Bill Text: CA AB1999 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 1999 (Prior Session Legislation)

CA State Legislature page for AB1999

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Medi-Cal: behavioral health: individuals with vision loss.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2022-09-18 - Vetoed by Governor. [AB1999 Detail]

Download: California-2021-AB1999-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1999

Introduced by Assembly Member Arambula

February 10, 2022

An act relating to mental health.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1999, as introduced, Arambula. Mental health: individuals with vision loss.

Existing law, the Bronzan-McCorquodale Act, contains provisions governing the operation and financing of community mental health services for the mentally disordered in every county through locally administered and locally controlled community mental health programs. Existing law further provides that, to the extent resources are available, community mental health services should be organized to provide an array of treatment options in specified areas, including, among others, precrisis and crisis services and rehabilitation and support services.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would require the State Department of Health Care Services to establish a pilot project to provide mental health services to persons who are blind or have low vision and that would require the pilot project to have specified components, including that funding would be provided for at least 6 counties that have agreed to participate.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) Adults who lose all, or most, of their vision, especially those whose onset of vision loss is later in life, face a myriad of challenges if they are to continue to live independently and productively.

(2) One of the most severe challenges for adults with vision loss is the social isolation, depression, and other mental health issues caused by the conditions surrounding their vision loss and the attitudes of the individual, their family, and society in general.

(3) Mental health services targeted to this population meet only a small fraction of the need.

(b) It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would require the State Department of Health Care Services to establish a pilot project to provide mental health services to persons who are blind or have low vision and that would require the pilot project to have the following components:

(1) Funding for at least six counties that have agreed to participate, with one of those counties being in northern California, one in central California, and one in southern California, and shall take into account the representation of urban, rural, and suburban areas.

(2) Authorization for participating counties to provide services either directly or by contract with agencies demonstrating expertise in serving the mental health needs of persons who are blind or have low vision.