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Bills

AB 96: Mental health services: peer support specialist certification.

  • Session Year: 2025-2026
  • House: Assembly

Current Status:

In Progress

(2026-01-13: From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (January 13). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.)

Introduced

First Committee Review

First Chamber

Second Committee Review

Second Chamber

Enacted

Version:

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income persons receive health care benefits. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law establishes a schedule of benefits under the Medi-Cal program and provides for various services, including behavioral and mental health services that are rendered by Medi-Cal enrolled providers.

Existing law authorizes a county, or an agency representing the county, to develop a peer support specialist certification program, subject to department approval. Existing law imposes specified requirements on applicants for certification as a peer support specialist, including that the applicant be at least 18 years of age and possess a high school diploma or equivalent degree.

This bill would remove the requirement of possessing a high school diploma or equivalent degree from the requirements necessary for an applicant to receive certification.

Existing law required the Department of Health Care Access and Information, on or before July 1, 2023, to develop and approve statewide requirements for community health worker certificate programs. Existing law requires the department, as part of developing those requirements, to, among other things, determine the necessary curriculum to meet certificate program objectives. Existing law defines community health worker for these purposes to mean a liaison, link, or intermediary between health and social services and the community to facilitate access to services and to improve the access and cultural competence of service delivery. Existing law specifies that community health worker include Promotores, Promotores de Salud, Community Health Representatives, navigators, and other nonlicensed health workers with the qualifications developed by the department. This bill would also specify for these purposes that a community health worker includes a peer support specialist and would deem a certified peer support specialist to have satisfied all education and training requirements developed by the department for certification as a community health worker.

News Coverage:

AB 96: Mental health services: peer support specialist certification. | Digital Democracy