This measure would declare the 3rd week of September 2014, and the 3rd week of September in each subsequent year, as Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week.
Existing law regulates various business activities and practices, including the sale of telephones. This bill would require that any smartphone, as defined, that is manufactured on or after July 1, 2015, and sold in California after that date, include a technological solution at the time of sale, which may consist of software, hardware, or both software and hardware, that, once initiated and successfully communicated to the smartphone, can render inoperable the essential features, as defined, of the smartphone to an unauthorized user when the smartphone is not in the possession of an authorized user. The bill would require that the technological solution, when enabled, be able to withstand a hard reset, as defined, and prevent reactivation of the smartphone on a wireless network except by an authorized user. The bill would make these requirements inapplicable when the smartphone is resold in California on the secondhand market or is consigned and held as collateral on a loan. The bill would additionally except from these requirements a smartphone model that was first introduced prior to January 1, 2015, that cannot reasonably be reengineered to support the manufacturer's or operating system provider's technological solution, including if the hardware or software cannot support a retroactive update. The bill would authorize an authorized user to affirmatively elect to disable or opt-out of the technological solution at any time. The bill would make the knowing retail sale in violation of the bill's requirements subject to a civil penalty of not less than $500, nor more than $2,500, for each violation. The bill would limit an enforcement action to collect the civil penalty to being brought by the Attorney General, a district attorney, or city attorney, and would prohibit any private right of action to collect the civil penalty. The bill would prohibit any city, county, or city and county from imposing requirements on manufacturers, operating system providers, wireless carriers, or retailers relating to technological solutions for smartphones.
Existing law prohibits a healing arts licensee, including physicians and surgeons, psychologists, acupuncturists, optometrists, dentists, podiatrists, and chiropractic practitioners, from referring a person for certain health care services if the licensee has a financial interest, as defined, with the person or entity that receives the referral. Existing law provides specified exemptions from this prohibition. Under existing law, a violation of the provisions governing referrals is a crime. Existing law prohibits a dentist, or an employee or agent of that dentist, from arranging for or establishing credit extended by a 3rd party for a patient without first providing a written notice and a written treatment plan, as specified. Existing law prohibits a dentist, or employee or agent of a dentist, from charging treatment not yet rendered or costs not yet incurred to an open-end credit extended by a 3rd party that is arranged for or established in the dental office without first providing the patient with specified information regarding the treatment and services to be rendered and ensuring the patient's receipt of the treatment plan. A person who willfully violates these provisions is subject to specified civil liability. This bill would delete those provisions pertaining to a dentist or an employee or agent of a dentist, and instead would prohibit a healing arts licensee, including a dentist, or an employee or agent of that licensee, from arranging for or establishing credit or a loan extended by a 3rd party for a patient without first providing a written notice or electronic notice, as specified, and a written treatment plan, and would prohibit that arrangement or establishment of credit or a loan with regard to a patient who has been administered or is under the influence of general anesthesia, conscious sedation, or nitrous oxide. The bill would prohibit a healing arts licensee, or employee or agent of a licensee, from charging treatment not yet rendered or costs not yet incurred to an open-end credit extended or a loan by a 3rd party that is arranged for or established in the licensee's office without first providing the patient with specified information regarding the treatment and services to be rendered and ensuring the patient's receipt of the treatment plan. The bill would require a healing arts licensee to refund to the lender any payment received for treatment that has not been rendered or costs that have not been incurred, as specified, within 15 business days upon the patient's request. The bill would provide that a person who willfully violates these provisions is subject to specified civil liability. Because a violation of these provisions would be a crime, this 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.
Existing law requires the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System to administer the Public Employees' Medical and Hospital Care Act. Existing law permits a contracting agency to elect to be subject to the act for its employees and annuitants, provided that the contracting agency and each employee or annuitant contribute a portion of the cost of providing the benefit coverage afforded under the health benefit plan approved or maintained by the board in which the employee or annuitant may be enrolled. Existing law specifies that the employer contribution of a contracting agency begins on the effective date of enrollment and is the amount fixed from time to time by resolution of the governing body of the agency. Existing law provides an optional vesting schedule, for contracting agencies, that links the employer contribution, as specified, to percentages associated with an employee's credited years of service. Under this formulation, the employer contribution for the contracting agency reaches 100% of a specified amount when the employee attains 20 years of credited service, with certain exceptions. Existing law requires accounts to be maintained in the Public Employees' Contingency Reserve Fund to consist of administrative costs required to be contributed by contracting agencies and of health plan premiums paid by contracting agencies, which are continuously appropriated for specified purposes. This bill would authorize the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District to make employer contributions for postretirement health benefit coverage for the district's employees who are first hired on or after January 1, 2014. This bill would require the employer contributions to be based on percentages associated with the annuitant's credited years of service with the district, as provided. Under this formulation, the employer contribution would be 50% for 10 years of credited service, increasing incrementally by 10% each credited year of service, and reaching 100% if the annuitant attained 15 years of credited service, with a specified exception for those employees who retire for disability. The bill would provide that its provisions apply only to retirements after it becomes effective.
This measure would declare August 2014 as Valley Fever Awareness Month.
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of residential care facilities for the elderly by the State Department of Social Services, including requiring, as a condition of licensure, bonds issued by a surety company for a licensee that handles the moneys of a person in the facility. Violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor. This bill, on and after July 1, 2015, would require all residential care facilities for the elderly to maintain liability insurance in an amount of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 in the annual aggregate to cover injury to residents or guests caused by the negligent acts or omissions to act of, or neglect by, the licensee or its employees. By creating a new crime, this 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 state the Legislature's support for the memorandum of understanding for establishing strategic partnerships between California and Israel.
This measure would urge the United States Department of Transportation and other relevant federal entities to (1) safeguard communities and environmentally sensitive areas from rail accidents involving transportation of crude oil by expediting rail safety reforms, (2) prioritize safety considerations over cost-effectiveness in deliberations about improving the transport of crude oil by rail, (3) mandate, at a minimum, the best practices explained in a 2014 safety initiative, as specified and (4) partner with the Canadian Transportation Agency to improve safety of the North American railroad tank car fleet by swiftly adopting a stricter design standard, and by retrofitting or phasing out tank cars that do not meet that standard.
This measure would commend the government of El Salvador on its handling of the recent election and would recognize the efforts of the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and other institutions in assisting with the election in the spirit of the Chapultepec Peace Accords.
