Bill Text: CA AB145 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Public benefits reports.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-09-30 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 358, Statutes of 2015. [AB145 Detail]
Download: California-2015-AB145-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 145 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 358
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 30, 2015
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 30, 2015
PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 1, 2015
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 2, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 19, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Gomez
JANUARY 13, 2015
An act to amend Section 1095 of the Unemployment Insurance Code,
relating to private employment, and declaring the urgency thereof, to
take effect immediately.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 145, Gomez. Public benefits reports.
Existing law requires, until January 1, 2020, the Director of
Employment Development to permit the use of specified information in
his or her possession by the Department of Finance to prepare and
submit to the Legislature a report that identifies all employers in
California that employ 50 or more employees who receive benefits from
the Medi-Cal program. Existing law requires the Department of
Finance to transmit to the Legislature and post on the department's
Web site a report that lists the 500 employers in the state with the
most number of employees enrolled in the Medi-Cal program, as
specified, and defines an employer for this purpose as an individual
or organization that employs 100 or more Medi-Cal beneficiaries who
meet certain criteria.
This bill would revise the requirement applicable to the Director
of Employment Development to permit the use of specified information
by the Department of Finance to prepare and submit a report that
identifies all employers in California that employ 100 or more
employees who receive Medi-Cal benefits.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as
an urgency statute.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 1095 of the Unemployment Insurance Code is
amended to read:
1095. The director shall permit the use of any information in his
or her possession to the extent necessary for any of the following
purposes and may require reimbursement for all direct costs incurred
in providing any and all information specified in this section,
except information specified in subdivisions (a) to (e), inclusive:
(a) To enable the director or his or her representative to carry
out his or her responsibilities under this code.
(b) To properly present a claim for benefits.
(c) To acquaint a worker or his or her authorized agent with his
or her existing or prospective right to benefits.
(d) To furnish an employer or his or her authorized agent with
information to enable him or her to fully discharge his or her
obligations or safeguard his or her rights under this division or
Division 3 (commencing with Section 9000).
(e) To enable an employer to receive a reduction in contribution
rate.
(f) To enable federal, state, or local governmental departments or
agencies, subject to federal law, to verify or determine the
eligibility or entitlement of an applicant for, or a recipient of,
public social services provided pursuant to Division 9 (commencing
with Section 10000) of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or Part A
of Title IV of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 601 et
seq.), when the verification or determination is directly connected
with, and limited to, the administration of public social services.
(g) To enable county administrators of general relief or
assistance, or their representatives, to determine entitlement to
locally provided general relief or assistance, when the determination
is directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of
general relief or assistance.
(h) To enable state or local governmental departments or agencies
to seek criminal, civil, or administrative remedies in connection
with the unlawful application for, or receipt of, relief provided
under Division 9 (commencing with Section 10000) of the Welfare and
Institutions Code or to enable the collection of expenditures for
medical assistance services pursuant to Part 5 (commencing with
Section 17000) of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(i) To provide any law enforcement agency with the name, address,
telephone number, birth date, social security number, physical
description, and names and addresses of present and past employers,
of any victim, suspect, missing person, potential witness, or person
for whom a felony arrest warrant has been issued, when a request for
this information is made by any investigator or peace officer as
defined by Sections 830.1 and 830.2 of the Penal Code, or by any
federal law enforcement officer to whom the Attorney General has
delegated authority to enforce federal search warrants, as defined
under Sections 60.2 and 60.3 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, as amended, and when the requesting officer has been
designated by the head of the law enforcement agency and requests
this information in the course of and as a part of an investigation
into the commission of a crime when there is a reasonable suspicion
that the crime is a felony and that the information would lead to
relevant evidence. The information provided pursuant to this
subdivision shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal law
and regulations, and to the extent the information is available and
accessible within the constraints and configurations of existing
department records. Any person who receives any information under
this subdivision shall make a written report of the information to
the law enforcement agency that employs him or her, for filing under
the normal procedures of that agency.
(1) This subdivision shall not be construed to authorize the
release to any law enforcement agency of a general list identifying
individuals applying for or receiving benefits.
(2) The department shall maintain records pursuant to this
subdivision only for periods required under regulations or statutes
enacted for the administration of its programs.
(3) This subdivision shall not be construed as limiting the
information provided to law enforcement agencies to that pertaining
only to applicants for, or recipients of, benefits.
(4) The department shall notify all applicants for benefits that
release of confidential information from their records will not be
protected should there be a felony arrest warrant issued against the
applicant or in the event of an investigation by a law enforcement
agency into the commission of a felony.
(j) To provide public employee retirement systems in California
with information relating to the earnings of any person who has
applied for or is receiving a disability income, disability
allowance, or disability retirement allowance, from a public employee
retirement system. The earnings information shall be released only
upon written request from the governing board specifying that the
person has applied for or is receiving a disability allowance or
disability retirement allowance from its retirement system. The
request may be made by the chief executive officer of the system or
by an employee of the system so authorized and identified by name and
title by the chief executive officer in writing.
(k) To enable the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement in the
Department of Industrial Relations to seek criminal, civil, or
administrative remedies in connection with the failure to pay, or the
unlawful payment of, wages pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with
Section 200) of Part 1 of Division 2 of, and Chapter 1 (commencing
with Section 1720) of Part 7 of Division 2 of, the Labor Code.
( l ) To enable federal, state, or local governmental
departments or agencies to administer child support enforcement
programs under Part D of Title IV of the federal Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.).
(m) To provide federal, state, or local governmental departments
or agencies with wage and claim information in its possession that
will assist those departments and agencies in the administration of
the Victims of Crime Program or in the location of victims of crime
who, by state mandate or court order, are entitled to restitution
that has been or can be recovered.
(n) To provide federal, state, or local governmental departments
or agencies with information concerning any individuals who are or
have been:
(1) Directed by state mandate or court order to pay restitution,
fines, penalties, assessments, or fees as a result of a violation of
law.
(2) Delinquent or in default on guaranteed student loans or who
owe repayment of funds received through other financial assistance
programs administered by those agencies. The information released by
the director for the purposes of this paragraph shall not include
unemployment insurance benefit information.
(o) To provide an authorized governmental agency with any or all
relevant information that relates to any specific workers'
compensation insurance fraud investigation. The information shall be
provided to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations. For
the purposes of this subdivision, "authorized governmental agency"
means the district attorney of any county, the office of the Attorney
General, the Contractors' State License Board, the Department of
Industrial Relations, and the Department of Insurance. An authorized
governmental agency may disclose this information to the State Bar,
the Medical Board of California, or any other licensing board or
department whose licensee is the subject of a workers' compensation
insurance fraud investigation. This subdivision shall not prevent any
authorized governmental agency from reporting to any board or
department the suspected misconduct of any licensee of that body.
(p) To enable the Director of Consumer Affairs, or his or her
representatives, to access unemployment insurance quarterly wage data
on a case-by-case basis to verify information on school
administrators, school staff, and students provided by those schools
who are being investigated for possible violations of Chapter 8
(commencing with Section 94800) of Part 59 of Division 10 of Title 3
of the Education Code.
(q) To provide employment tax information to the tax officials of
Mexico, if a reciprocal agreement exists. For purposes of this
subdivision, "reciprocal agreement" means a formal agreement to
exchange information between national taxing officials of Mexico and
taxing authorities of the State Board of Equalization, the Franchise
Tax Board, and the Employment Development Department. Furthermore,
the reciprocal agreement shall be limited to the exchange of
information that is essential for tax administration purposes only.
Taxing authorities of the State of California shall be granted tax
information only on California residents. Taxing authorities of
Mexico shall be granted tax information only on Mexican nationals.
(r) To enable city and county planning agencies to develop
economic forecasts for planning purposes. The information shall be
limited to businesses within the jurisdiction of the city or county
whose planning agency is requesting the information, and shall not
include information regarding individual employees.
(s) To provide the State Department of Developmental Services with
wage and employer information that will assist in the collection of
moneys owed by the recipient, parent, or any other legally liable
individual for services and supports provided pursuant to Chapter 9
(commencing with Section 4775) of Division 4.5 of, and Chapter 2
(commencing with Section 7200) and Chapter 3 (commencing with Section
7500) of Division 7 of, the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(t) To provide the State Board of Equalization with employment tax
information that will assist in the administration of tax programs.
The information shall be limited to the exchange of employment tax
information essential for tax administration purposes to the extent
permitted by federal law and regulations.
(u) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize or
permit the use of information obtained in the administration of this
code by any private collection agency.
(v) The disclosure of the name and address of an individual or
business entity that was issued an assessment that included penalties
under Section 1128 or 1128.1 shall not be in violation of Section
1094 if the assessment is final. The disclosure may also include any
of the following:
(1) The total amount of the assessment.
(2) The amount of the penalty imposed under Section 1128 or 1128.1
that is included in the assessment.
(3) The facts that resulted in the charging of the penalty under
Section 1128 or 1128.1.
(w) To enable the Contractors' State License Board to verify the
employment history of an individual applying for licensure pursuant
to Section 7068 of the Business and Professions Code.
(x) To provide any peace officer with the Division of
Investigation in the Department of Consumer Affairs information
pursuant to subdivision (i) when the requesting peace officer has
been designated by the chief of the Division of Investigation and
requests this information in the course of and as part of an
investigation into the commission of a crime or other unlawful act
when there is reasonable suspicion to believe that the crime or act
may be connected to the information requested and would lead to
relevant information regarding the crime or unlawful act.
(y) To enable the Labor Commissioner of the Division of Labor
Standards Enforcement in the Department of Industrial Relations to
identify, pursuant to Section 90.3 of the Labor Code, unlawfully
uninsured employers. The information shall be provided to the extent
permitted by federal law and regulations.
(z) To enable the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges,
in accordance with the requirements of Section 84754.5 of the
Education Code, to obtain quarterly wage data, commencing January 1,
1993, on students who have attended one or more community colleges,
to assess the impact of education on the employment and earnings of
students, to conduct the annual evaluation of district-level and
individual college performance in achieving priority educational
outcomes, and to submit the required reports to the Legislature and
the Governor. The information shall be provided to the extent
permitted by federal statutes and regulations.
(aa) To enable the Public Employees' Retirement System to seek
criminal, civil, or administrative remedies in connection with the
unlawful application for, or receipt of, benefits provided under Part
3 (commencing with Section 20000) of Division 5 of Title 2 of the
Government Code.
(ab) To enable the State Department of Education, the University
of California, the California State University, and the Chancellor of
the California Community Colleges, pursuant to the requirements
prescribed by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009 (Public Law 111-5), to obtain quarterly wage data, commencing
July 1, 2010, on students who have attended their respective systems
to assess the impact of education on the employment and earnings of
those students, to conduct the annual analysis of district-level and
individual district or postsecondary education system performance in
achieving priority educational outcomes, and to submit the required
reports to the Legislature and the Governor. The information shall be
provided to the extent permitted by federal statutes and
regulations.
(ac) To provide the Agricultural Labor Relations Board with
employee, wage, and employer information, for use in the
investigation or enforcement of the Alatorre-Zenovich-Dunlap-Berman
Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975 (Part 3.5 (commencing with
Section 1140) of Division 2 of the Labor Code). The information shall
be provided to the extent permitted by federal statutes and
regulations.
(ad) (1) To enable the State Department of Health Care Services,
the California Health Benefit Exchange, the Managed Risk Medical
Insurance Board, and county departments and agencies to obtain
information regarding employee wages, California employer names and
account numbers, employer reports of wages and number of employees,
and disability insurance and unemployment insurance claim
information, for the purpose of:
(A) Verifying or determining the eligibility of an applicant for,
or a recipient of, state health subsidy programs, limited to the
Medi-Cal program, provided pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with
Section 14000) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, and the Access for Infants and Mothers Program,
provided pursuant to Part 6.3 (commencing with Section 12695) of
Division 2 of the Insurance Code, when the verification or
determination is directly connected with, and limited to, the
administration of the state health subsidy programs referenced in
this subparagraph.
(B) Verifying or determining the eligibility of an applicant for,
or a recipient of, federal subsidies offered through the California
Health Benefit Exchange, provided pursuant to Title 22 (commencing
with Section 100500) of the Government Code, including federal tax
credits and cost-sharing assistance pursuant to the federal Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), as amended
by the federal Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
(Public Law 111-152), when the verification or determination is
directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of the
California Health Benefit Exchange.
(C) Verifying or determining the eligibility of employees and
employers for health coverage through the Small Business Health
Options Program, provided pursuant to Section 100502 of the
Government Code, when the verification or determination is directly
connected with, and limited to, the administration of the Small
Business Health Options Program.
(2) The information provided under this subdivision shall be
subject to the requirements of, and provided to the extent permitted
by, federal law and regulations, including Part 603 of Title 20 of
the Code of Federal Regulations.
(ae) To provide any peace officer with the Investigations Division
of the Department of Motor Vehicles with information pursuant to
subdivision (i), when the requesting peace officer has been
designated by the Chief of the Investigations Division and requests
this information in the course of, and as part of, an investigation
into identity theft, counterfeiting, document fraud, or consumer
fraud, and there is reasonable suspicion that the crime is a felony
and that the information would lead to relevant evidence regarding
the identity theft, counterfeiting, document fraud, or consumer
fraud. The information provided pursuant to this subdivision shall be
provided to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations, and
to the extent the information is available and accessible within the
constraints and configurations of existing department records. Any
person who receives any information under this subdivision shall make
a written report of the information to the Investigations Division
of the Department of Motor Vehicles, for filing under the normal
procedures of that division.
(af) Until January 1, 2020, to enable the Department of Finance to
prepare and submit the report required by Section 13084 of the
Government Code that identifies all employers in California that
employ 100 or more employees who receive benefits from the Medi-Cal
program (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3 of
Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code). The information
used for this purpose shall be limited to information obtained
pursuant to Section 11026.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and
from the administration of personal income tax wage withholding
pursuant to Division 6 (commencing with Section 13000) and the
disability insurance program and may be disclosed to the Department
of Finance only for the purpose of preparing and submitting the
report and only to the extent not prohibited by federal law.
(ag) To provide, to the extent permitted by federal law and
regulations, the Student Aid Commission with wage information in
order to verify the employment status of an individual applying for a
Cal Grant C award pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 69439 of
the Education Code.
(ah) To enable the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to
obtain quarterly wage data of former inmates who have been
incarcerated within the prison system in order to assess the impact
of rehabilitation services or the lack of these services on the
employment and earnings of these former inmates. Quarterly data for a
former inmate's employment status and wage history shall be provided
for a period of one year, three years, and five years following
release. The data shall only be used for the purpose of tracking
outcomes for former inmates in order to assess the effectiveness of
rehabilitation strategies on the wages and employment histories of
those formerly incarcerated. The information shall be provided to the
department to the extent not prohibited by federal law.
(ai) To enable federal, state, or local government departments or
agencies, or their contracted agencies, subject to federal law,
including the confidentiality, disclosure, and other requirements set
forth in Part 603 of Title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations, to
evaluate, research, or forecast the effectiveness of public social
services programs administered pursuant to Division 9 (commencing
with Section 10000) of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or Part A
of Subchapter IV of Chapter 7 of the federal Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. Sec. 601 et seq.), when the evaluation, research, or forecast
is directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of the
public social services programs.
SEC. 2. This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the
meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate
effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
In order to provide clarity to employers of Medi-Cal beneficiaries
regarding the reporting requirements established by A.B. 1792 of the
2014 Regular Session, which became effective on January 1, 2015, it
is necessary that this act go into effect immediately.
