BILL ANALYSIS Ó Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair AB 2399 (Allen) - Mental health: state hospitals: injury and illness prevention. Amended: April 9, 2012 Policy Vote: Health 8-1 Urgency: No Mandate: No Hearing Date: August 16, 2012 Consultant: Brendan McCarthy SUSPENSE FILE. AS PROPOSED TO BE AMENDED. Bill Summary: AB 2399 requires each state hospital to update its injury and illness prevention plan at least once per year, establish a committee to recommend updates to the plan, and to develop an incident reporting system for assaults on employees. Fiscal Impact: Unknown, likely minor costs to update plans and report data on incidents (General Fund). Background: Under current law, the Department of Mental Health oversees five state hospitals. Over time, the population at the state hospitals has shifted to mostly a "forensic" population, made up of former prison inmates with mental health issues or individuals with criminal histories that have been committed to state hospitals. In 2010, the Department reported that there was an average of 23 incidents of violence per day towards patients and employees in state hospitals. Current law requires every California employer to develop and implement an injury and illness prevention plan. Proposed Law: AB 2399 would require state hospitals to take several actions with regard to injury and illness preventions plans and the reporting of incidents. Specifically, the bill would: Require state hospitals to update injury and illness prevention plans at least once per year, and specifies the AB 2399 (Allen) Page 1 information that must be addressed in the plan. Require the Department to submit the plans to the Legislature. Require each state hospital to establish an advisory committee to provide input on the plan. Require each state hospital to develop an incident reporting system that can be used to report on patient assaults on employees and identified risks of patient assaults on employees. Require hospitals to provide timely responses to incidents reported. Related Legislation: AB 2531 (Allen) would permit state hospitals to develop lists of items that are contraband within the state hospital. That bill will be heard in this committee. Staff Comments: Under current practice the state hospitals have differing systems and/or processes for tracking and reporting incidents of violence within the state hospitals. Overall, the Department does not have any kind of system-wide information technology system that could be used to meet the requirements of this bill. The Department is currently in the process of developing a Department-wide system for payroll and administrative purposes. The estimated cost to develop that system is about $4 million. The proposed author's amendments would narrow the requirement on the Department to develop a system for reporting incidents.