Bill Text: CA SB604 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Mental Health Services Act: centers of excellence.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)
Status: (Failed) 2020-02-03 - Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [SB604 Detail]
Download: California-2019-SB604-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Senate
April 10, 2019 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION
| Senate Bill | No. 604 |
| Introduced by Senator Bates (Coauthors: Senators Nielsen, Stone, and Wilk) |
February 22, 2019 |
An act to amend Section 5892 of, and to add Section 5848.3 to, the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to mental health.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 604, as amended, Bates.
Mental Health Services Act: centers of excellence.
Existing law 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, the Mental Health Services Act, an initiative measure enacted by the voters as Proposition 63 at the November 2, 2004, statewide general election, establishes the Mental Health Services Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, to fund various county mental health programs. Moneys in the fund may only be used for specified purposes, including 5% for certain state administrative costs, which funds are subject to appropriation in the annual Budget Act. The act provides that it may be amended by the Legislature by a 2/3 vote of each house so long
as the amendment is consistent with and furthers the intent of the act, and authorizes the Legislature to amend the act to clarify procedures and terms of the act by majority vote.
This bill would require the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, by January 1, 2021, to establish one or more centers of excellence to provide the counties with technical assistance to implement best practices related to elements of the act. The bill would require those centers of excellence to be funded with state administrative funds provided under the act. In implementing these provisions, the bill would require the commission to determine the areas of focus for the centers of excellence, including, but not limited to, the areas of service delivery that need improvement.
This bill would declare that this amendment is consistent with and furthers the purposes of the act, thereby requiring a 2/3 vote.
Digest Key
Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 5848.3 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:5848.3.
(a) On or before January 1, 2021, the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission shall establish one or more(b) In determining the areas of focus for the centers of excellence, the commission shall consider data on unmet needs, the areas of service delivery that need improvement, and progress toward outcomes as described in the Mental Health Services Act and other priorities established by the commission.
SEC. 2.
Section 5892 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:5892.
(a) In order to promote efficient implementation of this act, the county shall use funds distributed from the Mental Health Services Fund as follows:(1) In the 2005–06, 2006–07, and 2007–08 fiscal years, 10 percent shall be placed in a trust fund to be expended for education and training programs pursuant to Part 3.1 (commencing with Section 5820).
(2) In the 2005–06, 2006–07, and 2007–08 fiscal years, 10 percent for capital facilities and technological needs shall be distributed to counties in accordance with a formula developed in consultation with the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California to
implement plans developed pursuant to Section 5847.
(3) Twenty percent of funds distributed to the counties pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 5891 shall be used for prevention and early intervention programs in accordance with Part 3.6 (commencing with Section 5840).
(4) The expenditure for prevention and early intervention may be increased in any county in which the department determines that the increase will decrease the need and cost for additional services to persons with severe mental illness in that county by an amount at least commensurate with the proposed increase.
(5) The balance of funds shall be distributed to county mental health programs for services to persons with severe mental illnesses pursuant
to Part 4 (commencing with Section 5850) for the children’s system of care and Part 3 (commencing with Section 5800) for the adult and older adult system of care. These services may include housing assistance, as defined in Section 5892.5, to the target population specified in Section 5600.3.
(6) Five percent of the total funding for each county mental health program for Part 3 (commencing with Section 5800), Part 3.6 (commencing with Section 5840), and Part 4 (commencing with Section 5850), shall be utilized for innovative programs in accordance with Sections 5830, 5847, and 5848.
(b) (1) In any fiscal year after the 2007–08 fiscal year, programs for services pursuant to Part 3 (commencing with Section 5800) and Part 4 (commencing with Section 5850) may include funds for
technological needs and capital facilities, human resource needs, and a prudent reserve to ensure services do not have to be significantly reduced in years in which revenues are below the average of previous years. The total allocation for purposes authorized by this subdivision shall not exceed 20 percent of the average amount of funds allocated to that county for the previous five fiscal years pursuant to this section.
(2) A county shall calculate an amount it establishes as the prudent reserve for its Local Mental Health Services Fund, not to exceed 33 percent of the average community services and support revenue received for the fund in the preceding five years. The county shall reassess the maximum amount of this reserve every five years and certify the reassessment as part of the three-year program and expenditure plan required pursuant
to Section 5847.
(c) The allocations pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) shall include funding for annual planning costs pursuant to Section 5848. The total of these costs shall not exceed 5 percent of the total of annual revenues received for the fund. The planning costs shall include funds for county mental health programs to pay for the costs of consumers, family members, and other stakeholders to participate in the planning process and for the planning and implementation required for private provider contracts to be significantly expanded to provide additional services pursuant to Part 3 (commencing with Section 5800) and Part 4 (commencing with Section 5850).
(d) Prior to making the allocations pursuant to subdivisions (a), (b), and (c), funds shall be reserved for the
costs for the State Department of Health Care Services, the California Behavioral Health Planning Council, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, the State Department of Public Health, and any other state agency to implement all duties pursuant to the programs set forth in this section and Section 5848.3. These costs shall not exceed 5 percent of the total of annual revenues received for the fund. The administrative costs shall include funds to assist consumers and family members to ensure the appropriate state and county agencies give full consideration to concerns about quality, structure of service delivery, or access to services. The amounts allocated for administration shall include amounts sufficient to ensure adequate research and evaluation regarding the effectiveness of services being provided and achievement
of the outcome measures set forth in Part 3 (commencing with Section 5800), Part 3.6 (commencing with Section 5840), and Part 4 (commencing with Section 5850). The amount of funds available for the purposes of this subdivision in any fiscal year is subject to appropriation in the annual Budget Act.
(e) In the 2004–05 fiscal year, funds shall be allocated as
follows:
(1) Forty-five percent for education and training pursuant to Part 3.1 (commencing with Section 5820).
(2) Forty-five percent for capital facilities and technology needs in the manner specified by paragraph (2) of subdivision (a).
(3) Five percent for local planning in the manner specified in subdivision (c).
(4) Five percent for state implementation in the manner specified in subdivision (d).
(f) Each county shall place all funds received from the State Mental Health Services Fund in a local Mental Health Services Fund. The Local Mental Health Services Fund balance shall be invested
consistent with other county funds and the interest earned on the investments shall be transferred into the fund. The earnings on investment of these funds shall be available for distribution from the fund in future fiscal years.
(g) All expenditures for county mental health programs shall be consistent with a currently approved plan or update pursuant to Section 5847.
(h) (1) Other than funds placed in a reserve in accordance with an approved plan, any funds allocated to a county that have not been spent for their authorized purpose within three years, and the interest accruing on those funds, shall revert to the state to be deposited into the Reversion Account, hereby established in the fund, and available for other counties in future years, provided, however,
that funds, including interest accrued on those funds, for capital facilities, technological needs, or education and training may be retained for up to 10 years before reverting to the Reversion
Account.
(2) If a county receives approval from the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission of a plan for innovative programs, pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 5830, the county’s funds identified in that plan for innovative programs shall not revert to the state pursuant to paragraph (1) until three years after the date of the approval.
(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), any funds allocated to a county with a population of less than 200,000 that have not been spent for their authorized purpose within five years shall revert to the state as described in paragraph (1).
(4) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), if a county with a population of less than 200,000 receives
approval from the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission of a plan for innovative programs, pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 5830, the county’s funds identified in that plan for innovative programs shall not revert to the state pursuant to paragraph (1) until five years after the date of the approval.
(i) If there are revenues available in the fund after the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission has determined there are prudent reserves and no unmet needs for any of the programs funded pursuant to this section, including all purposes of the Prevention and Early Intervention Program, the commission shall develop a plan for expenditures of these revenues to further the purposes of this act and the Legislature may appropriate these funds for any purpose consistent with the commission’s
adopted plan that furthers the purposes of this act.
