BILL NUMBER: AB 1372	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bonilla

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2013

   An act to amend Section 10144.52 of the Insurance Code, relating
to health insurance.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1372, as introduced, Bonilla. Health insurance: pervasive
developmental disorder or autism.
   Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the
Department of Insurance. Existing law requires health insurance
policies to provide benefits for specified conditions, including
coverage for behavioral health treatment for pervasive developmental
disorder or autism, except as specified. Existing law defines
behavioral health treatment as professional services and treatment
programs that develop or restore the functioning of an individual
with pervasive developmental disorder or autism that are, among other
things, administered by a qualified autism provider. A qualified
autism provider is defined, in part, as a person who is either
licensed as a health professional, or accredited and certified by
specified entities, who designs, supervises, or provides treatment
for pervasive developmental disorder or autism, as specified. Under
existing law, specified terms, including provider, professional
provider, and network provider, are defined to include the term
qualified autism provider. Under existing law, those defined
provisions are inoperative on July 1, 2014, and are repealed on
January 1, 2015.
   This bill would extend the operation of those defined provisions
until July 1, 2016, and would repeal that provision on January 1,
2017.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 10144.52 of the Insurance Code is amended to
read:
   10144.52.  (a) For purposes of this part, the terms "provider,"
"professional provider," "network provider," "mental health provider,"
and "mental health professional" shall include the term "qualified
autism service provider," as defined in subdivision (c) of Section
10144.51.
   (b) This section shall become inoperative on July 1,  2014
  2016  , and, as of January 1,  2015
  2017  , is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1,  2015
  2017  , deletes or extends the dates on which it
becomes inoperative and is repealed.