Amended in Senate September 1, 2015

Amended in Senate June 29, 2015

Amended in Senate June 11, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 648


Introduced by Assembly Member Low

(Coauthor: Senator Nguyen)

February 24, 2015


An act to add Sectionbegin delete 104755.5 to the Health and Safety Code,end deletebegin insert 15438.11 to the Government Code,end insert relating to oral health, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 648, as amended, Low. begin deleteCommunity-based services: end deletebegin insertHealth care access demonstration project grants: end insertVirtual Dental Home program.

begin delete

Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health and sets forth its powers and duties, including, but not limited to, the administration of a state oral health program known as the Office of Oral Health for the purposes of, among other things, establishing community dental disease prevention programs for schoolaged children.

end delete
begin insert

Existing law, the California Health Facilities Financing Authority Act, establishes a program for the California Health Facilities Authority to award grants that do not exceed $1,500,000 to one or more projects designed to demonstrate specified new or enhanced cost-effective methods of delivering quality health care services to improve access to quality health care for vulnerable populations or communities, or both, that are effective at enhancing health outcomes and improving access to quality health care and preventive services. Existing law requires the authority to prepare and provide a report to the Legislature and the Governor on the outcomes of the demonstration grant program that includes, among other information, the total amount of grants issued and the amount of each grant issued. Existing law establishes the California Health Facilities Financing Authority Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, for these purposes.

end insert

This bill would establish the Virtual Dental Homebegin delete grant programend deletebegin insert Grant Program, to be administered by the authority,end insert to expand the virtual dental homebegin insert (VDH)end insert model of community-based delivery of dental care to the residents of this state who are in greatest need, as prescribed.begin insert The bill would also create the California Virtual Dental Home Grant Program Account (VDH account) within the California Health Facilities Financing Authority Fund.end insert The bill would require the program to facilitate, coordinate, and encourage development and expansion of the delivery of dental health services through use of thebegin delete Virtual Dental Homeend deletebegin insert VDHend insert model by providing grants to, among other things, develop training modules and establish community-based learning collaboratives, as prescribed. The bill would require thebegin delete program administratorend deletebegin insert authorityend insert to evaluate the grant program’s progress toward meeting the objective to expand thebegin delete virtual dental homeend deletebegin insert VDHend insert model of the community-based delivery of dental care and to post the evaluation and a summary of the evaluation, as specified.begin insert The bill would transfer up to $6,500,000 from the California Health Facilities Financing Authority Hospital Equipment Loan Program Fund to the VDH account for the purposes of the bill. By expanding the purposes for which a continuously appropriated fund may be used, this bill would make an appropriation.end insert

begin delete

The bill would appropriate $4,000,000 to the department for the purposes of this program.

end delete
begin insert

This bill would become operative only if SB 315 is enacted and takes effect on or before January 1, 2016.

end insert

Vote: begin delete23 end deletebegin insertmajorityend insert. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1begin insert

begin insertSECTION 1.end insert  

end insert

begin insertSection 15438.11 is added to the end insertbegin insertGovernment
2Code
end insert
begin insert, to read:end insert

begin insert
3

begin insert15438.11.end insert  

(a) (1) There is hereby created the California
4Virtual Dental Home Grant Program Account in the California
P3    1Health Facilities Financing Authority Fund for the purpose of
2administering a competitive grant selection process, in accordance
3with this section.

4(2) An amount of up to three million dollars ($3,000,000) shall
5be transferred from funds in the California Health Facilities
6Financing Authority Hospital Equipment Loan Program that are
7not impressed with a trust for other purposes into the California
8Virtual Dental Home Grant Program Account for the purpose of
9administering a competitive grant selection process pursuant to
10this section.

11(b) The Virtual Dental Home (VDH) Grant Program is hereby
12established to expand the virtual dental home model of
13community-based delivery of dental care to the residents of this
14state who are in greatest need. The program shall be administered
15by the authority.

16(c) The VDH Grant Program shall facilitate, coordinate, and
17encourage development and expansion of the delivery of dental
18health services through the use of the VDH model by providing
19grants to do all of the following:

20(1) Develop training modules and Internet-based technical
21assistance.

22(2) Establish community-based learning collaboratives.

23(3) Fund essential VDH technology and equipment.

24(4) Develop and fund other services, as determined by the grant
25administrator, as required to meet the requirements of this section.

26(d) The authority may seek additional private or public funds
27to expand access to the VDH Grant Program.

28(e) The VDH Grant Program shall be focused on providing
29needed services in geographic areas of highest need, as determined
30by the authority.

31(f) The authority may grant funds directly to public and private
32educational institutions or nonprofit entities as required to meet
33the requirements of this section.

34(g) The authority shall evaluate the VDH Grant Program’s
35progress toward meeting the objective to expand the VDH model
36of the community-based delivery of dental care to residents in
37geographic areas of highest need. On or before January 1, 2020,
38the authority shall post the evaluation and a summary of the
39evaluation on its Internet Web site.

end insert
P4    1begin insert

begin insertSEC. 2.end insert  

end insert
begin insert

This act shall become operative only if Senate Bill 315
2is enacted and takes effect on or before January 1, 2016.

end insert
begin delete
3

SECTION 1.  

Section 104755.5 is added to the Health and
4Safety Code
, to read:

5

104755.5.  

(a) The Virtual Dental Home (VDH) grant program
6is hereby established to expand the virtual dental home model of
7community-based delivery of dental care to the residents of this
8state who are in greatest need.

9(b) The grant program shall be administered by the dentist
10appointed to the State Department of Public Health, Oral Health
11Unit, by the director pursuant to Section 104755.

12(c) The VDH grant program shall facilitate, coordinate, and
13encourage development and expansion of the delivery of dental
14health services through the use of the Virtual Dental Home model
15by providing grants to do all of the following:

16(1) Develop training modules and Web-based technical
17assistance.

18(2) Establish community-based learning collaboratives.

19(3) Fund essential VDH technology and equipment.

20(4) Develop and fund other services, as determined by the grant
21administrator, as required to meet the requirements of this section.

22(d) The program administrator may seek additional private or
23public funds to expand access to the VDH program.

24(e) The VDH program shall be focused on providing needed
25services in geographic areas of highest need, as determined by the
26 program administrator.

27(f) The program administrator may grant funds directly to public
28and private educational institutions or nonprofit entities as required
29to meet the requirements of this section.

30(g) The program administrator shall evaluate the grant program’s
31progress toward meeting the objective to expand the virtual dental
32home model of the community-based delivery of dental care to
33residents in geographic areas of highest need. Upon completion
34of the evaluation, the program administrator shall post the
35evaluation and a summary of the evaluation on the State
36Department of Public Health’s Internet Web site.

37

SEC. 2.  

The sum of four million dollars ($4,000,000) is hereby
38appropriated from the General Fund to the State Department of
39Public Health for the purposes of the Virtual Dental Home (VDH)
P5    1program established pursuant to Section 104755.5 of the Health
2and Safety Code.

end delete


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