BILL NUMBER: SB 1466	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 14, 2016
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 28, 2016

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Mitchell

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2016

   An act to add Section 14132.19 to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to Medi-Cal.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1466, as amended, Mitchell. Early and Periodic Screening,
Diagnosis, and Treatment Program: trauma screening.
   Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is
administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under
which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services,
including early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment for
any individual under 21 years of age who is covered under Medi-Cal
consistent with the requirements under federal law. The Medi-Cal
program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program
provisions.
   Existing federal law provides that EPSDT services include periodic
screening services, vision services, dental services, hearing
services, and other necessary services to correct or ameliorate
defects and physical and mental illnesses and conditions discovered
by the screening services, whether or not the services are covered
under the state plan. In addition to the required periodic screening
services, existing federal law provides that Medicaid-eligible
children are entitled to interperiodic screenings in order to
identity a suspected illness or condition not present or discovered
during the periodic exam.
   The bill would require  , consistent with federal law, 
those screening services under the EPSDT  Program 
 program  to include screening for  trauma. The bill
would provide that child abuse and neglect or removal of the child
from the parent or legal guardian by a child welfare agency shall be
prima facie evidence of trauma for purposes of conducting a screening
under the EPSDT Program.   trauma, as defined by the
bill. The bill would require that a child who is found to have
experienced trauma through the screening proc   ess be
referred to the county mental health plan for an assessment for
specialty mental health services. The bill would require that any
child who is found to have experienced trauma during a screening made
pursuant to these provisions, and any child that is abused,
neglected or removed from the custody or care of his or her parent or
legal guardian, as specified, be assessed by the county mental
health plan for specialty mental health services. The bill would
require that a child who is determined not to be eligible for
specialty mental health services be referred for other necessary
health care, diagnostic services, treatment, and other measures, as
specified. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 14132.19 is added to the Welfare and
Institutions Code, to read:
   14132.19.  (a)  Screening   (1)  
  Consistent with federal law, screening  services
provided under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and
Treatment (EPSDT)  Program   benefit 
pursuant to subdivision (v) of Section 14132 shall include screening
for  trauma.   trauma at all screenings. 

   (2) A child found to have experienced trauma through the screening
process shall be referred to the county mental health plan for an
assessment for specialty mental health services.  
   (b) Child abuse and neglect or removal of the child from the
parent or legal guardian by a child welfare agency shall be prima
facie evidence of trauma for purposes of conducting a screening
consistent with this section under the EPSDT Program.  
   (b) A child who is abused, neglected, or removed from the custody
or care of his or her parent or legal guardian pursuant to Section
300 and following, or Section 727, shall be assessed by the county
mental health plan for specialty mental health services.  
   (c) A child who is found to have experienced trauma during a
screening made pursuant to this section shall be assessed by the
county mental health plan for specialty mental health services. If a
child is determined not to be eligible for specialty mental health
services after an assessment by a specialty mental health plan
provider, the child shall be referred for other necessary health
care, diagnostic services, treatment and other measures described in
Section 1396d of Title 42 of the United States Code to correct or
ameliorate any trauma-related defects and physical and mental
illnesses and conditions.  
   (d) "Trauma," as used in this section, is defined as any
physiological response to an event, series of events, or set of
circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or
emotionally harmful or life threatening and that has lasting adverse
effects on the individual's functional and mental, physical, social,
emotional, or spiritual well-being.