This week, the Newsom Administration released their draft of a
statewide
Extreme Heat Action Plan, aimed at better protecting
communities during high heat events.
The California Department of Aging (CDA) has announced that they
will host a results briefing on the Hubs and Spokes Network for
Aging and Disability proposal in March 2022, instead of the
previously announced December 2021 timeframe.
At the briefing, CDA will discuss the findings from the
stakeholder input process and next steps. This initiative follows
up on direction in the Master Plan for Aging to revisit
California’s Area Agency on Aging (AAA) local leadership
structures to meet the growing and changing needs and advance
equity.
California’s ambitious federal waiver package, titled “California
Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal” (CalAIM) was approved by the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on December 29.
All counties are encouraged to register now for an important
CalAIM webinar on Friday, December 17, 2021 at 4:00
p.m. to learn about the intersection between
Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) and the CalAIM
Incentive Payment Program (IPP) funding opportunities.
The Assembly Health and Judiciary Committees held a joint
informational hearing on December 15 to explore issues related to
Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act conservatorships for individuals
who are found to be gravely disabled by a judge.
The nine-hour hearing included comments from CSAC; the County
Behavioral Health Directors Association; the California
Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians, and
Public Conservators; persons with lived experience related to LPS
conservatorships; lawyers; hospitals; and labor representatives.
The 2021 CSAC Annual Meeting was held in Monterey County
from November 29 through December 3. More than 600 registrants
attended the conference, engaging with County Supervisors,
policy stakeholders, and CSAC staff. All of CSAC’s policy
committees met in person to hear from key policy makers and
influencers and update priorities for the
2022 legislative session. Please find a brief recap of
each policy committee meeting below.
Governor Newsom met the October 10 deadline to take action on
measures approved by the Legislature and delivered to his desk.
To keep counties informed of new laws that impact them, CSAC will
be publishing a series of articles to spotlight those laws in
each policy area. This week, the Health and Human Services policy
area provides information on new laws affecting local health,
behavioral health and social services programs and services.
The new laws listed below become effective January 1, 2022 unless
otherwise noted.
On November 4, CSAC hosted an In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)
Training Webinar for county and public authority staff in
partnership with the County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA)
and the California Association of Public Authorities (CAPA). The
training provided a refresher course on the revised IHSS
Maintenance of Effort (MOE) that was enacted in 2019 and covered
new wages, benefits, and collective bargaining provisions that
were enacted by AB 135 (Chapter 85, Statutes of 2021) this year.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is
developing the Clean
California Local Grant Program as part of a two-year program
through which approximately $296 million in funds will go to
local communities to beautify and improve local streets and
roads, tribal lands, parks, pathways, and transit centers to
clean and enhance public spaces.
October 10 was the deadline for final bill action by Governor
Newsom. Following is an update on major bills of interest or
concern for the Health and Human Services policy area that were
among the 800+ bills awaiting action by Governor Gavin Newsom.
For additional questions, please contact Farrah McDaid Ting, Justin
Garrett, or Roshena
Duree.
CSAC is awaiting the Governor’s action on a number of bills that
fall under the health and human services policy area and will
keep counties updated on the outcome of these measures. CSAC is
requesting the Governor’s signature on several of these measures.
Please see the list provided below.
The Governor’s office recently
announced the appointment of Marko Mijic as the new
Undersecretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency
(CHHS), and the appointment of Michelle Baass as the Director of
the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).
The Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII)
invites counties to a webinar next week, on Wednesday,
September 22, from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. The webinar, “In
the Room Where It Happens: Funding Equity Officer Positions for
Emergency Management” will explore strategies of embedding
Equity Officers throughout local departments and county
administration.
The legislative vehicle to implement a statewide 9-8-8 behavioral
health crisis line,
AB 988 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, may be dead,
but Governor Newsom is keeping California on track to meet the
July 2022 federal deadline for implementation by earmarking $20
million for the project.
The California Department of Health Care Services, the California
Department of Social Services, and the Judicial Council of
California are hosting a webinar on Wednesday, September
15, 11 a.m. -1 p.m. The webinar will be an overview of
the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA).
