Bill Text: CA AB798 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 798 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Maternal mental health.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-08-20 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB798 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB798-Amended.html

Amended IN Senate March 19, 2020

Amended IN Senate June 13, 2019

Amended IN Assembly April 09, 2019

Amended IN Assembly March 27, 2019

Amended IN Assembly March 18, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 798

Introduced by Assembly Member Cervantes

February 20, 2019

An act to add and repeal Section 131120 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to public health.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 798, as amended, Cervantes. Maternal mental health.

Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health within the California Health and Human Services Agency to develop and maintain a statewide community-based comprehensive perinatal services program to, among other things, ensure the appropriate level of maternal, newborn, and pediatric care services necessary to provide the healthiest outcomes for mothers and infants. Existing law also requires the department, until January 1, 2023, to investigate and apply for federal funding opportunities to support maternal mental health.

Existing law requires, by July 1, 2019, licensed health care practitioners providing prenatal or postpartum care to screen or offer to screen mothers for maternal mental health conditions, and health care service plans and health insurers to develop maternal mental health programs, as specified. Existing law also requires, by January 1, 2020, each general acute care hospital with a perinatal unit to develop and implement a program to provide education and information to postpartum women, families, and specified hospital employees regarding maternal mental health conditions, including postpartum depression.

This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to address the shortage of treatment options for women suffering from maternal mental health disorders, including postpartum depression and anxiety disorders. This bill would create a pilot program, ~~in counties that elect to participate,~~ in the 10 largest counties by population, designed to increase the capacity of health care providers that serve pregnant and postpartum women up to one year after delivery to effectively prevent, identify, and manage postpartum depression and other mental health conditions. The pilot program would be coordinated by the State Department of Public Health and be privately funded. The bill would require the department to submit a report to the Legislature regarding the pilot program 6 months after the results of the pilot program are reported, as specified. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2025. Because the bill would require the 10 largest counties by population to participate in the program, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOYES

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

It is the intent of the Legislature to address the shortage of treatment options for women suffering from maternal mental health disorders, including postpartum depression and anxiety disorders.

SEC. 2.

Section 131120 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

131120.

(a) There is hereby created a pilot program, ~~in counties that elect to participate,~~ in the 10 largest counties by population, including the County of Riverside, to increase the capacity of health care providers that serve pregnant and postpartum women up to one year after delivery to effectively prevent, identify, and manage postpartum depression and other mental health conditions. The pilot program shall be coordinated by the State Department of Public Health and shall be privately funded. The pilot program may include a provider-to-provider or patient-to-provider consultation program and utilize telehealth or e-consult technologies. The pilot program may include the following elements:

(1) Training and toolkits on screening, assessment, and the range of treatment options.

(2) Coordination of care to link women with individual services in their communities.

(3) Access to perinatal psychiatric consultations.

(b) Within six months after the results of the pilot program are reported, the State Department of Public Health, in consultation with the California Task Force on the Status of Maternal Mental Health Care and state entities, shall submit a report to the Legislature, in accordance with the requirements of Section 9795 of the Government Code, regarding the pilot program described in subdivision (a). The report shall do all of the following:

(1) Document the impact of the pilot program on increasing the number of women who were screened, assessed, and treated for maternal mental health disorders.

(2) Identify methods to expand the pilot program to additional counties or statewide.

(3) Identify funding opportunities to support the expansion of the pilot program, including federal funding, state funding, and surcharges.

SEC. 3.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.