The County Medical Services Program (CMSP) Governing Board has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for their new Building the Healthcare Workforce (BHW) grant program. With this program, the Governing Board seeks to address the chronic healthcare provider shortage in CMSP counties. Healthcare workforce groups to be supported or expanded under this program…
On January 31st, the Office of Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-16-25, which largely renews previous authorities from a prior executive order to allow local water agencies to more expeditiously recharge groundwater reservoirs during high precipitation events, as well as …
On Monday February 3rd, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) announced a package of three bipartisan bills to bolster fire resilience and proactive mitigation efforts. The package includes…
Last Friday, January 31, Doug Burgum was sworn in as the 55th Secretary of the Interior after being confirmed in the Senate by a vote of 79-18. On his first day in office, Secretary Burgum met with Department leadership, outlined his key priorities…
Announcements regarding hearings, grants, and public comment notices of rural county importance.
Billions of dollars are up for grabs to public agencies and other entities, including tribes and businesses. Grant seekers can access a centralized portal of grant and loan opportunities here, or sign up to receive new grant opportunities...
Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties.
Dr. Hernando Garzon, of St. Helena, has been appointed Chief Medical Officer at Emergency Medical Services Authority, where he has been Interim Chief Medical Officer since 2021. Garzon was an Emergency Medicine Physician at The Permanente Medical Group from 1992 to 2023. He earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Williams College. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $234,600. Garzon is a Democrat.
Georgia “Pat” Urena, of Calexico, has been reappointed to the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission, where she has served since 2018. Urena was a Recreation Supervisor at the City of El Centro from 1982 to 2024. She is the Chair of the Calexico Wellness Center and the Juvenile Justice Commission, and a Board Member of Rite Track. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Urena is a Democrat.
RCRC press releases and related news clips about RCRC and our member counties. Please note that a subscription may be required to read some external publications.
Farmworkers, who play a critical role in our state and nation’s food system, often live and work in remote areas of the country, hundreds of miles from the nearest school or hospital. These remote communities are more likely to lack necessary transportation, basic services and critical resources such as internet access.
While those majestic Sierra Nevada views across the Owens Valley make the region appealing to outdoors enthusiasts, diversifying the economy and supporting tourism during the offseason (generally November to May) remain formidable challenges.
With storms in Northern California, state’s snowpack was 65% of normal following dry January, state water officials said at Sierra survey.
Information related to the current status of legislation impacting California’s rural counties. This report updates in real time.
AB 1 (Connolly) Residential property insurance: wildfire risk. Current Department of Insurance regulations prohibit an insurer from using a rating plan that does not take into account and reflect specified wildfire risk mitigation, including property-level building hardening measures. This bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2030, and every 5 years thereafter, to consider whether or not to update its regulations to include additional building hardening measures for property-level mitigation efforts and communitywide wildfire mitigation programs. As part of this consideration, the bill would require the department to consult with specified agencies to identify additional building hardening measures to consider, as well as to develop and implement a public participation process during the evaluation. (Based on 12/02/2024 text) Location: Assembly Insurance Status: 02/03/2025 – Referred to Com. on INS. Position: Support Lobbyist: Staci (1), Tracy (2)
AB 240 (Alanis) Community colleges: study: Counties of Amador, Alpine, Mariposa, Modoc, and Sierra. Current law establishes the Milton Marks “Little Hoover” Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy (Little Hoover Commission) for purposes of securing assistance for the Governor and the Legislature in promoting economy, efficiency, and improved service in the transaction of the public business in the various departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the executive branch of the state government, and in making the operation of all state departments, agencies, and instrumentalities, and all expenditures of public funds, more directly responsive to the wishes of the people as expressed by their elected representatives, as provided. Current law declares as legislative policy that all of the territory of the state shall be included within a community college district, except that territory located within a county where the county residents accounted for fewer than 350 units of average daily attendance in the state’s community colleges during the preceding fiscal year, and that territory located within such a county may be included within a community college district pursuant to prescribed procedures. This bill instead would declare as legislative policy that all of the territory of the state shall be included within a community college district or otherwise provided with equivalent opportunities for residents to participate in both in-person and online postsecondary education programs and courses. (Based on 01/14/2025 text) Location: Assembly PRINT Status: 01/15/2025 – From printer. May be heard in committee February 14. Position: Sponsor Lobbyist: Eric (2), Tracy (1)
AB 339 (Ortega) Local public employee organizations: notice requirements. The Meyers-Milias-Brown Act contains various provisions that govern collective bargaining of local represented employees and delegates jurisdiction to the Public Employment Relations Board to resolve disputes and enforce the statutory duties and rights of local public agency employers and employees. Current law requires the governing body of a public agency to meet and confer in good faith regarding wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment with representatives of recognized employee organizations. Current law requires the governing body of a public agency, and boards and commissions designated by law or by the governing body, to give reasonable written notice, except in cases of emergency, as specified, to each recognized employee organization affected of any ordinance, rule, resolution, or regulation directly relating to matters within the scope of representation proposed to be adopted by the governing body or the designated boards and commissions. This bill would require the governing body of a public agency, and boards and commissions designated by law or by the governing body of a public agency, to give the recognized employee organization no less than 120 days’ written notice before issuing a request for proposals, request for quotes, or renewing or extending an existing contract to perform services that are within the scope of work of the job classifications represented by the recognized employee organization. The bill would require the notice to include specified information, including the anticipated duration of the contract. (Based on 01/28/2025 text) Location: Assembly PRINT Status: 01/29/2025 – From printer. May be heard in committee February 28. Position: Oppose Lobbyist: Sarah (1)
AB 340 (Ahrens) Employer-employee relations: confidential communications. Current law that governs the labor relations of public employees and employers, including the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, the Ralph C. Dills Act, provisions relating to public schools, provisions relating to higher education, and provisions relating to the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, prohibits employers from taking certain actions relating to employee organization, including imposing or threatening to impose reprisals on employees, discriminating or threatening to discriminate against employees, or otherwise interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees because of their exercise of their guaranteed rights. Those provisions of existing law further prohibit denying to employee organizations the rights guaranteed to them by current law. This bill would also prohibit a local public agency employer, a state employer, a public school employer, a higher education employer, or the district from questioning any employee or employee representative regarding communications made in confidence between an employee and an employee representative in connection with representation relating to any matter within the scope of the recognized employee organization’s representation. (Based on 01/28/2025 text) Location: Assembly PRINT Status: 01/29/2025 – From printer. May be heard in committee February 28. Position: Oppose Lobbyist: Sarah (1)
For a full list of RCRC-tracked legislation, by issue area, use our Legislative Tracking Tool.
