BILL NUMBER: AB 72 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 4, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Bonta and Atkins
DECEMBER 18, 2014
An act to add Article 5.5 (commencing with Section 14184)
to Chapter 7 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to Medi-Cal, and declaring the urgency thereof, to
take effect immediately. An act to add Article 4
(commencing with Section 32250) to Chapter 3 of Division 23 of the
Health and Safety Code, relating to health care districts.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 72, as amended, Bonta. Medi-Cal: demonstration
project. Eden Township Healthcare District: special
taxes: authorization.
Existing law provides for the formation of local health care
districts and specifies district powers. The California Constitution
prohibits the Legislature from imposing taxes for local purposes, but
allows the Legislature to authorize local governments to impose
them.
This bill would authorize the Eden Township Healthcare District to
impose special taxes, as provided.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to
the necessity of a special statute for the Eden Township Healthcare
District.
Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is
administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and
under which qualified low-income persons receive health care
benefits. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by
federal Medicaid provisions. Existing law provides for a
demonstration project under the Medi-Cal program until October 31,
2015, to implement specified objectives, including better care
coordination for seniors and persons with disabilities and
maximization of opportunities to reduce the number of uninsured
individuals.
This bill would require the State Department of Health Care
Services to submit an application to the federal Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services for a waiver to implement a demonstration
project that, among other things, continues the state's momentum and
successes in innovation achieved under the demonstration project
described above. The bill would require the department to consult
with interested stakeholders and the Legislature in developing the
waiver application. The bill would provide that the department only
implement the waiver or demonstration project upon submittal of an
implementation plan to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees
of the Legislature at least 60 days prior to any appropriation.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as
an urgency statute.
Vote: 2/3 majority . Appropriation:
no. Fiscal committee: yes no .
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Article 4 (commencing with Section
32250) is added to Chapter 3 of Division 23 of the Health
and Safety Code , to read:
Article 4. Special Taxes
32250. (a) Subject to Section 4 of Article XIII A and Article
XIII C of the California Constitution, the Eden Township Healthcare
District may impose special taxes within the district pursuant to the
procedures established in Article 3.5 (commencing with Section
50075) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 5 of the
Government Code and any other applicable procedures provided by law.
(b) For purposes of this section, "special taxes" means special
taxes that apply uniformly to all taxpayers or all real property
within the district.
SEC. 2. The Legislature finds and declares that a
special law is necessary and that a general law cannot be made
applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the
California Constitution because of the unique circumstances of the
Eden Township Healthcare District.
SECTION 1. Article 5.5 (commencing with Section
14184) is added to Chapter 7 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare
and Institutions Code, to read:
Article 5.5. Renewal of Health Care Coordination, Improvement,
and Long-Term Cost Containment Waiver or Demonstration Project
14184. (a) The department shall submit an application to the
federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for a waiver to
implement a demonstration project that does all of the following:
(1) Furthers the delivery of high-quality and cost-efficient care
for Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
(2) Ensures the long-term viability of the delivery system
following the expansion of Medi-Cal eligibility under the federal
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
(3) Continues California's momentum and successes in innovation
achieved under the 2010 "Bridge to Reform" Waiver.
(b) In developing the waiver application, the department shall
consult with interested stakeholders and the Legislature.
(c) The department shall only implement the waiver or
demonstration project upon submittal of an implementation plan to the
appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature at least
60 days prior to any appropriation.
SEC. 2. 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 make changes to state-funded health care programs at
the earliest possible time, it is necessary that this act take effect
immediately.