AB 1001 (Haney, D-San Francisco)
Oppose
Two-year bill
AB 1001 would require general acute care hospitals to adopt behavioral health emergency service policies related to minimum staffing requirements, response times, and data management and reporting. This bill would establish the Behavioral Health Emergency Response and Training Fund to support staffing increases in public and non-profit general acute care hospitals.
AB 1316 (Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks)
Sponsor
Two-year bill
AB 1316 would require that Medi-Cal managed care plans pay hospital emergency departments for serving Medi-Cal beneficiaries experiencing a mental health crisis. It would also ensure people who need access to a mental health inpatient bed are transferred promptly to the care they need.
AB 1451 (Jackson, D-Perris)
Support
Vetoed on Oct. 7
AB 1451 would have required health plans and insurers to cover and pay for treatment for urgent and emergency mental health and substance use disorders. The bill would have prohibited plans and insurers from requiring prior authorization for these services.
Bill Package for 2024 Ballot includes Infrastructure Bond and Modernization of MHSA
Support
Signed by the governor on Oct. 12
Gov. Newsom and legislative leaders announced a $6.38 billion bond and transformation of the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) for the March 2024 ballot. The bills, SB 326 (Eggman, D-Stockton) and AB 531 (Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks), focus on five solutions to transform California’s behavioral health system:
- Reforming the MHSA, which brings in over $3 billion per year, to allow funding for substance use disorder treatment
- Building a workforce that reflects the state’s diversity
- Focusing on outcomes, accountability, and equity
- Supporting housing and treatment in community-based settings
- Assisting with housing for veterans experiencing behavioral health challenges
The bill package aims to build 10,000 new beds within community treatment facilities to support Californians with serious mental illness and substance use disorders. The outcome of these investments could reduce hospital emergency department visits, improve access to behavioral health care, support housing needs, and create additional jobs within California.
SB 43 (Eggman, D-Stockton)
Follow
Signed by the governor on Oct. 10
SB 43 expands the definition of “gravely disabled” for purposes of either placing a person on an involuntary psychiatric hold or conservatorship. The new definition of “gravely disabled” includes individuals with either a severe substance use disorder or a co-occurring mental health disorder and a severe substance use disorder, and individuals who, due to a mental health disorder or one of the two above conditions, are unable to provide for their personal safety or necessary medical care.
SB 45 (Roth, D-Riverside)
Support
Held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on Sept. 1.
SB 45 would establish the California Acute Care Psychiatric Hospital Loan Fund. The fund would provide zero-interest loans to counties and cities for the purposes of constructing or renovating acute care psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric health facilities. Funds also would be provided for renovating or expanding general acute care hospitals to add or expand an inpatient psychiatric unit.
SB 363 (Eggman, D-Stockton)
Follow
Held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on Sept. 1.
SB 363 would require the Department of Health Care Services to develop — by 2026 — an online database showing real-time availability of beds within behavioral health facilities. This bill would require facilities to submit accurate and timely information to the database or face plans of correction or monetary penalties from the state. CHA is among the stakeholders the bill would require the department to consult in developing the database.