Bill Text: CA AB861 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Mental health: community-based services.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2016-01-15 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB861 Detail]
Download: California-2015-AB861-Enrolled.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 861 ENROLLED
BILL TEXT
PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 3, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 12, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 30, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Maienschein
FEBRUARY 26, 2015
An act to add Section 14021.2 to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to mental health services.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 861, Maienschein. Mental health: community-based services.
Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is
administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and
under which qualified low-income persons receive health care
benefits. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by
federal Medicaid provisions. Existing law provides for a schedule of
benefits under the Medi-Cal program and provides for specified
services, including various mental health services. Existing federal
law, the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, requires the
United States Secretary of Health and Human Services to, among other
things, award, no later than January 1, 2016, planning grants to
states for the purpose of developing proposals to participate in
time-limited demonstration programs to improve mental health services
provided by certified community behavioral health clinics to
Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
This bill would require the department to apply to the United
States Secretary of Health and Human Services to be selected as a
participating state in the time-limited demonstration program to
receive enhanced federal matching funds for mental health services
provided by certified community behavioral health clinics if the
department applies for, and is awarded, a planning grant to develop
its proposal to participate in the demonstration program. The bill
would require the department to work with counties and other
stakeholders in developing its proposal. The bill would also require
the proposal to require that counties may not be selected to
participate unless they include plans to redirect a portion of the
funds currently used to match federal funds to providing increased
housing opportunities for individuals with severe mental illnesses,
as specified.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares the following:
(a) In 2014 Congress enacted the Protecting Access to Medicare Act
of 2014.
(b) Under the Protecting Access to Medicare Act, eight states will
be selected to have their federal share of costs increased to 90
percent for two years for outpatient behavioral health care for
individuals with severe mental illnesses or serious emotional
disturbances.
(c) If successful, this federal opportunity would enable
California to serve the tens of thousands of individuals with those
conditions that it now lacks the funding to serve.
(d) A major challenge in serving that population is that many are
homeless and in need of housing assistance. Federal funding cannot
pay for that housing assistance.
(e) This federal funding would free up nearly $2 billion in county
funds now being used to match federal funds. The money that is
currently being used to match federal funds will now be available to
be used to meet the housing needs of those individuals who are not
currently receiving the behavioral health care that they need.
SEC. 2. Section 14021.2 is added to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, to read:
14021.2. (a) If the department applies to the United States
Secretary of Health and Human Services for, and is awarded, the
planning grant awarded pursuant to Section 223 of the federal
Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 for the purpose of
developing proposals to participate in time-limited demonstration
programs to improve mental health services furnished by certified
community behavioral health clinics to Medi-Cal beneficiaries, the
department shall submit an application for the subsequent competitive
grant competition to be selected as a participating state in the
demonstration program.
(b) In planning to develop its proposal for the competitive grant,
the department shall work with counties and other stakeholders to
identify the unmet need for the covered services and to estimate the
number of individuals who will need housing assistance.
(c) The competitive grant proposal shall require that counties
shall not be selected to participate unless they include plans to
redirect a portion of the funds that are currently used to match
federal funds but will not be needed for that purpose during the
grant period to provide increased housing opportunities for
individuals with severe mental illnesses.
