District Bills

AB 1773 – Retail Food: Long-term Health Care Facilities would amend the California Retail Food Code to exempt long-term health care facilities (LHCF) from the definition of “food facility.”  Because of this classification, these facilities experience a duplication of inspections done at the state and local levels. 
Sponsored by the California Association of Health Facilities and Aging Services of California.

AB 1909 – Local Government Power Plants will require the California Energy Commission to obtain the approval of the local governing body for the construction of additional thermal power plants and related facilities in a jurisdiction with a pre-certified thermal power plant.  Local governing bodies will have the authority to assess the environmental and health risks associated with building an additional thermal power plant and determine if the power plant complies with its laws, ordinances, regulations and standards.
Author Sponsored 

AB 1997 – Vision Care: PERS establishes the Vision Care Program for annuitants retired from local agencies contracting with CalPERS for retirement benefits. This bill will establish the conditions under which an annuitant may qualify to participate in the vision care program. Each retiree will be responsible for paying the vision premium, which will be determined by CalPERS. 
Sponsored by the Retired Public Employees Association.

AB 2006 – Center of Innovation for Green Technology This bill will establish, in name only, the Center of Innovation for Green Technologies, which will be located in the San Francisco Bay Area to serve the students and industry partners in the region.  The Center will be part of the Economic Workforce Development program under the California Community College System.  The San Francisco Bay Area region has the largest concentration of green technology investments in the nation.  The Center will centralize all matters “green” and serve as a one-stop shop for industry and students.
Author Sponsored 
 
AB 2072 – Excellence in Physical Education Act of 2008 requires the State Board of Education to establish the Physical Education Award Program, which provides non-monetary awards to schools that conduct their physical education courses pursuant to the State’s existing model content standards within the FitnessGram test.  Modeled after the Governor’s Performance Award (GPA) program, schools would also be rewarded if they demonstrate that an increasing number of pupils enrolled meet minimum standards on the physical performance test.  
Sponsored by the City of Oakland. 

AB 2231 – Family Violence Prevention will allow Alameda, Solano and Sonoma Counties and the City of Berkeley to authorize a fee of up to $2 for marriage licenses and other documents in order to fund governmental oversight and coordination of domestic violence prevention, intervention, and prosecution effort.  This bill will extend the previous sunset date from 2010 to 2015.
Sponsored by Family Justice Center of Alameda County

AB 2413 – CalTrans Properties will require that a small parcel of land currently owned by the California Department of Transportation be made available for purchase by the City of Hayward’s redevelopment agency first in order to continue community senior nutritional meal services.   The sale shall take place after the land has been declared surplus. 
Sponsored by the City of Hayward. 

AB 2667 – Suicide Prevention Hotline Act would ensure the availability and assistance of 24-hour crisis intervention hotlines throughout the state by requiring all counties to operate, or have access to a 24-hour line by January 1, 2012. Hotlines will respond to all local crises calls, maintain a comprehensive database of information on local mental health resources, and will be nationally certified by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. 
Sponsored by the Bay Area Suicide and Crisis Intervention Alliance. 

AB 2804 – California Solar Initiative: Timeline Requirements will provide California schools additional time to complete projects under the California Solar Initiative in order to receive rebate incentives.  There are over 9000 schools in California. Increasing solar energy by allowing schools extra time to participate in this program will not only benefit California’s schools financially, but will also help reduce our state’s energy consumption, and reduce our carbon footprint by using clean energy.
Sponsored by the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District.

AB 2904 – Child Mortality Review will clarify that the Board of Supervisors has the authority to access reports on cases of protected child mortalities in all 58 counties in California. In the instance of an avoidable protected child death, the Board of Supervisors can help to ensure that a similar incident does not happen again.   Sponsored by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.

Statewide Bills

AB 1753 – Thermal Imaging Equipment will set aside approximately $2.2 million from the Antiterrorism Fund for the purchase of thermal imaging equipment for local fire protection agencies.  Thermal imaging equipment enhances emergency responders’ abilities to adequately provide aid during structure fires, car accidents, search and rescue, hazardous materials incidents and wildland fires. Thermal imaging cameras help public safety providers assess a dangerous situation, respond faster and save lives. 
Sponsored by the California Professional Firefighters.

AB 1754 – Community Colleges: Grade Changing Policies will require the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to adopt a model policy for grade changing and distribute it to each of the California community college districts.  This bill is in response to the 400 illegal grade changes conducted at Contra Costa Community College District in exchange for cash.  Over 50 people, including students, have been identified in the scandal.  Some have been charged with felonies involving fraud and conspiracy.
Author Sponsored   

AB 1757 – Representation at Parole Hearings will delete the requirement that a designated representative speaking on behalf of a victim at a parole hearing either be a family or household member of the victim.  It will expand the definitions of who will be allowed to represent a crime victim at the parole hearing. This bill will also add CD-Roms and DVDs to the list of acceptable mediums a victim may use to convey their message. 
Sponsored by the Crime Victims United of California.

AB 1951 – Suicide Prevention Training  Beginning January 1, 2011, AB 1951 will require Marriage Family Therapists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, educational psychologists, psychologists, and psychiatrists to fulfill a one-time minimum 6 hour training or continuing education coursework in suicide prevention.  Training may include but is not limited to, behavioral assessment, crisis intervention, and post-intervention strategies for initial licensing or for renewal of licenses.   Suicide prevention training completed prior to the operative date of this legislation would fulfill this requirement if proof of completion can be presented to their respective licensing Board.  Individuals may apply for an exemption from their licensing board if there is no need for this type of training in his/her practice. 
Sponsored by the Bay Area Suicide and Crisis Intervention Alliance. 

AB 2106 – Adulterated Cosmetics would prohibit nine unsafe ingredients from being used in cosmetic products in California. The identification of these unsafe ingredients has been determined by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel. 
Sponsored by the Personal Care Products Council.

AB 2130 – Automated External Defibrillators (AED): Health Studios would exempt Health Studios that do not maintain personnel on the premises from an existing California law, which requires all health clubs in the state to maintain trained staff on-site during business hours to operate AEDs.  These “24 hour card key clubs” will, instead, be required to have a telephone on the premises for emergency calls, warning signs of the potential health and safety risks of exercising alone, a sign indicating the location of the AED, and instructions on how to use AED devices and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). 
Sponsored by the International Health, Racquet and Sports Club Association.  

AB 2519 – Like Pay, Like Work Implementation would bring the Department of Personnel Administration (DPA) into compliance with state law. This bill will appropriate the funds needed to bring the pay of supervisory scientists in line with the pay of supervisory engineers. 
Sponsored by the California Association of Professional Scientists. 

AB 2549 – Health Insurance Policy Rescission provides a reasonable amount of time for insurance companies to review applications and make a decision whether or not to rescind a policy.  The bill will ensure that after six months of issuing an individual health insurance plan, the insurance company cannot rescind the contract.
Author Sponsored 

AB 2622 – Clean Technology Employer Training Program would codify clean technology as an industry priority for the Employment Training Panel (ETP).  The ETP was founded to keep California’s economy competitive in the global workforce by providing employers with training grants to equip workers with necessary skills.  This bill would formally identify this as a priority for the agency while preserving their discretion.  Because of the green movement, it is important to recognize and distinguish the need for clean technology trainings to be a priority.
Author Sponsored

AB 2755 – California Franchise Tax Board: Electronic Payments will require Personal Income Tax payers with estimated tax or extension payments exceeding $20,000, or with tax liabilities of $80,000 or more, to make their payments electronically. The FTB estimates that the state loses approximately $9 million dollars in interest annually due to deposit delays caused by paper payment processing. 
Sponsored by the California Franchise Tax Board. 

AB 2861 – Mental Health Parity would clarify that HMOs and other health insurers are obligated to cover emergency mental health care and services.  It will clarify the definition of an emergency mental health condition to ensure service and care. 
Sponsored by the California Hospital Association. 

AB 2946 – Cemetery and Burial Fee would reinstate a quarterly fee up to $8.50 for each burial, entombment, and inurnment to be paid to the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau.  This money would be deposited into the Cemetery Fund and will allow the Cemetery Bureau to maintain sufficient revenue to allow them to continue providing the required services and inspections.  
Sponsored by the California Department of Consumer Affairs. 

AB 3003 – FPPC 1090 Contracts will allow the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), on a voluntary basis, to render an opinion specifically relating to California Code Section 1090 to public officials and other entities regarding possible conflict(s) of interest. The bill provides interested persons with a new avenue to pursue conflict of interest issues, helps current and future elected officials avoid an illegal or potentially illegal situation, and safeguards the general public from unfair negotiations.
Author Sponsored

AB 330 – Health Disparities will require the California Health and Human Services Agency, based on their Discharge Data Set, to develop a health disparities report to assess the levels of measurable health disparities in the state among minorities.  Racial and ethnic disparities in health continue to persist for African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders.  As our state becomes increasingly diverse, the vision of a healthy and productive California will rely more on our ability to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities, and our actions to improve the health of our multicultural communities.
Author Sponsored 

AB 509 – Office of Suicide Prevention will create the Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP) under the Department of Mental Health.  Modeled after the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, OSP would devise a comprehensive and integrated approach to reducing the loss and suffering from suicide and suicidal behaviors on a statewide basis.
Author Sponsored

AB 673 – Child Abuse Reporting makes two clarifying changes in the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act.   It will expand the definition of child abuse to include death inflicted by other than accidental means.  The bill also provides that a mandated reporter may report known or suspected child abuse anonymously when the mandated reporter is on his or her personal time and not acting in his or her professional capacity.
Sponsored by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.

AB 834 – Children’s Dental Disease Prevention Program  (CDDPP) is a school-based dental disease prevention program that began in 1979 and was originally known as the SB 111 program.  The program currently receives annual funding of $3.3 million and serves more than 300,000 low-income California preschool and elementary school children annually.  This bill will lift the $10 reimbursement cap, as well as make some policy changes to update the program itself.
Sponsored by the California Dental Association.

AB 1185 (Hayashi, Ma) – Accountant:  peer review program will require the board to complete its review and evaluation and to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature and the department no later than September 1, 2008.  Existing law requires the Board of Accountancy to review and evaluate whether to implement a peer review program applicable to certain accounting firms that provide attest services, and to report its finding to the Legislature and the Department of Consumer Affairs no later than September 1, 2011. 
Sponsored by the Society of Certified Public Accountants.

AB 1226 – Medi-Cal: provider enrollment will increase efficiencies in the Medi-Cal provider application process.  A lengthy application process discourages many physicians from participating in the program.  Currently patients face long wait times or seek care in overcrowded emergency departments because of the shortage of Medi-Cal providers.  AB 1226 allows a provider to submit a shortened application when they change their address, and allows physicians who are solely hospital-based to use a simplified application.  This bill also builds on the federal Medicare approval process by allowing physicians who have been approved by the Medicare program in the last three years to enroll as a Medi-Cal provider using a supplemental application. 
Sponsored by the California Medical Association.

AB 1288 – County Retiree Vision Care will give 1937 Act Counties, including Alameda County, the option to adopt the County Retirement System Vision Care Program as part of their retirement benefits system, and offer vision care to any member who is retired and his or her eligible dependents.  Each retiree would elect to participate in the program and would be responsible for the payment of the premium.  At this time, county retirement systems estimate that they can insure an individual retiree for approximately $20 per month.  Pooling membership among counties will lower monthly premiums for all participants by half. 
Sponsored by the State Association of County Retirement Systems.

AB 1328 – Medi-Cal: eligibility for benefits will increase and expedite access to health care for children already eligible for Medi-Cal by extending Medi-Cal’s existing Presumptive Eligibility enrollment process to county welfare offices, where the poorest children are most likely to apply.  Currently, when a parent mails a Medi-Cal application for his or her child to a Post Office Box in Sacramento (known as the “single point of entry”), any child who is screened eligible begins receiving benefits immediately.  This “Presumptive Eligibility” process allows children to access critically-needed care while the application is forwarded to the county and final review and paper work are completed at the local level.  However, if the same parent goes to the local county welfare office in person to apply for Medi-Cal or Cal WORKS-plus-Medi-Cal for his or her child, Presumptive Eligibility is not available.  County welfare offices are not yet authorized by the State Department of Health Services to conduct the Presumptive eligibility screening process.   
Sponsored by the Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California.

AB 1370 (Lieber, Hayashi, Mullin) – Income and Corporation taxes: net operating losses will, for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2008, allow biopharmaceutical companies to carry forward net operating losses for the 20-year period following the year in which the net operating loss was deducted.
Sponsored by BayBio.