BILL NUMBER: AB 1124	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JULY 2, 2013
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 24, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Muratsuchi

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2013

   An act to repeal and add Section 14124.11 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, relating to Medi-Cal  , and declaring the
urgency thereof, to take effect immediately  .


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1124, as amended, Muratsuchi. Medi-Cal: Public Assistance
Reporting Information System.
   Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is
administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under
which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services.
The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal
Medicaid Program provisions. Existing law requires the department to
establish a 2-year pilot program to utilize the federal Public
Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS) to identify veterans
and their dependents or survivors who are enrolled in the Medi-Cal
program and assist them in obtaining federal veteran health care
benefits. Existing law requires the department to select 3 counties,
as specified, to participate in the pilot project and authorizes the
department to implement the program statewide at any time and
continue the operation of PARIS indefinitely if the department
determines that the pilot program is cost effective.
   This bill would remove the pilot project status of these
provisions and would require the department to implement this program
statewide. 
   This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as
an urgency statute. 
   Vote:  majority   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.  Section 14124.11 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
is repealed.
  SEC. 2.  Section 14124.11 is added to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, to read:
   14124.11.  (a) The department shall utilize the federal Public
Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS) to identify veterans
and their dependents or survivors who are enrolled in the Medi-Cal
program and assist them in obtaining federal veteran health care
benefits.
   (b) The department shall exchange information with PARIS and
identify veterans and their dependents or survivors who are receiving
Medi-Cal benefits.
   (c) The department shall refer identified Medi-Cal beneficiaries
who are receiving high-cost services, including long-term care, to
county veteran service officers (CVSOs) to obtain information
regarding, and assistance in obtaining, USDVA benefits.
   (d) In implementing this section, the department shall do all of
the following:
   (1) Enter into an agreement with the California Department of
Veterans Affairs (CDVA) to perform CVSO outreach services. The CDVA
agreement shall contain performance standards that will allow the
department to measure the effectiveness of the program established by
this section.
   (2) Enter into any agreements that are required by the federal
government to utilize the PARIS system.
   (3) Perform any information technology activities that are
necessary to utilize the PARIS system.
   (e) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of
Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the
department may implement, interpret, or make specific this section by
means of written directives without taking further regulatory
action.
   (f) In order to achieve maximum cost savings, the Legislature
hereby determines that an expedited contract process for contracts
under this section is necessary. Therefore, contracts under this
section shall be exempt from the Public Contract Code and from
Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 11250) of Part 1 of Division 3 of
Title 2 of the Government Code.
   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:  
   In order to ensure that veterans and their dependents or survivors
throughout the state who are enrolled in the Medi-Cal program
receive assistance in obtaining federal veteran health care benefits
as soon as possible, it is necessary that this act take effect
immediately.