BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1571|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1571
Author: Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee
Amended: 9/1/09 in Senate
Vote: 27
SENATE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE : 6-0, 6/23/09
AYES: Denham, Correa, Wiggins, Negrete McLeod, Cedillo,
Maldonado
NO VOTE RECORDED: Wyland
SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE : 10-0, 7/15/09
AYES: Alquist, Strickland, Aanestad, Cedillo, Cox,
DeSaulnier, Leno, Negrete McLeod, Pavley, Wolk
NO VOTE RECORDED: Maldonado
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 13-0, 8/27/09
AYES: Kehoe, Cox, Corbett, Denham, Hancock, Leno, Oropeza,
Price, Runner, Walters, Wolk, Wyland, Yee
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 73-2, 6/2/09 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Mental health services: county plans:
veterans
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the Department of Mental
Health to inform the Department of Veterans Affairs of
services intended specifically for veterans in county
mental health plans. This bill requires the inclusion of
CONTINUED
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veterans or representatives from veterans organization in
the development or update of local mental health plans.
ANALYSIS : Proposition 63, approved by the voters in
2004, established the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) and
enacted a state income tax surcharge of one percent on
taxable incomes of more than $1 million for the provision
of mental health services. Over $700 million is available
for this purpose for the 2009-10 fiscal year.
Under current law, county mental health departments are
required to develop three-year plans outlining the use of
MHSA funds. Components to be addressed in the plan include
(1) community services and support, (2) workforce education
and training, (3) capital facilities and technology, (4)
prevention and early intervention, and (5) innovation.
These plans are to be developed or updated with local
stakeholders, including adults and seniors with severe
mental illness, families of individuals that have severe
mental illness, service providers, law enforcement
agencies, education agencies, social services agencies, and
others.
Current law further requires to counties to refer veterans
to the county veterans service officer to determine the
veteran's eligibility for mental health services.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 9/1/09)
American Legion, Department of California
AMVETS, Department of California
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
California Mental Health Directors Association
California State Association of Counties
OPPOSITION : (Verified 9/1/09)
Department of Finance
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : Proponents argue that this bill
will help address mental health issues which predominately
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affect veterans such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, by
specifically including veterans in county stakeholders
groups that participate in county mental health planning.
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : The Department of Finance
opposes this bill for the following reasons:
1. It is unnecessary. Current law requires counties to
consider other important interests, which include
veterans and veteran's organizations, when developing
their MHSA spending plans.
2. This could put the state in violation of the MHSA
because it could put state operations spending over the
five percent limit imposed by the MHSA.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Arambula, Beall, Tom Berryhill,
Blakeslee, Blumenfield, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles
Calderon, Carter, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De
La Torre, De Leon, DeVore, Duvall, Emmerson, Eng, Evans,
Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines,
Garrick, Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hernandez, Hill,
Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu,
Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Monning, Nava,
Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel
Perez, Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva,
Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson,
Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines, Yamada, Bass
NOES: Anderson, Hayashi
NO VOTE RECORDED: Bill Berryhill, Block, Brownley,
Galgiani, Miller
TSM:mw 9/1/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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