BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 291
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Date of Hearing: August 19, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
SB 291
(Lara) - As Amended July 16, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill:
1)Amends the definition of vulnerable communities to include
SB 291
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individuals who have experienced trauma related to genocide,
for purposes of the California Department of Public Health
(CDPH) Office of Health Equity (OHE)'s health disparity
initiatives.
2)Requires the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to
include stakeholders in vulnerable communities, as defined, in
its decision making process, to promote effective and
efficient quality mental health services.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Negligible state fiscal impact.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, in the last decade, the
Legislature has sought to expand access to mental health care.
OHE and DHCS, among other state and local entities, have been
charged with carrying out various mental health initiatives.
Yet barriers to mental health care remain, and community and
non-profit organizations that serve individuals suffering from
trauma related to genocide struggle to access programs and
services administered by these departments. The author states
the Cambodian-American population still suffers from the
effects of the Cambodian Genocide that occurred between
1975-1979 and their mental health challenges are
multigenerational, extending beyond the elders who were
refugees to the youth who are U.S. born citizens. This bill
attempts to include those groups in the definition of
"vulnerable communities," for purposes of including this
unique type of trauma in the state's mental health
initiatives.
SB 291
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Analysis Prepared by:Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916)
319-2081