May 31, 2019 Edition
On Thursday,
the Budget Conference Committee, comprised of five Senators and five Assembly
Members, convened to begin its work to reconcile differences in budget packages
approved
by Senate and Assembly budget committees. Conference Committee Chair Senator Holly Mitchell opened
the hearing by detailing the work ahead of the committee, which includes a
great deal of work within a tight timeline. The conference committee aims to
wrap up its deliberations and actions by the end of next week.
Senator
Mitchell noted that the two budget frameworks adopted by the Senate and
Assembly “are not that far apart” and include similar revenue estimates and
prioritization of investments in education, health, and housing. Conference
Committee Vice Chair Assembly Member Phil Ting indicated that “90-plus percent”
of the budget is already complete, reflecting the shared input and values of the
Legislature, Administration, and the people of the state of California.
Thursday’s
hearing featured an overview
of budget packages
approved by both houses and issues to be considered by the Budget Conference
Committee, presented by the Legislative Analyst Gabriel Petek. Petek, in his
remarks, detailed the role of the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) in the
conference committee process, underscored the current strong economic status in
California, and warned of the potential for an economic recession in the coming
years.
After receiving
the overview of issues from the LAO and Department of Finance (DOF), the
conference committee began its consideration of K-12 and Higher Education
issues, which continued into today. The conference committee is also working
through Resources and Transportation issues today and is set to continue its
deliberations through next week on Health and Human Services, State
Administration and General Government, and Public Safety, Corrections, and the
Judiciary issues beginning on Monday. Items to be considered by the conference
committee by subject area are available here.
Today marks the
deadline for the California Legislature to pass bills out of their house of
origin. Both the Senate and Assembly this week were in floor sessions only,
maintaining a steady pace of floor debate and votes each day. Measures passed
out of their house of origin will now be considered through the committee
hearing process in the opposite house beginning next week.
Below, we
highlight several actions of interest from this week. The full CHEAC Weekly
Bill Chart is available
here.
Drug & Alcohol Services
AB
1031 (Nazarian) as amended May 16, 2019 – SUPPORT
Assembly Member
Adrin Nazarian’s AB 1031 was advanced from the Assembly to the Senate on
Tuesday on a 74-0 vote with six members not voting. The measure would direct
the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), in collaboration with counties
and SUD service providers, to establish regulations regarding community-based
nonresidential and residential treatment and recovery programs for youth under
21 years of age.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
AB
1544 (Gipson) as amended May 16, 2019 – OPPOSE UNLESS AMENDED
Assembly Member
Mike Gipson’s AB 1544 was advanced from the Assembly to the Senate on Wednesday
on a 68-3 vote with nine members not voting. AB 1544 would allow local
emergency medical services agencies (LEMSAs) to develop local community
paramedicine programs and would require LEMSAs to use or establish local
emergency medical care committees (EMCCs). The measure also establishes the
Community Paramedicine Medical Oversight Committee to advise the EMS Authority
on and to approve minimum medical protocols for all community paramedicine
programs, among other activities. CHEAC, along with CSAC, UCC, RCRC, EMSAAC,
and EMDAC, is in an oppose unless amended position on the measure.
Health Coverage/Health Care Reform
AB
50 (Kalra) as amended April 25, 2019 – SUPPORT
AB 50 by
Assembly Member Ash Kalra was passed by the Assembly on Tuesday on a 76-0 vote
with four members not voting. The measure would require the Department of
Health Care Services (DHCS) to submit to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) an amendment request to expand the Assisted Living Waiver (ALW)
program in California. The measure now heads to the Senate.
AB
414 (Bonta) as amended May 17, 2019 – SUPPORT
Assembly Member
Rob Bonta’s AB 414 would establish a state-level individual health insurance
coverage mandate in California and require Covered California to determine a
financial penalty for not obtaining health insurance. Penalty revenue would be
directed toward improving the affordability of health coverage in California.
AB 414 was passed on Wednesday from the Assembly to the Senate on a 55-18 vote
with seven members not voting.
SB
175 (Pan) as
amended April 3, 2019 – SUPPORT
Similar to AB
414, SB 175 by Senator Richard Pan would also establish a state-level
individual health insurance coverage mandate with financial penalties for not
obtaining health insurance. Penalty revenues would be directed to the Health
Care Coverage Penalty Fund and also directed to Covered California operational
costs of administering the individual mandate and financial assistance program.
SB 175 would further require Covered California to conduct specified annual
outreach and enrollment efforts among individuals who do not maintain minimum
essential coverage. Senator Pan moved SB 175 to the Senate Inactive File on
Wednesday, where the measure will be held until further notice.
AB 4 (Arambula) as amended May 17, 2019 – SUPPORT
AB 4 by
Assembly Member Joaquin Arambula would, contingent upon an appropriation by the
Legislature in the annual Budget Act or other measure, expand full-scope
Medi-Cal to all undocumented adults with an income at or below 138 percent of
the federal poverty level (FPL). The measure was passed by the Assembly to the
Senate on Tuesday on a 51-17 vote with 12 members not voting.
SB
29 (Durazo) as amended May 21, 2019 – SUPPORT
Similarly, SB
29 by Senator Maria Elena Durazo would, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature,
expand full-scope Medi-Cal to all undocumented adults 19-25 years of age those
65 years of age and older with incomes at or below 138 percent FPL. The measure
would also expand full-scope Medi-Cal eligibility to individuals beyond 26
years of age in each subsequent year by one year until 65 years of age. SB 29
was passed by the Senate to the Assembly on a 24-11 vote with three members not
voting.