BILL NUMBER: AB 2017	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 27, 2016
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 7, 2016
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 30, 2016

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member McCarty
    (   Coauthor:   Assembly Member  
Gonzalez   ) 

                        FEBRUARY 16, 2016

   An act to add  and repeal  Part 3.3 (commencing with
Section 5832)  to   of  Division 5 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to mental health, and making
an appropriation therefor.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2017, as amended, McCarty. College Mental Health Services
Program.
   Existing law, the Mental Health Services Act, an initiative
measure enacted by the voters as Proposition 63 at the November 2,
2004, statewide general election, funds a system of county mental
health plans for the provision of mental health services, as
specified. The act provides that it may be amended by the Legislature
by a 2/3 vote of each house as long as the amendment is consistent
with and furthers the intent of the act.
   The act establishes the Mental Health Services Fund, continuously
appropriated to and administered by the State Department of Health
Care Services, to fund specified county mental health programs,
including prevention and early intervention programs and programs
implemented under the Adult and Older Adult Mental Health System of
Care Act. The act authorizes the payment of administrative costs of
the state from the fund in an amount not greater than 5% of the
annual total deposited in the fund and otherwise specifies the
distribution of moneys in the fund.
   This bill, until January 1, 2022, would establish the College
Mental Health Services Trust Account,  would  
would, beginning July 1, 2017,  transfer $40,000,000 annually to
that account from  the Mental Health Services Fund,
  funding that would otherwise be allocated to Mental
Health Services Act Prevention and Early Intervention Programs, 
and would  continuously  appropriate those funds to the
department to create a grant program for public community colleges,
colleges, and universities to improve access to mental health
services on campus, as specified. The bill would require campuses
that have been awarded grants annually to report on the use of grant
funds.  The bill would also require the department to submit a
report to the Legislature evaluating the impact of the program, as
specified. 
   By changing the funding structure approved by the voters, this
bill would amend the Mental Health Services Act. The bill would state
the finding of the Legislature that the measure is consistent with
and furthers the purposes of the Mental Health Services Act. The bill
would make other finding and declarations.
   Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  (a) The Legislature finds and declares that this
measure is consistent with and furthers the purposes of the Mental
Health Services Act within the meaning of Section 18 of that act.
   (b) Students, faculty, health practitioners, and college
administrators are reporting increased rates of mental health needs
by students attending public colleges in California.
   (c) One in four students have a diagnosable mental illness and 40
percent of students do not seek mental health when they need it.
   (d) Eight out of 10 people who experience psychosis have their
first episode between 15 and 30 years of age.
   (e) The demand for mental health services by public college
students far outpaces the ability of colleges to provide them.
California public college campuses and higher education systems do
not meet national staffing standards for psychiatric services and
other mental health professionals.
   (f) The lack of services directly impacts college students'
success and academic performance as well as their ability to develop
socially as productive members of society.
   (g) The effects of untreated mental health needs are long lasting
and can include college students dropping out of school, experiencing
homelessness, and dying of suicide.
   (h) One in 10 college students has considered suicide and suicide
is the second leading cause of death among college students, claiming
more than 1,100 lives every year nationally.
   (i) Research shows that for each dollar invested in student
prevention and early intervention mental health services, California
will see a return of at least six dollars ($6) and up to eleven
dollars ($11) as a result of more students graduating.
  SEC. 2.  Part 3.3 (commencing with Section 5832) is added to
Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

      PART 3.3.  College Mental Health Services Program


   5832.  This part shall be known, and may be cited, as the College
Mental Health Services Program Act.
   5832.1.  (a) There is hereby established in the State Treasury the
College Mental Health Services Trust Account. Notwithstanding
Section 13340 of the Government Code, moneys in the account are
hereby continuously appropriated to the State Department of Health
Care Services to fund the grant program established pursuant to this
part.
   (b) Notwithstanding Section 5892 or any other law,  beginning
July 1, 2017, and annually thereafter,  forty million dollars
($40,000,000) shall be transferred from  the Mental Health
Services Fund   funding that would otherwise be
allocated to Mental Health Services Act Prevention and Early
Intervention Programs  into the College Mental Health Services
Trust Account annually.
   5832.2.  (a) The department, in  consultation 
 collaboration  with the California Mental Health Services
Authority (CalMHSA), shall create a grant program for public
community colleges, colleges, and universities  
universities, in collaboration with county behavioral health
departments,  to improve access to mental health services and
early identification or intervention programs.  The
department and  CalMHSA shall establish  guidelines
for grant funding that   grant program guidelines and
shall develop a request for application (RFA). The RFA  shall
include, but not be limited to, all of the following: 
   (1) Eligibility standards of applicants in order to qualify to be
considered for a grant award. 
   (2) Required program components to be included in the grant
application, which may include, but are not limited to:  
   (A) The ability of the program to meet the needs of students that
cannot be met through existing funds.  
   (1) 
    (B)  The ability of the program to fund the matching
component required by subdivision  (c).   (f).
 
   (2)
    (C)  The ability of the campus, in partnership with the
local county, to establish direct linkages for students to
community-based mental health  services for which the
students' health coverage makes them eligible, ensuring provider
reimbursement.   services.  
   (D) The ability of the campus to address direct services
including, but not limited to, increasing staff to student ratios and
decreasing wait times.  
   (3) 
    (E)  The ability to participate in evidence-based and
community defined best practice programs for mental health services
improvements. 
   (3) Preferred program components to be included in the grant
application, which may include, but are not limited to: 

   (4) 
    (A)  The ability of the campus to serve underserved and
vulnerable  populations, including, but not limited to,
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and allied (LGBTQA)
persons, victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, and
veterans.   populations.  
   (B) The ability of the campus, in partnership with the local
county, to establish direct linkages for students to community-based
mental health services for which reimbursement is available through
the students' health coverage.  
   (5) 
    (C)  The ability of the campus to reduce racial
disparities in access to mental health services. 
   (6) 
    (D)  The ability of the campus to fund mental health
stigma reduction activities. 
   (7) 
    (E)  The ability of the campus to provide employees and
students with education and training on early identification,
intervention, and referral of students with mental health needs. 

   (F) The ability of the campus to screen students receiving other
health care services and provide linkages to services from the
appropriate mental health provider based on the insurance status of
that student, for those students who are shown to have a need for
services.  
   (G) Evidence of an existing or planned partnership between the
campus and the county behavioral health department to address complex
mental health needs of students based on their health insurance
status and based on the extent to which there are students whose
needs cannot be met through their health plan or health insurance or
Medi-Cal.  
   (4) Articulation of grant program goals and expected outcomes.
 
   (5) Required reporting and evaluation standards to be met by
applicants that are selected for a grant award.  
   (6) Timelines and deadlines for grant applications and anticipated
funding award determinations.  
   (b) Colleges, in collaboration with their local county behavioral
health department, shall submit their grant application
electronically to CalMHSA according to the guidelines adopted
pursuant to subdivision (a).  
   (c) To the extent that an application follows the guidelines
adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) and specifically states what
activities shall be undertaken in accordance with those guidelines,
CalMHSA shall have the authority to approve grant programs and the
department shall award funding in accordance with CalMHSA
determinations.  
   (b) 
    (d)  Grants may be awarded to a community college
district in the California Community College system,  a campus
within  the California State University system, or  a campus
within  the University of California  system. The scale
of the program shall determine the amount awarded, but in 
 system, or a grouping of campuses within the segments. 
    (e)     Total available grant funding to
colleges by segment shall be proportional to the number of students
served by that segment but, in  no case shall the department
award more than five million dollars ($5,000,000) per campus, per
application. 
   (c) 
    (f)  Grants shall only be awarded to a campus that can
show a dollar-for-dollar match of funds  from the campus.
  or another match to be determined by CalMHSA, in
consultation with the applicant, based on resources and existing
mental health needs of students from the campus. Matching funds can
include in-kind funds, student health fee funds, and other
appropriate funds as determined by the department in collaboration
with CalMHSA and pursuant to the guidelines adopted pursuant to
subdivision (a).  
   (g) Grants shall be awarded to applicants on a competitive basis
based on their ability to meet the application standards and
prioritization of these standards as determined by CalMHSA through
the development of the RFA guidelines adopted pursuant to subdivision
(a).  
   (h) Individual grant award allocations shall be expended over at
least one year but not to exceed three years, as determined by
CalMHSA through the grant award process.  
   (d) 
    (i)  Administrative costs associated with administering
an approved program shall be limited to 5 percent  for any
grantee.   of the total grant amount for any grantee.
Administrative costs incurred by the department to administer this
program shall be reimbursed from the College Mental Health Services
Trust Account, and   shall not exceed 5 percent of the total
funds expended annually from the account.  
   (e) 
    (j)  The funding provided pursuant to this part shall
not be used to supplant existing  state  
campus, state,  or county funds utilized to provide mental
health services. 
   (f) 
    (k)  The department and CalMHSA  may 
 shall  provide technical assistance to smaller colleges and
 counties in   county behavioral health
departments upon request during  the application process to
ensure equitable distribution of the grant award.
   5832.3.  (a) Community  colleges and  
colleges,  campuses in the California State  University
 University, and campuses in the University of
California  system that have been awarded grants pursuant to
this part shall report annually  to the respective Chancellor'
s Office and campuses in the University of California system shall
report annually to the University of California Office of the
President  on the use of grant  funds. 
 funds to the department.  This report shall include, but
not be limited to, all of the following:
   (1) How grant funds and matching funds are being used.
   (2) Available evaluation data, including outcomes of the campus
mental health programs funded pursuant to the grant program.
   (3) Program information regarding services being offered and the
number of individuals being served. 
   (4) Plans for sustainability of mental health programming beyond
the funding from the College Mental Health Services Trust Account.

   (b) The  Chancellor's offices and the University of
California Office of the President   campuses 
shall electronically submit the reports  of the campuses
 required pursuant to subdivision (a),  at one time
annually, to the department, CalMHSA, and the Legislature for
evaluation of the grant program.   annually, to the
appropriate Chancellor's offices and the University of California
Office of the President.  
   5832.4.  (a) The department shall develop an evaluation plan to
assess the impact of the program.
   (b) The department, in compliance with Section 9795 of the
Government Code, shall submit a report to the Legislature by February
1, 2021, evaluating the impact of the program and providing
recommendations for further implementation. The department shall make
the report available to the public and shall post the report on its
Internet Web site. 
    5832.4.   5832.5.   This part shall
remain in effect only until January 1, 2022, and as of that date is
repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before
January 1, 2022, deletes or extends that date.