AB 666: Substance use disorder workforce development.

Existing law imposes various requirements on the State Department of Health Care Services relating to the administration of alcohol and drug programs, including, but not limited to, providing funds to counties for planning and implementing local programs to alleviate problems related to alcohol and other drug use, reviewing and certifying alcohol and other drug programs that meet state standards, developing and maintaining a centralized data collection system to gather and obtain information on the status of the alcohol and other drug abuse problems in the state, and licensing and regulating alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities.

This bill, the Combating the Overdose and Addiction Epidemic by Building the Substance Use Disorder Workforce (CODE W) Act, would require the department, on or before July 1, 2023, to issue a statewide substance use disorder (SUD) workforce needs assessment report that evaluates the current state of the SUD workforce, determines barriers to entry into the SUD workforce, and assesses the states systems for regulating and supporting the SUD workforce. The bill would authorize the Department of Health Care Access and Information to implement SUD workforce development programming that includes a number of program elements, including stipends to cover costs related to testing, registration, and certification for specified individuals, and tuition reimbursements for undergraduate and graduate students who complete coursework in programs related to SUDs. The bill would make implementation of the SUD workforce development programming contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature for that purpose, as specified.