BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1969
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GOVERNOR'S VETO
AB 1969 (Steinberg)
As Amended August 25, 2000
2/3 vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |76-0 |(May 31, 2000) |SENATE: |29-2 |(August 28, |
| | | | | |2000) |
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|ASSEMBLY: |76-2 |(August 29, | | | |
| | |2000) | | | |
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Original Committee Reference: HEALTH
SUMMARY : Establishes a long-term mental health care working
group to further coordination and monitoring of treatment of
persons with mental illness in long-term care facilities, and
appropriates an unspecified sum for counties for caring for
patients in institutions with mental disease. Specifically,
this bill :
1)Makes findings and declarations relative to the nexus between
homelessness among the mentally ill and affordable housing,
the continuum of services that comprise housing for the
mentally ill, and the need for monitoring of the living
situations of the mentally ill to include more than monitoring
"bricks and mortar."
2)Requires the Department of Mental Health (DMH), in conjunction
with the Department of Health Services (DHS), to establish a
long-term mental health care working group that includes
representatives of county mental health programs, consumers,
family members of residents with mental disease who are in
long-term care facilities, and long-term care providers.
3)Requires the long-term mental health care working group to
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develop a plan for the development of long-term mental health
care facilities that are community-based and serve no more
than sixteen people. Requires the plan to consider whether a
new licensure category is needed and the elements of
monitoring and evaluation that would be included in the
development of a new licensure category. Requires the
long-term mental health care working group to make
recommendations to the Legislature on or before January 1,
2002.
4)Requires DMH, in conjunction with DHS, to develop and submit
to the Legislature, on or before March 1, 2001, a state plan
for a consolidated and streamlined evaluation and monitoring
program under one regulating authority for the review of
mental health rehabilitation centers and skilled nursing
facilities (SNFs) with special treatment programs, as
specified. Requires the plan to include the cost and timeline
for implementation.
5)Requires DHS to forward to DMH and the county in which the
facility is located, citations issued to a SNF that has a
special treatment program. Requires DMH to forward to the
county in which a facility is located, copies of SNF and
mental health rehabilitation center citations, as specified.
6)Requires, to the extent state funds are available, counties
that contract for services from institutions for mental
disease to establish a clinical quality support program as
specified.
7)Requires, on or before July 1, 2001, DHS to develop a
mechanism to allow public access, including internet access,
to information regarding long-term care facilities licensed or
certified by DHS, including mental health rehabilitation
centers and special treatment programs, as specified.
The Senate amendments delete the appropriation from this bill
and make minor, nonsubstantive changes.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill established a long-term
mental health care working group to further coordination and
monitoring of treatment of persons with mental illness in
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long-term care facilities and appropriated an unspecified sum to
counties for patients in institutions with mental disease.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee analysis, GF costs to DMH, estimated at $3 million
annually, to allocate funds to counties for clinical quality
support programs in institutions for mental disease.
COMMENTS : None
GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE :
This bill would require a long-term care mental health
working group to develop a specific plan for the
development of certain long-term care facilities.
The 2000-01 Budget, as signed, did not include funds
for this purpose. While this working group may have
merit, it should compete with the many other good
proposals that will be suggested next year for
adoption in the Budget Act of 2001.
This bill also duplicates existing law, which already
requires the Department of Mental Health to conduct an
independent evaluation of Mental Health Rehabilitation
Centers and develop a state-level plan for a
streamlined and consolidated evaluation and monitoring
program for the review of MHRCs and skilled Nursing
Facilities with special treatment programs for
mentally ill patients.
Analysis Prepared by : Ann Blackwood / HEALTH / (916) 319-2097
FN: 0007406
AB 1969
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