BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 253
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Date of Hearing: May 27, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
253 (Roger Hernández) - As Amended April 30, 2015
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|Policy |Housing and Community |Vote:|4 - 0 |
|Committee: |Development | | |
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| |Health | |19 - 0 |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY: This bill makes specified changes to the Mental Health
Services Act (MHSA), the Veterans Housing and Homeless
Prevention (VHHP) Bond Act of 2014, and mental health plan
requirements. Specifically, this bill:
1)Expands the Mental Health Services Oversight and
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Accountability Commission (Commission) by requiring the
Governor to appoint two additional members, including a person
with knowledge and experience in reducing mental health
disparities, and a veteran with knowledge about veteran's
mental health issues.
2)Requires the departments administering the VHHP to give a
preference to applicants for supportive housing projects who
can demonstrate a multiyear commitment of MHSA funding for the
applicant's housing project funding plan.
3)Requires the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to post
the cultural competence plan component of each mental health
plan for Medi-Cal beneficiaries on their website within 30
days of DHCS receiving the plan, and to notify the Legislature
when it is available.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)No significant new costs to the Department of Housing and
Community Development to award preference to specified
applicants.
2)Minor and absorbable costs to reimburse for travel and lodging
for Commission meetings (MHSA administration account).
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, "The veteran population
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continues to experience high levels of mental health issues.
It is important that every effort is made to better understand
how to provide services to this population. As California's
demographics continue to change, it's clear that mental health
outreach must be done in culturally knowledgeable ways to be
effective."
The author notes that the State must create opportunities to
better leverage the investment of Proposition 63 with other
voter approved funding sources that share the same policy
mission and goals. According to the author, this is
especially important as Proposition 41 projects are usually in
need of gap financing and service dollars to successfully
implement the projects.
Background.
a) Proposition 41. Passed by the voters in 2014,
Proposition 41 established the VHHP. The VHHP restructures
$600 million of the $900 million in bonds approved by the
voters for the CalVet Home Loan Program in 2008, and uses
them instead to fund the acquisition, construction,
rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable multifamily
supportive housing, affordable multifamily transitional
housing, or related facilities for veterans and their
families.
The VHHP tasks HCD with administering the new funding program in
collaboration with CalVet and explicitly restricts the use of
bond proceeds to those housing units designated for veterans and
their families. The focus of the program is on housing for
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veterans who are homeless, or at risk for homelessness, and in
need of services such as mental health counseling, substance
abuse treatment, job training, and physical therapy to address
injuries. HCD released the first VHHP Program Notice of Funding
Availability on February 20, 2015, announcing the availability
of approximately $75 million in VHHP funding. The anticipated
award date will be in June 2015.
This bill would require departments administering the VHHP to
give preference to applicants who have a multiyear commitment of
MHSA funding for their housing project funding plan.
b) MHSA. In 2004, California voters approved the MHSA as
Proposition 63.The MHSA imposes a 1% tax on personal
earnings over $1 million to fund county-run mental health
programs. The MHSA also established the Commission to
oversee implementation and advise the Governor and the
Legislature on mental health policy. The Commission
consists of 16 voting members with specified mental health
knowledge and experience.
This bill would add two members to the Commission, one of
which is a veteran with knowledge about veterans' mental
health issues.
c) Mental Health Plans. DHCS is responsible for the
development and implementation of mental health plans for
Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Mental health plans, whether
administered by public or private entities, are governed by
specified guidelines, including providing for culturally
competent and age-appropriate services, to the extent
feasible. Mental health plans must also assess the cultural
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competency needs of the program, and must include a process
to accommodate the significant needs with reasonable
timeliness.
This bill requires DHSC to submit the cultural competence
plan component to the Legislature to better inform their
decisions.
1)Related Legislation. AB 745 (Chau) requires the Governor to
appoint an additional member to the Commission who has
experience providing supportive housing to persons with a
severe mental illness. AB 745 is currently pending in the
Senate Health Committee.
2)Previous Legislation. AB 639 (Perez), Chapter 727, Statutes of
2013, establishes the VHHP.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
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