Existing law prohibits a person from manufacturing, selling, or distributing in commerce any bottle or cup that contains bisphenol A, at a certain level, if the cup or bottle was designed or intended to be filled with any liquid, food, or beverage intended primarily for consumption from that bottle or cup by children 3 years of age or younger, except as provided. This bill would prohibit, on and after January 1, 2025, a paper proof of purchase provided to a consumer by a business or created by a manufacturer from containing intentionally added bisphenol A, as defined, and, on and after January 1, 2026, from containing any intentionally added bisphenols, as defined. The bill would specify that a violation would be punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000 for a first violation, and not to exceed $10,000 for each subsequent violation. The bill would require all penalties collected pursuant to this bill to be deposited into the Toxic Substances Control Account, to be available for expenditure by the Department of Toxic Substances Control upon appropriation by the Legislature, as specified. The bill would authorize the department, the Attorney General, a county counsel, a district attorney, or a city attorney to enforce these provisions and would entitle a prevailing plaintiff who establishes a violation of these provisions to an award of reasonable attorney's fees and costs.
Existing law establishes the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program, administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections, to award competitive grants for the purpose of violence intervention and prevention. Existing law establishes the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program within the Board of State and Community Corrections to grant funds, upon appropriation, to local jurisdictions and Indian tribes for the purpose of implementing trauma-informed diversion programs for minors, as specified. Existing law requires the governing board of a school district to give diligent care to the health and physical development of pupils and authorizes the governing board of a school district to employ properly certified persons for the work. Existing law requires a school of a school district or county office of education and a charter school to notify pupils and parents or guardians of pupils no less than twice during the school year on how to initiate access to available pupil mental health services on campus or in the community, or both, as provided. Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health, in cooperation with the State Department of Education, to establish a Public School Health Center Support Program, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to assist school health centers, which are defined as centers or programs, located at or near local educational agencies, that provide age-appropriate health care services at the program site or through referrals, as specified. This bill would create the Community Violence Interdiction Grant Program to be administered by the California Health and Human Services Agency to provide funding to local community programs for community-driven solutions to decrease violence in neighborhoods and schools. The bill would specify the types of programs the grant funds may be used for, including, but not limited to, programs that create and enhance recreation- and health-based interventions for youth during peak times of violence and the creation and operation of school-based health centers. The bill would require the agency to develop an application process and criteria for funding and would require the agency to administer the grant program, as specified. The bill would require, beginning July 31, 2025, and annually thereafter, the Director of Finance and the Legislative Analyst's Office to calculate the savings to the state from the closure of state prisons, as specified, and would require the Director of Finance to certify the results of the calculation to the Controller no later than August 1 of each fiscal year. The bill would create the Community Violence Interdiction Grant Fund and would require moneys in the fund to be made available, only upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the agency for the purposes of the Community Violence Interdiction Grant Program. The bill would require that the Controller, before August 15, 2025, and annually thereafter, upon appropriation by the Legislature, transfer from the General Fund to the Community Violence Interdiction Grant Fund the total amount of savings from the closure of state prisons so calculated.
Existing law establishes the California Department of Aging within the California Health and Human Services Agency. Existing law authorizes the department to make specified funds available for nutrition projects serving the needs of individuals 60 years of age or over and their spouses, as specified. Existing law, the McCarthy-Kennick Nutrition Program for the Elderly Act of 1972, among other things, establishes the Nutrition Reserve Fund for the purpose of maintaining existing nutrition services and lending moneys to senior nutrition projects, as specified. Existing law requires the California Commission on Aging, with the approval of the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, to develop and submit to the federal government a state plan for implementing the federal Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended, by May 1 of each year. Existing law requires the state plan to include the establishment of projects that provide at least one hot meal per day for 5 or more days per week, as specified. This bill would instead require that the projects provide those meals either served hot or made available for to-go pickup for reheating at home by eligible individuals.
Existing law establishes, within the Health and Welfare Agency, the Department of Health Care Access and Information, which is responsible for, among other things, administering various health professions training and development programs. Existing law requires the department to develop and approve statewide requirements for community health worker certificate programs. Existing law defines "community health worker" to mean 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. This bill would require the department to develop criteria for a specialty certificate program and specialized training requirements for a Black Mental Health Navigator Certification, as specified. The bill would require the department to collect and regularly publish data, not less than annually, including, but not limited to, the number of individuals certified, including those who complete a specialty certificate program, as specified, and the number of individuals who are actively employed in a community health worker role. The bill would make these provisions subject to an appropriation by the Legislature.
Existing law establishes within state government the Transportation Agency, which consists of the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the California Transportation Commission, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Transportation, the High-Speed Rail Authority, and the Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun. The agency is under the supervision of the Secretary of Transportation, who has the power of general supervision over each department within the agency. Existing law imposes various duties on the secretary, including advising the Governor on, and assisting the Governor in establishing, major policy and program matters affecting each department, office, or other unit within the agency. This bill would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, require the agency to develop and distribute, on or before September 1, 2025, a bicycle safety handbook that includes information on, among other things, existing laws regulating bicycles and e-bikes. The bill would require the agency to make a downloadable electronic version of the bicycle safety handbook available on specified internet websites. In developing the handbook, the bill would require collaboration and consultation between the agency and prescribed state entities, including, among others, the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of the California Highway Patrol.
Existing law authorizes an owner of real property to install and operate on their property an electrified security fence, as defined, to protect and secure commercial, manufacturing, or industrial property, that meets specified requirements, except where a local ordinance prohibits that installation and operation. If a local ordinance allows the installation and operation of an electrified security fence, existing law requires the installation and operation of the electrified security fence to meet the requirements of that ordinance. This bill would require a regulated gate, defined as any gate that weighs more than 50 pounds and is more than 48 inches wide or more than 84 inches high that is intended to be used by the public, an entire community or neighborhood, or any considerable number of persons, except as specified, to meet certain standards. The bill would require each building department to update, on or before July 1, 2026, its code requirements to ensure that any newly installed regulated gate in its jurisdiction meets those standards. The bill would require the owner of a regulated gate to have it inspected on or before July 1, 2026, or upon installation, and have it reinspected, thereafter, at least once every 10 years. The bill would require an owner to maintain a written report regarding the regulated gate's compliance with the specified requirements for at least 10 years and make the report available to the building department upon request. The bill would require the owner of a regulated gate that a professional or qualified employee, as defined, determines, upon inspection, to pose an immediate threat to safety to immediately stop the use of the gate until necessary repairs are completed and to engage a contractor or qualified employee to perform the repairs necessary to mitigate the emergency condition. The bill would require the owner of a regulated gate to engage a contractor or qualified employee to repair a regulated gate that is in need of repairs within a prescribed period, subject to imposition of an administrative fine by the building department, as specified. The bill would deem a regulated gate that fails to comply with these provisions 30 days after the owner of the gate has been notified of the violation, a public nuisance, and specify that in any case in which a government agency seeks to enjoin the continued use of a regulated gate that is in need of repair or replacement or that poses an immediate threat to the safety of the public, an entire community or neighborhood, or any considerable number of persons, the court may award costs, including the costs of investigation and discovery, and reasonable attorney's fees, that are not compensated for pursuant to some other provision of law, to the prevailing party. The bill would authorize a district attorney, county counsel, or city attorney to file a complaint for injunctive relief, or seeking a civil penalty, against an owner of a regulated gate for a violation of these provisions. Because the bill would require local officials to perform additional duties, it would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would provide that, for regulated gates in existence as of January 1, 2025, its provisions apply only to regulated gates located in schools and parks, as specified. 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
(1) 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 generally authorizes a health care service plan or disability insurer to use utilization review, under which a licensed physician or a licensed health care professional who is competent to evaluate specific clinical issues may approve, modify, delay, or deny requests for health care services based on medical necessity. Existing law requires these decisions to be made within 30 days, or less than 72 hours when the enrollee faces an imminent and serious threat to their health. Existing law requires a health care service plan to establish a grievance system to resolve grievances within 30 days, but limits that timeframe to 3 days when the enrollee faces an imminent and serious threat to their health. Existing law requires a plan to provide a written explanation for its grievance decisions, as specified. This bill would require that utilization review decisions be made within 72 hours from the health care service plan's receipt of the clinical information reasonably necessary to make the determination when the enrollee's condition is urgent. If the plan lacks the information reasonably necessary to make a decision regarding an urgent request, the bill would require the plan to notify the enrollee and provider about the information necessary to complete the request within 24 hours of receiving the request. The bill would require the plan to notify the enrollee and the provider of the decision within a reasonable amount of time, but not later than 48 hours after specified circumstances occur. If a health care service plan fails to make a utilization review decision, or provide notice of a decision, within the specified timelines, the bill would require the health care service plan to treat the request for authorization as a grievance and provide notice with specified information to the enrollee that a grievance has commenced, if the plan has received the information necessary to make a decision. This bill would require a plan's grievance system to include expedited review of urgent grievances, as specified. The bill would require a plan to communicate its final grievance determination within 72 hours of receipt if urgent and 30 days if nonurgent, except as specified. If a plan fails to make a utilization review decision within the applicable timelines, the bill would require a grievance to be automatically resolved in favor of the enrollee, except in specified circumstances. 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. (2) Existing law establishes the Independent Medical Review System in the Department of Managed Health Care to review grievances involving a disputed health care service. Existing law authorizes an enrollee to apply to the department for an independent medical review of a decision regarding health care services based in whole or in part on a finding that the disputed services are not medically necessary within 6 months of any specified qualifying periods and authorizes the director to extend that deadline if the circumstances of a case warrant the extension. This bill would extend the above deadline to 12 months beyond the specified qualifying periods. The bill would require the plan to provide specified correspondence and documents to an enrollee and their representative, if applicable, if the enrollee has submitted a grievance for review under the Independent Medical Review System. The bill would require the department to provide an enrollee and their representative a reasonable opportunity to respond to communications between the department and the plan before the grievance is resolved. The bill would prohibit the department and its independent medical review organization from engaging in ex parte communication with a plan, enrollee, or their representatives during the grievance process, except as specified. (3) Existing law provides for the regulation of disability insurers, including health insurers, by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a disability insurer, including an insurer that delegates utilization review or utilization management functions to medical groups, independent practice associations, or other contracting providers, to comply with specified requirements and limitations on their utilization review or utilization management functions. Existing law requires a decision to approve, modify, or deny a request by a provider before, or concurrent with, the provision of health care services to insureds to be made no more than 5 business days from the insurer's receipt of information necessary to make the determination. If the insured's condition poses an imminent and serious threat to the insured's health, existing law requires the decision to be made within no more than 72 hours. Existing law requires a decision to be communicated to the requesting provider within 24 hours of the decision, but requires a decision resulting in denial, delay, or modification of all or part of the requested health care service to be communicated within 2 business days, except as specified. This bill would limit the applicability of the above-described provisions to health insurers. The bill would require a decision to approve, modify, or deny a request by a provider before the provision of health care services to be communicated no more than 5 business days from the health insurer's receipt of the request. If the insurer lacks information reasonably necessary to make the decision, the bill would require the insurer to notify the insured and provider within 5 business days from receipt of request and to afford the insured and provider at least 45 days from receipt of that notice to provide the information. If the insured's condition is urgent, as defined, the bill would require a decision to approve, modify, or deny a request by a provider before, or concurrent with, the provision of health care services to be communicated no more than 72 hours from the insurer's receipt of the request. If the insurer lacks information reasonably necessary to make the decision, the bill would require the insurer to notify the insured and provider no later than 24 hours from receipt of request and to afford the insured and provider at least 48 hours from receipt of that notice to provide the information. The bill would require an insurer to communicate a decision to modify or deny a concurrent care request, as specified, within 24 hours from the insurer's receipt of the request. If an insurer fails to provide notice of a decision, the bill would require an insurer to treat the request as a grievance and immediately notify the insured and provider that a grievance has commenced, if the insurer has received the information necessary to make a decision. (4) Existing law establishes the Independent Medical Review System in the department to review grievances involving a disputed health care service. Existing law requires a disability insurance policy issued, amended, renewed, or delivered on or after January 1, 2000, to provide an insured with the opportunity to seek an independent medical review when health care services have been denied, modified, or delayed if the decision was based in whole or in part on a finding that the proposed health care services are not medically necessary. Existing law authorizes an insured to apply to the department for an independent medical review when specified conditions are met. If a grievance is filed internally with an insurer, this bill would require an insurer to acknowledge receipt of the grievance within 24 hours of receipt if urgent and 5 calendar days if nonurgent, and then communicate its final grievance determination within 72 hours of receipt if urgent and 30 days if nonurgent. Upon notice from the department to a health insurer that an insured has submitted a complaint to the department, the bill would require an insurer to respond within 24 hours if a complaint is urgent, or within 5 calendar days regarding a nonurgent complaint. This bill would require the department to determine whether or not a complaint is urgent, as specified, unless the insured's provider has already designated the complaint as urgent. The bill would require the insurer to offer to provide specified correspondence and documents to an insured and their representative, if applicable, if the insured has submitted a complaint or independent medical review case to the department. The bill would require the department to provide an insured and their representative a reasonable opportunity to respond to communications between the department and the insurer before the grievance is resolved. The bill would prohibit an insurer from engaging in ex parte communication with the independent medical review organization deciding a case. (5) 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 makes it a crime for a person to assault, among other people, a judge of any local, state, or federal court of record in retaliation for or to prevent the performance of their official duties, as specified. Existing law requires a county elections official to, upon application by a public safety officer, make confidential that officer's residence address, telephone number, and email address appearing on the affidavit of voter registration, as specified. Existing law requires, upon request of specified persons, including an active or retired judge, that the person's home address that appears in a record of the Department of Motor Vehicles be made confidential. This bill would additionally make it a crime for a person to assault a judge or former judge of a tribal court in retaliation for or to prevent the performance of their official duties, as specified. The bill would clarify that a tribal judge of a federally recognized California Indian tribe can request to make their records confidential pursuant to the above-described provisions. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California as the 3 public segments of postsecondary education in the state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to provide instruction to students at community college campuses. This bill would establish the Cal-Bridge Program as an intersegmental partnership program between the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California with a mission of creating a pathway that promotes the advancement of California's diverse undergraduate public postsecondary student population majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines to pursue STEM doctors of philosophy (PhDs) and become members of California's professorate or leaders in California's technology industry. The bill would specify the goals of the program, including, among other goals, the goal of preparing students to apply to PhD programs in STEM disciplines, particularly University of California STEM PhD programs. The bill would include 3 Cal-Bridge subprograms to provide resources, research opportunities, and financial support to qualifying public postsecondary undergraduate, PhD, and postdoctoral STEM scholars in their pursuit of becoming members of the California's professorate or leaders in California's technology industry. The bill would authorize funding appropriated for purposes of the program to be used for specified activities. The bill would apply to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California by appropriate resolution make it applicable. The program would be implemented only upon an appropriation by the Legislature for its purposes.
Existing law establishes the Clean Transportation Program, administered by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, to provide funding to certain entities to develop and deploy innovative technologies that transform California's fuel and vehicle types to help attain the state's climate change policies. Existing law limits funding under the program to specified categories of programs and projects. Existing law creates the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund, to be administered by the commission, and requires the moneys in the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to be expended by the commission to implement the program. This bill would add to the categories of programs and projects eligible for funding under the Clean Transportation Program a program to repair or replace nonoperational electric vehicle chargers that are at least 5 years old and that are located in a publicly available parking space, as provided. The bill would require the commission to allocate at least 50% of the funding allocated for the repair or replacement program to low-income communities and disadvantaged communities. The bill would prohibit the commission from expending more than 20% of the amount appropriated for purposes of the Clean Transportation Program in any particular fiscal year on the repair or replacement program.
Existing law requires the Judicial Council to establish judicial training programs for individuals who perform duties in domestic violence matters. Existing law requires the training programs to include a domestic violence session in any orientation session for newly appointed or elected judges and an annual training session in domestic violence. Existing law requires the training programs to include instruction in all aspects of domestic violence, including, but not limited to, the detriment to children of residing with a person who perpetrates domestic violence. This bill would require the Judicial Council to establish, on or before July 1, 2026, judicial training programs for judges related to best practices related to treatment of sexual abuse and assault victims in courtroom cases. This bill would require the development of the training programs to be informed by research and evidence on the impact of sexual abuse and assault on victims. The bill would require, commencing January 1, 2027, that the training programs be provided to all newly appointed or elected judges as part of any orientation session or initial training, and all judicial officers upon assignment to a family court, juvenile court, criminal court, and any others deemed appropriate by the Judicial Council. The bill would also require the training to be made available to all judicial officers on an annual basis. The bill would authorize the Judicial Council to conduct the above-described training either in person or through remote technology.
Under existing law, a person between 6 and 18 years of age who is not exempted by law is subject to compulsory full-time education. Existing law excludes a child under 6 years of age from the public schools, subject to specified exceptions. Existing law requires a school district maintaining a kindergarten to admit a child who will have their 5th birthday on or before September 1 of the school year. Existing law also requires a child who will have their 6th birthday on or before September 1 of the school year to be admitted to the first grade of an elementary school. Existing law authorizes a child who has been lawfully admitted to a public school kindergarten or a private school kindergarten in California and who is judged by the administration of the school district to be ready for first-grade work to be admitted to the first grade, as specified. This bill, beginning with the 2026–27 school year, would require a child to have completed one year of kindergarten before that child may be admitted to the first grade at a public elementary school, except for a child who has been lawfully admitted to a public school kindergarten or a private school kindergarten in California, but has not yet completed one school year, and is judged to be ready for first-grade work, as specified, thereby imposing 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
