Sen. Michael Rubio

Under the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, the State Department of Developmental Services is required to contract with regional centers to provide services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities. This bill would state that it is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to require the department to report to the Legislature on the status of its budget process for regional center funding.

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 also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies to provide coverage for specified benefits. This bill would prohibit a health care service plan contract or a health insurance policy issued, amended, renewed, or delivered on or after January 1, 2014, from denying coverage for medically necessary medical or rehabilitation treatment for an acquired brain injury at a facility within the plan's or insurer's network that is properly licensed and accredited at which appropriate services may be provided, including specified facilities such as a hospital or a long-term acute care hospital, except as provided. The bill would additionally prohibit the contract or policy from denying the applicable coverage because the treating facility within the plan's or insurer's network is not near the enrollee's or insured's home. Because a willful violation of the bill's provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, it 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 provides for the regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and imposes certain requirements on health care service plans. Existing law imposes various fines and administrative penalties for certain violations of these provisions that are deposited in the Managed Care Administrative Fines and Penalties Fund. Existing law requires the first $1,000,000 in the fund to be transferred each year to the Medically Underserved Account for Physicians for the purposes of the Steven M. Thompson Physician Corps Loan Repayment Program. Existing law requires all remaining funds to be transferred each year to the Major Risk Medical Insurance Fund for purposes of the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program. Existing law establishes within the Health Professions Education Foundation the Steven M. Thompson Medical School Scholarship Program (STMSSP) , managed by the foundation and the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development to promote the education of medical doctors and doctors of osteopathy, as specified. Existing law establishes the Steven M. Thompson Medical School Scholarship Account within the Health Professions Education Fund, which consists of private moneys donated to the STMSSP. This bill would, require that, after the first $1,000,000, is transferred each year from the Managed Care Administrative Fines and Penalties Fund to the Medically Underserved Account for Physicians, $600,000 be transferred each year from the fund to the Steven M. Thompson Medical School Scholarship Account, for purposes of the STMSSP. The bill would require that any amount remaining over the amounts transferred to those two accounts be transferred each year to the Major Risk Medical Insurance Fund for purposes of the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program.

Existing law provides various circumstances that constitute rape, including an act of sexual intercourse accomplished with a person who is not the spouse of the perpetrator where the person submits under the belief that the person committing the act is the victim's spouse, and this belief is induced by artifice, pretense, or concealment practiced by the accused, with the intent to induce the belief. Existing law provides various circumstances that constitute sodomy against an individual's will, including an act accomplished with an individual who is not the spouse of the perpetrator where the individual submits under the belief that the individual committing the act is the victim's spouse, and this belief is induced by artifice, pretense, or concealment practiced by the accused, with the intent to induce the belief. This bill would instead provide that these types of rape and sodomy occur where the person submits under the belief that the person committing the act is someone known to the victim other than the accused. By expanding the definition of 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law establishes the Dealers' Record of Sale Special Account in the General Fund with moneys in the account available upon appropriation by the Legislature. Existing law requires the Attorney General to establish and maintain an online database to be known as the Prohibited Armed Persons File, sometimes referred to as the Armed Prohibited Persons System, to cross-reference persons who have ownership or possession of a firearm with those who are prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm. This bill would appropriate $24,000,000 from the Dealers' Record of Sale Special Account to the Department of Justice to address the backlog in the Armed Prohibited Persons System, thereby making an appropriation. The bill would require the department to report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee regarding ways the backlog in the Armed Prohibited Persons System has been reduced or eliminated, as specified. The bill would make related findings and declarations. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

This measure would call on the United States Congress to pass the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, Senate Bill No. 47, authored by Senator Leahy, and ensure the sustainability of vital programs designed to keep women and families safe from violence and abuse.

Existing law enumerates persons who are authorized to solemnize a marriage, including any priest, minister, rabbi, or authorized person of any religious denomination. This bill would provide that marriage is a personal relation arising out of a civil, and not religious, contract. The bill would also specify that a priest, minister, rabbi, or authorized person of any religious denomination shall not be required to solemnize a marriage that is contrary to the tenets of his or her faith. The bill would state that any refusal to solemnize a marriage by an individual or by a religious denomination under this provision shall not affect the tax exempt status of any entity.

Existing law requires a state agency to comply with specified procedures in awarding agency contracts. This bill would prohibit, with specified exceptions, a state agency authorized to enter into contracts relating to public benefit programs from contracting for services provided by a call center that directly serves applicants for, recipients of, or enrollees in, those public benefit programs with a contractor or subcontractor unless that contractor or subcontractor certifies in its bid for the contract that the contract, and any subcontract performed under that contract, will be performed solely with workers employed in California. This bill would impose a civil penalty, as provided, for knowingly providing false information in that certification. This bill would also require the contract to include a clause providing for a right by the state to terminate the contract for noncompliance and specified penalties, if the contractor or subcontractor performs the contract or the subcontract with workers not employed in California during the life of the contract. This bill would allow a state agency to conduct a solicitation without applying the provisions described above if the California Health and Human Services Agency or the board of the California Health Benefit Exchange makes certain determinations, including if a prior solicitation was conducted and the bids received were priced unreasonably high as a result of including these provisions.

Existing law authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue distinctive license plates for a motor vehicle owned by a current or retired Member of the California Legislature and a Member of the Congress of the United States and requires that the person pay additional fees in addition to the regular fees for an original registration or renewal of registration. Existing law establishes the California Environmental License Plate Fund in the State Treasury and requires, after certain moneys are deducted by the Controller, that the balance of the moneys in the fund be available for expenditure for specific trust purposes. This bill would, beginning January 1, 2014, (1) make the additional fees for these distinctive license plates the same as the fees paid by an applicant for a personalized license plate, (2) make the Member subject to a transfer fee for these distinctive license plates, and (3) require the department to deposit in the California Environmental License Plate Fund all fees received by the department in payment for the issuance, renewal, or transfer of the special license plates authorized under these provisions after the department deducts its costs in administering these provisions.