Governor’s May Revise

The Governor released his May Revision to the January budget this Thursday, May 14. The May Revision contained a new proposal to implement a state Earned Income Tax Credit, an additional investment in California’s workforce programs, increased AB 85 county diversion estimates, and smaller than expected funding for Medi-Cal county administration.

For more details, please refer to the CSAC Budget Action Bulletin.

Vaccine bill moves to the Assembly

This week the Senate passed SB 277, by Senator Richard Pan. SB 277 would eliminate the personal belief exemption for existing required immunizations in order to attend private (K-12) schools and daycare facilities. However, the bill has been amended to no longer require school districts to provide school immunization rates to parents or guardians CSAC supports SB 277.

Adult Protective Services 

Senate Bill 196, by Senator Hancock, would authorize a county adult protective services agency and a public conservator to file a petition for a protective order on behalf of elder or dependent adults if the adult has been identified as lacking the capacity and a conservatorship is being sought. Current law authorizes the following persons to seek an order: a conservator or trustee, an attorney-in-fact, a person appointed as a guardian ad litem, or other person legally authorized to seek the order. SB 196 seeks to add a county adult protective services agency as an authorized entity.

CSAC supports SB 196, sponsored by the County Welfare Director’s Association of California.

Bills on Suspense

This week, a number of bills were placed on the Senate or Assembly Appropriation Committee’s Suspense File including:

• AB 1193 by Assembly Member Eggman, which requires counties to hold a public hearing on Laura’s Law by January 1, 2018. The bill would also extend the Assisted Outpatient Treatment Demonstration Project Act of 2002 to January 1, 2022 from the current repeal date of January 1, 2017, which is something that CSAC supports. CSAC has an oppose unless amended position on this bill.
• SB 33 by Senator Ed Hernandez, which would 1) limit estate recovery for those ages 55 and over to only the health care services required to be recovered under federal law; 2) eliminate recovery against the estate of a surviving spouse of a deceased beneficiary; and 3) require DHCS to provide notice of total Medi-Cal expenses paid on behalf of the beneficiary that are subject to recovery and post notice on how to request this information on the website. CSAC along with the County Health Executives Association of California and the County Welfare Directors Association of California have taken a support position on this measure.
• SB 238, sponsored by the County Welfare Directors Association of California and supported by CSAC, which seeks to increase communication and training amongst all parties serving foster youth through requiring four key aspects:
• The Department of Social Services and the Department of Health Care Services to develop monthly data reports that match prescription and claims data with child welfare services records;
• The development of a system that triggers alerts to child welfare social workers and others serving the child such as attorneys and courts, when medications that could have dangerous interactions with psychotropic medications have been prescribed or when foster youth are prescribed unusual dosages;
• An update to the JV-220 court form to allow key stakeholders to provide information, feedback and details on the overall mental health and treatment plan for the child; and
• Training for child welfare social workers, foster children, caregivers and attorneys and Court-Appointed Special Advocates regarding psychotropic medications.
• SB 804 which updates obsolete references to California Mental Health Directors Association and the County Alcohol and Drug Program Administrators Association of California to reflect the County Behavioral Health Directors Association (CBHDA). CSAC supports this bill.

Additional Bill Information:

For additional information regarding CSAC’s position on health and human services bills and/or CSAC position letters, please see our legislative tracking page.