The Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training Act creates a state medical contract program to increase the number of students and residents receiving quality education and training in specified primary care specialties or in nursing, and to maximize the delivery of primary care and family physician services to specific areas of California where there is a recognized unmet priority need for those services. The act requires the Director of Statewide Health Planning and Development to, among other things, contract with accredited medical schools, teaching health centers, training programs, hospitals, and other health care delivery systems for those purposes, based on recommendations of the California Healthcare Workforce Policy Commission and in conformity with the contract criteria and program standards established by the commission. This bill would appropriate $300,000,000 from the General Fund to the director for the purpose of funding new and existing graduate medical education physician residency positions, and supporting training faculty, pursuant to the act, for expenditure as specified. The bill would also make related findings and declarations.
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This measure would urge Congress and the President of the United States to work together to create a comprehensive and workable approach to reform the nation's immigration system according to specified principles.
This measure would proclaim January 26, 2015, as India Republic Day, and would urge all Californians to join in celebrating India Republic Day.
Existing law grants the Public Utilities Commission regulatory authority over public utilities, and authorizes the commission to do all things that are necessary and convenient in the exercise of its authority. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to this law.
Existing law, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) , requires each state to establish an American Health Benefit Exchange that facilitates the purchase of qualified health plans by qualified individuals and qualified small employers, and meets certain other requirements. PPACA specifies that an individual who is not a citizen or national of the United States or an alien lawfully present in the United States shall not be treated as a qualified individual and may not be covered under a qualified health plan offered through an exchange. Existing law creates the California Health Benefit Exchange for the purpose of facilitating the enrollment of qualified individual and qualified small employers in qualified health plans as required under PPACA. Existing law governs health care service plans and insurers. A violation of the provisions governing health care service plans is a crime. This bill would create the California Health Exchange Program for All Californians within state government and would require that the program be governed by the executive board that governs the California Health Benefit Exchange. The bill would specify the duties of the board relative to the program and would require the board to, by January 1, 2016, facilitate the enrollment into qualified health plans of individuals who are not eligible for full-scope Medi-Cal coverage and would have been eligible to purchase coverage through the Exchange but for their immigration status. The bill would require the board to provide premium subsidies and cost-sharing reductions to eligible individuals that are the same as the premium assistance and cost-sharing reductions the individuals would have received through the Exchange. The bill would create the California Health Trust Fund For All Californians as a continuously appropriated fund, thereby making an appropriation, would require the board to assess a charge on qualified health plans, and would make the implementation of the program's provisions contingent on a determination by the board that sufficient financial resources exist or will exist in the fund. The bill would enact other related provisions. The bill would require health care services plans and health insurers to fairly and affirmatively offer, market, and sell in the Exchange at least one product within each of 5 levels of coverage, as specified. Because a violation of the requirements imposed on health care service plans would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. The federal Medicaid Program provisions prohibit payment to a state for medical assistance furnished to an alien who is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence or otherwise permanently residing in the United States under color of law. This bill would extend eligibility for full-scope Medi-Cal benefits to individuals who are otherwise eligible for those benefits but for their immigration status. The bill would require that benefits for those services be provided with state-only funds only if federal financial participation is not available. Because counties are required to make Medi-Cal eligibility determinations and this bill would expand Medi-Cal eligibility, 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law requires the California Housing Finance Agency to administer the Roberti-Greene Home Purchase Assistance Program, which provides home purchase assistance to first-time homebuyers, and existing law also provides for property tax assistance programs for low-income persons who are elderly or disabled. This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would implement and fund a homeowner and renter assistance program in this state.
Existing law authorizes a high school district, unified school district, or county office of education to retroactively grant a high school diploma to veterans of World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War, under specified conditions. Existing law also defines "veteran" for the purpose of retroactive high school diplomas. This bill would make those provisions applicable to all veterans, and would revise the definition of veteran for purposes of those provisions to include, among other things, service in humanitarian missions. Existing law also requires each pupil completing grade 12, unless he or she is granted a waiver for specified reasons, to successfully pass the high school exit examination as a condition of receiving a diploma of graduation or a condition of graduation from high school. This bill would require the governing board of a high school district, unified school district, or county office of education, before granting a retroactive high school diploma, as specified, to require a person eligible to receive a retroactive high school diploma who began service after May 1, 1973, to pass the high school exit examination, unless the person has satisfactorily completed at least 12 of the coursework required for grade 12.
This measure would encourage state agencies, departments, and commissions to include in their public mission any appropriate efforts to encourage their employees to be a volunteer in the federal Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program and to work with public or private partnerships to inform citizens and employees about the availability of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance programs, as specified.
Existing law establishes the Milton Marks "Little Hoover" Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy in state government with a specified membership and independent state oversight duties. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to this law.