Amended in Senate June 13, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 2279


Introduced by Assembly Member Cooley

February 18, 2016


An act to amend Section 5899 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to mental health.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2279, as amended, Cooley. Mental Health Services Act: county-by-county spending reports.

Existing law, the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), an initiative measure enacted by the voters as Proposition 63 at the November 2, 2004, statewide general election, establishes the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission.begin delete The actend deletebegin insert Existing lawend insert requires the State Department of Health Care Services, in consultation with the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission and the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California, to develop and administer instructions for the Annual Mental Health Services Act Revenue and Expenditure Report, which gathers specified information on mental health spending as a result of the MHSA, including the expenditures of funds distributed to each county.

This bill would require the department, based on the Annual Mental Health Services Act Revenue and Expenditure Report, to compile informationbegin insert, in total and by countyend insert on an annualbegin delete basisend deletebegin insert basis,end insert thatbegin delete includesend deletebegin insert includes, among other things,end insert the total amount of MHSA revenue,begin delete a county-by-county comparison of fund expenditure plans and annual updates, and a county-by-county comparison of the purposes for which MHSA funds were expended and to send that information to the commission. The bill would require the commission to make the information available to the public on the commission’s Internet Web site and to update the Internet Web site annually.end deletebegin insert the amount of MHSA money received and expended for each specified component of the MHSA program, and the amount of MHSA money spent on program administration. The bill would require the department to make the collected information available to the Legislature and the public on its Internet Web site no later than July 1, 2018, and annually thereafter.end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. 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 5899 of the end insertbegin insertWelfare and Institutions Codeend insert
2
begin insert is amended to read:end insert

3

5899.  

(a) The State Department of Health Care Services, in
4consultation with the Mental Health Services Oversight and
5Accountability Commission and the County Behavioral Health
6Directors Association of California, shall develop and administer
7instructions for the Annual Mental Health Services Act Revenue
8and Expenditure Report. This report shall be submitted
9electronically to the department and to the Mental Health Services
10Oversight and Accountability Commission.

11(b) The purpose of the Annual Mental Health Services Act
12Revenue and Expenditure Report is as follows:

13(1) Identify the expenditures of Mental Health Services Act
14(MHSA) funds that were distributed to each county.

15(2) Quantify the amount of additional funds generated for the
16mental health system as a result of the MHSA.

17(3) Identify unexpended funds, and interest earned on MHSA
18funds.

19(4) Determine reversion amounts, if applicable, from prior fiscal
20year distributions.

21(c) This report is intended to provide information that allows
22for the evaluation of all of the following:

23(1) Children’s systems of care.

24(2) Prevention and early intervention strategies.

25(3) Innovative projects.

26(4) Workforce education and training.

27(5) Adults and older adults systems of care.

P3    1(6) Capital facilities and technology needs.

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2
(d) Based on the report required pursuant to subdivision (a),
3the State Department of Health Care Services, no later than nine
4months after the end of each fiscal year, shall collect and publicly
5report all of the following information, by statewide total and by
6individual county:

end insert
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7
(1) Total revenue received from the Mental Health Services Act
8(MHSA).

end insert
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9
(2) The amount of MHSA funds received by the counties for
10each of the following components of the act:

end insert
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11
(A) Community services and supports.

end insert
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12
(B) Prevention and early intervention.

end insert
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13
(C) Innovation.

end insert
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14
(D) Housing that is not funded under subparagraph (A).

end insert
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15
(E) Workforce education and training that is not funded under
16subparagraph (A).

end insert
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17
(F) Capital facilities and technological needs that are not funded
18under subparagraph (A).

end insert
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19
(G) Other mental health services not reflected in subparagraphs
20(A) to (F), inclusive.

end insert
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21
(3) MHSA revenues expended in the prior fiscal year.

end insert
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22
(4) The amount of the MHSA funds expended by the counties
23for each of the components listed in paragraph (2).

end insert
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24
(5) Funds held in prudent reserve by each county.

end insert
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25
(6) Distributions from the counties’ prudent reserves.

end insert
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26
(7) For the most recent fiscal year, the amount of unspent MHSA
27funds for each component listed in paragraph (2).

end insert
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28
(8) MHSA funds subject to reversion and funds that have
29reverted.

end insert
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30
(e) The information required to be reported pursuant to
31subdivision (d) shall be reported for each fiscal year and shall
32include statewide totals. The information shall be updated annually,
33including revisions when necessary. Revisions shall be identified
34as figures that have been revised from prior year reports. Annual
35reports shall include fiscal information for a period of not less
36than 10 fiscal years and shall include information for the most
37recent fiscal year.

end insert
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38
(f) (1) In addition to the information required pursuant to
39subdivision (d), the department shall publicly report annual county
40program expenditures for each of the following:

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P4    1
(A) Program administration.

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2
(B) Research and evaluation.

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3
(C) Funds used to support joint powers authorities or other
4statewide entities.

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5
(2) A county that cannot supply some or all of the information
6required by paragraph (1) shall provide an explanation as to why
7and shall provide a timeframe for making the information
8available.

end insert
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9
(3) The department shall work with counties and other local
10mental health agencies to determine how best to make the
11information required in paragraph (1) available, including
12estimates. Estimated information shall be reported as an estimate.

end insert
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13
(g) Counties may submit to the department information about
14programs that address the following areas:

end insert
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15
(1) Homelessness.

end insert
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16
(2) Criminal justice diversion or related programs.

end insert
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17
(3) Suicide prevention.

end insert
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18
(4) School-based mental health programs designed to reduce
19school failure.

end insert
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20
(5) Employment or other programs intended to reduce
21unemployment.

end insert
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22
(6) Programs intended to reduce or prevent involvement with
23the child welfare system.

end insert
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24
(7) Stigma reduction.

end insert
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25
(8) Programs specifically designed to reduce racial and ethnic
26disparities.

end insert
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27
(9) Programs specifically designed to meet the needs of the
28following populations:

end insert
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29
(A) Veterans.

end insert
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30
(B) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and
31Questioning (LGBTQQ).

end insert
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32
(C) Children.

end insert
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33
(D) Transition-age youth.

end insert
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34
(E) Adults.

end insert
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35
(F) Older adults.

end insert
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36
(h) The department shall compile the information in subdivisions
37(d) to (g), inclusive, collected from counties or other local mental
38health agencies to promote public understanding of MHSA funds
39that are distributed statewide and for each county, as well as how
P5    1those funds are spent and what funds remain available for
2expenditure.

end insert
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3
(i) The department shall consult with the Mental Health Services
4Oversight and Accountability Commission, the State Controller’s
5Office, the Department of Finance, counties and other local mental
6health agencies, and any other agency required to implement this
7section.

end insert
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8
(j) The department shall consolidate reporting requirements
9when feasible and shall propose to the appropriate policy
10committees of the Legislature strategies to refine and consolidate
11reporting requirements to meet the goals of this section.

end insert
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12
(k) The department shall make the information required by this
13section available to the Legislature and the public on its Internet
14Web site no later than July 1, 2018, and annually thereafter.

end insert
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15

SECTION 1.  

Section 5899 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
16 is amended to read:

17

5899.  

(a) The State Department of Health Care Services, in
18consultation with the Mental Health Services Oversight and
19Accountability Commission and the County Behavioral Health
20Directors Association of California, shall develop and administer
21instructions for the Annual Mental Health Services Act Revenue
22and Expenditure Report. This report shall be submitted
23electronically to the department and to the Mental Health Services
24Oversight and Accountability Commission.

25(b) The purpose of the Annual Mental Health Services Act
26Revenue and Expenditure Report is as follows:

27(1) Identify the expenditures of Mental Health Services Act
28(MHSA) funds that were distributed to each county.

29(2) Quantify the amount of additional funds generated for the
30mental health system as a result of the MHSA.

31(3) Identify unexpended funds, and interest earned on MHSA
32funds.

33(4) Determine reversion amounts, if applicable, from prior fiscal
34year distributions.

35(c) This report is intended to provide information that allows
36for the evaluation of all of the following:

37(1) Children’s systems of care.

38(2) Prevention and early intervention strategies.

39(3) Innovative projects.

40(4) Workforce education and training.

P6    1(5) Adults and older adults systems of care.

2(6) Capital facilities and technology needs.

3(d) Based on the report required in subdivision (a), the State
4Department of Health Care Services shall compile information on
5an annual basis that includes the total amount of MHSA revenue,
6a county-by-county comparison of fund expenditure plans and
7annual updates, and a county-by-county comparison of the purposes
8for which MHSA funds were expended.

9(e) The State Department of Health Care Services annually shall
10provide the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability
11Commission with the information compiled pursuant to subdivision
12(d). The commission shall make the information available to the
13public on the commission’s Internet Web site, which shall be
14updated annually.

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