Existing law authorizes counties and cities to issue dog licenses and dog license tags for a fee, as specified. Existing law also prohibits a public animal control agency, animal or humane shelter, or a rescue group, as defined, from selling or giving away to a new owner any dog that has not been spayed or neutered, except as specified. A violation of provisions governing the regulation and licensing of dogs is an infraction or a misdemeanor, except as specified. This bill would additionally require each pet dealer, as defined, humane society, rescue group, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, or other specified entity to submit once a month, except as specified, a report to the local governmental entity that is responsible for licensing dogs in the city or county in which the pet dealer, humane society, rescue group, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, or other specified entity is located. The bill would require the report to contain the name, address, and telephone number of the person who receives a dog, and other information regarding the dog, that was adopted or sold in the previous month, as specified, by the entity submitting the report. The bill would require the entity that submits the report to retain a copy of the report for 12 months. The bill would prohibit the use, distribution, or release of the information contained in the report for any purpose except to ensure compliance with existing state and local law for the purposes of (1) providing notice to the person adopting or purchasing the dog regarding laws requiring the person to obtain a license for the dog and (2) providing notice to another local governmental entity, which is responsible for licensing dogs in the jurisdiction in which the person resides, that the person has adopted or purchased a dog, if the person does not reside in the jurisdiction of the local governmental entity that is providing the notice. A violation of these provisions would be punishable by a civil fine of $50 for the first offense and $100 for each subsequent offense. The bill would exempt an act in violation of these provisions from the provision which would make the violation a crime. By imposing new duties on local officials who would receive and process the monthly reports described above, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would allow a licensing agency to issue to the owner of a microchipped puppy a puppy license, as defined, which would expire when the puppy reaches one year of age, except as specified. The bill would require the owner of a puppy to obtain a dog license tag upon the expiration of the puppy license. Because a violation of this provision would be an infraction, the bill would create a new crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. The bill would also make conforming changes. Existing law authorizes a dog license tag to be issued for 12 or less of the usual fee required for a dog if a certificate indicating that the dog has been spayed or neutered is presented from a licensed veterinarian. This bill would authorize the city, county, or city and county to specify the means by which the dog owner may provide proof that the dog has been spayed or neutered. 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.
Sponsored bills
(1) Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various healing arts professions by various boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs. A violation of specified provisions is a crime. Existing law defines telemedicine, for the purpose of its regulation, to mean the practice of health care delivery, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, transfer of medical data, and education using interactive audio, video, or data communications. Existing law requires a health care practitioner, as defined, to obtain verbal and written informed consent from the patient or the patient's legal representative before telemedicine is delivered. Existing law also imposes various requirements with regard to the provision of telemedicine by health care service plans, health insurers, or under the Medi-Cal program, including a prohibition on requiring face-to-face contact between a health care provider and a patient for services appropriately provided through telemedicine, subject to certain contracts or policies. Existing federal regulations, for the purposes of participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, authorize the governing body of a hospital whose patients are receiving telemedicine services to grant privileges based on its medical staff recommendations that rely on information provided by the distant-site hospital. Existing state regulations require medical staff, appointed by the governing body of a hospital, to adopt procedures for the evaluation of staff applications for credentials and privileges. Existing law provides that health care service plans and health insurers shall not be required to pay for consultations provided by telephone or facsimile machines. Existing law provides that a willful violation of the provisions governing health care service plans is a crime. This bill would delete the provisions of state law regarding telemedicine as described above, and would instead set forth provisions relating to telehealth, as defined. This bill would require a health care provider, as defined, prior to the delivery of health care via telehealth, to verbally inform the patient that telehealth may be used and obtain verbal consent from the patient. This bill would provide that failure to comply with this provision constitutes unprofessional conduct. This bill would, subject to contract terms and conditions, also preclude health care service plans and health insurers from imposing prior to payment, certain requirements regarding the manner of service delivery. This bill would establish procedures for granting privileges to, and verifying and approving credentials for, providers of telehealth services. By changing the definition of a crime applicable to health care service plans, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law prohibits a requirement of face-to-face contact between a health care provider and a patient under the Medi-Cal program for services appropriately provided through telemedicine, subject to reimbursement policies developed by the Medi-Cal program to compensate licensed health care providers who provide health care services, that are otherwise covered by the Medi-Cal program, through telemedicine. This bill would, instead, prohibit a requirement of in-person contact between a health care provider and patient under the Medi-Cal program for any service otherwise covered by the Medi-Cal program when the service is appropriately provided by telehealth, as defined, and would make related changes. (3) Existing law, until January 1, 2013, and to the extent that federal financial participation is available, authorizes, under the Medi-Cal program, teleophthalmology and teledermatology by store and forward, as defined. This bill would delete the repeal of the above-described authorization. (4) 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.
Existing law requires the Department of Food and Agriculture, headed by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, to promote and protect the agricultural industry of the state. This bill would, until July 1, 2017, create the California Healthy Food Financing Initiative. It would require, by July 1, 2012, the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to prepare recommendations, to be presented upon request to the Legislature, regarding actions that need to be taken to promote food access in the state. The bill would establish the California Healthy Food Financing Initiative Council and would require the council to implement the initiative, as specified. The bill would require the department to establish an advisory group, as specified. The bill would create the California Healthy Food Financing Initiative Fund in the State Treasury, to be comprised of federal, state, philanthropic, and private funds, for the purpose of expanding access to healthy foods in underserved communities and, to the extent practicable, to leverage other funding, as specified. Moneys in the fund would be expended upon appropriation by the Legislature.
Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, pursuant to which medical benefits are provided to public assistance recipients and other low-income persons. Existing law provides for the department to enter into contracts with managed care systems, hospitals, and prepaid health plans for the provision of various Medi-Cal benefits. Existing law prohibits services covered by the California Children's Services program (CCS) from being incorporated into a Medi-Cal managed care contract entered into after August 1, 1994, until January 1, 2012, except with respect to contracts entered into for county organized health systems in specified counties. This bill would extend to January 1, 2016, the termination of the prohibition against CCS covered services being incorporated into a Medi-Cal managed care contract entered into after August 1, 1994. Existing law requires the provider rates of payment for services rendered for the Healthy Families Program to be identical to the rates of payment for the same service performed by the same provider type pursuant to the Medi-Cal program if the services are provided by a Medi-Cal provider. This bill would require identical rates only if the service was provided by a Medi-Cal provider pursuant to specified contracts.
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 also authorizes moneys in the GDTF to be used for the expansion of the Genetic Disease Branch Screening Information System to include cystic fibrosis and biotinidase and exempts the expansion of contracts for this purpose from certain provisions of the Public Contract Code, the Government Code, and the State Administrative Manual, as specified. This bill would require the department to expand statewide screening of newborns to include screening for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and, insofar as it does not require additional costs, other T-cell lymphopenias detectable as a result of screening for SCID, and would make related changes.
Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, pursuant to which medical benefits are provided to public assistance recipients and certain other low-income persons. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. Existing law provides for a schedule of benefits under the Medi-Cal program, which includes medical transportation, and authorizes the department to prescribe polices and regulations as necessary to carry out the Medi-Cal program, including setting rates for payment of services. This bill would provide that an eligible provider, as described, may receive supplemental Medi-Cal reimbursement, in addition to the rate of payment that the provider would otherwise receive, for Medi-Cal ground emergency medical transportation services and that the supplemental reimbursement shall be equal to the amount of federal financial participation the department receives as a result of claims submitted for expenditures for services, as specified. This bill would require the department to promptly seek any necessary federal approvals for the implementation of these provisions, including obtaining approval from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for the specified payment methodology to be used to distribute the supplemental reimbursement. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
This measure would recognize October 2011 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and urge all Californians to take a stand against domestic violence.
This measure would urge the United States government to consider the California jobs and economic stimulus provided by the California floriculture industry when advancing free trade agreements, specifically with Colombia.
This measure would proclaim February 28, 2011, as Rare Disease Day.
This measure would honor and recognize the service and sacrifice made by members of the Armed Forces and their families on the occasion of Armed Forces Day on May 21, 2011.