Position Category: Assembly Bill

April 15th, 2025 

The Honorable Mia Bonta  
Chair, Assembly Health Committee  
1020 N Street, Room 390 
Sacramento, CA 95814 

RE: Support for Assembly Bill 785 (Sharp-Collins)

Dear Chair Bonta,   

The California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN) is pleased to support AB 785 (Sharp-Collins), legislation that would create the Community Violence Interdiction Grant Program, aimed at providing funding for community-driven solutions to decrease violence in neighborhoods and schools. A key component of this grant program is its flexibility to fund enhanced recreation and health-based activities, trauma-informed interventions for youth, and the creation of school-based health centers.

CAYEN is a youth-led statewide network comprised of TAY Action Teams and CAYEN Board members which engages, empowers and represents Transitional Age Youth (TAY), ages 15-26, in mental health advocacy on issues that directly affect TAY. Since CAYEN’s inception in 2006, CAYEN has taken many forms of action to empower TAY in their personal lives and spark progressive change in public policy. 

Youth across California are experiencing heightened mental health and substance use challenges due to a variety of external factors related to family, school, and community environment. This bill presents an opportunity to invest in community-based services and support for youth most impacted by violence, gang involvement, trauma, homelessness, poverty, and justice system involvement. This grant’s focus on community-based services ensures that institutions are well resourced and prepared to meet youth where they are and enrich youth lives towards better health outcomes.

For these reasons, CAYEN strongly supports AB 785 (Sharp-Collins) and urges your “Aye” vote. If you have any questions, or if CAYEN can provide assistance on this bill or any other behavioral health legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me at dthirakul@mhac.org or our Director of Public Policy, Karen Vicari, at kvicari@mhaofca.org.  

Sincerely,  

Danny Thirakul 
California Youth Empowerment Network 
Public Policy Coordinator 

June 16, 2025

The Honorable Angelique Ashby
Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee
1021 O Street, Room 3320
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: Support for Assembly Bill 489 (Bonta)

Dear Chair Ashby,   

The California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN) is pleased to support Assembly Bill 489 (Bonta), which would prohibit entities from using artificial intelligence (AI) or generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) that falsely claim or suggest it is a licensed doctor or healthcare provider to provide advice, care, reports, or assessments. The bill makes it illegal for AI or GenAI to use certain words, letters, or phrases that imply it is being operated by someone with a valid healthcare license or certificate when it is not.

CAYEN is a youth-led statewide network comprised of TAY Action Teams and CAYEN Board members which engages, empowers and represents Transitional Age Youth (TAY), ages 15-26, in mental health advocacy on issues that directly affect TAY. Since CAYEN’s inception in 2006, CAYEN has taken many forms of action to empower TAY in their personal lives and spark progressive change in public policy. With virtual mental health services expanding in California and increasing access to youth who are more technologically capable, it is important to ensure that safeguards are in place to ensure accurate information is being shared with youth.

In the early days of social media, youth were warned about the risks of online communication, especially the fear that the person on the other end might not be who they claim to be. Since then, technology has evolved with AI capabilities to ask questions, assign tasks, and generate automated responses, sometimes inaccurate and harmful, based on various algorithms. This danger of not knowing who you are communicating with on the internet still exists. Youth can now use AI to ask questions and seek advice regarding their own mental health challenges; however, many AI responses are not regulated or controlled by a practicing, licensed, and certified healthcare provider.

This bill incorporates safeguards to ensure youth are not receiving false and potentially harmful information related to their mental health or substance use challenges. For these reasons, CAYEN supports AB 489 (Bonta) and asks for your “Aye” vote. If you have any questions, or if CAYEN can provide assistance on this bill or any other behavioral health legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me at dthirakul@mhac.org or our Director of Public Policy, Karen Vicari, at kvicari@mhac.org.  

Sincerely,  

Danny Thirakul 
California Youth Empowerment Network 
Public Policy Coordinator 

April 14th, 2025

The Honorable Rebecca Bauer-Kahan
Chair, Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee
1020 N Street, Room 162
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: Support for Assembly Bill 489 (Bonta)

Dear Chair Bauer-Kahan,   

The California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN) is pleased to support Assembly Bill 489 (Bonta), which would prohibit entities from using artificial intelligence (AI) that falsely claim or suggest it is a licensed doctor or healthcare provider to provide advice, care, reports, or assessments. The bill makes it illegal for AI to use certain words, letters, or phrases that imply it is being operated by someone with a valid healthcare license or certificate when it is not.

CAYEN is a youth-led statewide network comprised of TAY Action Teams and CAYEN Board members which engages, empowers and represents Transitional Age Youth (TAY), ages 15-26, in mental health advocacy on issues that directly affect TAY. Since CAYEN’s inception in 2006, CAYEN has taken many forms of action to empower TAY in their personal lives and spark progressive change in public policy. With virtual mental health services or tele-health expanding in California, increasing access to youth who are more technologically capable, it is important to ensure that safeguards are in place to ensure accurate information is being shared with youth.

In the early days of social media, youth were warned about the risks of online communication, especially the fear that the person on the other end might not be who they claim to be. Since then, technology has evolved with AI capabilities to ask questions, assign tasks, and generate automated responses, sometimes inaccurate and harmful, based on various algorithms. This danger of not knowing who you are communicating with on the internet still exists. Youth can now use AI to ask questions and seek advice regarding their own mental health challenges; however, many AI responses are not regulated or controlled by an actually practicing, licensed, and certified healthcare provider.

This bill incorporates safeguards to ensure youth are not receiving false and potentially harmful information related to their mental health or substance use challenges. For these reasons, CAYEN supports AB 489 (Bonta) and asks for your “Aye” vote. If you have any questions, or if CAYEN can provide assistance on this bill or any other behavioral health legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me at dthirakul@mhac.org or our Director of Public Policy, Karen Vicari, at kvicari@mhaofca.org.  

Sincerely,  

Danny Thirakul 
California Youth Empowerment Network 
Public Policy Coordinator 

June 27^th, 2025

The Honorable Senator Renée Pérez
Chair of the Senate Education Committee
1021 O Street, Room 6740
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: Support for Assembly Bill 727 (González)

Dear Chair Pérez, 

The California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN) is pleased to support Assembly Bill 727 (González), legislation that would require schools and institutions of higher education to provide the Trevor Project’s LGBTQ+ suicide hotline on their students’ identification cards.

CAYEN is a youth-led statewide network, comprised of TAY Action Teams and CAYEN Board members, that engages, empowers, and represents Transitional Age Youth (TAY), ages 15-26, in mental health advocacy on issues that directly affect TAY. Since 2006, CAYEN has actively worked to empower TAY and drive meaningful change in public policy, particularly in increasing access to vital mental health supports.

In another round of destructive cuts, President Donald Trump officially ordered the end of national 988 LGBTQ+ suicide prevention funding. Since 2022, 988—the nation’s official hotline for suicide prevention and crisis management—has offered specialized services for LGBTQ+ callers in need. 

What does this mean? 

LGBTQ+ callers in crisis will not be routed to specialized providers if they call 988. Instead, callers will now need to directly call these service providers. 

LGBTQ+ crisis service providers have lost critical funding needed to support youth in crisis. 

AB 727 is a critical measure to combat the LGBTQ+ youth mental health crisis and ensures student have access to suicide prevention resources at their fingertips. AB 727 would require student ID cards for grades 7–12 and at institutions of higher education to include the Trevor Project Crisis Support Line, providing immediate access to life-saving resources.

This bill is critical, now more than ever. Schools should be a safe place for children to learn, build friendships, and develop a sense of belonging. Unfortunately, the reality is stark—our schools are the third most common location where LGBTQ+ youth experience hate crimes, with incidents more than doubling between 2018 and 2022, according to the FBI.

Studies have consistently shown the need for increased specialized suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth. The Centers for Disease Control, for example, have highlighted the staggering statistics. In a report, they found that 20% of surveyed students who identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual reported having attempted suicide, compared to 6% of their heterosexual peers. This reality jumps to nearly 26% for transgender high school students. 

California remains at the forefront of LGBTQ+ protections and resources for students, but many do not know how to access them. By increasing the visibility of these services, we hope to increase access while also fostering an inclusive learning environment – which research demonstrates contributes to better educational outcomes.

The State needs to bolster existing support mechanisms and provide additional resources to students. For these reasons, CAYEN supports AB 727 (González) and asks you to vote “Aye.” If you have any questions, or if CAYEN can provide assistance on this bill or any other behavioral health legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me at dthirakul@mhac.org or our Director of Public Policy, Karen Vicari, at kvicari@mhac.org.

Sincerely,

Danny Thirakul
California Youth Empowerment Network
Public Policy Coordinator

June 27^th, 2025

The Honorable Sasha Renée Pérez
Senate Education Committee
1021 O Street, Room 6740
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: CAYEN Support for AB 1230 (Bonta)

Dear Chair Pérez,   

The California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN) is pleased to support AB 1230 (Bonta), legislation that would strengthen the statutes governing rehabilitation plans for expelled students, help facilitate these students successful return to school, and support school district planning regarding expulsion programs. 

CAYEN is a youth-led statewide network comprised of TAY Action Teams and CAYEN Board members which engages, empowers and represents Transitional Age Youth (TAY), ages 15-26, in mental health and substance use advocacy on issues that directly affect TAY. Since CAYEN’s inception in 2006, CAYEN has taken many forms of action to empower TAY in their personal lives and spark progressive change in public policy. Harm reduction policies have shown to support youth significantly in addressing their behavioral health challenges and reducing criminalization.

In the 2023-24 school year, more than 4,000 California students were expelled from school, many of them among our most vulnerable student populations, with significant over-representations of Black and Latinx students. Substance abuse is known to be a significant contributor to disciplinary action and expulsion.

Current law offers only limited guidance to school districts regarding the development of rehabilitation plans to support the successful return of expelled students to their home district school or appropriate alternative. At present, plans may fail to address specific behaviors that led to expulsion or may not be tailored to the specific needs of the expelled students. Currently, plans may require services the student must complete at the expense of the family or include community service requirements without access to transportation.

To hold students accountable for expulsion-related behavior, while also strengthening pathways for their return to their home district school or appropriate alternative, it is crucial to develop meaningful expulsion rehabilitation plans.  AB 1230 will support improved outcomes for expelled students by requiring that rehabilitation plans address the behavior leading to the expulsion, include services responsive to the student’s needs, and provide information regarding program enrollment and readmission.

For these reasons, CAYEN supports AB 1230 (Bonta) and asks for your “Aye” vote. If you have any questions, or if CAYEN can provide assistance on this bill or any other behavioral health legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me at dthirakul@mhac.org or our Director of Public Policy, Karen Vicari, at kvicari@mhaofca.org.  

Sincerely,  

Danny Thirakul 
California Youth Empowerment Network 
Public Policy Coordinator 

March 29, 2024

The Honorable Mia Bonta
Chair, Assembly Health Committee
1020 N Street, Room 390
Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: AB 3221 (Pellerin) – SUPPORT

Dear Chair Bonta:

The California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN) is writing to express our support of AB 3221 (Pellerin) which will allow the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) to take enforcement action more swiftly and more efficiently when health plans violate the law.

The California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN) is a youth-led statewide network comprised of TAY Action Teams and CAYEN Board members which engages, empowers and represents Transitional Age Youth (TAY), ages 15-26, in mental health advocacy on issues that directly affect TAY. Since CAYEN’s inception in 2006, CAYEN has taken many forms of action to empower TAY in their personal lives and spark progressive change in public policy. One such way is to change our environment and the systems in which we operate, as they inadvertently and sometimes intentionally hinder TAY from accessing the services and supports they require and desire.

Too often, consumers, especially our youth, don’t receive the behavioral health care they need—and that they have paid for—in the timely and appropriate manner they are entitled to under the law. California has been at the forefront of passing groundbreaking behavioral health parity (SB 855) and timely access laws (SB 221), which could alleviate this crisis if the Department of Managed Health Care were empowered to take faster, stronger, and more efficient action.

Under The Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan of 1975, health care service plans are required to keep their books, records and papers open for inspection by the DMHC director.  DMHC is required to conduct periodic on-site medical surveys, publicly report results, and issue final reports after public review. They must also conduct follow-up reviews to evaluate a health plan’s efforts to correct deficiencies. But several of the provisions are outdated, ineffective, or both. Records are not provided electronically, which delays and costs the department, and penalties are not required for failure to provide full records promptly. Additionally, when DMHC seeks approval for actions on behalf of consumers, they are required to go to Superior Court, which is overburdening and less efficient than administrative law judges.

AB 3221 will allow DMHC to request that health plan records be furnished electronically, making those records faster to receive and easier to review. It will allow DMHC to seek relief on patients’ behalf through an administrative hearing rather than the slower and more burdensome Superior Court hearing process and empower DMHC’s director to take disciplinary action when a health plan fails to respond to a request for records fully or in a timely manner.

These common-sense changes will allow DMHC to take important enforcement actions more quickly and efficiently, improving compliance with the groundbreaking behavioral health parity and timely access laws California recently enacted. For these reasons, we support AB 3221 (Pellerin), and we respectfully request an “AYE” vote. If you have any questions, or if CAYEN can provide any assistance on this bill or any other behavioral health legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me at dthirakul@mhac.org.

Sincerely,  

Danny Thirakul 
Public Policy Coordinator

February 27, 2023

The Honorable Chris Holden
California State Assembly
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0041

RE: SUPPORT AB 289 (Holden) – Mental Health Services Act

Dear Assembly Member Holden:

On behalf of the California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN), I write to express our strong support for AB 289 (Holden), which would require youth and youth mental health organizations to be added to the list of stakeholders who must be included in discussions with counties as they develop their Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) three-year plans and annual updates.

The California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN) is a youth-led statewide network comprised of TAY Action Teams and CAYEN Board members which engages, empowers and represents Transitional Age Youth (TAY) in mental health advocacy on issues that directly affect TAY. We envision a community in which TAY in need of behavioral health services have access to resources and support so they can lead self-fulfilling lives and be contributing members of society.

The Mental Health Services Act, passed by voters in 2004 as Proposition 63, imposes a 1% tax on incomes over $1 million in California, and dedicates this funding to increasing behavioral health services in every California County. Two key principles of the MHSA are local control and extensive stakeholder involvement in planning, implementation, and evaluation of MHSA programs and services.

Each county has different community needs, demographics, and service gaps. Extensive stakeholder involvement in the development of county MHSA 3-year plans and annual updates is essential to ensure that programs meet the unique needs of each community. Children and youth require behavioral health services that are separate and unique from services designed for adults. For this reason, it is vital that counties are required to incorporate the voice of youth and youth mental health organizations at county MHSA planning meetings.

For these reasons, CAYEN is in strong support of AB 289.  If you have any questions and or if CAYEN can be of any assistance on this or any other behavioral health bill, please contact me or our Interim Director of Public Policy Karen Vicari at kvicari@mhaofca.org.  

In Community,

Heidi L. Strunk
President & CEO
California Youth Empowerment Network

March 29, 2023

The Honorable Joe Patterson
State Assembly
1021 O St., Suite 4530
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: Assembly Bill 19 (Patterson)

Dear Assembly Member Patterson:

The California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN) is pleased to SUPPORT Assembly Bill 19 (Patterson), which requires each school to have no less than two doses of naloxone onsite to aid persons suffering from an opioid overdose.

The California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN) is a youth-led statewide network comprised of TAY Action Teams and CAYEN Board members which engages, empowers and represents Transitional Age Youth (TAY), ages 15-26, in mental health advocacy on issues that directly affect TAY. Since CAYEN’s inception in 2006, CAYEN has taken many forms of action to empower TAY in their personal lives and spark progressive change in public policy.  

Assembly Bill 19 is a proactive measure to save the lives of students who have a substance use disorder, or are experimenting with substances, and have overdosed as a result. The increase in substance use, specifically substances adulterated with Fentanyl, has become increasingly alarming and our K-12 schools are not prepared. This bill will make sure they are by requiring at least two doses of naloxone to be available on campus in the event of an overdose. CAYEN works to decrease substance use for TAY and change public policy to reflect restorative justice ideology. In the meantime, it is important to save as many lives as possible until the proper supports and services are in place to reduce youth substance use.

For these reasons, we SUPPORT Assembly Bill 19. If you or your staff have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at dthirakul@mhac.org, or our Interim Director of Public Policy, Karen Vicari at kvicari@mhacofca.org.

In Community,

Danny Thirakul
Public Policy Coordinator
California Youth Empowerment Network

March 29, 2023

The Honorable James Ramos
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0045

RE: Support for Assembly Bill 461 (Ramos)

Dear Assembly Member Ramos:

The California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN) is pleased to support Assembly Bill 461 (Ramos), which would request the Regents of the University of California and require the governing board of each community college district and the Trustees of the California State University to provide information about the use and location of fentanyl test strips as part of established campus orientations, notify students of the presence and location of fentanyl test strips, and require that each campus health center stock and distribute fentanyl test strips.

The California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN) is a youth-led statewide network comprised of TAY Action Teams and CAYEN Board members which engages, empowers and represents Transitional Age Youth (TAY), ages 15-26, in mental health advocacy on issues that directly affect TAY. Since CAYEN’s inception in 2006, CAYEN has taken many forms of action to empower TAY in their personal lives and spark progressive change in public policy.  

The increasing rate of Fentanyl overdose and poisoning among youth requires substantial investments in prevention, outreach, and engagement from community-based organizations. Accessibility to local resources and services can decrease the likelihood of an overdose or poisoning from occurring. Assembly Bill 461 focuses on outreach and engagement on local colleges campuses informing the existence of fentanyl testing strips and requiring campuses to supply them through their campus health centers.  In addition, the ready availability of fentanyl test strips on college campuses will save the lives of students who innocently buy medications or substances that have been poisoned with fentanyl.

For these reasons, we SUPPORT Assembly Bill 461. If you or your staff have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at dthirakul@mhac.org, or our Interim Director of Public Policy, Karen Vicari at kvicari@mhacofca.org.

In Community,

Danny Thirakul
Public Policy Coordinator
California Youth Empowerment Network

May 31, 2023

The Honorable Wendy Carrillo
California State Assembly 
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0052

RE: Support for AB 665 (Carrillo)

Dear Assembly Member Carrillo:

The California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN) is pleased to supportAssembly Bill 665 (Carrillo), legislation which removes the requirement that a minor, 12 years of age or older, must present a danger of serious physical or mental harm to themselves or to others or be the alleged victim of incest or child abuse to consent to mental health services and supports. Additionally, it requires the professional person treating or counseling the minor to consult with the minor before determining whether involvement of the minor’s parent or guardian would be inappropriate.

CAYEN is a youth-led statewide network comprised of Transitional Age Youth (TAY) Action Teams and CAYEN Board members which engage, empowers and represents TAY, ages 15-26, in mental health advocacy on issues that directly affect TAY. Since CAYEN’s inception in 2006, CAYEN has taken many forms of action to empower TAY in their personal lives and spark progressive change in public policy.  

There is a growing need to expand mental health services for youth. However, many of us are restricted from consenting to mental health services or counseling unless we fall under very specific conditions. These conditions only apply to a subset population of youth who want mental health services or counseling and would exclude youth experiencing behavioral health challenges such as anxiety, depression, or bipolarism. Assembly Bill 665 would remove those conditions and increase access to mental health services and counseling for minors.

For these reasons, we support AB 665. If you or your staff have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at dthirakul@mhac.org, or our Interim Director of Public Policy, Karen Vicari at kvicari@mhacofca.org.

In Community,

Danny Thirakul
Public Policy Coordinator
California Youth Empowerment Network