Sen. Richard Pan

This measure would urge the President and Congress of the United States to develop a comprehensive federal approach to reducing and preventing gun violence, promptly place assault weapons and high-capacity assault magazines under the scope of the National Firearms Act, and require a universal background check through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) for the transfer of all firearms. This measure would additionally urge the President to take steps to ensure that all states and applicable federal agencies are reporting all necessary records to the NICS.

This measure would specify goals for the reform of the nation's immigration system, and would urge Congress and the President of the United States to take a humane and just approach to solving the nation's broken immigration system.

This measure would urge the California State Legislature and the Governor to restore budget funding to early care and education programs and to support efforts to fund and implement the Quality Rating and Improvement System and other programs that support early care and education. The measure would also urge the California State Legislature to commit to improving the public's understanding of the role that early care and education plays in securing an educated, nimble, and stable workforce to help keep California's economy vibrant and strong for years to come.

This measure would declare May 15, 2013, as the 25th Annual State Scientist Day, as a tribute to the dedication and professionalism of the state scientists who work on behalf of all the residents of California.

This measure would declare the Legislature's recognition of the importance of access to local parks, trails, open space, and facilities for the health and development of all Californians. This measure would also declare the month of July 2013 as "Parks Make Life Better!" Month.

This measure would designate September 2013 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in the State of California.

Existing federal law, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) , enacts various health care coverage market reforms that take effect January 1, 2014. Among other things, PPACA prohibits a health insurance issuer issuing health insurance coverage from establishing lifetime limits or unreasonable annual limits on the dollar value of benefits for any participant or beneficiary, as specified. 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. That act does not apply to a plan directly operated by a bona fide public or private institution of higher learning that directly provides health care services only to its students, faculty, staff, administration, and their respective dependents. Existing law requires every health care service plan that issues, sells, renews, or offers contracts or policies for health care coverage in this state to comply, to the extent required by federal law, with the requirements of the above-described provision of PPACA and any rules or regulations issued under that provision. This bill would prohibit a plan directly operated by a bona fide public or private college or university that directly provides health care services only to its students, faculty, staff, administration, and their respective dependents from establishing an annual limit or a lifetime limit on the dollar value of essential health benefits, as defined, for any participant or beneficiary. Because a willful violation of these requirements with respect to those plans 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.

This measure would declare April 9, 2013, as Equal Pay Day.

This measure would proclaim the week of September 17 through 22, 2013, as Constitution Week and urge California citizens to reaffirm the ideals of the framers of the Constitution of 1787 by vigilantly protecting the freedoms guaranteed to us through this guardian of our liberties, remembering that lost rights might never be regained.