BILL NUMBER: SB 1466	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 1, 2016
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 31, 2016
	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   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
identify a suspected illness or condition not present or discovered
during the periodic examination.
   The bill would require, consistent with federal law, 
those   that  screening services under the EPSDT
program  to  include screening for trauma, as
defined by the bill. The bill would require that any child who is
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 also would
require the department, in consultation with the State Department of
Social Services, and others, to adopt, employ, and develop, as
appropriate, tools and protocols for screening children for trauma
and further would authorize the department to implement, interpret,
or make specific the screening tools and protocols by means of
all-county letters, plan letters, or plan or provider bulletins, 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) Consistent with federal law, screening services
provided under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and
Treatment (EPSDT) benefit pursuant to subdivision (v) of Section
14132 shall include screening for trauma at all screenings.
   (b) A child who is 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) "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. 
   (d) (1) The department, in consultation with the State Department
of Social Services, behavioral health experts, child welfare experts,
and stakeholders, shall adopt, employ, and develop, as appropriate,
tools and protocols for the screening of children for trauma,
consistent with existing law and this section.  
   (2) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of
Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the
department may implement, interpret, or make specific this
subdivision by means of all-county letters, plan letters, plan or
provider bulletins, or similar instructions, without taking
regulatory action.