MHAC Priority Legislation

MHAC Position: Oppose

Author: Eggman

Date: 04/26/2024

This bill would additionally require the determination of a person’s incapacity to refuse treatment with antipsychotic medication to remain in effect for the duration of the additional 14-day period or the additional 30-day period after the 14-day intensive treatment period, or all periods of treatment that are applicable.

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MHAC Position: Oppose

Author: Eggman

Date: 04/26/2024

Existing law, the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, provides for the involuntary detention and treatment of persons with specified mental health disorders. Under the act, when a person, as a result of a mental health disorder, is a danger to others, or to themselves, or gravely disabled, the person may, upon probable cause, be taken into custody and placed in a facility designated by the county and approved by the State Department of Health Care Services for up to 72 hours for evaluation and treatment. Existing law authorizes specified individuals, including professional persons designated by the county, to determine probable cause and take a person into custody pursuant to these provisions. This bill would authorize a county to designate a professional who is not a county employee or not contracted by the county to perform the above-described functions.

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MHAC Position: Watch

Author: Roth

Date: 04/26/2024

This bill would require the department to establish statewide minimum standards for assistance provided by county call centers to applicants or beneficiaries applying for, renewing, or requesting help in obtaining or maintaining Medi-Cal coverage. The bill would require promulgation of the standards in regulation by July 1, 2026, as specified. The bill would require a county to collect and submit to the department call-center data metrics, including, among other information, call volume, average call wait times by language, and callbacks. By creating new duties for counties relating to call-center data, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department to prepare a report, excluding any personally identifiable information, on county call-center data, identifying challenges and targets or standards for improvement. The bill would require the department to post the report on its internet website on a quarterly basis no later than 45 calendar days after the conclusion of each quarter, with the initial report due on May 15, 2025.

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MHAC Position: Watch

Author: Roth

Date: 04/26/2024

This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to review California’s essential health benefits benchmark plan and establish a new benchmark plan for the 2027 plan year. The bill would limit the applicability of the current benchmark plan benefits to plan years on or before the 2027 plan year.

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MHAC Position: Watch

Author: Cortese

Date: 04/26/2024

This bill would change the notice period required before proposed closure or elimination of the supplemental service of inpatient psychiatric service or maternity service from 90 days to 120 days. By changing the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.Before a health facility may provide notice of a proposed closure or elimination of an inpatient psychiatric service or maternity service, this bill would require the facility to provide an impact analysis report, as specified, regarding the impact on the health of the community resulting from the proposed elimination of the services. The bill would require the health facility to provide the impact analysis report to the Department of Health Care Access and Information for review and certification. By changing the requirements on a health care facility, the violation of which is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.The bill would require, after certification, that the impact analysis report be delivered to the local county board of supervisors and to the department. The bill also would require the cost of preparing the impact analysis report to be borne by the hospital. The bill would strongly encourage the board of supervisors to hold a public hearing within 15 days of receipt of the report, as specified, and to post the impact analysis report on its internet website. The bill would require, if the loss of beds will have an impact to on the health of the community, that the State Department of Public Health prioritize and expedite the licensing of additional beds for up to 18 months to replace the number of lost beds.

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MHAC Position: Watch

Author: Wahab

Date: 04/26/2024

Existing law prohibits, except as specified, a person sentenced to imprisonment in a county jail from being administered any psychiatric medication without prior informed consent. Existing law authorizes a county department of mental health, or other designated county department, to administer to an inmate involuntary medication on a nonemergency basis only after the inmate is provided, among other things, a hearing before a superior court judge, a court-appointed commissioner or referee, or a court-appointed hearing officer.Existing law, until January 1, 2025, additionally protects all inmates in a county jail from being administered any psychiatric medication without prior informed consent, with certain exceptions, and imposes additional criteria that must be satisfied before a county department of mental health or other designated county department may administer involuntary medication, including a requirement that the jail first make a documented attempt to locate an available bed for the inmate in a community-based treatment facility, under certain conditions, in lieu of seeking involuntary administration of psychiatric medication. Until January 1, 2025, if an inmate is awaiting resolution of a criminal case, existing law requires that a hearing to administer involuntary medication on a nonemergency basis be held before, and that any requests for ex parte orders be submitted to, a judge in the superior court where the criminal case is pending. Existing law, also until January 1, 2025, sets limits on the amount of time such orders are valid and requires any court-ordered psychiatric medication to be administered in consultation with a psychiatrist who is not involved in the treatment of the inmate at the jail, if one is available.This bill would make the above changes permanent.

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MHAC Position: Support

Author: Wahab

Date: 04/26/2024

Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of disability insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a health care service plan contract or disability insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2021, to provide coverage for medically necessary treatment of mental health and substance use disorders, as defined, under the same terms and conditions applied to other medical conditions.This bill would require a plan or insurer subject to the above-described coverage requirement, and its delegates, to establish a process to reimburse providers for mental health and substance use disorder treatment services that are integrated with primary care services and provided under a contract or policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2025. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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MHAC Position: Support

Author: Wahab

Date: 04/18/2024

This bill would add to the Youth Bill of Rights the right to not be deprived of mental health resources, including daily access to counselors, therapists, mentors, or any related services necessary for mental well-being, rehabilitation, and the promotion of positive youth development while detained in a juvenile facility.

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MHAC Position: Support

Author: Eggman

Date: 04/26/2024

This bill would authorize a county to report to the Department of Managed Health Care or the Department of Insurance a complaint about a health care service plan’s or a health insurer’s failure to make a good faith effort to contract or enter into an agreement with the county to obtain reimbursement for behavioral health crisis services, or to timely reimburse the county for services the plan or insurer is required to cover by state or federal law, and would require the respective department to timely investigate the complaint.

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MHAC Position: Support, MHAC Sponsored

Author: Pellerin

Date: 04/18/2024

This bill would recognize the 3rd week of May 2024 as Peer Appreciation Week in California.

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