CalWORKs

AB 1560 (Fuentes) – Support
As Amended on May 25, 2012

AB 1560, by Assembly Member Felipe Fuentes, will help low-income families who are eligible for the state’s Medi-Cal program to also receive CalFresh nutritional benefits. 

Specifically, AB 1560 would waive the gross income test for any individual who receives, or is eligible to receive, Medi-Cal medical benefits. The measure would also allow those who live in households with those who receive or are eligible to receive Medi-Cal benefits to qualify for the CalFresh program. 

CSAC supports AB 1560, which was scheduled to be heard in the Senate Human Services Committee on June 26, but it will now be heard in that Committee today (July 2). 

AB 1640 (Mitchell) – Support
As Amended on May 25, 2012

AB 1640, by Assembly Member Holly Mitchell, would change the state’s CalWORKs statute to allow for pregnant women (with no other children in the household) to become eligible for CalWORKs basic needs grants and full-scope 1931(b) Medi-Cal benefits upon verification of a pregnancy.

The Senate Human Services Committee took testimony on AB 1640 on June 26, but will complete its hearing of the measure and vote today (July 2). 

AB 1691 (Lowenthal, B.) – Support
As Introduced on February 15, 2012

AB 1691, by Assembly Member Bonnie Lowenthal, would allow non-English speaking CalWORKs recipients, which include refugees and other legal immigrants, to participate in English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction for eight months. Time spent in ESL instruction would count as a core activity and counties would have the option of extending ESL participation for up to 12 months on a case-by-case basis. 

CSAC supports AB 1691, but the Senate Appropriations Committee placed it on their Suspense File on June 26. 

AB 1998 (Achadjian) – Support
As Amended on May 25, 2012

AB 1998, by Assembly Member Katcho Achadjian, would help bridge the “digital divide” by allowing counties to donate surplus computer property directly to recipients of public assistance to aid in employment and assistance efforts.

CSAC supports AB 1998, which was passed by the Senate Governance and Finance Committee on June 28. It is now on the Senate Floor. 

AB 2352 (Hernández) – Support
As Introduced on February 24, 2012

AB 2352, by Assembly Member Roger Hernández, would allow CalWORKs applicants and recipients to own reliable cars by deleting the requirement that counties assess the value of a motor vehicle when determining or redetermining CalWORKs eligibility
. 
AB 2352 is similar to last year’s AB 1182, which was vetoed by the Governor. Counties believe that this change will promote work participation and self-sufficiency among low-income California families and eventually help CalWORKs recipients move off of public aid. It is for these reasons that we support Assembly Member Hernández’s measure again this year. 
CSAC supports AB 2352, which will be heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 25. However, the Committee placed it on their Suspense File due to concern about state costs.

Child Welfare Services/Foster Care

SB 1319 (Liu) – Support
As Amended on June 11, 2012

SB 1319, by Senator Carol Liu, is a highly technical measure that would make three small changes to existing law, but it will streamline certain components of the foster care system for the foster family homes, agencies, and treatment facilities that treat and house our state’s most vulnerable children.

The technical changes in the measure were proposed by San Bernardino County and are supported by the County Welfare Directors Association. The Senate Human Services Committee passed SB 1319 on June 26, and it goes next to the Senate Appropriations Committee. 

AB 1707 (Ammiano) – Support
As Amended on March 13, 2012

AB 1707, by Assembly Member Tom Ammiano, would amend the Child Abuse Central Index (CACI) statute to automatically remove the name of a person who is listed as a perpetrator of child abuse after 10 years if the incident occurred when the perpetrator was under 18 years old at the time of the incident. The perpetrator’s name would only be removed if no subsequent reportable incidents have occurred. AB 1707 would also modify CACI notice requirements to require the Department of Justice to report any listings involving a minor under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court to the minor’s attorney. 

CSAC supports AB 1707, which was heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 25. However, the Committee placed AB 1707 on their Suspense File. 

AB 1712 (Beall) – Support
As Amended on June 21, 2012

AB 1712, by Assembly Member Jim Beall, is a technical clean up measure relating to 2010’s Fostering Connections to Success Act. The Act extended foster care services to youth up to age 21 and helps the state draw down additional foster care funding from the federal government. 

AB 1712 was created with input from counties, foster family agencies, and myriad other stakeholders, all with a singular goal in mind: To make foster care services as accessible and efficient as possible for all youth and non-minor dependents that need them. 

The Senate Human Services Committee passed AB 1712 on June 26, and it goes next to the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

AB 1751 (Pan) – Support
As Introduced on February 17, 2012

AB 1751, by Assembly Member Richard Pan, would enable county child welfare agencies and probation officers to access child support information in order to locate noncustodial parents who could provide a stable placement for children who would otherwise be placed into foster care due to abuse or neglect.

CSAC, along with the County Welfare Directors Association, support the measure, which was passed by the Assembly Judiciary Committee on April 17. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed AB 1751 on June 26, and it goes next to the Senate Appropriations Committee. 

AB 1928 (Cook) – Support
As Amended on May 10, 2012

AB 1928, by Assembly Member Paul Cook, would clarify current regulations to help increase the number and availability of specialized foster care homes in our counties by clarifying the conditions under which the number of foster children placed in a specialized foster care home may be increased from two to three. 

CSAC, along with the County Welfare Directors Association, support the bill. The Senate passed the measure on June 28, and it goes next to the Governor. 

Health Care Reform

SB 970 (de Léon) – Support
As Amended on May 29, 2012

SB 970, as amended on May 24 by Assembly Member Kevin de Léon, would help integrate the process for applying for public programs such as CalFresh and CalWORKs with the new online health coverage application process that is under development by the state. 

SB 970 would build on California’s existing service integration by ensuring that people applying for health coverage through CalHEERS can also begin the application process for other public programs, including CalFresh and CalWORKs. A comprehensive stakeholder workgroup, including representatives from county human services departments, among others, would be established by the bill to review whether additional programs should be included in the process.

The Assembly Health Committee passed SB 970 on June 26, and it goes next to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

CalFresh (SNAP, Food Stamps)

SB 1391 (Liu) – Support
As Amended on June 15, 2012

SB 1391, by Senator Carol Liu, would establish procedures for recovering CalFresh overissuances of more than $125 in accordance with federal law. 

The new procedures would apply to current and former CalFresh recipients and would help streamline the collection process for overissuances resulting from administrative errors, while keeping the existing regulatory structure for cases of inadvertent household error, intentional program violation, and fraud in place.

Counties and County Welfare Directors support raising the threshold for recovering CalFresh overissuances to $125 because it will allow our eligibility workers to focus on the more egregious instances while also providing more time for caseload work. 

The author and sponsor (Western Center on Law and Poverty) of the measure are also working with counties to establish a realistic implementation timeline, possibly October 2012. 

CSAC, along with the County Welfare Directors Association, support SB 1391, which was passed by the Assembly Human Services Committee on June 26. It goes next to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Health

AB 43 (Monning) – Support
As Amended on May 27, 2011

AB 43, by Assembly Member William Monning, would require the state Department of Health Care Services to begin planning for the transition of individuals into Medi-Cal as required in 2014 by the federal Affordable Care Act. 

AB was recently taken off of the Inactive File and continues to move through the policy committee process. 

Specifically, AB 43 requires state planning to transition adults from county-run Low Income Health Plans (LIHP), established under California’s Bridge to Reform Section 1115 Medicaid Demonstration waiver approved in 2010, into Medi-Cal. The Department would be required to submit the plan to the federal government.

Counties are supportive of developing a plan to transition the LIHP enrollees into Medi-Cal. CSAC has been working with Assembly Member Monning’s staff to develop language that broadens the transition plan. This language ensures that individuals served in counties that may ultimately choose not to develop an LIHP, as well as individuals who might not be eligible for a county’s LIHP, for example, due to income slightly above the set limits, be included in transition planning. We understand this language will be amended into the bill and appreciate the author’s willingness to work with us.

Counties also support the bill’s ambitious timeline, i.e. erecting an eligibility process for transitioning LIHP participants to Medi-Cal by July 1, 2013, but recognize the technical realities associated with achieving it may be challenging. Counties will be critical partners in providing Medi-Cal eligibility determinations and enrolling individuals in the Medi-Cal program. It will be important for counties to have a role in this process, along with other key stakeholders. 

Counties look forward to working with the Legislature to achieve the goal of developing a realistic and robust transition plan for expanding Medi-Cal under the Affordable Care Act in 2014. CSAC, along with the Urban Counties Caucus, County Welfare Directors Association, and County Health Executives Association of California support AB 43. The Senate Appropriations Committee heard AB 43 on June 25, and placed it on their Suspense File pending the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act and also to further examine possible state costs associated with the measure. 

SB 677 (Hernandez) – Support 
As Amended on May 23, 2011

SB 677, by Senator Edward Hernandez, would implement two provisions of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) related to determining eligibility for the Medicaid program. The measure would implement the new federal income standards – the modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) – for determining Medi-Cal eligibility. Additionally, the measure would eliminate the asset test for determining Medi-Cal eligibility. Both of these eligibility changes would become effective January 1, 2014, in conjunction with the effective date of the ACA.

Counties have long supported efforts to simplify the Medi-Cal program, such as elimination of the asset test. We believe that program simplification increases program efficiency. Reducing complicated eligibility tests at the time when over a million Californians will become newly eligible for Medi-Cal will assist with easing enrollment.
CSAC, along with the Urban Counties Caucus (UCC), County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA), California Mental Health Directors Association (CMHDA), and the County Health Executives Association of California (CHEAC), have joined together to take a support position on SB 677. The Assembly Health Committee passed SB 677 on June 26, and it next goes to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. 

AB 2109 (Pan) – Support
As Amended on June 20, 2012

AB 2109, by Assembly Member Richard Pan, would require a parent or guardian seeking an immunization personal belief exemption for their child to provide a document signed by themselves and a licensed health care practitioner acknowledging that the parent or guardian has been informed by the health care practitioner of the benefits and risks of immunization as well as the health risks associated with communicable diseases. 

CSAC and the County Health Executives Association of California (CHEAC) support AB 2109, which was passed by the Senate Health Committee on June 27. It goes next to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

AB 2266 (Mitchell) – Support
As Amended on June 25, 2012 

AB 2266, by Assembly Member Holly Mitchell, would allow California to leverage significant federal funding create a patient-centered “health home” program for Medi-Cal beneficiaries who are frequent hospital users. 

Specifically, the measure would allow California to utilize a 90 percent federal funding match for two years under the Affordable Care Act to create a comprehensive program for frequent hospital users. The program would include comprehensive engagement and case management, hospital discharge planning, assistance with accessing social services, and other proven strategies to stabilize and effectively treat frequent hospital users. The program goal is to stabilize – and even increase – the health of frequent hospital users while reducing their utilization of costly medical care. 

Currently, 12 counties fund or manage home health programs for frequent hospital users, and have realized medical cost savings as a result. By allowing hospitals, community clinics, and behavioral health care providers to offer health home services, we believe counties and the state can achieve significant cost savings for the sickest and most expensive users of hospital care – all without incurring state costs for erecting a health home program.

CSAC just adopted a support positions on AB 2266, and the measure is pending in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Mental Health

AB 154 (Beall) – Support
As Amended on January 23, 2012

AB 154 by Assembly Member Jim Beall would require Knox-Keene licensed health plans to expand mental health coverage to include the diagnosis and treatment of any mental health condition or disorder as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV (DSM-IV) (or subsequent editions), including substance abuse and nicotine treatment. Assembly Bill 154 would also allow the newly established California Health Benefit Exchange to offer mental health services that conform with the minimum essential benefits package as outlined in the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PL 111-148). 

Counties believe that AB 154, if enacted, would reduce costly hospitalizations, incarcerations, and homelessness, thereby reducing overall health care costs in the state. For example, according to the 2009 Almanac of Chronic Disease, people diagnosed with depression have nearly twice the annual health care costs of those without depression. AB 154 would help ensure that private health plans treat individuals with mental health, substance use or co-occurring disorders in a comprehensive and meaningful way. 

AB 154 failed passage in the Senate Health Committee on June 27, but reconsideration was granted. The Committee room on that day was packed with parties interested in AB 2109, and many of AB 154’s supporters were unable to testify. We wish to thank Senate Health Committee Chair Ed Hernandez for granting reconsideration of AB 154.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

AB 1944 (Gatto) – Oppose
As Amended on June 28, 2012

AB 1944, by Assembly Member Mike Gatto, would give employers increased authority over disciplinary investigations and actions for paramedics in their employ. 

Counties are concerned that AB 1944 would weaken the authority of local and state EMS agency medical directors to protect patients from individuals that pose a threat to the public’s health and safety, regardless of employer. 

CSAC, along with the County Health Executives Association of California (CHEAC), oppose the measure. The Senate Governance and Finance Committee amended the measure on June 20, and passed it. It goes next to the Senate Appropriations Committee.