BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                     SB 804


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          SENATE THIRD READING


          SB  
          804 (Committee on Health)


          As Amended  September 4, 2015


          Majority vote


          SENATE VOTE:  39-0


           ------------------------------------------------------------------ 
          |Committee       |Votes|Ayes                  |Noes                |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
          |Health          |19-0 |Bonta, Maienschein,   |                    |
          |                |     |Bonilla, Burke,       |                    |
          |                |     |Chávez, Chiu, Gomez,  |                    |
          |                |     |Gonzalez, Roger       |                    |
          |                |     |Hernández, Lackey,    |                    |
          |                |     |Nazarian, Patterson,  |                    |
          |                |     |Ridley-Thomas,        |                    |
          |                |     |Rodriguez, Santiago,  |                    |
          |                |     |Steinorth, Thurmond,  |                    |
          |                |     |Waldron, Wood         |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
          |Appropriations  |17-0 |Gomez, Bigelow,       |                    |
          |                |     |Bloom, Bonta,         |                    |
          |                |     |Calderon, Chang,      |                    |
          |                |     |Nazarian, Eggman,     |                    |
          |                |     |Gallagher, Eduardo    |                    |








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          |                |     |Garcia, Holden,       |                    |
          |                |     |Jones, Quirk, Rendon, |                    |
          |                |     |Wagner, Weber, Wood   |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
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          SUMMARY:  Makes technical and conforming changes to specific  
          sections of the Health and Safety Code and the Welfare and  
          Institutions Code.  Specifically, this bill:  


          1)Updates obsolete references to county mental health directors  
            and county drug and alcohol program administrators by  
            referring to them as county behavioral health directors and/or  
            the County Behavioral Health Directors Association. 


          2)Requires the Department of Health Care Services to report to  
            the Legislature with quarterly updates on caseload, estimated  
            expenditures, and related program monitoring data for the  
            Every Woman Counts Program. 


          3)Deletes references to a non-profit hospital service plan from  
            inclusion as a fiscal intermediary, prepaid health plan, or  
            group health coverage. 


          4)Makes technical changes to ensure individuals that can prove  
            their homeless status are not subject to any fee when  
            requesting a certified record of live birth. 


          5)Deletes the sunset date of the California Office of Health  
            Information Integrity (CalOHII).  










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          FISCAL EFFECT:  According to the Assembly Appropriations  
          Committee, annual costs of $3.7 million to extend indefinitely  
          the operations of the CalOHII; minor and absorbable costs to the  
          Department of Managed Health Care and the California Department  
          of Insurance to verify health plan and insurer compliance with  
          the updated requirement related to group health insurance; and  
          unknown, potentially significant state costs for increased  
          Medi-Cal enrollment.  


          COMMENTS:  According to the author, last year the Legislature  
          decided unanimously to assist individuals enduring difficult  
          times in their efforts to get back on their feet by not  
          subjecting homeless adults or youth to a fee when requesting a  
          certified record of live birth.  The author states that nearly  
          every government program or social service programs that these  
          individuals so desperately need, require some form of  
          identification, including a birth certificate.  This bill will  
          further clarify that homeless individuals are not subject to any  
          surprise fees as they seek the documentation needed to access  
          social services programs.


          The author also states that this bill will also extend the  
          sunset date of the CalOHII indefinitely.  CalOHII has focused on  
          making confidential health information available in the most  
          secure ways and the sunset date has continued to be extended.   
          The author concludes that at a time when confidentiality,  
          particularly of personal health information, is paramount, the  
          work done by CalOHII will be needed in the immediate and distant  
          future.




          The California State Association of Counties states in support  
          that the merging of the organizations County Mental Health  
          Directors Association and County Alcohol and Drug Program  
          Administrators Association of California is a reflection of the  








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          integration of the mental health and substance use disorder  
          agencies at the county level and general understanding that  
          these areas are often interdependent of each other and the  
          people they serve.


          There is no known opposition to this bill.


          Analysis Prepared by:                                             
                          Paula Villescaz / HEALTH / (916) 319-2097  FN:  
          0002127