides for the submission of the bond act to the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election. This bill would repeal these provisions. (2) Under existing law, various measures have been approved by the voters to provide funds for water supply and protection facilities and programs. Existing law, the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006, an initiative measure approved by the voters as Proposition 84 at the November 7, 2006, statewide general election, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $5,388,000,000 for the purposes of financing safe drinking water, water quality and supply, flood control, natural resource protection, and park improvements. Existing law, the Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond Act of 2006, approved by the voters as Proposition 1E at the November 7, 2006, general statewide election, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of $4,090,000,000 for the purposes of financing disaster preparedness and flood prevention projects. Existing law, the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Act of 2002, an initiative measure approved by the voters as Proposition 50 at the November 5, 2002, statewide general election, authorizes, for the purposes of financing a safe drinking water, water quality, and water reliability program, the issuance of bonds in the amount of $3,440,000,000. Existing law, the Costa-Machado Water Act of 2000, approved by the voters as Proposition 13 at the March 7, 2000, statewide primary election, authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $1,970,000,000 for the purposes of financing a safe drinking water, clean water, watershed protection, and flood protection program. Existing law, the Safe, Clean, Reliable Water Supply Act, approved by the voters as Proposition 204 at the November 5, 1996, statewide general election, authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $995,000,000 for the purposes of financing a safe, clean, reliable water supply program. Existing law, the Water Conservation and Water Quality Bond Law of 1986, approved by the voters as Proposition 44 at the June 3, 1986, statewide primary election, authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds in the amount of $150,000,000 for the purposes of financing a water conservation and water quality program. This bill would enact the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, which, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $7,120,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a water quality, supply, and infrastructure improvement program. This bill, upon voter approval, would reallocate $425,000,000 of the unissued bonds authorized for the purposes of Propositions 1E, 13, 44, 50, 84, and 204 to finance the purposes of a water quality, supply, and infrastructure improvement program. This bill would provide for the submission of these provisions to the voters at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election. (3) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law created the California Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) as an independent public entity in the state government, not affiliated with an agency or department. The Exchange is governed by an executive board consisting of 5 members who are residents of California. Of the members of the board, 2 are appointed by the Governor, one is appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and one is appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. The Secretary of California Health and Human Services or his or her designee serves as a voting, ex officio member of the board. Each person appointed to the board is required to have demonstrated and acknowledged expertise in at least 2 listed areas, including, but not limited to, individual health care coverage, health care finance, and purchasing health plan coverage. This bill would add marketing of health insurance products, information technology system management, management information systems, and enrollment counseling assistance, with priority to cultural and linguistic competency, to the list of areas of expertise.