Scorecard for the 2015 Legislative Session

By Rebecca Gonzales, Director of Government Relations and Political Affairs

The National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter (NASW-CA) is proud to release our 2015 Legislative Scorecard.  NASW-CA represents over 10,000 professional social workers who have degrees from accredited social work programs.

NASW-CA advocates on behalf of our members and their clients, for the implementation and improvement of programs and policies designed to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic needs of all people.  For more information on the NASW-CA policy priorities, please visit www.naswca.org.

METHODOLOGY

This analysis is based on the final floor votes cast on the selected measures. Legislators who were officially absent for a vote did not have their vote included in the rating.  The Governor’s rating is based on whether he signed or vetoed measures we supported. Please note that these bills are a subset of the bills on NASW-CA’s priority list for 2015 and do not constitute all of the bills NASW-CA took a position on in 2015.

SUMMARY OF LEGISLATION

AB 47 (McCarty) State Preschool

Expands the state preschool program to all low-income families who do not have access to one year of preschool or to transitional kindergarten contingent on funding in the budget.

NASW-CA Position: Support

Outcome: Vetoed by the Governor

AB 90 (Chau and Atkins) Federal Housing Trust

Establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) as the official agency responsible for the federal Housing Trust Fund that provides affordable housing to extremely low to very low-income families. HCD will be required to develop an allocation plan for these funds.

NASW-CA Position: Support

Outcome: Signed into law by the Governor

AB 371 (Mullin) CalWorks Family Unity

This bill will support the stated goal of CalWORKs by encouraging two-parent families and to get parents into the workforce by ending the child deprivation test and the two-parent work penalty. Commencing July 1, 2016, aid will be granted to a family that meets applicable eligibility requirements, without regard to the absence or employment status of the parent.

NASW-CA Position: Support

Outcome: Vetoed by the Governor

AB 830 (Eggman) Gender Violence

This bill applies existing law remedies for victims of gender-related violence to victims of sexual orientation-based violence. Also defines “gender” in accordance with the Unruh Civil Rights Act, to include “gender expression” and “gender identity.”

NASW-CA Position: Support

Outcome: Signed into law by the Governor

AB 1056 (Atkins) Second Chance Program

This bill creates a program which administers a competitive grant program, which utilizes Proposition 47 funds, for community based solutions to reduce recidivism. Services under this grant could include mental health, substance abuse, and employment services.

NASW-CA Position: Support

Outcome: Signed into law by the Governor

AB 1261 (Burke) Community Based Adult Services

Establishes the Community-Based Adult Services (CBAS) program as a Medi-Cal benefit and would require CBAS to be available as a covered service in contracts with managed health care plans. The bill would require that CBAS providers be licensed as Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) centers and certified by the California Department of Aging as CBAS providers. These provision are only applicable if federal financial participation is available.

NASW-CA Position: Support

Outcome: Vetoed by the Governor

AB 1343 (Thurmond) Criminal Procedure

This bill would require defense counsel to provide accurate and affirmative advice about the immigration consequences of any proposed disposition and attempt to defend against those consequences with the informed consent of the defendant. Requires the prosecution and defense counsel to contemplate immigration consequences in the plea negotiation process.

NASW-CA Position: Support

Outcome: Signed into law by the Governor

AB 1352 (Eggman) Deferred Entry

This bill will allow a defendant who entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere under deferred entry of judgment to withdraw their plea and enter a plea of not guilty and would require the court to dismiss the complaint or information against the defendant if the following conditions are met: the plea was entered on or after January 1, 1997; deferred entry of judgment was performed satisfactorily; and the defendant shows that the plea may result in the denial or loss to the defendant of any employment, benefit, license, or certificate, which includes causing a noncitizen defendant to potentially be deported or to suffer any kind of adverse immigration consequence.

NASW-CA Position: Support

Outcome: Signed into law by the Governor

AB X2 15 Death with Dignity

Establishes the End of Life Options Act which is modeled after Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act. This bill will allow an adult, who is mentally competent, terminally-ill, and in the final stages of their disease progression, to request a drug from a physician to bring about a peaceful death.

NASW-CA Position: Support

Outcome: Signed into law by the Governor

SB 4 (Lara) Health Care: Immigration Status (Lobby Days Bill)

Establishes a timeline for transitioning newly eligible undocumented children into full-scope Medi-Cal.  The Medi-Cal program was given additional funding in the State Budget for this population.

NASW-CA Position: Support

Outcome: Signed into law by the Governor

SB 29 (Beall) Peace Officer Training: Mental Health

This bill requires law enforcement field training officers to have training from the Commission on Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) regarding law enforcement interaction with persons with mental illness or an intellectual disability.

NASW-CA Position: Support

Outcome: Signed into law by the Governor

SB 196 (Hancock) Elder Abuse

This bill authorizes a county adult protective services agency to file a petition for elder abuse restraining orders on behalf of an elder or dependent adult.

NASW-CA Position: Support

Outcome: Signed into law by the Governor

SB 219 (Liu) Prisons: Alternative Custody

This bill provides that a correctional inmate’s existing psychiatric or medical condition that requires ongoing care is not a basis for excluding the inmate from eligibility for the voluntary alternative custody program (ACP) for women. Also requires the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to assist individuals participating in ACP in obtaining health care coverage, including, but not limited to Medi-Cal benefits.

NASW-CA Position: Support

Outcome: Signed into law by the Governor

SB 238 (Mitchell and Beall) Foster Care: Psychotropic Medication

This bill requires certification and training programs for foster parents, child welfare social workers, group home administrators, public health nurses, dependency court judges and court appointed council to include training on psychotropic medication, trauma, and behavioral health, for children receiving child welfare services. This bill requires the Judicial Council to amend and adopt rules of court and develop appropriate forms pertaining to the authorization of psychotropic medication for foster youth.

NASW-CA Position: Support

Outcome: Signed into law by the Governor

SB 358 (Jackson) Gender Wage Differential

Revises the California Equal Pay Act to prohibit employers from paying employees wage rates less than rates paid to employees of the opposite sex for “similar work,” as opposed to the current standard of “equal work.” This bill also prohibits an employer from taking any adverse action against an employee seeking enforcement of this act and protects against retaliation or discrimination if employees disclose wage rates in order to enforce this law.

NASW-CA Position: Support

Outcome: Signed into law by the Governor

2015 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES

In 2015 we partnered with other health and human services advocates to highlight the issue of poverty in California. As part of this effort, we were very pleased to see the Governor sign one of our lobby days bills, SB 4 (Lara). This bill provides full scope Medi-Cal for eligible undocumented immigrant children. Next year, we will concentrate our advocacy efforts on providing healthcare for undocumented adults, so that we truly provide healthcare for all! We were also actively lobbied for the End of Life Options Act, AB X2 15, which was authored by Assemblymember Susan Talamantes Eggman, MSW, LCSW, PhD. Of the 77 bills we supported that reached the Governor’s desk, he signed 64 bills and vetoed only 13, which is a success rate of 83 percent. We look forward to the new legislative session and to the restoration of programs that received funding cuts during the recession.

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