BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 398
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 13, 2009 

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

                   AB 398 (Monning) - As Amended:  April 14, 2009  

          Policy Committee:                              Health Vote:19-0
                       Human Services                         7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill transfers the administration and oversight of the  
          California Traumatic Bain Injury (TBI) Program from the  
          California Department of Mental Health (DMH) to the California  
          Department of Rehabilitation (DOR). 

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)Unknown, likely absorbable workload to DOR to provide  
            administration and oversight of the TBI program.   

          2)The DMH currently administers the TBI fund (fund) to support  
            successful pilot programs that demonstrate a continuum-of-care  
            for adults 18 years of age or older with TBI and their  
            families. In 2007-08 the fund expenditures were $1.2 million  
            with a year-end balance of $142,000. The fund receives .66  
            percent of the State Penalty Assessment Fund, capped at  
            $500,000. Other penalties and revenues also support the fund.   

           
           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . This bill is sponsored by the California  
            Association for Independent Living Centers and Traumatic Brain  
            Injury Services of California. TBI is a specific kind of head  
            injury caused by external forces. Concussion is the most  
            common TBI head injury. California has 350,000 survivors of  
            TBI and the number is expected to increase as veterans return  
            from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. TBI survivors require  
            services more closely related to the mission of DOR, not  
            mental health services. This bill allows the transfer of the  








                                                                  AB 398
                                                                  Page  2

            TBI program to a setting that emphasizes rehabilitation and  
            independent living, core missions of DOR.  

           2)Related Legislation  . AB 1410 (Feuer), Chapter 676, Statutes of  
            2007, requires the Department of Health Care Services to  
            submit a home- and community-based federal Medicaid waiver  
            application or state plan amendment to serve at least 100  
            adults with acquired TBIs.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Mary Ader / APPR. / (916) 319-2081