AB 396 (Mitchell) – Support
As Amended on May 12, 2011
AB 396, by Assembly Member Holly Mitchell, would provide the
opportunity for counties to receive federal funding for the
inpatient medical costs of juvenile detainees.
AB 194 (Beall) – Support
As Amended on May 31, 2011
AB 194, a bill by Assembly Member Jim Beall, would grant foster
youth priority enrollment in a public university or community
college system.
AB 194 specifically would allow foster youth and former foster
youth to receive priority enrollment in the California State
University and community college system, if the specific campus
utilizes the required technology to grant priority enrollment. AB
194 also requests the participation of the University of
California system.
AB 212 (Beall) – Support
As Amended on March 29, 2011
AB 212, by Assembly Member Jim Beall, would implement technical
provisions related to last year’s landmark foster care
legislation, the California Fostering Connections to Success Act
of 2010 (AB 12).
AB 212 (Beall) – Support
As Amended on March 29, 2011
AB 212, by Assembly Member Jim Beall, would implement technical
provisions related to last year’s landmark foster care
legislation, the California Fostering Connections to Success Act
of 2010 (AB 12).
Foster Care Awareness Month Activities Inundate the Capitol
More than 30 foster youth gathered on the West Steps of the State
Capitol Building to kick off the“Take a Foster Youth to the
Capitol” day on Wednesday.
AB 1296 (Bonilla) – Support in Concept
As Amended on April 25, 2011
AB 1296, by Assembly Member Susan Bonilla, is a vehicle to
attempt to streamline the eligibility and application process for
the Medi-Cal, Healthy Families Program, and the new Health Care
Exchange. It is being developed with the goal of meeting the
requirements of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2014,
and was amended on April 25.
AB 1296 (Bonilla) – Support in Concept
As Amended on April 25, 2011
AB 1296, by Assembly Member Susan Bonilla, is a vehicle to
attempt to streamline the eligibility and application process for
the Medi-Cal, Healthy Families Program, and the new Health Care
Exchange. It is being developed with the goal of meeting the
requirements of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2014,
and was amended on April 25.
California Health Benefit Exchange Holds Historic First Meeting
The California Health Benefit Exchange Board held its first
meeting on April 20, 2011. The federal Affordable Care Act
requires the establishment of health benefit exchanges that allow
individuals and small businesses to purchase coverage. For more
information about the health benefit exchange provision in
federal law, see the CSAC
Fact Sheet.
Several county First 5 Commissions have filed suit against the
Brown Administration over the state’s redirection of $1 billion
in First 5 (Proposition 10, Children and Families Act of 1998)
funds to Medi-Cal.
Hospital Funding Package Heading to Governor’s Desk
The Legislature fast-tracked two measures related to hospital
funding and the state budget this week. SB 90 by President pro
Tempore Darrell Steinberg and AB 113 by Assembly Member Bill
Monning cleared both houses of the Legislature and will be sent
to the Governor for action.
AB 518 (Wagner) – Support
As Amended on March 23, 2011
AB 518, a bill by Assembly Member Donald Wagner, would continue
to protect elder and dependent adults from financial abuse by
eliminating the sunset date on the reporting of suspected abuse
by financial institutions.
Counties support AB 518, which was passed by the Assembly Aging
and Long-Term Care Committee on March 23. The bill will be heard
next in the Assembly Public Safety Committee, but has not yet
been set for a hearing.
SB 36 (Simitian) – Support
As Introduced on December 6, 2011
SB 36, by Senator Joe Simitian, would allow counties to draw down
federal Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding for
children’s health insurance.
Conference Committee Actions on Health & Human Services
The Joint Budget Conference Committee took action to close out
items yesterday that, in most cases, would enact additional cuts
to health and human services programs. The outline below refers
only to actions taken by the Committee on March 3 – all other
actions previously reported in the CSAC Bulletin remain in the
Conference Committee’s final report. In total, the Legislature
adopted $6 billion in cuts to health and human services
programs.
AB 1066 (Pérez) – Pending
As Introduced on February 18, 2011
AB 1066, by Assembly Speaker John Pérez, has been introduced to
clean up some of the technical language contained in last year’s
Section 1115 Medicaid Hospital Financing Demonstration Waiver
bills, SB 208 (Steinberg) and AB 302 (Pérez).
Governor Proposes Streamlining State Oversight of Mental Health
Services Act Funds
The Department of Finance (DOF) released a letter to Senate
Budget and Fiscal Review Committee Chair Mark Leno yesterday
seeking to simplify state oversight of the Mental Health Services
Act (MHSA, or Proposition 63 of 2004) by amending the statute to
allow counties to receive MHSA funds directly.
The Assembly and Senate began their budget deliberations this
week. California Health and Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley
appeared before both committees to communicate the gravity of the
budget situation. She acknowledged the Legislature will be
considering difficult budget cuts that no one likes. Secretary
Dooley also made herself available to the Legislature as they
work on the budget.
CSAC Health and Human Services Technical Realignment Work Group
To Meet Friday
The CSAC Health and Human Services Technical Realignment Work
Group is being resurrected for a meeting on Friday, January 21,
to evaluate Governor Brown’s proposal to realign a series of
human services programs to counties.
The CSAC Budget Action Bulletin released on Monday
contains a detailed description of the health and human services
budget proposals, including the realignment proposal. Since
Monday, CSAC has obtained additional details on some of the
proposals. The following are updates to that document.
The Department of Health Care Services is expected to release the
application for the Low Income Health Program (LIHP) today.
Please check the Department’s website for
the application. In addition, the Department updated the site in
the last few weeks, including the Frequently Asked Questions
section. Counties are encouraged to check the site regularly for
new information.
Blue Shield of California Foundation Awards Additional County
Coverage Initiative Grants
The Blue Shield of California Foundation has awarded an
additional $1.7 million in grant funding to 10 counties to assist
with expanding health care coverage to low-income residents.
Due to the pressing issues affecting health and human services
programs, the CSAC Health and Human Services Policy Committee
will meet monthly in 2011. The Committee anticipates grappling
with federal health care reform, the implementation of the new
Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver, and state budget
proposals.
On November 17, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Wynne Carvill
ordered a temporary halt to the Governor’s veto of $256 million
in state funding for Stage 3 CalWORKs child care
services.
The CSAC Health and Human Services Policy Committee met on
November 17 with more than 20 supervisors and 60 county staff and
affiliates in attendance. A complete agenda packet is available
on the CSAC website.
Food Stamp Program Undergoes Name Change: CalFresh
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has
turned over a new leaf in California’s food stamp program by
rebranding the benefit “CalFresh.”
The new name was unveiled in Long Beach on October 23 by
California First Lady Maria Shriver, who emphasized the program’s
goal of helping Californians to put healthy food on their
tables.
Assembly Speaker Asks First 5 Commissions to Fund Child Care Cut
Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez has asked the state and local
First 5 Commissions to step into the void left by Governor
Schwarzenegger’s line-item veto of $256 million in Stage 3
CalWORKs child care funding.
The Governor’s veto effectively eliminates the program on
November 1. More than 81,000 children and 60,000 families will
lose their child care, which may result in the loss of jobs for
many of the parents, as well as the child care providers.
State Receives $14.5 Million Federal Grant to Improve Foster Care
Permanency
The state Department of Social Services (CDSS) has received
a $14.5 million five-year grant from the federal Administration
for Children and Families to improve outcomes and promote
permanency for certain foster youth in the state’s
system.
The state will use some of the grant funding for introducing
an integrated casework practice model within four counties –
Fresno, Humboldt, Los Angeles, and Santa Clara – serving as pilot
project participants.
AB 12 (Beall/Bass) – Support
As Amended on August 2, 2010
Assembly Bill 12, by Assembly Members Jim Beall and Karen Bass,
would allow California to draw down newly available federal funds
to provide enhanced support for relative caregivers and foster
youth from age 18 to 21.
State Seeks Two-Month Extension on Waiver Negotiations
The state Department of Health Care Services has asked the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for a two-month
extension of the existing hospital financing waiver as
negotiations on a new five-year waiver continue.
The House of Representatives, back in Washington for an
unprecedented summer recess vote, adopted a six-month extension
of the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP)
this afternoon in a 247 to 161 vote.
CSAC, along with a broad coalition of associations and child
welfare groups, is working to bring Child Welfare and Foster Care
Services back from the brink after the Governor vetoed $80
million in CWS funding last fall.
Counties can help give abused and neglected children a hand up by
participating in the coalition’s quick and easy electronic
postcard campaign.
The state’s effort to negotiate a new Section 1115 Medicaid
hospital waiver with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) was the topic of two hearings for identical bills
in the Capitol last week.
Governor Schwarzenegger was within his executive authority when
he vetoed millions of dollars from a budget agreement (ABX4 1)
last July, says a state appellate court.
A coalition of social services advocates, unions, and Senate
Speaker pro Tem Darrell Steinberg had sued the Governor over
seven of the surprise vetoes – which included reductions in
funding for Child Welfare Services, the Office of AIDS, and the
Healthy Families Program – totaling $288 million.
The court, in a strongly worded opinion (Read it here:
