BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 847
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Date of Hearing: May 13, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
847 (Mullin) - As Amended April 30, 2015
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Urgency: Yes State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill requires the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)
to apply to the United States Secretary of Health and Human
Services for a specified federal planning grant, for the purpose
of developing proposals to improve mental health services
AB 847
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provided by certified community behavioral health clinics to
Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Administrative costs to DHCS estimated at under $100,000
(GF/federal) to apply for the planning grant. This is subject
to uncertainty, as the grant application has not yet been
released. If this grant is received, federal planning grant
funds would pay for the development of the demonstration project
grant.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, receiving the federal
demonstration project grant, for which planning funds are
sought through this bill, would nearly double federal funds to
support community mental health and alcohol and drug services,
with no additional state or county cost. The law allows for
eight states to be selected for two years to have the federal
share of costs increased for outpatient behavioral health
services. The author contends it would also reduce costs for
hospitalization and incarceration.
2)Background. Federal law authorizes the Protecting Access to
Medicare Act of 2014 (H.R. 4302) (Act) to establish an
eight-state demonstration project that creates criteria for
"Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics," facilities
designed to serve individuals with serious mental illnesses
and substance use disorders. The Act provides $25 million
that will be available to states as planning grants to develop
applications, and the National Conference of State
Legislatures indicates federal cost estimates for the actual
demonstration project are $600 million nationally over five
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years. This Act also directs the secretary to award planning
grants to states for the development of demonstration
proposals by January 1, 2016, and to select states to
participate in the demonstration program by September 1, 2017.
3)Related Legislation. AB 861 (Maienschein), also on today's
agenda, is very similar to this bill.
Analysis Prepared by:Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916)
319-2081