MHAC Priority Legislation

MHAC Position: Watch

Author: Eggman

Date: 08/22/2022

Status: Vetoed

Behavioral health services: existing and projected needs: This bill would require DHCS, in consultation with each council of governments, to determine the existing and projected need for behavioral health services for each region. DHCS’s determination would be based on population projections, regional incidence of behavioral health issues in children and adults, referrals for AOT, frequency of psychiatric holds and conservatorships, and an inventory of the continuum of behavioral health services provided by the county behavioral health department. The council of governments would be required to provide behavioral health service access and utilization data for the region, including the total number of beds, total utilization, and unmet needs in a number of categories, including: prevention and wellness services, outpatient services, peer and recovery services, community supports, intensive outpatient treatment services, crisis services, and school-based services.

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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: Oppose

Author: Portantino

Date: 09/02/2022

Notes: Watch *MHAC’s position changed to OPPOSE after amendments

Pupil Wellness Centers Grant Program: Would appropriate $1 billion from an unspecified fund to the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide annual grants of up to $250,000 each to certain local educational agencies serving high school pupils to establish or improve pupil wellness centers to provide comprehensive medical and behavioral health services. Amended 8/15/22 to authorize $250,000,000 of MHSA funds to the State Controller to distribute to the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide the grants.

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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: Oppose

Author: Umberg

Date: 09/14/2022

Status: Passed

Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court Program: This bill would enact the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, which would authorize specific people to petition a civil court to create a CARE plan and implement services to be provided by county behavioral health agencies, to provide behavioral health care, stabilization medication, and housing support to adults who have schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders and who lack medical decision-making capacity.

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MHAC Position: Watch

Author: Durazo

Date: 11/30/2022

Status: Died

California Youth Apprenticeship Program: This bill would create the California Youth Apprenticeship Program, administered by the Office of the California Youth Apprenticeship Program for the purposes of awarding grant funding to eligible applicants to develop new apprenticeship programs or expand existing apprenticeship programs to serve the target population. The target population includes individuals aged 16 to 24 years who are unhoused, in the child welfare or juvenile justice system or criminal justice system, living in concentrated poverty, or are facing barriers to labor market participation. Grant funds may be used for purposes that include, but are not limited to: a) instruction and training of apprentices; b) costs related to setting up the program; c) project and case management; d) related instruction costs; e) education or training equipment; f) mental health services, trauma-informed care, and wraparound support services, including child or dependent care.

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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: Oppose

Author: Eggman

Date: 06/15/2022

Status: Died

Mental health services: Gravely disabled: This bill would include under the definition of “gravely disabled” a condition in which a person, as a result of a mental health disorder, is unable to provide for the basic personal needs of personal or medical care or self-protection and safety.

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MHAC Position: Watch

Author: Ochoa Bogh

Date: 06/21/2022

Status: Died

Homeless and Mental Health Court and Transitioning Home Grant Programs: This bill would establish two new grant programs administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections: 1) the Homeless and Mental Health Court Grant program, which would (subject to appropriation) provide grants to counties for the purpose of establishing or expanding homeless courts and mental health courts; and 2) the Transitioning Home Grant Program that would (subject to appropriation) provide grants to county sheriffs and jail administrators to fund programs aimed at reducing homelessness among people released from custody.

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MHAC Position: Watch

Author: Stern

Date: 11/30/2022

Status: Vetoed

Mental health guaranteed rights: Would add a provision to Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code to read: Part 8. Mental Health Care Guaranteed Rights to Treatment, Housing, and Other Services 5980. Any person that lacks supportive housing and behavioral health care and it otherwise not living safely in the community has a right to mental health care services, housing that heals, and access to a full- service partnership model, including access to treatment beds and a recovery facilitator that shall navigate access to appropriate resources for the person.

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Related Documents

• Bill Fact Sheet

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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