BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 253
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
253 (Roger Hernández)
As Amended April 30, 2015
2/3 vote
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|Committee |Votes |Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+---------------------+--------------------|
|Housing |4-0 |Steinorth, Beth | |
| | |Gaines, Lopez, | |
| | |Mullin | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+---------------------+--------------------|
|Health |19-0 |Bonta, Maienschein, | |
| | |Bonilla, Burke, | |
| | |Chávez, Chiu, Gomez, | |
| | |Gonzalez, Roger | |
| | |Hernández, Lackey, | |
| | |Nazarian, Patterson, | |
| | |Ridley-Thomas, | |
| | |Rodriguez, Santiago, | |
| | |Steinorth, Thurmond, | |
| | |Waldron, Wood | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+---------------------+--------------------|
|Appropriations |16-1 |Gomez, Bigelow, |Gallagher |
| | |Bonta, Calderon, | |
| | |Chang, Daly, Eggman, | |
| | |Eduardo Garcia, | |
AB 253
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| | |Gordon, Holden, | |
| | |Jones, Quirk, | |
| | |Rendon, Wagner, | |
| | |Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY: 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 Accountability
Commission (MHSOAC) by requiring the Governor to appoint two
additional members:
a) A person with knowledge and experience in reducing mental
health disparities; and
b) 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.
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FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)No significant new costs to the Department of Housing and
Community Development (HCD) to award preference to specified
applicants.
2)Minor and absorbable costs to reimburse for travel and lodging
for MHSOAC meetings (MHSA administration account).
COMMENTS:
Purpose of this bill: According to the author, "The veteran
population 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."
This bill "adds expertise to the MHSOAC in the areas of veterans'
mental health issues and reducing mental health disparities. The
bill also requires the departments administering Proposition 41
[2014] funds to give a preference to applicants when the applicant
can demonstrate a multiyear commitment of Mental Health Services
Act funding." The author points out that "[f]inancing for
housing projects are a compilation of various funding sources.
Many times the housing projects require gap financing
opportunities. While the state has traditionally provided bond
funds for the construction and rehabilitation of housing projects,
the search for service funds has remained a challenge." To that
end, the author notes that currently no state mechanism exists for
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Proposition 41 funding to leverage Proposition 63 (2004) funding.
This bill "remedies that issue by requiring some type of priority
for this type of leveraging between these two fund sources."
According to the author, it is also "important that the data and
plans submitted by counties to the state regarding their efforts
to plan and deliver culturally competent services are shared with
the Legislature and currently there is no requirement for the
plans to be shared."
MHSOAC: In 2004, California voters approved Proposition 63: the
MHSA. The MHSA imposes a 1% tax on personal earnings over $1
million to fund county-run mental health programs. The MHSA also
established the MHSOAC to oversee the implementation of the MHSA
and advise the Governor or the Legislature on mental health
policy. The MHSA consists of 16 voting members with specified
mental health knowledge and experience.
This bill would add two additional members to the MHSOAC: a
person with knowledge and experience in reducing mental health
disparities and a veteran with knowledge about veteran's mental
health issues. Both of these members would be appointed by the
Governor.
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, among
other things, providing for culturally competent and
age-appropriate services, to the extent feasible. Mental health
plans must also assess the cultural competency needs of the
program, and must include a process to accommodate the significant
needs with reasonable timeliness.
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AB 253 would require 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.
The VHHP: AB 639 (John A. Pérez), Chapter 727, Statutes of 2013,
established the VHHP, an initiative enacted by the voters as
Proposition 41 at the June 3, 2014 primary election. The VHHP
restructures $600 million of the $900 million in bonds approved by
the voters for the California Department of Veterans Affairs
(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 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 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. While encouraging the
use of MHSA funds for VHHP supportive housing services is
understandable, this bill does not define the term "preference,"
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and it is unclear what effect this will have on non-MHSA projects
that, under VHHP scoring criteria, score higher than projects with
a commitment of MHSA funds. The MHSA is one of a variety of
funding sources that may be used to provide assistance to people
with mental health disorders, and has its own set of funding
requirements. Not all veterans, including veterans with mental
illness, may be eligible for MHSA funded services. Additionally,
nothing in the VHHP prevents a project from also being funded by
the MHSA, and the VHHP already prioritizes projects that combine
housing and supportive services, including mental health. This
prioritization is reflected in the existing scoring criteria.
Analysis Prepared by:
Rebecca Rabovsky / H. & C.D. / (916) 319-2085 FN:
0000553