AB 1940: School-Based Health Center Support Program.

Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health, in cooperation with the State Department of Education, to establish a Public School Health Center Support Program to assist school health centers, which are defined as centers or programs, located at or near local educational agencies, that provide age-appropriate health care services at the program site or through referrals, as specified.

This bill would rename the program as the School-Based Health Center Support Program and would redefine a school-based health center to mean a student-focused health center or clinic that is located at or near a school or schools, is organized through school, community, and health provider relationships, and provides age-appropriate, clinical health care services onsite by qualified health professionals. The bill would authorize a school-based health center to provide primary medical care, behavioral health services, or dental care services onsite or through mobile health or telehealth.

Existing law requires the department, subject to an appropriation, to establish a grant program within the Public School Health Center Support Program to provide technical assistance, and funding for the expansion, renovation, and retrofitting of existing school health centers, and the development of new school health centers. Existing law requires a health center receiving grant funds to meet or have a plan to meeting specified requirements relating to the provision of certain services.

This bill would make changes to certain service requirements relating to, among other things, primary medical care, substance use disorder services, population health, and integrated and individualized support.

Existing law requires, subject to an appropriation, that planning grants under the program be available in amounts between $25,000 and $50,000 for a 6- to 12-month period for specified uses.

This bill would instead require, subject to an appropriation, that planning grants be available in amounts between $50,000 and $100,000, inclusive, for up to a 24-month period.

Existing law requires, subject to an appropriation, that facilities and startup grants be available in amounts between $20,000 and $250,000 per year for a 3-year period for the purpose of establishing a school health center, with the potential addition of $100,000 in the first year for facilities construction, purchase, or renovation.

This bill would instead require, subject to an appropriation, that facilities and startup grants be available in amounts between $300,000 and $850,000, inclusive, for a 3-year period. The bill would make certain changes to preference-related criteria.

Existing law requires, subject to an appropriation, that sustainability grants be available in amounts between $25,000 and $125,000 per year for a 3-year period for the purpose of operating a school health center, or enhancing programming at a fully operational school health center, and sets forth certain criteria for those grants.

This bill would delete those provisions and would instead require, subject to an appropriation, that expansion grants be available in amounts between $150,000 and $300,000, inclusive, for up to a 3-year period for the purpose of renovating and improving an existing school-based health center or enhancing and expanding programming at a fully operational school-based health center, as specified. The bill would set forth certain eligibility- and preference-related criteria for these grants.

Existing law requires the program, in collaboration with the State Department of Education, to act as a liaison for school-based health centers.

This bill would delete that provision.

Existing law requires the State Department of Education to establish an Office of School-Based Health Programs for the purpose of assisting local educational agencies regarding the current health-related programs under the purview of the department, as specified.

This bill would require the office to work with the State Department of Public Health in supporting the School-Based Health Center Support Program. The bill would make conforming changes to related provisions.

The bill would make additional changes to the program, including, among others, changes relating to outreach and enrollment strategies for children eligible for certain health care coverage programs, consultation with specified stakeholders, data collection from health centers, and preference-related criteria for the above-described grant funding.