HHS Policy Committee to Meet Monthly in 2011

Due to the pressing issues affecting health and human services programs, the CSAC Health and Human Services Policy Committee will meet monthly in 2011. The Committee anticipates grappling with federal health care reform, the implementation of the new Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver, and state budget proposals. 

The committee will meet the second Thursday of each month from January through May. In June, the Committee will meet in conjunction with the CSAC Legislative Conference held in Sacramento. Santa Clara County Supervisor Liz Kniss chairs the committee, and Alpine County Supervisor Terry Woodrow serves as vice chair.

The meeting dates so far are:

• January 13
• February 10
• March 10
• April 14
• May 12

Each meeting is scheduled from 2 to 3 p.m. If you wish to be added to the policy committee email distribution list, please email your name, title, county, phone, email, and physical address to Amanda Yang.

CalWORKS

AB 1 (Pérez) – Support

As Introduced December 6, 2010

AB 1, by Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez, would appropriate $233.5 million for CalWORKs Stage Three child care, effective immediately upon passage. 

AB 1 fulfills Speaker Pérez’s promise to attempt to restore Governor Schwarzenegger’s October 8 veto of $256 million in CalWORKs Stage Three child care subsidies from the 2010-11 budget. Since that time, more than 40 local county First 5 Commissions have stepped in to provide bridge loan funding to sustain the program until a legislative solution is adopted. 

AB 1 would reappropriate $118 million in unobligated balances from the 2009 federal Child Care and Development Block Grant, and provide $115.5 million from the state General Fund for the program. 

While the bill is not keyed as an urgency bill, it would go into immediate effect because it “makes appropriations for the usual and current expenses of the state.” According to the Legislative Counsel’s Office, this clause also categorizes the bill as a majority vote bill, rather than the two-thirds that is usually required for expenditures. Lastly, AB 1 also contains language to make it retroactive to November 1, 2010.

CSAC is supporting the bill because it funds an important component of the CalWORKs continuum by creating opportunities for working parents to obtain and maintain stable employment. AB 1 is not yet set for hearing.

Mental Health

AB 39 (Beall) – Pending
As Introduced December 6, 2010

AB 39, by Assembly Member Jim Beall, would require the state Department of Mental Health to allocate $57 million in Mental Health Services Act (Proposition 63, 2004) funds to support AB 3632 special education services for 2010-11. 

AB 39 also requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction and county mental health directors to convene a joint technical working group to develop a transitional program to transfer AB 3632 responsibilities to the state Department of Education. 

The bill was introduced in response to the Governor’s October 8 veto of AB 3632 funding from the 2010-11 budget. In November, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell announced $76 million in federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding to help schools provide mental health services to qualified students, but this funding is expected to last only a few months.