BILL ANALYSIS Ó
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de León, Chair
AB 174 (Bonta) - Public school health centers.
Amended: June 24, 2013 Policy Vote: Health 7-2
Urgency: No Mandate: Yes
Hearing Date: August 30, 2013
Consultant: Brendan McCarthy
SUSPENSE FILE.
Bill Summary: AB 174 would require the Department of Public
Health to create a pilot grant program in Alameda County to
provide funding for the mental health needs of students impacted
by trauma.
Fiscal Impact:
Unknown costs to provide grants (General Fund, federal
funds, or private funds). The bill specifies that the
program would be limited to a one-year pilot project in
Alameda County at up to ten facilities. However, the bill
does not specify the total amount of funding or the
potential fund source.
Unknown costs to administer the program (General Fund,
federal funds, or private funds). Typically, the cost to
administer a grant program is about five percent of total
grant spending. The bill authorizes the Department of
Public Health to delegate administrative responsibilities to
Alameda County, creating a reimbursable state mandate. To
the extent that Alameda County incurs costs to administer
the program, those costs would most likely be reimbursed
from the General Fund unless another fund source is
identified and provided to Alameda County.
Background: Under current law, the Department of Public Health
is required to establish a Public School Health Center Support
Program to support the establishment of school health centers.
The Department is also required to establish a grant program to
provide funding to school health centers. To date, no funding
has been made available and no program activities have taken
place.
AB 174 (Bonta)
Page 1
Proposed Law: AB 174 would require the Department of Public
Health to create a pilot grant program in Alameda County to
provide funding for the mental health needs of students impacted
by trauma.
Specific provisions of the bill would:
Authorize the Department to delegate administrative duties
to Alameda County;
Authorize the grant program only for the 2015-16 school
year;
Require a review of the program;
Specify the allowable uses of grant funds (generally for
counseling, outreach and education, violence prevention
programs, and other uses);
Specify grant funding criteria;
Sunset the program on January 1, 2019.
Staff Comments: As noted above, the Department of Public Health
is currently required to establish a program to provide
technical assistance and grant funds for public school health
centers. To date, no funding has been authorized and this
program has not been implemented.
By authorizing the Department of Public Health to delegate
administrative duties to Alameda County, the bill would create a
reimbursable state mandate.
Recommended Amendments: Staff recommends the bill be amended to
delete the authority for the Department of Public Health to
delegate administrative duties to Alameda County.