BAC Legislation Update

Kim Rutledge, Deputy Director, DOR Office of Legislation and Communications, will provide an update on recent legislation of interest:

AB 2959, as introduced, Ortega. Prisons and jails: food.

As introduced, this bill does 3 things:

(a) Require all food items sold in prison vending machines to be priced at the same average market retail price as in the community in which the prison is located.

(b) Take into consideration the research that exists on junk foods and snacks as a cause of obesity in children and families when providing food in the state prison.

(c) Encourage the provision of affordable, fresh, and nutritious food items in prison vending machines and the sourcing of food items from local farmers and producers.

Sponsors: Coalition for family unity

Approps 8/5. The bill was referred to the Suspense final with no discussion, other than the Department of Finance opposing the bill because it results in General Fund impacts not included in the 2024 Budget Act.  Also, DOF stated it is unclear how CDCR would enforce the requirements of the bill when it is the DOR that contracts with the vendors.  There are amendments  but nothing is finalized.

AB 2648, as amended, Bennett. Environmentally preferable purchasing: single-use plastic bottles.

Dead

AB 2636, as amended, Bains. Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act.

Bill tweaks certain aspects of the act, including updating findings and declarations relating to statistics and issues of concern to the older adult population.  It also replaces the term “senior” with “older adult.” The bill would repeal obsolete provisions, such as the Senior Center Bond Act of 1984, which sold $50 million dollars in General Obligation Bonds for the purchase, construction, renovation, or expansion of senior centers throughout the state. Additionally, it would repeal the provisions establishing the Senior Housing Information and Support Center.

The overarching intent of the bill is to expand the Department of Aging’s marching orders when it comes to administering the Older Americans Act of 1965 by intensifying its leadership, monitoring, and broadening its

oversight of the established local areas of aging agencies, including maintaining a clearinghouse for data and information related to the interests and needs of older adults and further utilizing private interests to enhance the services available to older adults.

August 5 Appropriations ordered it to a second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.  Aug. 6 it was read a second time and ordered to the Consent Calendar. 

AB 438, as amended, Blanca Rubio. Pupils with exceptional needs: individualized education programs: postsecondary goals and transition services.

Bill requires an individualized education program to include appropriate measurable postsecondary goals and transition services for a student to be established when they are entering high school (9th grade), regardless of age, but no later than age 16, if the delay can be justified. Currently transition plans start at age 16.

March 2024 it was pulled from the inactive file in March 2024 and ordered to a 3rd Reading.

The DOF opposes the bill because it may create a state reimbursable mandate with ongoing Prop 98 General Fund costs ranging from the low- to mid-millions of dollars.

AB 1906, as amended, Gipson. California Law Revision Commission: persons with disabilities: terminology.

This bill seeks to form a committee/workgroup to discuss the terms “dependent adult” and “dependent person” and Welfare and Institutions Code and Civil Code with a term or terms that individuals who are disabled and live independently would not find offensive. The committee’s task is to seek input on how best to change the codes’ language.

In June it was ordered from the Consent Calendar to a Third Reading.

It is supported by, to name a few,

CA Disability Services Association,

CA Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association

United Cerebral Palsy California Collaboration (co-source)
Administrators Association of San Diego City Schools

California Disability Services Association

California Long-Term

Care Ombudsman Association
It would have impacts on Adult Protective Services and its core mission to serve adults considered dependent—i.e., any person, even if they live independently, between the ages of 18-59 who has physical or mental limitations that restrict his or her ability to carry out normal activities or to protect his or her rights, including, but not limited to, persons who have physical or developmental disabilities, or whose physical or mental abilities have diminished because of age.(b) "Dependent adult" includes any person between the ages of 18 and 64 years who is admitted as an inpatient to a 24-hour health facility, as defined in Sections 1250, 1250.2, and 1250.3 of the Health and Safety Code.

AB 3193, as amended, Calderon. State acquisitions of goods and services: rehabilitation services.

Exempts DOR from standard state procurement processes for AT purchases for DOR consumers under $25,000.

August 5 it was referred to the Suspense File.

Department of Finance is opposed to the bill because it results in fiscal impacts not included in the 2024 Budget Act. Additionally, Finance notes there are alternative and existing administrative options available that could help streamline the provision of assistive technologies and reduce procurement delays, including the Fair and Reasonable Acquisition Method, Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises contract awards, and Special Category Non-Competitively Bid Requests.  This is the position taken by DGS.

2024-25 Proposed Budget Trailer Bill Language: Department of Rehabilitation / California Health and Human Services Agency - Office of Employment First and Renaming of Department of Rehabilitation. Subcommittee No. 2 (Human Services) – Actions Taken 2024-25

E1O stays at Agency

DOR looking at other options for name change