Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law AB 86, a $6.6 billion budget package that aims to accelerate the safe return to in-person instruction statewide and support schools in expanding academic, mental health, and social-emotional supports. Earlier in the week, the Governor, Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins, and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon announced at…
Read More »This week, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a significant policy change relative to COVID-19 vaccine allocation and administration aimed at increasing vaccine distribution to the most severely impacted communities. Under the new approach, the state will dedicate 40 percent of all COVID-19 vaccine doses to disadvantaged communities, as determined by the lowest quartile of the Healthy…
Read More »This week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued updated COVID-19 guidance relative to face coverings and youth sports. These items are detailed below: Masking Guidance Highlights Importance of Proper Fit and Filtration Updated guidance from CDPH this week underscores the importance of wearing a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with an increasing…
Read More »The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) this afternoon announced additional updates to the Blueprint for a Safer Economy to allow outdoor ballparks, stadiums, and theme parks to open with significantly reduced capacity, mandatory masking, and other public health precautions. The announced changes do not take effect until April 1, 2021. Under the updates to…
Read More »This week, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. announced several updates related to the federal government’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Below, we highlight these activities: Vaccines by End of May: President Biden announced on Tuesday the U.S. will have enough COVID-19 vaccine supply for every adult in America to be inoculated by the end…
Read More »Following the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) issuance of an emergency use authorization (EUA) of the Janssen Biotech, Inc. single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine last Saturday, the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup met early this week to review the vaccine’s safety and efficacy data. The Workgroup completed its review of the available…
Read More »This week, the California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) issued a report providing an overview and recommendations to improve the Legislature’s oversight of the Governor’s emergency spending authorities. The report details the existing authorities available to the Administration in incurring emergency costs in light of the Governor’s proposals for COVID-19 emergency spending and authority. Namely, the…
Read More »On Wednesday, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the Biden-Harris Administration approved California’s request to use Medicaid (Medi-Cal) funding to provide voluntary COVID-19 testing for low-income students covered by Medi-Cal. The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) late last year requested permission to provide COVID-19 testing in schools for Medi-Cal children in grades transitional kindergarten through…
Read More »On Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-03-21 extending authorization for local governments to prohibit evictions for commercial renters impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through June 30, 2021. The order additionally extends protections against price gouging for emergency and medical supplies amid the ongoing emergency response to the pandemic.
Read More »This week, the California State Assembly and Senate held a number of hearings spanning a wide array of subject areas, including COVID-19, homelessness, telehealth, and proposed budget investments. Below, we provide a high-level overview of hearings held this week: Assembly Examines Telehealth Policy in California Post-Pandemic The Assembly Health Committee on Tuesday convened an informational…
Read More »