Bill Text: CA SB893 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Health and Human Services System Improvement and
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-31 - Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [SB893 Detail]
Download: California-2011-SB893-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: SB 893 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 20, 2011
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 11, 2011
AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 22, 2011
INTRODUCED BY Senator Wolk
FEBRUARY 18, 2011
An act to add Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8300) to Division
8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to governmental
efficiency, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect
immediately.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 893, as amended, Wolk. Health and Human Services System
Improvement and Accountability Act of 2011.
Existing law establishes the California Health and Human Services
Agency within state government, which oversees various health and
human services programs, including mental health, substance abuse
treatment, rehabilitation, developmental programs, public
health, child support , adult protective services, and
child welfare programs for the aging, health care,
children's programs, and other programs .
This bill, the Health and Human Services System Improvement and
Accountability Act of 2011, would require the agency to establish, by
December 1, 2013, the California Health and Human Services Review
System in order to periodically review the
specified health and human services programs administered by
the state and local agencies, as specified. The bill would require
the agency convene a an advisory
workgroup to design and draft a work plan to implement
guide the agenc y in implementing the
system. The bill would require the agency to report specified
information to the Legislature. The bill would require the Secretary
of California Health and Human Services to establish an information
sharing plan to enable the exchange of information among state and
local agencies to support the implementation of the California Health
and Human Services Review System.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as
an urgency statute.
Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) The State of California has struggled to deliver high-quality,
effective, and efficient services through its health and human
services programs.
(b) Despite incremental legislative efforts and laudable pilot
projects in a range of areas, publicly funded programs are not
systematically evaluated, performance and outcomes are not routinely
documented, and successful programs are not consistently replicated.
(c) Lack of information on performance, the cost-effectiveness of
programs, best practices, and evidence-based approaches undermines
opportunities to improve programs, enhance prevention and early
intervention, and ensure the best use of limited resources.
(d) Barriers to information sharing prevent efforts to leverage
existing data to guide programmatic and fiscal decisions, recognize
opportunities to integrate services and improve outcomes, and
communicate information on performance to policymakers and the
public.
(e) Inadequate attention to accomplishments, challenges,
performance, and outcomes undermines statewide accountability and
limits public understanding of and support for California's health
and human services programs.
(f) The state has made notable progress in some areas, including
the development of an outcomes and accountability review system for
the child welfare system, the adoption of select health outcome
measures, and the identification of a limited number of performance
measures for specific mental health and substance abuse treatment
programs.
(g) Research indicates a relationship between inadequate access to
effective health and human services programs and increased public
sector costs for preventable hospitalizations, unemployment,
homelessness, and incarceration. Conversely, effective health and
human services programs, sufficiently focused on prevention, early
intervention, and effective practices, can reduce school failure,
improve employment opportunities, prevent suicide, and support the
ability of adults and families to achieve and sustain self-reliance,
and thus reduce public sector costs.
(h) Accordingly, in order to provide greater accountability for
health and human service services
outcomes, to encourage the statewide leadership necessary to identify
and replicate best practices, to ensure that the unique and critical
needs of children and families are met, and to be consistent with
the California's efforts with the child welfare system, it is the
intent of the Legislature to enact the Health and Human Services
System Improvement and Accountability Act of 2011.
SEC. 2. Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8300) is added to
Division 8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
CHAPTER 7. CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REVIEW SYSTEM
8300. (a) This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the
Health and Human Services System Improvement and Accountability Act
of 2011.
(b) For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:
(1) "Agency" means the California Health and Human Services
Agency.
(2) "Secretary" means the Secretary of California Health and Human
Services.
(3) "Workgroup" means the workgroup established pursuant to
Section 8302.
8301. (a) The agency shall establish, by December 1, 2013, the
California Health and Human Services Review System in order to
periodically review the health and human service
services programs administered by the state and local
agencies subject to Realignment 2011 . These reviews shall
include , but not be limited to, mental health,
substance abuse treatment, rehabilitation, developmental
programs, public health, child support, programs for the aging,
health care, children's programs, and other abuse,
adult protective services, and child welfare programs
established under state law or funded by the state that are under the
jurisdiction of the agency, including, but not limited to, programs
that are provided by, or substantially provided by, local agencies,
including cities, counties, cities and counties, joint powers
agencies, regional agencies, or nonprofit entities under contract
with local agencies.
(b) Health and human service services
reviews shall maximize compliance with federal regulations for
the receipt of money from federal sources and shall ensure compliance
with state plan requirements where established in response to state
and federal law.
(c) Reviews shall recognize and be coordinated with federal
requirements for reviews, performance improvement plans, and outcome
and performance reporting to reduce the duplication of reporting
requirements and improve coordination with federal agencies working
to improve the performance of public programs, including, but not
limited to, reporting requirements linked to the federal Accountable
Government Initiative and the Government Performance and Results Act
Modernization Act of 2010.
(d) In keeping with the intent of this chapter, reviews shall
recognize existing review and performance accountability policies and
practices and, to the extent feasible and practical as determined by
the agency, shall be coordinated with and consistent with those
policies and practices.
(e) In designing the system, the agency shall emphasize the
collection and reporting of information that provides meaningful
information to the public on investments in health and human services
programs, outputs delivered through health and human
service services programs, and outcomes achieved
through those programs.
8302. (a) By June 1, 2012, the agency shall convene a
an advisory workgroup that shall design and
draft a work plan to implement to guide the
agency in implementing the system, as authorized by this
chapter.
(b) The membership for the workgroup shall include the following:
(1) Representatives of the departments under the jurisdiction of
the agency, as determined by the secretary.
(2) Representatives of other entities within state government,
including , but not limited to, the Judicial
Council, the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability
Commission, the State Department of Education, the Department of
Justice, the Little Hoover Commission, the First 5 California
Commission, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the
California Commission on Aging, the State Independent Living Council,
and or other entities as determined by
the secretary.
(3) Representatives of cities, counties, city and counties,
regional entities, schools, special districts, or other local
agencies that deliver services or administer programs under the
authority of departments under the jurisdiction of the agency,
including , but not limited to, the California
State Association of Counties, the County Mental Health Directors
Association, the County Alcohol and Drug Program Administration
Association of California, the County Welfare Directors
Association of California, the California Association of Area
Agencies on Aging, the Chief Probation Officers of California,
and other entities , as determined by the secretary.
(4) Representatives of one or more tribal entities that directly
provide health and human services to California's tribal population,
including organizations that are formally sanctioned by California
tribes, and ensuring representation from entities that provide
services to tribal communities in predominantly rural areas and
entities that provide services to tribal communities in predominantly
urban areas.
(5) Representatives of organizations that provide advocacy on
behalf of children, youth, adults, older adults, and their families.
(6) Representatives of organizations or experts working to address
racial and ethnic disparities in access to health and human services
or the outcomes achieved through those programs.
(7) Researchers and other experts in areas associated with public
sector accountability, including experts in the areas of data,
indicators, performance measures, results-based accountability,
outcome reporting, and community indicators.
(c) The secretary shall determine how best to organize the
workgroup, including establishing subgroups, where appropriate, to
meet the goals of this chapter.
(d) At a minimum, in establishing the work plan, the workgroup
shall consider the outcomes to be monitored; performance measures and
indicators to be used; minimum thresholds for each indicator or
measure; strategies to report disparities by geographic and
demographic indicators; timelines for implementation; the process for
implementation among affected local agencies; the role of
peer-to-peer technical assistance and support; review cycles; the
uniform processes, procedures, and review instruments to be used; the
role of public reporting; planning for performance improvement and
any funding or staffing increases; and statutory changes needed to
implement the requirements of this chapter. The agency shall broadly
consider collaboration with relevant entities to allow the adequate
exchange of information and coordination of efforts to improve health
and human services outcomes for Californians.
(e) The outcomes established by the workgroup, as referenced in
subdivision (d) shall include, but not be limited to, measures of
employment, education, housing and homelessness, health, safety, and
criminal justice involvement, and related information that is useful
for communicating to the public and policymakers the quality,
effectiveness, and value of health and human services.
8303. The agency shall report on it's its
progress in implementing the California Health and Human
Services Review System, including, but not limited to, the timelines
for implementation, the process to be used, and funding or staffing
increases needed at the state or local level to implement the
requirements of this chapter, to the budget and appropriate policy
committees of the Legislature annually for three fiscal years,
beginning with the 2013-14 fiscal year and ending with the 2016-17
fiscal year.
8304. (a) Consistent with the intent of this chapter, the agency
shall establish mechanisms to identify and promote the replication of
best practices in the delivery of health and human services under
the jurisdiction of the agency. Those mechanisms shall include all of
the following:
(1) Identification of goals and objectives of efforts to promote
best practices, including the major functions of the agency,
departments, local agencies, and other entities involved in
identifying and promoting the use of best practices in the
administration and delivery of health and human services programs
as referenced in subdivision (a) of Section 8301
.
(2) A management strategy that supports the ability of the agency,
and the departments that make up the agency, to identify and promote
the use of best practices, including strategic planning;
identification of operational processes and procedures; and the role
of technology, information, evaluations, data sharing, and other
resources and strategies necessary to achieve the goals and
objectives established pursuant to paragraph (1).
(3) A fiscal strategy, including budget proposals, to staff and
support the ability of the agency and the departments that make up
the agency to evaluate existing practices, document best practices in
use around the state and elsewhere, and provide technical
assistance, outreach, education, and support to promote the
replication of best practices and achieve the goals and objectives
established pursuant to paragraph (1).
(4) A staffing plan to ensure that the agency and the departments
that make up the agency have sufficient staff, with the necessary
skill sets, knowledge, and training to achieve the goals and
objectives established pursuant to paragraph (1).
(5) Identification of those factors external to the agency and the
departments that make up the agency that are beyond their control
that could significantly affect the achievement of the goals and
objectives established pursuant to paragraph (1), and proposals to
reduce or mitigate those factors where appropriate.
(b) The agency shall report to the budget and appropriate
legislative policy committees of the Legislature annually for three
fiscal years, beginning with the 2013-14 fiscal year and ending with
the 2016-17 fiscal year, on the agency's progress in identifying and
promoting the replication of best practices in the delivery of health
and human services under the jurisdiction of the agency , as
referenced in subdivision (a) of Section 8301 , including
information on investments made to achieve these goals, the
accomplishments to date, and barriers to making additional progress.
8305. (a) To support the implementation of the California Health
and Human Services Review System and the identification and
replication of best practices, as specified under this chapter, the
secretary shall establish an information sharing plan that
accomplishes all of the following:
(1) Enables the exchange of information among state agencies,
among local agencies, and between state and local agencies as
necessary for tracking costs, conducting research on best practices,
and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of public services,
including prioritizing access to prevention and early intervention
services.
(2) Provides state and local agencies and the public with
information on the costs and effectiveness of publicly supported
health and human services programs in California.
(3) Permits the Legislature and the public to monitor the outcomes
accomplished for the individuals receiving services, including
disparities by geography and demographic factors, as established
pursuant to this chapter.
(4) Establishes a memorandum of understanding, or one or more
related mechanisms, that permit the sharing of information between
the agency, and the departments that make up the agency, and the
California Research Bureau that enable the bureau to conduct research
on data held by the agency or the departments that make up the
agency, including data otherwise deemed confidential, without
reducing the privacy protections in place to protect personal and
confidential information.
(b) To develop the information sharing plan, the secretary shall
consult with state and local officials, clients and consumers who
receive government services, service providers, researchers, privacy
experts, the public, and others, as determined by the secretary.
(c) By January 30, 2013, the agency shall transmit the information
sharing plan to the Legislature, including any recommendations for
statutory, regulatory, or other reforms that are needed to achieve
the goals of that plan.
(d) The information sharing plan shall include provisions to
protect the privacy of individuals.
SEC. 3. This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the
meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate
effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
The state is facing historic fiscal challenges that undermine the
safety net system on which many Californians rely to meet their basic
health and safety needs. The state must put in place a system for
determining which programs are effective, and for promoting the use
of evidence-based practices to ensure that California is making the
best use of available resources. In order to preserve the programs
that are most effective in providing needed services, it is necessary
that this bill take effect immediately.
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