CPLEE - California Policies and Programs

identified as an animal “that provides emotional, cognitive, or other similar support to an individual with a disability, and that does not need to be trained or certified.” Documentation supporting the need for an emotional support animal requires (a) the establishment of a client-provider relationship with the person requesting the emotional support animal for at least 30 days prior to providing the documentation, although no specified number of sessions is required, (b) the completion of a clinical evaluation of the client regarding the need for an emotional support animal, (c) the provider to have a valid, active license to practice (psychological associates or registrants are included) in the state or jurisdiction where the client is located and the license number to be included on the documentation, and (d) verbal or written notice must be provided to the individual that fraudulently reporting oneself as the owner or trainer of such animal is a misdemeanor violation of Penal Code Section 365.7 .

allows an adult diagnosed with a terminal disease, who meets certain criteria, to request aid-in-dying drugs from their physician. In order to qualify, the individual must be (a) a resident of California, (b) must request the aid-in-dying drugs voluntarily and directly, as opposed to the request coming from anyone else (family members, conservator, etc.), (c) document this request, and (d) be physically and mentally able to administer the drug to themselves.

established under the administration of the Office of Health Equity in the State Department of Public Health. Its purpose is to fund grants, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to organizations serving people that identify as transgender, gender nonconforming, or intersex (TGI), to create or fund TGI-specific housing programs and partnerships with hospitals, health care clinics, and other medical providers. Those providers are expected to give TGI-focused health care and related educational programs for health care providers.

authorizes a person to submit to the State Registrar an application to change gender on their birth certificate and an affidavit attesting, under penalty of perjury, that the request for a change of gender is to conform the person’s legal gender to the person’s gender identity and not for any fraudulent purpose. Unlike previously, the person is not required to have undergone treatment to request the legal gender identity change. The same bill provides a separate procedure for persons under 18 years of age to petition for a court judgement to recognize a name change of gender to female, male, or nonbinary. As of 2019, the Department of Motor Vehicle license provides gender categories of “female”, “male”, or “nonbinary”