October 19, 2023
Golden State Republican Women
Janet Price, President
Submitted by the GSRW Legislative Analyst Committee
Karen Contreras, Lou Ann Flaherty and Elaine Freeman,
October 14th has come and gone: Governor’s deadline to sign, veto, or allow to become law without his signature.
The California Legislature introduced 3036 bills in this 2023 session. Of these: Approximately 1000 Bills were approved by both houses, 153 were passed Assembly Resolutions, 121 were passed Senate Resolutions and 2 passed Assembly Constitutional Amendments (ACA 1 and ACA 5) will appear on the 2024 ballot for voter approval.
Currently Governor Newson signed approximately 826 bills and vetoed 155.
For the complete details:
https://legiscan.com/CA/legislation?status=passed
https://legiscan.com/CA/legislation?status=vetoed
INTERESTING VETOES
AB 576, Weber. Medi-Cal: reimbursement for abortion.
Existing law establishes 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. Existing law provides that abortion is a covered benefit under Medi-Cal. Existing regulation authorizes reimbursement for specified medications used to terminate a pregnancy through the 70th day from the first day of the recipient’s last menstrual period.
This bill would require the department, by March 1, 2024, to review and update Medi-Cal coverage policies for medication abortion to align with current evidence-based clinical guidelines. After the initial review, the bill would require the department to update its Medi-Cal coverage policies for medication abortion as needed to align with evidence-based clinical guidelines.
The bill would require the department to allow flexibility for providers to exercise their clinical judgment when services are performed in a manner that aligns with one or more evidence-based clinical guidelines.
VETOED By Governor 10/07/2023
AB 1536, Juan Carrillo. Cash Assistance Program for Aged, Blind, and Disabled Immigrants.
Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to establish and supervise a county- or county consortia-administered program to provide cash assistance for aged, blind, or disabled legal immigrants who are not citizens who, due to their immigration status, are not eligible for the Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Program for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled, also known as SSI/SSP benefits. Under existing law, an individual is eligible for this program if their immigration status meets SSI/SSP eligibility criteria but they are not eligible for those benefits solely due to their immigration status, as specified. Existing law also requires any person who is found to be eligible by the department for federally funded SSI to apply for SSI benefits.
This bill would expand eligibility for that program to aged, blind, and disabled individuals regardless of immigration status if the individual meets the eligibility criteria for the program and is not eligible solely due to their immigration status. This bill would exempt individuals who are not qualified immigrants, as specified, from having to apply for SSI in order to receive benefits. The bill would also delete several inoperative provisions. The bill would make the implementation of these substantive changes contingent upon an appropriation for its express purposes.
VETOED By Governor 10/08/2023
SB 58, Wiener. Controlled substances: decriminalization of certain hallucinogenic substances.
(1) Existing law categorizes certain drugs and other substances as controlled substances and prohibits various actions related to those substances, including their manufacture, transportation, sale, possession, and ingestion.
This bill would, on and after January 1, 2025, make lawful the possession, preparation, obtaining, or transportation of, specified quantities of psilocybin, psilocyn, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and mescaline, for personal use, as defined, by and with persons 21 years of age or older. The bill would provide penalties for possession of these substances on school grounds, or possession by, or transferring to, persons under 21 years of age.
(2) Existing law prohibits the cultivation, transfer, or transportation, as specified, of any spores or mycelium capable of producing mushrooms or other materials that contain psilocybin or psilocyn.
This bill would, on and after January 1, 2025, make lawful the cultivation or transportation of specified quantities of spores or mycelium capable of producing mushrooms or other materials that contain psilocybin or psilocyn for personal use, as defined, by and with persons 21 years of age or older.
(3) Existing law prohibits the possession of drug paraphernalia, as defined.
This bill would exempt from this prohibition, paraphernalia related, as specified, to these specific substances. The bill would also exempt from the prohibition items used for the testing and analysis of controlled substances.
(4) Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that the messages and information provided by various state drug and alcohol programs promote no unlawful use of any drugs or alcohol.
This bill would repeal those provisions.
VETOED By Governor 10/07/2023
The California State Legislature has adjourned until January 3, 2024.
Legislative Portal links- Express your support or opposition to a bill or directly to the Legislative committee currently reviewing it (as an individual, not as a member of RW or GSRW) – cl ick here, or the bill’s author – click here, enter your bill # and look for tab at top of the bill page labeled “Comments to Author”
