4/6: CA Judicial Branch adopts new rules to decrease jail populations
- Included in the new rules:
- $0 bail for misdemeanors and low-level felonies
- Suspend the entry of defaults in eviction cases
- Suspend judicial foreclosures
General info & summary | Full text of the new Emergency Rules
4/3 Executive Order to Protect Consumers from Price Gouging
- Order comes in response to COVID-19 pandemic to limit price increases from sellers on critical items, such as food and medical supplies
General info & summary | Full text of the order (EO-N-44-20)
4/2 Executive Order Protecting Homes, Small Businesses from Water Shutoffs
- Urban / community water systems cannot discontinue service due to non-payment at this time
General info & summary | Full text of the order (EO-42-20)
4/1 Executive Order Providing for Expedited Resources for COVID-19 Response
- Facilitates expenditures from CA’s $1.4b Disaster Response-Emergency Operations Account for “PPE, medical equipment, and other expenditures necessary to support the hospital surge”
General info & summary | Full text of the order (EO-41-20)
3/30 Executive Order Providing Relief to California Small Businesses
- Extensions include a 90 day extension for tax filing for small businesses with <$1m in taxes (e.g., deadline is now 7/31 for Q1 returns)
- Other extensions detailed in the links below
General info & summary | Full text of the order (EO-40-20)
3/30 Governor launches initiative to expand healthcare workforce, and issues executive order relaxing licensing requirements
- Governor Newsom: “If you have a background in health care, we need your help. Sign up at healthcorps.ca.gov”
- EO-39-20 includes temporary adjustments to health and safety standards for healthcare facilities including relaxing of professional licensing requirements
General info & summary | Full text of the order (EO-39-20)
3/27 Governor enhances the authority of California’s Judicial Branch to take emergency action in the face of the COVID-19 crisis
- Allows the Judicial Branch to allow for remote depositions in every case, and allows them to make necessary modifications to legal practice and procedure in order to “maintain the safe and orderly operation” of the court
General info & summary | Full text of the order (EO-38-20)
3/27 A statewide moratorium on evictions for 60 days for non-payment of rent
- The eviction moratorium doesn’t deal with forbearance on mortgages, although there are voluntary agreements from several big banks, which was announced earlier this week
General info & summary | Full text of the order (EO-37-20)
3/25 CA policymakers call on Governor Newsom for statewide moratorium on evictions
- 38 State Senators and Assemblymembers sign on to a letter asking the Governor to issue an executive order implementing an immediate ban on all evictions statewide.
3/25 Governor Announces Major Financial Relief Package
- 90-Day Grace Period for Mortgage Payments
- No Negative Credit Impacts Resulting from Relief
- Moratorium on Initiating Foreclosure Sales or Evictions
- Relief from Fees and Charges
- Here is an in-depth explanation of the financial protection measures available to consumers from the CA Dept. of Business Oversight
3/24 Governor Signs Executive Order on State Prisons and Juvenile Facilities
- No new commitments to state prisons or juvenile facilities will be accepted for the next 30 days
- Order also directs videoconferencing of all scheduled parole suitability hearings starting next month
General info & Summary | Full text of the order (EO-N-36-20)
3/22 CA Secures Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to Support State’s COVID-19 Emergency Response
- The Major Disaster Declaration makes federal funding available to state, tribal and local governments for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, and makes funding available for crisis counseling for impacted individuals.
3/22 Clarification on “essential critical infrastructure“
- The State Public Health Officer issues a detailed list of essential critical infrastructure workers. Of interest to our partners, this includes:
- “Workers who provide support to vulnerable populations to ensure their health and well-being, including family care providers”
- “Construction Workers who support the construction, operation, inspection, and maintenance of construction sites and construction projects (including housing construction)”
- Editorial Note: we have heard from some partners that this does not preclude, e.g., construction projects from shutting down due to safety concerns, or slowing down due to delays and/or shortages of workers/supplies/equipment.
3/21 Governor Signs Executive Order to Increase Health Care System Capacity
- The order gives the state the ability to increase the health care capacity and allows local governments more flexibility to utilize the skills of retired employees and reinforces the importance of the delivery of food, medicine and emergency supplies.
General info & Summary | Full text of the order (EO-N-35-20)
3/21 Governor Newsom Takes Action to Strengthen California’s Health Care Delivery System to Respond to COVID-19
- State leasing two hospitals to increase availability of beds for COVID-19 patients
- California receives shipment of medical personal protective equipment and medical supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile
- California Expands Tele-Health Options
3/20 Governor Signs Executive Order Expanding Vote-by-Mail Options and Extending Deadlines for Presidential Primary Canvass
- Governor Gavin Newsom today issued an executive order to permit vote-by-mail procedures to be used in three upcoming special elections, protecting public health and safety during the COVID-19 outbreak.
- The order also extends the deadlines for ballot counting, tabulation, and other responsibilities related to the official canvass of California’s Presidential Primary Election.
General info & Summary | Full text of the order (EO-N-34-20)
3/20 Deployment of National Guard and Launch of Volunteer Campaign
- California National Guard deployed to provide short-term food security to isolated and vulnerable Californians by stabilizing the immediate need of food banks.
- The Administration is partnering with the social networking service Nextdoor to launch the Neighbor-to-Neighbor campaign, a service that shares ways to safely check on vulnerable neighbors (with a focus on older adults).
- The State of California has also released information to promote resources and options for those facing food insecurity. A resource list will be posted to serve.ca.gov on ways Californians can support vulnerable members of our community that may have limited food resources, in ways that are in line with CDPH guidelines.
3/19 State-wide “stay at home” order
- Governor Newsom issues an order for residents to stay home as much as possible and for non-essential businesses to close.
General info & summary | Full text of the order (EO-N-33-20)
3/18:
- California is working across government to get homeless Californians – among the most vulnerable to spread of COVID-19 – safely into shelter & housing
- Governor signed executive order granting local flexibility on spending and building shelters
- State purchased 1,309 trailers and leased first two hotels to provide emergency isolation units for homeless individuals
Full text of the order (EO-N-32-20)
3/18:
- To reduce the strain on students, families and educators during the COVID-19 outbreak, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order today to waive, pending federal approval, this year’s statewide testing for California’s more than 6 million students in K-12 schools.
3/17:
- The order waives eligibility redeterminations for 90 days for Californians who participate in:
- Medi-Cal health coverage
- CalFresh food assistance
- CalWORKS
- Cash Assistance for Immigrants
- In-Home Supportive Services
3/16:
- The Executive Order authorizes local governments to halt evictions, slows foreclosures, and protects against utility shut offs
3/16:
- Updated California Health Guidance: Seniors and COVID-19 vulnerable residents directed to home isolate
- Governor Newsom issues Executive Order redirecting California agencies to protect licensed facilities, staff & residents most vulnerable to COVID-19
- Health care, residential and non-residential facilities licensed by the state, especially those serving senior citizens and other COVID-19 vulnerable populations, will face significant challenges
3/13:
- Order mandates that school districts use dollars to fund distance learning and high quality educational opportunities, safely provide school meals, and arrange for the supervision of students during school hours
- Order requires Department of Education and California Health & Human Services Agency to develop strategies to address equity challenges around internet connectivity, ensure students with disabilities receive specialized education, and safely provide meals
- Order urges employers to take area school closures into account and provide flexibility during the COVID-19 crisis
3/12:
- Directs Californians to follow public health directives including canceling large gatherings more than 250 people
- Order removes waiting period for unemployment and disability insurance for Californians who lose work as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak
- Readies state to commandeer hotels & medical facilities to isolate & treat COVID-19 patients
- Allows local and state legislative bodies to hold meetings via conference calls while still meeting state transparency requirements