http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/crbSearch.aspx The California Research Bureau (CRB) provides nonpartisan research services to the Governor and his staff, to both houses of the legislature, and to other state elected officials. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:35:00 PST Charter schools are overseen by authorizers. In California, an authorizer is generally a school district, but may be a county office of education or the State Board of Education. As of June 2011, California had 293 authorizers overseeing 911 charter schools. In SB537 (Ch.650, Stats. of 2007) the Legislature mandated the California Research Bureau review the practices of authorizers in California, examine best practices in authorizing, review the current funding structure for authorizers and submit to the Legislature a report on key elements and actual costs of charter authorizing. This report provides CRB’s findings from its investigation of California’s authorizers. Additionally, it provides several options to the Legislature for improving charter oversight. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/12/12-001.pdf Thu, 19 Jun 2011 10:35:00 PST AB1384 (Havice, Ch.613, Stats. 1997-1998) established the legal capacity for city attorneys in five cities to sue for unlawful detainer (an eviction suit) when property owners were either unwilling or unable to evict a tenant arrested for drug or weapons crimes. The program was designed to facilitate the effective and efficient removal of criminals from neighborhoods. This report was produced in response to AB 530 (Krekorian, Ch. 244, Stats. 2009-2010), requiring CRB to evaluate the pilot Unlawful Detainer program. CRB used the data reported by three pilot sites as mandated in Civil Code sections 3485 and 3486. The data showed that the program was utilized approximately 300 times across the three cities that opted to participate in the pilot program in 2010. The most common result of an unlawful detainer suit was that the tenant vacated the property prior to the full prosecution of the suit. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/11/Unlawful_Detainer_Pilot_Program_Report.pdf Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:45:00 PST Coastal Aquatic Invasive Species (CAIS) increasingly threaten California’s coastal estuarine and marine habitats. With no natural predators, these non-native species become abundant, resulting in costly, negative impacts on infrastructure, human health, and natural ecosystems. Seeking assistance in implementing the California Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan, the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, requested that the California Research Bureau craft a framework for understanding the challenges that coastal aquatic invasive species create for California. In the resulting report, Managing Coastal Aquatic Invasive Species in California: Existing Policies and Policy Gaps, CRB Senior Environmental Policy Fellow, Adrianna Muir, Ph.D. highlights the CAIS policy and management challenges facing California. The report focuses on opportunities for improvement over six general policy categories (Authority, Prevention, Research, Control, Implementation, and Coordination) and addresses the vectors, or pathways, through which invasive species are introduced. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/11/11-002.pdf Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:45:00 PST Coastal Aquatic Invasive Species (CAIS) increasingly threaten California’s coastal estuarine and marine habitats. With no natural predators, these non-native species become abundant, resulting in costly, negative impacts on infrastructure, human health, and natural ecosystems. Seeking assistance in implementing the California Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan, the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, requested that the California Research Bureau craft a framework for understanding the challenges that coastal aquatic invasive species create for California. In the resulting report, Managing Coastal Aquatic Invasive Species in California: Existing Policies and Policy Gaps, CRB Senior Environmental Policy Fellow, Adrianna Muir, Ph.D. highlights the CAIS policy and management challenges facing California. The report focuses on opportunities for improvement over six general policy categories (Authority, Prevention, Research, Control, Implementation, and Coordination) and addresses the vectors, or pathways, through which invasive species are introduced. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/11/11-001.pdf Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:15:00 PST Key issues in achieving universal healthcare coverage are the affordability of and lack of enrollment in health insurance. A recent report from the Commonwealth Fund’s Commission on a High Performance Health System concludes “the failure to provide continuous, affordable coverage that ensures access and financial protection to everyone in the United States contributes to the poor performance of the health system.” http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/10/WomenVeteransBrieflyStated.pdf Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:50:00 PST Women represent over 15 percent of the active duty and reserve forces of the military, and make up over 220,000 of the 1.8 million troops serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) – the largest wartime deployment for U.S. women. Following their military service, often in combat conditions, women are returning to their roles as private citizens – wives, mothers, caregivers, workers – in unprecedented numbers. Women veterans share many of the short- and long-term physical and emotional consequences and needs that their male counterparts face as a result of serving their country. In addition, they have unique experiences and needs as female veterans. The report describes the state’s more than 167,000 women veterans (eight percent of the total veteran population); it identifies the challenges these veterans face, the primary services they need, and barriers they encounter. This report also explains the federal, state, and local service delivery structures that provide benefits and services to veterans, and provides additional resource materials. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/09/09-009.pdf Wed, 29 Apr 2009 7:50:00 PST Over 46 million Americans are without healthcare coverage. The number of uninsured is increasing with the growth of unemployment and stagnation of employer-based coverage. Healthcare cost growth continues to outpace growth in wages. The individual mandate is a policy option that could significantly reduce the number of uninsured in the United States and lead to universal health care coverage. An individual mandate would require every citizen to obtain health insurance, be it through an employer, an individual plan, a purchasing pool, or a public plan. This report will discuss how such a mandate could work, what it would cost. It also will review the pros and cons of the individual mandate as well as the availability, affordability and enforcement that would come from such a mandate. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/09/09-007.pdf Wed, 18 Mar 2009 7:50:00 PST The California Foreclosure Watch is a series of quarterly briefs prepared for the Assembly Banking & Finance Committee. CRB’s latest Foreclosure Watch features Q4 2008 data and a new state forecast. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/09/foreclosures09Q1BrieflyStated.pdf Fri, 5 Mar 2009 16:45:00 PST The Careers Project examined the preparation all students in public middle and high schools receive to explore career options and the relationship between that preparation and California’s state and regional economies. The California Research Bureau undertook this research at the request of a bipartisan group of 11 members of the California Legislature, with funding support from the James Irvine Foundation. The study consisted of three distinct phases: 1. A statewide survey of middle and high school counselors and principals. 2. An economic analysis and survey of representatives of business and industry in California. 3. School focus groups. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/CRBSearch.aspx Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:50:00 PST The United States spends a much higher percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on healthcare than any other country. Nearly 50 percent of the increase in healthcare costs is attributable to the introduction of new technologies in the practice of medicine. However the rapid introduction of new technologies has not been accompanied by an improvement in health outcomes, suggesting the need to review the effectiveness of these investments. This report describes the process of assessing health technology and identifies national and state agencies and organizations that currently engage in health technology assessment. Finally, the report discusses a proposal to create a centralized body dedicated to the formal scrutiny of innovative (and existing) healthcare technologies and services. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-019.pdf Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:45:00 PST What does the geographic distribution of state spending look like? Are there regions of the state that receive more than their “fair share” of state funds? How is a region’s “fair share” defined and calculated? This report examines the geographic distribution of state spending across nine regions: the San Francisco Bay Area, Central Coast, Far North, Inland Empire, San Joaquin Valley, Sacramento Metro, San Diego, Sierras and South Coast. State expenditures are presented for major program areas such as health, education, public assistance, social services, and transportation. (The same fiscal year, FY 2002-03, is used wherever possible.) The many detailed tables provide a new perspective on state expenditures, one that has not been previously analyzed. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-017.pdf Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:12:00 PST This report, which was requested by Assembly Member Jose Solorio, Chair of the Public Safety Committee, examines California’s county camps and ranches for juvenile offenders in the context of recent reforms of the state’s juvenile justice system. There are different models of county probation camps, including conventional camps, wilderness camps, military (boot camps), and small residential treatment facilities (known as the Missouri model). We describe the different models as implemented by California counties, with information about length of stay requirements and treatment options. When possible, we also describe the educational and vocational requirements and programs provided by the camps, and examine the availability of health and mental health services. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-016.pdf Wed, 5 Nov 2008 11:46:00 PST This report explores current Medical Board of California public disclosure laws, regulations and practices; and presents policy options for improving public access to information about physicians in support of the MBC’s public protection mandate. The report presents new statistical findings on physician attributes associated with higher odds of facing formal disciplinary charges. Additionally, we review academic research on the incidence of medical errors, which suggests that patients harmed by negligent or incompetent care rarely file lawsuits or formal complaints against their caregivers. We present a number of policy options for expanding public disclosure about California physicians and enhancing the MBC’s public outreach program. This report was mandated by SB 1438 (Chapter 223, Statutes of 2006), sponsored by Senator Figueroa. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-015.pdf Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:05:00 PST School districts are central players in the child care delivery system: they operate a mix of child care centers and programs, serve a range of children of different ages, and fund their programs from a variety of federal, state, and local sources. This report provides a range of programmatic and fiscal information about the federal and state funding sources for child care that are available to California's K-12 public school districts. The focus is on funding that pays for basic care and supervision, or what is considered the child care program "slot" or space. Assembly Member Mark Leno requested that CRB compile this information to assist school districts throughout the state, in addition to policymakers. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-014.pdf Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:40:00 PST On September 18, 2008, the California Research Bureau partnered with the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) to present a conference on the national housing crisis and its impact on California. The morning presentations examined the scale of the crisis, economic forecasts, and trends in home prices and foreclosures. Speakers in the afternoon discussed removing barriers to home ownership, the crisis in credit availability, new federal and state laws, and policies to mitigate the risk that vacant foreclosed homes will contribute to blight and crime. The CRB’s work in this policy area is in response to a request from the Assembly Banking Committee. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/foreclosure.html Thu, 18 Aug 2008 15:20:00 PST Achieving universal health care coverage will require significant changes in the health care system. There is an expectation that widespread adoption of Health Information Technology-Electronic Medical Records will play an important role in transforming the delivery of health care by improving the quality of care and reducing costs. However physicians lack an incentive to invest since the benefits accrue largely to insurance companies and health care plans. The role of federal and state governments in establishing standards and providing financial resources for expansion of health information technology is another issue of importance. This background paper reviews and summarizes many of the issues that providers, payers and government will have to address in incorporating health information technology into the health care delivery system. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-013.pdf Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:30:00 PST Senator Sheila Kuehl asked the California Research Bureau (CRB) to provide analysis about the impact of two bills enacted in 2001: SB 221 and SB 610. These bills require local agencies to determine that a reasonably reliable water supply exists before approving new large projects including residential subdivisions with over 500 units, and large industrial and commercial projects. CRB estimated the number of subdivisions and dwelling units that were subject to these two bills from 2004 to 2006, estimated the amount of water used by these subdivisions and evaluated how the estimates would have changed if the law were lowered to apply to subdivisions with over 250 units. CRB also estimated water use in large industrial and commercial projects. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-012.pdf Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:30:00 PST Resolution of the Delta's water supply, water quality, and fish problems may involve building various structures, possibly including gates, pumps, canals, levees, and dams, and undertaking landscaping rearrangements to improve habitat for several species of flora and fauna. Resolution also involves changing water flow regimes in ways that would make more or less water, but probably less, available for human uses. This work and these changes will cost serious money. Cost estimates for many of these actions have not yet been developed. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-011.pdf Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:30:00 PST The CRB and the California Council on Youth Relations, with support from The California Wellness Foundation, are conducting a major research and policy initiative to identify and bring to the attention of state policymakers the serious issues facing homeless youth in California. This report is a resource document and includes an annotated bibliography drawn from a wide range of academic and program-based research, agendas from CRB public policy seminars held over the last year, and contact information for the seminar presenters. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-010.pdf Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:05:00 PST This report was produced in response to a request from Senator S. Joseph Simitian to provide policy recommendations regarding the use of technology-enhanced, government-issued identification documents. After examining the technical and personal security issues and concerns of these next-generation documents and their accompanying electronic infrastructure, assembling an expert advisory panel, and holding a series of public meetings to obtain input, CRB developed the report's recommendations for the selection and use of these technologies by state and local government agencies. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-008.pdf Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:00:00 PST More than 5 million people nationwide are infected with HCV; including 600,000 Californians. Due to the insidious nature of the virus, it is believed that fewer than half of them know they are infected. For many individuals the infection is discovered after the development of advanced liver disease, leaving some patients with no treatment option other than a liver transplant. Even when discovered early, the costly, often debilitating treatment process is successful in less than half the patients who are treated. The paper begins with a brief overview of the discovery of a hepatitis-related virus in the blood supply and how the cause of the virus, now known as hepatitis C, was discovered. The overview continues with detailed discussions of the risk factors and sources of infection for HCV, the diagnostic process, pathways of disease progression, and potential treatment options. A review of the prevalence and the direct and indirect costs associated with HCV are also included. The second half of the paper contains detailed discussions of the policy issues related to HCV including disease tracking and surveillance, a historical timeline of prevention and control efforts, workers compensation and presumptive infection, and access to care and insurance. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-009.pdf Wed, 14 May 2008 15:05:00 PST The Chair of the Assembly Banking Committee requested that the California Research Bureau prepare estimates of the number of housing foreclosures in California. Our estimate of the number of housing foreclosures in the State during the current cycle (2006 – 09), varies from 170,000 to 434,000. Foreclosures will affect between 3.0 and 7.8 percent of all homeowners with mortgages (depending on the underlying assumptions, as discussed in the Note). CRB also presents a range of estimates for metropolitan counties. As the credit and housing crisis plays out, CRB plans to update this Note and publish similar quarterly estimates throughout the year. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-006.pdf Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:05:00 PST Homeless youth are a hidden population. To shed light on this group of vulnerable young people, CRB conducted a survey in which homeless and formerly homeless youth completed over 200 interviews with their homeless peers across the state. The youth interviewed describe their experiences – how they became homeless, what life on the street is like, their interactions with police, their education and aspirations, their mental health experiences, how they go about getting help – the services they need, and the changes they would like to see happen in policy or law. The majority come from the hardest-to-reach and least-studied homeless populations: youth who sleep on the streets or in cars, squat in abandoned buildings, or "couch-surf." Most left their families because of violence or abuse or were kicked out, and many are surviving on the streets in the neighborhoods in which they grew up. This report presents the survey responses and findings. It is a primary component of the California Homeless Youth Project, a major research and policy initiative undertaken by the CRB and California Council on Youth Relations, with support from The California Wellness Foundation, to bring attention to the serious issues facing homeless youth in the state. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-004.pdf Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:10:00 PST Student loans are a rapidly growing $85 billion a year industry fueled by the substantial higher economic returns associated with a college education, increased demand from students and their parents, and grant and scholarship funds that have not kept pace with rising school tuition and fees. This report describes federally subsidized and guaranteed loans, examines the private student loan industry, and discusses issues relating to student debt and financial counseling. We describe practices that have led to allegations and findings of fraud and abuse in the student loan system, and recent federal and state legislative and administrative responses. The report was requested by Assemblymember Sally Lieber in order to better understand the national student loan scandal and responses to it. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-002.pdf Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:35:00 PST In January 2008, the California Public Employee Post-Employment Benefits Commission issued recommendations to address the costs of providing public employee pension and retiree health benefits. Several of the Commission’s recommendations -- and provisions of legislation introduced to implement those recommendations (SB 1123, Wiggins) -- address actuarial practices used to determine funding levels for pension and retiree health benefits. Because actuarial methods are a unique and somewhat complex form of financial accounting, this “plain language” summary was developed to serve as a reference guide for policy makers, government employers, pension and health plan administrators, and members of the general public interested in the topic. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-003.pdf Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:03:00 PST This report, which was requested by Assemblymember Loni Hancock, Chair of the Natural Resources Committee, examines the legal limitations on ex parte communications between board commissioners and interested outsiders on the following state boards and commissions: California Air Resources Board, Integrated Waste Management Board, State Water Resources Control Board, California Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission), Public Utilities Commission, California Coastal Commission. Ex parte communications are made in private between an interested party in a decision-making process and an official in a decision-making position. Because they can introduce an element of bias in a decision-making process and violate basic due process requirements, state law generally requires that the involved officials publicly disclose ex parte communications in an open meeting. However the legal requirements and practices for the six boards and commissions analyzed for this report vary, and the public disclosure process evidenced in their meeting minutes is uneven. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/08/08-001.pdf Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:47:00 PST In response to ongoing concerns about the cost of providing post-employment benefits to public employees, the California Public Employee Post-Employment Benefits Commission requested that the California Research Bureau conduct a survey of the state's public retirement systems to identify the amount of pension benefits that remain unfunded. The survey found that despite $63.5 billion in unfunded public employee pension liabilities, public retirement systems are recovering from the impact of the downturn in the financial markets that occurred in the early 2000s. California public retirement systems' aggregate funded ratio (the total assets that the systems hold in trust funds to pay benefits relative to the expected cost of benefits they are obligated to pay) is higher than it was in the early- to mid-1990s. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/07/07-014.pdf Wed, 5 Dec 2007 12:00:00 PST The CRB and the California Council on Youth Relations, with support from The California Wellness Foundation, are conducting a major research and policy initiative to identify and bring to the attention of state policymakers the serious issues facing homeless youth in California. The project entails several research components whose findings are being presented in CRB reports and a series of public policy seminars. We have also identified and reviewed a wide range of academic and program-based research about homeless youth. This annotated bibliography of selected resources is presented here as a work in progress; new materials are being identified and added on an ongoing basis. Once the Homeless and Runaway Youth Project is completed in the Spring of 2008, the final bibliography will be published as a CRB report. http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/07/07-099.pdf