Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 3 on Health and Human Services

All right, we will begin our final hearing on budget subcommittee number three in human services. I hope you've enjoyed the ride and you haven't fallen off. It was a bumpy one but I am very proud of the actions we will be taking today on the Senate side. I'm very proud of our Senate counter proposal. I am very proud that we held the line in at least our part in not absorbing one of those some of those really horrendous cuts.

I'm proud of the work and the advocates have come up the past couple months to share their stories with us. I'm proud that you all hung out with me for last week thirteen hours and two days.

And while I know there's still negotiations that need to occur at least the State Senate can say that they did their part and they found a way to reject those cuts, provide a balanced budget with revenues and that it is possible and that anything that gets stripped away from here on out was not our fault. So with that, we're now gonna turn over to public comment for final thoughts and wishes please. Or opposition because I know not everyone's happy.

Good morning, Chair Menjivar and Members. I'm Evan Fern with Disability Rights California. We wanna thank the Senate for continuing to push back against cuts that disproportionately impact people with disabilities who rely on Medi Cal to maintain their health and stay in their homes and communities. On item 56, for 62,000 people with disabilities and seniors, Medi Cal would no longer be within reach if these new lower asset limits were reinstated. The rest would have to live in extreme poverty.

We support retaining full scope Medi Cal for humanitarian immigrants, item 55, and oppose the $50 monthly Medi Cal premium for some immigrant groups, Item 57. Disability doesn't recognize immigration status. We also remain opposed to all three cuts to IHSS. We appreciate the staff recommendations to oppose the first two, but continue to push for the rejection of all three. On item 52, we appreciate and strongly support the staff recommendation to restore funding for critical behavioral health programs and contracts.

And on item 37, we appreciate the staff recommendation to join together with mental health peers, providers and families to urge maintaining mobile crisis as a mandatory statewide benefit. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Brendan McCarthy with CSAC. Appreciate the, subcommittee's action on rejecting the IHHS cost shift. Also, the funding in the action for Medi Cal mobile crisis and the placeholder trailer bill on the behavioral health stabilization, revenue stabilization trailer bill. And lastly, we also wanna thank the committee for, funding the county administrative portion of cost of HR 1.

We do urge the subcommittee and the Senate, to consider also funding the remaining elements of the county cost of HR 1, predominantly the indigent care portion, as well as public hospitals and behavioral health. We've provided the subcommittee with an alternative. We think it's a low cost option. It would only cost 50,000,000 general fund in the budget year to keep people connected to Medi Cal and allow the state to draw down federal funds for inpatient hospitalization. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. Vanessa Cajina on behalf of CalPace. Thank you for the rate cut rejection and we hope to shore up DHCS staffing under the Senate's long term care vision to get frail people into the right program. For the California Academy of Family Physicians, we greatly appreciate preservations of coverage for all Californians and look forward to diving into the Senate's plan to stave off HR 1 cuts further.

Then for Vicion Y Compromiso, we appreciate preservations of coverage for all Californians and we hope to find chances for promotoras and community based organizations to be partners in our state's vision. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi. Yasmin Paled with Justice in Aging. We're in strong support of the Senate proposal on Bring Californians Home. We are strong supporters of home and community based services. We know that HCBS saves money, and that's where we should be investing as we look forward.

So appreciate that the Senate is prioritizing that in the plan as well as rejecting all of the cuts, from the January proposal and the May revision that are extremely harmful to older adults and people with disabilities. And so just appreciate the Senate's leadership on this issue. Thank you.

We gotta give credit to Scott for that catchy phrase.

Good morning. Meryn with Calvoices. We appreciate the soft recommendation to restore the 6,700,000 to CBH for advocacy contract. Thank you for your leadership, Senator Menjivar. You've been incredible.

Thank you.

Good morning. Michelle Gibbons with the County Health Executives Association of California. Thank you so much for maintaining the investments on both the public health information technology and the disease investigation workforce. Really appreciate that. As deliberations continue, we'd urge your consideration and adoption of the PATH proposal that we put forward that's an alternative to the indigent care funding that we're requesting.

This would provide parity with other populations in how they're treated when they fall out of Medi Cal. This provides that state only coverage, for the two years and it'll provide time for additional, decisions and data informed decisions on how to maintain coverage for all of those that would fall out. So really would urge your consideration of that. Thank you.

Thanks.

Madam Chair and Members, Rand Martin here on behalf of Aviana Healthcare. In really strong support of the Be Home Soon proposal, we know the premise behind it is so obvious. We know it's one you've been espousing, Madam Chair, since you came up here, maybe even before you came up here, and we're really grateful to see its fruition. We're gonna do everything we can with the assembly and the governor to make sure that it prevails. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Hi. Kelly Brooks on behalf of several clients. First, on the Center for Elder Independence, thank you for rejecting the PACE rate cut. Second, on behalf of the California Association of Diaper Banks, just reminding you that funding expires June 1 or July 1, and we anticipate some diaper banks will close their doors without state funding. On behalf of the California Association of Public Hospitals and University of California Health and Lifelong Medical, thank you for delaying the PPS rate cuts associated with the UIS population.

UC health health also wants to say thank you for delaying the prop 56 dental rate cuts. And then finally, on behalf of the urban counties of California, the California Association of Public Hospitals, the counties of LA, Riverside, Ventura, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Santa Barbara, Thank you so much for the county administrative funding to implement HR 1. We would implore you to think about figuring out ways to help public hospitals and to look at the alternative path proposal that my colleagues from CHEAC and CSAC mentioned.

And thank you for rejecting the IHSS cost shift and the APS issue.

Thank you.

Madam Chair and Members, Peter Kallison, on behalf of the California Association for Health Services at Home, here to support the Be Home Soon California proposal, echo the previous comments. Also on behalf of the Pediatric Day Healthcare Coalition, which serves the same patient population and diverts institutionalization for the severely disabled kids, which They have facilities in your district and Senator Groves district. We hope that that is also included in the Be Home Soon proposal, which in no details will be revealed.

And also on behalf of Saint Paul's PACE, echo the prior comments of appreciation for rejecting the administration's proposals. Thank you.

Madam Chair, Tiffany Whiting with SEIU California. We're grateful for the legislature for holding the line on, corporate fair share payments for Medi Cal and proposing solutions instead of cuts. Thank you for the funding for eligibility workforce for the counties to appropriately address the impacts of HR 1. Kinda disappointed to see that there's no solutions for individuals falling out of coverage due to the HR 1 requirement, so we ask that the Senate reconsider the county proposed alternative to indigent care that requires just 50,000,000 initial investments.

And then lastly, appreciate the rejection of the IHSS cuts and APS. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Good morning. Nora Angeles with Children Now. We appreciate your efforts to make sure that kids have access to comprehensive health coverage. For example, thank you so much for your leadership on and work towards supporting shifting primary payer responsibility to large group and commercial insurance while maintaining HACCP as a safety net in item 70. Item 55, we recommend rejecting the elimination of full scope coverage for qualified immigrants.

And last on item 35, we're relieved to see the proposed modifications to delay implementation until October 1 for Prop 56 Medi Cal dental incentive cuts, removal of dental benefits for UIS population, and transitioning FQHCs from their prospective payment system to the lower fee for service. Thank you.

Thanks.

Good morning. Melissa Martin Millard with the Commission for Behavioral Health. Our Executive Director sends her apologies, that she cannot be here today as the Commission is currently in session. We want to thank the Senate for rejecting the proposed permanent cuts to the Commission's innovation and community advocacy grant programs.

These investments are critical to supporting counties, strengthening implementation of the Behavioral Health Services Act, and ensuring California remains aligned with the promise voters endorsed, a behavioral health system that is effective, equitable, transparent, and shaped by the people it serves.

We also wanna note that during the hearing, the Department of Finance stated that the commission had unspent funds and that this work would be duplicative. The commission does not agree with those characterizations and has requested additional clarification from the department and to date has not received, any further clarification. We're grateful that the Senate recognized the importance of preserving both innovation and community voice in BHSA implementation. Thank you again for your leadership and for your commitment to the Californians who rely most on these programs.

Thank you.

Good morning. My name is Hazel Paredes Solorzano and I am an incoming student in the SF State MSW program who was accepted into the Title IV E program and I'm here to thank you so much for redirecting the additional $4,500,000 in funds to behavioral health workforce initiative in order to support the Title IV E stipend program. This decision not only impacts us as students and professionals but impacts the communities we belong to and represent. Thank you.

Thanks.

My name is Daniela Ramirez. I am speaking on behalf of all 400 graduate level incoming students for the Title IV E program. I wanna thank you for adding on the 4,500,000 completing the shortfall for the Title IV E program this upcoming year. This isn't just gonna change students' lives, it's going to change all of the communities that need to be served by social workers. Thank you.

Thank you.

Sarah Dukett, on behalf of the Rural County Representatives of California, first, I wanna thank you for your investment in the county eligibility, restoring the Behavioral Health Commission Innovation Grant, the changes proposed to the BHSA trailer billing, which to ensure that we can maintain a healthy level of reserves, the investments in the distressed hospital loan program, and then finally urge, the Senate to look closely at the PATH proposal to ensure that folks that fall off of Medi Cal due to work requirements can stay in state only emergency Medi Cal.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Christine Smith with Health Access California. We're grateful to the Senate for their leadership regarding, especially the UIS and making sure that their, folks that are falling off of HR 1 will continue to get receive Medi Cal. Also appreciate the delays for dental and premiums. We're also grateful for the legislature for holding the line on corporate fair share payments for medical and proposing solutions instead of cuts. And lastly, thank you for the rejection of the asset test. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning, Madam Chair and Members. Karen Lang on behalf of the County Medical Services Program and the 22 county clients that I represent, urging the committee to very closely look at the PATH proposal that the Statewide Association of Counties and the affiliate groups have put forward to you. This is a very preventable crisis. We when folks fall out of care, they will come back to counties and getting them back into a program when things may change in a few years, will be harder.

This will be a much smoother transition to keep people, in coverage.

And secondly, thank you very much for the investments and the eligibility work. That is really, really important work. And thirdly, on behalf of the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors, we are asking you to please reject the language regarding retroactively bringing them into the IHSS requirements regarding collective bargaining. They've never had an agreement. They are at impasse.

This is really tipping the scales in one side, so we would ask you to please consider rejecting that. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning Chair, Senator and staff. Alexis Rodriguez on behalf of CWDA. We're hearing continued strong support for the Senate's budget plan which means which really meets this moment. We have called for the legislature to stand in breach and you have answered that call. We are sincerely grateful for the substantial ongoing investment that reflects the new normal and what's needed to protect Californians from HR 1.

So reiterate the substantial return on investment and retention rates. Also sharing support and appreciation for the additional important actions including rejecting the IHSS cost shift and bumps cuts, rejecting the APS cuts, rejecting the proposed asset limits, adopting AAP trailer bill language in alignment with CWGA and YLC, and extending flexible family support. Thank you.

Thanks.

Madam Chair, with my, matching tie from last week, just adding on our strong support, of the proposal around, be home soon. We really appreciate the fact that that you're steering into the senior surge and coming up with solutions to really look at stabilizing Medi Cal and leverage the potential of IHSS for folks who live at home with dignity. There are obviously important questions to answer. We we look forward to working with you on that.

And just to, suggest that to fulfill this, we have to fully repeal the CIVCO penalty and we have to start to fully fund social workers.

These are the reasons why these assessments aren't happening timely, so we just want to fulfill that as part of this package and make sure that it succeeds on the ground. And on CalFresh, really appreciate again the actions taken, and we appreciate the questions you asked last week about state backfill options. We hope that the Senate and assembly work together to, address the fact that some folks will be cut off. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Good morning. Alexa Chavez commenting on behalf of Childcare Providers United. Just wanna thank you for moving forward on your investments in child care through the slots that the Senate is, proposing and adopting today, hopefully, and the COLA, sticking to the January budget numbers. And also just want to highlight that we ask that you reject the governor's proposal to abandon implementing prospective pay. We think that with the unexpected one time funds that this year is the perfect year to move forward with implementing prospective pay.

So we ask that you reject that proposal. And also, we look forward to working with the legislature and the administration to fine tune the trailer bill language. Thank you.

Good morning, Madam Chair and Members. Dennis Gomez Romero with the California Primary Care Association Advocates. Really appreciate all the great work. I know the very tough decisions. Really appreciate the continued efforts and conversations on revenue, to protect access to care for all Californians.

Very appreciative for the delay on the cuts of the PPS for UIS patients to October 1. That is incredibly important for health centers that provide care for communities and that will continue to provide care for folks that fall off of coverage. Appreciate the rejection of the asset limit, the increased premium, the caps on CalPace, and really would continue to urge investments in

gender affirming care for patients that receive care at community clinics and look forward to continued conversations in the next several weeks. Thanks so much.

Thanks

Hello, Madam Chair, Senator Grove, and staff. Thank you. My name is Kristina Bas Hamilton here with United Domestic Workers, UDW. Just wanting to say thank you on behalf of our community for standing for our folks, for IHSS clients and providers in the community of 1,500,000 Californians who rely on the program. Thank you for the rejection of I won't go through the litany of the cuts that you've rejected to IHSS and the asset tax.

Really important. I wanna express my thanks to Senator Laird and pro tem Limon. It just is we're just grateful to have the leadership in the Senate. Thank you. One thing on item 197, which is the the conforming the residual program to Medi Cal Coverage, the action is to adopt trailer bill language to approve noticing for IHSS recipients.

We have submitted language to improve noticing for IHSS providers too, so just don't wanna lose that piece, because what we're trying to prevent is people working and then not getting a paycheck because they didn't know. Thank you. Appreciate you. Thank you.

Good morning, Madam Chair and Senators. This is Dan Okenfuss with the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers. Thank you for my own microphone. And I really appreciate the time and the dedication you have towards resolving care for people with disabilities. We really wanna applaud the Be Home Soon California legislative proposal item 69, and that is up in our alley in our DNA.

We preach about bringing our consumers home from institutional care and back in their homes, and this takes a huge step towards that, and we continue to push against the, cuts to IHSS, the governor's proposed budget. Thank you so much for your advocacy.

Thank you.

Good morning, Madam Chair and Members. Jessica Moran with Capital Advocacy on behalf of the Association of Dental Support Organizations, Big Smiles, Children's Choice Dental Care, and Golden Age Dental Care. Just want to give a big thank you to the subcommittee for the proposal to delay the proposed proposition 56 cuts. Really appreciate you all holding the line and protecting our most vulnerable Californians. Looking forward to continue, closing this out in the next few weeks. Thank you.

Thanks, Jessica.

Good morning, Madam Chair. Josh Wright with the California Association of Food Banks. We are so grateful for the student's support of the increased Cal Food funding for our food banks as we face the unprecedented need from HR 1 with less federal resources than ever. We are also grateful for your support of the CalFresh outreach network and the funding of the County County eligibility workforce to keep as many people on CalFresh as possible.

These investments are essential as the full impacts of HR 1 begin to take effect.

We continue to ask the Senate to work with the assembly to invest the 1,800,000 for automation of the expansion of the CFAP program to cover Californians who are losing vital benefits this year. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning, Madam Chair and staff. Keely O'Brien with the Western Center on Law and Poverty. We're grateful for the investments in CalFresh outreach, the support for county workforce, and the investments in Cal Food. And we also urge the Senate to work with the assembly to invest the $1,800,000 needed to set up the system for next year to fund, state funded food assistance for the nearly 1,000,000 Californians, including a 100,000 children who are being cut off from CalFresh.

Also grateful for the augmentation of immigrant legal services and the rejection of IHSS cuts and proposed cuts to childcare slots and thank you for doing the right thing to ensure corporations pay their fair share and rejecting cuts to healthcare with their fair share proposal.

Thank you.

Yesenia Rubancha with End Child Poverty California. Just really wanted to thank you for your bravery on ensuring that we have not only a fair but also progressive revenue, proposal that will stave off cuts to healthcare but also ensure that our immigrants are our immigrant communities are protected. Thank you for augmenting the resources to legal defense.

We stand in solidarity with our food banks and our county eligibility workers on the different investments that we are ensuring that our families are protected from HR 1, but also disappointed that not enough was done on the benefit side of peace. On the benefit side to ensure our children and families who are close to nearly a million are gonna get kicked off the program.

So just ask that you stand in solidarity with the assembly with that $1,800,000 request. And thank you on the childcare piece. Really excited to see the rejection on the, cuts to, to slots there. So thank you.

Thanks.

Hi. Good morning. Janette Zanipatin on behalf of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights. I wanna thank you all for all the work you've done. I'm here to speak on legal services funding.

We're really thankful for the 20,000,000 augmentation in the May revise and hope that you will pass this as well. As you know, Chula is one of the largest legal service providers in the state. We're also one of the largest contractors, and we get the calls from desperate family members who are who really wanna get their family members out of detention.

As you know, conditions in immigration detention are just really inhumane, and people are dying for things that otherwise, they shouldn't be dying for because due to medical neglect and other things like that. So thank you for the $20,000,000.

I also wanna uplift a program that we've been, advocating for. It's the enhanced services for vulnerable noncitizens. We asked for $8,000,000 in the budget. This is a critical program to ensure that case management services continue for populations such as asylees, U-Visa, victims, as well as domestic violence victims. These are extremely vulnerable non citizens that need these case management services.

And as you know, the federal administration is placing folks that have U-Visas in deportation and detention. So this is

the thing. 9,000,000 more, not 20. The 20 was the, governor's Got it. As far as 59.

Yes. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you.

Good morning, Madam Chair, Members. My name is Eric Doughty. I'm with California Dental Association. Just wanna express our sincere gratitude for the delay of the Prop 56 payment, cuts for Medi Cal Dental and we look forward to working with you through the process to make sure it is in the final budget.

Appreciate it. Thank you.

Madam Chair and Members, Danny Offer with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, also known as NAMI California. And thank you for reaffirming your status as the best darn budget subcommittee in the building. Wanted to thank you for, rejecting the cuts to the community advocacy contracts. As the voice of the family, you know, we have banged our heads against the walls in our entire lives trying to understand what our loved ones need and to understand it was love.

And so your vote to reject this is a vote for for our voice remaining in the process.

And also just thank you so much for the mobile crisis compromise. We this is the future of our behavioral health infrastructure. Thanks so much.

Thank you.

Good morning, Chair Menjivar and Members. My name is Amaya Terry. I'm an incoming title four e student at Sac State. And I'm also a student liaison with the National, Association of Social Workers. And I just want to thank you for the additional $4,500,000 towards title four e for incoming students.

Various of us were very scared. Some of us made some pretty big decisions such as dropping our jobs to fully focus on school after finding out that we had gotten the stipend. And this was a major fear of ours that we might have to drop school and drop our path for a moment. So we just, on behalf of incoming title four e students, we wanted to thank you for allowing us to continue on our path, towards child welfare as we're very passionate about it.

Thank you so much.

More like 500 social workers reached out to us.

Thank you.

Both subcommittee chairs are social workers.

Yeah. Yeah. You know? Thank you so much.

We had to, yeah.

Madam Chair and members, Norlyn Asprec here on behalf of Prime Home Health, a provider of PDN services, here in support of the Be Home Soon proposal. Thank you to you, the Committee, the Senate leadership, for supporting PDN. We'll continue to work with the Assembly and the Administration in getting this, in the final budget. Thank you.

Thanks.

Senator Menjivar, Chair Menjivar, Senator Grove, and I also want to do a shout out for Senator Padilla, who is our Senate Champion for CalFresh outreach. Just really want to extend our appreciation. Not only is it the humane thing to do, it is fiscally responsible. In San Diego, for '2 11 San Diego, we spend about $6,000,000 in outreach and get $54,000,000 in direct federal funding.

So, what you've done to, put that CalFresh outreach back in there is going to allow us to keep as many people as possible on those federal funds and not affect the Cal Food, augmentation that you've also done, which we obviously support.

But we want to keep as much peep as many people on federal funding as possible to lessen the burden on the state. Thank you.

Thanks.

Good morning. Linda Wei with Western Center on Law and Poverty. First, I want to appreciate your leadership in the, Be Soon Home California proposal. It is a different approach to achieve savings that we know to be true. Institutional care is more expensive than home based care, but also home based care is the preferred choice for community members.

In addition, we want to appreciate your rejecting the asset test limit, the cuts to humanitarian immigrants, medical, as well as other delays that target immigrant communities. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning. Michael Henning, California Alliance of Child and Family Services representing nonprofit community based organizations that provide behavioral health, foster care, crisis response, and Medi Cal services to children, youth, and families across California. For item 37, the California Alliance on behalf of the County Behavioral Health Directors Association and our Mobile Crisis Coalition appreciate the subcommittee's actions to preserve funding for the statewide mobile crisis benefit and maintain a statewide behavioral health crisis response continuum for Californians experiencing behavioral health crises.

Also under item 37, we strongly support the additional investment in 988 crisis center infrastructure, including the inclusion of 5,000,000 for the press three LGBTQ plus suicide prevention option in our nine eight eight program. For item 52, we appreciate the restoration of 10,000,000 for the CBH Innovation Partnership Program and 6,700,000 for advocacy constraints that support community based behavioral health organizations across the state.

Finally, for item 55, we support the subcommittee's rejection of proposals to eliminate full scope Medi Cal coverage for immigrant bodies. Thank you.

Thanks.

Good morning, Chair and Members. First, I'd like to thank you and the committee for all your hard work this legislative session. We'd like to align our comments on Medi Cal with Western Center for Law and Poverty, as well as, health access when it comes to rejecting, some of the cuts, so some of our most vulnerable community, immigrant communities.

However, we urge the legislature to expand CFAP so families excluded by these cuts don't go hungry and invest in county implementation so eligible Californians are not wrongly cut off due to data groups. These are some of our most vulnerable communities right now.

We're already seeing attacks at the federal level towards our immigrant communities and we wanna make sure that the state can help, provide protections, whether it's access to food, access to health, and really make sure these communities can thrive in California. Thank you.

Thank you.

Chair and Members, Kathy Mossberg on a few issues. One, on behalf of the triple A's, want to thank you for rejecting the IFF trailer bill language and extending that for another year on behalf of the End of the Epidemics and thanking you and the LGBTQ caucus and putting forward those ADAP, those additional dollars in the ADAP fund. Appreciate that. On behalf of the Local Health Plans, wanna just put on the mic. We have been having conversations on the UIS shift to fee for service.

We're hopeful they're going to get us to something with a little bit more coordinated care. We're continuing to keep staff and leadership abreast of those conversations. We're continuing to have them. On behalf of the Public Health Institute, we were disappointed not to see some backfill for the cancer registry. We'll continue to work on that as we go to close this budget.

On behalf of the First Five Association, we will continue to work on making making sure that they can at least be a grantee in the behavioral health prevention funds. Right now, they cannot, so we just need some trailer bill for that. And then lastly, on behalf of essential health, access health, just want to say the uncompensated care program currently doesn't have additional funding. We've been advocating for that. We'll continue to do that as we get to the close.

Thank you.

Good morning, Chair and Members. Karli Holkko on behalf of the California Collaborative for Long Term Services and Supports. I want to align our comments with Justice Neijing, and thank you for supporting the Be Home Soon proposal and for your continued commitment to older adults and people with disabilities. We also appreciate the committee's rejection of the proposed rate cuts. Protecting pace is critical for older adults with the most complex care needs who rely on these services to remain safely in their homes and communities.

At the same time, older adults continue to face delays accessing long term services and supports due to ongoing DHCS staffing and administrative challenges. We look forward to continuing conversations with the legislature, DHCS, and stakeholders on solutions to improve timely access to care. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning, Chair and Members. Allison Ramey here on behalf of AltaMed. I wanna extend our sincere appreciation for the Senate's continued leadership on delaying the PPS cuts. Also, thank you for the rejection of the additional PACE cuts, the asset tests, and the increased, premium. Look forward to working with you in continued conversations and, again, appreciate the leadership of the Senate.

Thanks.

Hello. Vanessa Flores on behalf of Alameda County and we'd just like to align our comments with those submitted by the Urban Counties of California. Thank you.

Thanks.

Good morning, Madam Chair, Members of the committee. Angela Hill with the California Medical Association. Thank you so much for the conversations and the leadership in rejecting the administration's MCO tax proposal. We look forward to continued conversations with you, the other house, and the administration on viable MCO tax. Thank you.

Thanks.

Good morning. I'm Crystal Strait, first here on behalf of the Steinberg Institute. Very much want to thank everyone for their work on 988 and particularly rejecting the mobile crisis unit cut. We do have one kind of caveat we're hoping you can consider is making sure that any mobile crisis dollars that are coming out that are being used from the 988 fund have to be connected back to the 988 fund.

The way this reads right now is that you could be using the 911 system to connect to the mobile crisis unit, and we wanna make sure that it's through the 988 program if possible.

And then my second comment is on behalf of Eli Lilly. We just wanna, keep uplifting that there are still significant opportunities for savings in the medical medical budget around GLP one coverage and we hope there can be continued conversation on how to partner with the state to save precious dollars. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning, Chai, Member. Myra Castillo Garcia here on behalf of Parents Anonymous. It's important to maintain funding for California's parent and youth helplines, specifically those that focus on population based profession, such as Parents Anonymous. The California Parent and Youth Helpline has provided vital emotional support to parents, children, and youth in all 58 counties, with 85% of callers expressing that they feel supported after their call. We hope for the continued funding of this vital program.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Morning, Madam Chair, members. Jeff Neal, representing the County of San Diego, Contra Costa, Yolo, Lake, and Imperial. Appreciate certainly that the funding for the eligibility workers mirroring my comments with a line in my comments with those from the urban counties and CSAC and the rural counties.

But just hope you keep in mind as you continue negotiating with the other parties, the different positions the different counties are in from, you know, Tiny Lake County with where nearly half of the county residents are eligible for Medi Cal, but the county itself is so under resourced partly because the effects of, devastating fires year after year in a low tax base, to Contra Costa. They have a public hospital that's gonna get pummeled.

The 1 the single Medi Cal plan in the county that's going to take big hits from HR 1 as well as all of the challenges other challenges of HR 1. All the counties are, you know, to Yolo sorry, to Yolo County where, you know, medium sized county, the effects of they're already dealing with a budget deficit of a few million dollars, looking at eliminating programs because a few million dollars in Yolo is a is a big hit.

And they they anticipate effects of HR 1 are 15% of their general fund.

That's it, Thank you, sir. Thank you.

Kelli L'Heureux with Resilient Advocacy, with two comments. For the California Kidney Care Alliance, we appreciated the thoughtful questions and conversations Medicaid. This policy change puts fragile Californians at greater risk of serious complications and at an increased cost of the state in the long run. We look forward to those continued conversations as part of the Budget we are thankful for the inclusion of expanded coverage of hearing aids for thousands of California's children. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning, Madam Chair and staff. Alejandro Solis on behalf of La Coppertiva Campesina, California. We thank you for supporting the Prop Force Bending Plan inclusion for CSD to administer the farmworker housing component of the low income weatherization program. Thank you for your leadership.

Thank you.

Good morning. Karol Swartzlander, California Commission on Aging. The commission really appreciates the committee's rejection of the reinstating of the Medi Cal asset limit test, the Committee's rejection of the PACE rate cap decrease, and the rejection of the increase in age eligibility for APS. And we are very strong supporters of the B Homes in California. Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Chair, Nick Louizos on behalf of the California Association of Health Plans. We wanna express our appreciation, to the, budget committee for, rejecting the administration's MCO's tax proposal because it represents a pretty significant affordability hit on working individuals, working families, and employers that buy coverage for their workers. So we appreciate that. On the UIS issue, we do oppose the administration's proposal, and we look forward to reviewing the guardrails that are referenced in the analysis. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning Chair and Mem Chair. Nina Weiler-Harwell with AARP California. We are here to express our very strong appreciation of your rejection of the Medi Cal asset test reversion to unrealistically low levels, reinstatement of age of eligibility for adult protective services till 60 as well as opposing the fee and tax levies on Cal PACE providers. These are all programs that keep older Californians in their homes and communities. We know that is cheaper for the state and also protects their family caregivers.

So, again, thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning, Chair mMmbers. I'm Tony Gonzalez. I'm here on behalf of the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation. We're very grateful for the committee's support for the governor's May revision proposal. And if I may just take one second to make a special call out to Senator Grove for having made all of this possible back in 2019.

We've made a difference in the lives of thousands of individuals already lengthening, lifespan by 11. And we've, saved about $26,000,000 annually to Medi Cal. Thank you very much.

Good morning, Chairman Menjivar, Senator Grove. Thank you for holding this hearing. Edgar Guerra with SEIU here on behalf of Child Care Providers United. Grateful for Senate leadership on ensuring that commitment made to providers, families, and children release slots is kept. Also grateful that the Senate rejected the cut to childcare to the childcare colon in the May revision.

In the CCP letter submitted to the committee, providers are asking for equity with other education workers, and so we are hoping that the COLA can be matched as well. We were disappointed that the Senate adopted the repeal the repeal perspective pay proposed by in the May revision, and we hope that we can continue to have, productive conversations about that as the budget is finalized. We look forward to working with staff, the administration on the details specific to the trailer bill.

And lastly, childcare providers support corporations paying their fair share. Thank you for championing a budget that does the same.

Appreciate it.

Thanks.

Thank you, Senator Menjivar and Senator Grove Sara Bridge on behalf of the Association of California Healthcare Districts here in support of the $200,000,000 for distressed hospital loan. Appreciate the work that the budget subcommittee did around that particular pot of money. In addition, we're here to support the, changes or the rejection to the Medi Cal asset test and also the rejection of the behavioral health oversight and accountabilities, budget. Thank you. Thank you.

Brian Rutledge from the California Association for Adult Day Services. Thank you, chair. Thank you, Senator Grove, for the vision. I wanna align our comments with the Commission on Aging, CalPace, Justice and Aging, and AARP. There you go.

Good call.

I do wanna add on top of, that we have a proposal, no cost trailer bill proposal. We hope to see it in the final Senate proposal. It would help us make progress on the financial crisis facing CBAS. Our core problem, the administration, DHCS is still not engaging with us, so we're at hope to make some, breakthrough there with that trailer bill. And then just thank you guys for the vision in a time of darkness.

Thank you.

Good morning. I'm Kate Morrison with Maxim Healthcare Services. We're one of the largest private duty nursing providers in the state of California here to thank you and support the Be Home Soon proposal to save critical Medi Cal Dollars and also get, medically fragile kiddos home. We know a thousand kids are waiting for care across the state. We know it costs 10 times more to keep them in the hospital than at home with their families.

So thank you for this innovative proposal and for all your work over the years, Senator Menjivar. We're very, grateful for your support and looking forward to working with the assembly. Thanks.

Good morning, Madam Chair and Members. Diego Samayoa, a policy intern with Yumesha Verde Group. Here on behalf of the Central American Resource Center, CARESN, echoing the comments from the immigrant rights advocates, supporting the additional funding for immigration legal services, and the Health for All Coalition's comments on health care for immigrant Californians. Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you.

Good morning, Chair and Members. Rachel Blucher on behalf of LA Care. I will be quick. We appreciate all the hard work and the revisions to the proposal to shift, members from fee for out of managed care into fee for service. Recommend continued conversations on those impacts because we are concerned about those impacts and align our comments with LHPC. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Chair and Members. Omar Altamimi with CPAN, the California Pan Ethnic Health Network. I'm here just to briefly thank you all for, rejecting the humanitarian immigrant cuts and rejecting the CBH community advocacy program proposal and delays to dental elimination and premiums. Thank you for continuing to lead on revenue with the fair share plan, and we look forward to working with you, on the guardrails for the fee for service shifts, ensuring the CHWPRs are adequately funded to continue to support community. Thank you.

Thanks.

Good morning. Leticia Garcia on behalf of Riverside County Superintendent Of Schools. On item one sixty two in relation to the collection of family fees, we continue to ask for a one year extension to 07/01/2027 in order to establish a payment system to collect fees from 409 families, in our childcare program. Thank you.

Thank you.

Charles Wright on behalf of the California Association of Veterans Service Agencies thanking the committee for the rejection of the reduction on item number 118, the reduction of the resources for behavioral health advocacy contracts. Thank you.

Thank you.

Kim Rothschild, California Association of Public Authorities for IHSS. Thank you for rejecting all the cuts to IHSS.

Thank you.

Good morning. Ryan Souza on behalf of the Ceres Community Project, lead organization of the CBO Medi Cal Coalition. I just wanna say we're disappointed to see the continued cuts, to CS and ECM services in the budget, and remain concerned. CBOs have put significant equity and time into building this capacity up.

These programs work, and we just really, want to reinforce that they should be at the table and these policy refinements are happening and we hope the legislature remains committed to really knowing what DHCS is doing so that we're not cutting services where they're critically needed. Thank you.

Bruce Palmer, California Association of Public Health Lab Directors. In alignment with CHEAC, we support what you've done with CTPH IT systems. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Good morning, Chair and Members. Brandon Chu on behalf of SEIU California. Our public hospitals are in immediate need for the legislature to show financial support with the estimated loss of funding now $4,000,000,000 We believe $500,000,000 is a reasonable request at this time. Lastly, while we appreciate the rejection of the SNF TBL, we would continue to push for the restoration of the WQIP. Thank you.

Anayeli Martin with the California Immigrant Policy Center and also on behalf of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. I wanna thank you for including the proposal of additional investments in immigration legal services programs. As our immigrant communities continue to face unprecedented attacks from our Federal Government, we respectfully request the legislature to fund the full 40,000,000 for deportation defense programs.

Additionally, as a cosponsor of the food for all coalition, we continue to urge the investment of CFAT plus to provide food benefits to immigrants who have lost access to CalFresh since April 1. Lastly, I want to thank you for including the proposal to push implementation for both the elimination of dental as well as monthly premiums and asset test for asset test limits for immigrant enrollees.

As we continue budget negotiations in the next few weeks, we urge the legislature to prioritize approaches that will keep people enrolled and protect the most vulnerable of our communities. Thank you.

Thank you so much. That concludes our public comment portion. The subcommittee will be taking three votes today. The first vote is on our consent items. The second vote Yeah, okay.

We'll start there. But three different votes. And we're going to establish a quorum first, first one of the year.

[Roll Call]

We have a quorum and now we can vote. If we could please read all the items under the first block of votes for consent items.

The motion is to accept the staff recommendation for items 1, 3, 4, 6 through 11, 13 through 15, 21 through 28, 35, 37, 39, 40, 43 through 46, 48, 50, 52, 55, 56, 58, 59, 61 through 66, 68, 69, 69.5, 70, 75 through 85, 89 through 92, 94 through 97, 99 through 101, 103 through 109, 111 through 118, 120, 123 through 132, 134 through 144, 147, 151 through 154, 156 through 162, 164 through 167, 170, 171, 173, 179, 181 through No.

I'm sorry. 173 through 179, 181 through 196, 198 through 200, 203 through 206, 208, 201.

201.

201. Excuse me. 201, 203 through 206, 208, 209, 211 through 215, 218 through 220, and 223 through 231.

Moved by Senator Grove. Please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Vote count of 3 to 0. Those items are approved. Please call please read out the next five items for our second block of voting.

Second block, the motion is to accept the staff recommendation for items 5, 16, 32, 47, 60, 86, 87, 98, 102, 119, 121, 122, 148, 149, 150, 155, 197, 202, 210, 216 , and 221.

Moved by Senator Doctor Weber Pierson. Please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

With the vote kind of two to one, those items are out and approved. On our final voting block, please read the file items and the motion.

Motion is to accept the staff recommendation for items 2, 12, 17 through 20, 29 through 31, 33, 34, 36, 38, 41, 42, 49, 51, 53 through 54, 57, 67, 71 through 74, 88, 93, 110, 133, 145, 146, 163, 168, 169, 172, 180, 207, 217, and 222.

Moved by Senator doctor Weber Pierson. Please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

With the vote count of 2 to 0, those items are approved and out of committee. That's it y'all. We did our part. Thank you so much for joining us. Budget subcommittee number three on health and human services is adjourned.