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

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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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

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Amended  IN  Assembly  March 18, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 798

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Introduced by Assembly Member Cervantes

February 20, 2019

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An act to amend Section 2024 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to pest abatement. An act to add Section 131120 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to public health.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 798, as amended, Cervantes. Mosquito abatement: vector control districts. 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, 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 privately funded. The bill would require the California Health and Human Services Agency to submit a report to the Legislature regarding the pilot program 6 months after the results of the pilot program are reported, as specified.

Existing law, the Mosquito Abatement and Vector Control District Law, specifies the procedures for district formation, procedures for the selection of the district board of trustees and officers, and the powers and duties of the board. Under existing law, the term of office for a member of the board of trustees is a term of 2 or 4 years, at the discretion of the appointing authority. Existing law specifies the procedure to fill a vacancy in the office of a member appointed to a board of trustees and requires that the person appointed to fill the vacancy fill the balance of the unexpired term.

This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions governing the term of office.

Digest Key

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

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Bill Text

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, 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 may be coordinated by the California Task Force on the Status of Maternal Mental 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 California Health and Human Services Agency, in consultation with the California Task Force on the Status of Maternal Mental Health and state entities, as necessary, 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.

SECTION 1.Section 2024 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

2024.

(a) Except as provided in Section 2023, the term of office for a member of the board of trustees is two or four years, at the discretion of the appointing authority. Terms of office commence at noon on the first Monday in January.

(b) A vacancy in the office of a member appointed to a board of trustees shall be filled pursuant to Section 1779 of the Government Code. A person appointed to fill a vacant office shall fill the balance of the unexpired term.