BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                    Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
          
                                          SB 1534  (Perata)
          
          Hearing Date:5/15/00            Amended:5/3/00         
          Consultant: George Cate         Policy Vote:H&HS 5-2   
          ____________________________________________________________ 
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          BILL SUMMARY: 
          
          SB 1534 requires counties to increase the number of  
          patients' rights advocates for mental health patients, and  
          revises the scope of responsibilities of county advocates  
          and their authority to refer complaints to government  
          agencies.  This bill also revises the rights of advocates  
          for access to records and other information under certain  
          circumstances.  In addition, should any county not meet the  
          ratio of providing at least one patients' rights advocate  
          for each 250,000 people in its population, this measure  
          requires the Director of Mental Health to contract for  
          these services and the county to pay for them.

                              Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
           
          Major Provisions        2000-01             2001-02               2002-03   
           Fund  
          
          Advocates          4,300      8,600                  8,600General
          System changes     Minor                     General

          
          STAFF COMMENTS:  
          
          This bill meets the criteria to be placed on the Suspense  
          file.

          Preliminary estimates from the Department of Mental Health  
          (DMH) indicate the need for approximately 140 new advocates  
          to meet the staffing ratio in SB 1534, statewide.  This  
          translates to an annual cost of about $8.6 million General  
          Fund, because it would be a local mandated program and  
          qualify for reimbursement.  There are also minor costs  
          relating to the other provisions in the bill.