SB 855: Human services.

(1)Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which health care services are provided to qualified low-income persons. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law establishes a managed care organization provider tax, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services. The tax is assessed by the department on licensed health care service plans, managed care plans contracted with the department to provide Medi-Cal services, and alternate health care service plans.

Existing law imposes a gross premiums tax of 2.35% on all insurers, as defined, doing business in this state, as set forth in the California Constitution. Existing law requires certain insurers to make prepayments of the annual tax and requires the amount of each prepayment to be 25% of the amount of the annual insurance tax liability reported on the return of the insurer for the preceding calendar year. Existing law reduces the gross premiums tax rate to 0% for those premiums received on or after July 1, 2016, and on or before June 30, 2019, for the provision of health insurance paid by health insurers providing health insurance that has a corporate affiliate, as defined, that is a health care service plan or health plan that is subject to the managed care organization provider tax described above, as specified.

This bill would provide that for health insurers subject to the 0% gross premiums tax rate prepayments are not required between July 1, 2016, and on or before June 30, 2019, and would additionally provide that for prepayments due on or after June 30, 2019, the amount due is 25% of the amount of what the annual insurance tax liability reported on the return of the health insurer for the preceding calendar year would have been if the provision reducing the gross premiums tax rate to 0% described above had never been operative.

(2)Existing law requires certain documents from the juvenile case file for a child who died as a result of abuse or neglect, as specified, to be released by the custodian of records upon request and subject to redaction of certain identifying personal information upon completion of the child abuse or neglect investigation into the childs death.

This bill would add a description of child protective or other services provided and actions taken by the child welfare agency, and juvenile court if applicable, to the list of documents that are required to be released. The bill would also require the custodian of records to release certain information in all cases in which abuse or neglect results in a child near fatality, as defined. The bill would prohibit the disclosure of certain information in connection with child near fatalities, including, among others, information that would, after consultation with the district attorney, jeopardize a criminal investigation or proceeding. The bill would make related changes.

The bill would also authorize the State Department of Social Services to implement these provisions by means of all-county letters or similar instructions until regulations are adopted, as specified. By creating new duties for local officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(3)Existing law establishes the Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Option Program (ARC), in counties that choose to participate, for the purpose of making the amount paid to relative caregivers for the in-home care of children placed with them who are ineligible for AFDC-FC payments equal to the amount paid on behalf of children who are eligible for AFDC-FC payments. Existing law authorizes a county that is participating in ARC and that has paid certain specified funds to request reimbursement for those funds from the department if, in any calendar year, the entire amount of funding appropriated by the state for ARC has not been fully allocated to or utilized by participating counties.

This bill would instead authorize a county to make that request if, in any fiscal year, the entire amount of funding appropriated by the state for ARC has not been fully allocated to or utilized by participating counties.

(4)The bill also would delete an obsolete reporting requirement of the State Department of Social Services relating to employment of CalWORKs recipients.

(5)The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, with regard to certain mandates, no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

(6)This bill would appropriate $705,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Rehabilitation, for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2017, to be allocated to independent living centers that have been both established and maintained using specified federal funding as their primary base grant.

(7)This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.