Thursday, May 14, both the Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees met and dispensed with their respective Suspense Calendars, the list of all bills with a fiscal impact on the state. Especially considering the fiscal situation the state faces this year and likely the next few, there was some expectation that the Appropriations Committees would need to make some challenging decisions. Despite that, CSAP did well. Both of CSAP’s sponsored bills on Suspense, SB 1016 (Blakespear) and AB 1825 (Krell) passed out and are headed to their respective floors for a vote of the entire chamber. SB 1016 would create a mechanism to allow for a judge, on their own motion, to recommend an individual too severe to benefit from CARE Court to be assessed by the County Behavioral Health Department and creating a more direct and surgical link between CARE Court and the LPS system. AB 1825 (Krell) addresses important gaps in the management and release planning of individuals classified as offenders with mental health disorders (OMHDs). Specifically, AB 1825 establishes clear guidelines in statute for violence risk assessments, requires collaboration with county behavioral health departments and consideration of programs to ensure a coordinated reentry, requires structured exit plans, and allows individuals in state hospitals to enroll in Medi-Cal and receive Medi-Cal services during the 90 days prior to release.

Additionally, AB 2511 (Ahrens) was held by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. AB 2511 would have required the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) to collaborate with other state departments to study pay differences between behavioral health providers and medical-surgical care providers. CSAP moved to oppose AB 2511 based on concerns that the study could unfairly benchmark psychiatrists against other behavioral health professionals. While CSAP had been having some productive conversations with the author and sponsor, AB 2511 is now effectively dead for this session.

However, there were some losses. Two CSAP supported bills, Senator Stern’s SB 1221 and Assemblymember Patel’s AB 2431 were both held. SB 1221 (Stern), sponsored by the California District Attorneys Association, would have improved the placement and oversight of individuals placed on Public Safety (Murphy) Conservatorships by prioritizing their placement and ensuring appropriate participation in conservatorship proceedings. AB 2431 (Patel), which was sponsored by the California Medical Association, would have prohibited a health plan and health insurer from using an automated process, system, or tool to downcode a claim.