Amended in Senate April 14, 2016

Amended in Senate March 28, 2016

Senate BillNo. 1466


Introduced by Senator Mitchell

February 19, 2016


An act to add Section 14132.19 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to Medi-Cal.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1466, as amended, Mitchell. Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Program: trauma screening.

Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services, including early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment for any individual under 21 years of age who is covered under Medi-Cal consistent with the requirements under federal law. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions.

Existing federal law provides that EPSDT services include periodic screening services, vision services, dental services, hearing services, and other necessary services to correct or ameliorate defects and physical and mental illnesses and conditions discovered by the screening services, whether or not the services are covered under the state plan. In addition to the required periodic screening services, existing federal law provides that Medicaid-eligible children are entitled to interperiodic screenings in order to identity a suspected illness or condition not present or discovered during the periodic exam.

The bill would requirebegin insert, consistent with federal law,end insert those screening services under the EPSDTbegin delete Programend deletebegin insert programend insert to include screening forbegin delete trauma. The bill would provide that child abuse and neglect or removal of the child from the parent or legal guardian by a child welfare agency shall be prima facie evidence of trauma for purposes of conducting a screening under the EPSDT Program.end deletebegin insert trauma, as defined by the bill. The bill would require that a child who is found to have experienced trauma through the screening process be referred to the county mental health plan for an assessment for specialty mental health services. The bill would require that any child who is found to have experienced trauma during a screening made pursuant to these provisions, and any child that is abused, neglected or removed from the custody or care of his or her parent or legal guardian, as specified, be assessed by the county mental health plan for specialty mental health services. The bill would require that a child who is determined not to be eligible for specialty mental health services be referred for other necessary health care, diagnostic services, treatment, and other measures, as specified.end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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SECTION 1.  

Section 14132.19 is added to the Welfare and
2Institutions Code
, to read:

3

14132.19.  

(a) begin deleteScreening end deletebegin insert(1)end insertbegin insertend insertbegin insertConsistent with federal law,
4screening end insert
services provided under the Early and Periodic
5Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT)begin delete Programend deletebegin insert benefitend insert
6 pursuant to subdivision (v) of Section 14132 shall include screening
7forbegin delete trauma.end deletebegin insert trauma at all screenings.end insert

begin insert

8
(2) A child found to have experienced trauma through the
9screening process shall be referred to the county mental health
10plan for an assessment for specialty mental health services.

end insert
begin delete

11(b) Child abuse and neglect or removal of the child from the
12parent or legal guardian by a child welfare agency shall be prima
13facie evidence of trauma for purposes of conducting a screening
14consistent with this section under the EPSDT Program.

end delete
begin insert

15
(b) A child who is abused, neglected, or removed from the
16custody or care of his or her parent or legal guardian pursuant
17to Section 300 and following, or Section 727, shall be assessed by
18the county mental health plan for specialty mental health services.

end insert
begin insert

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(c) A child who is found to have experienced trauma during a
2screening made pursuant to this section shall be assessed by the
3county mental health plan for specialty mental health services. If
4a child is determined not to be eligible for specialty mental health
5services after an assessment by a specialty mental health plan
6provider, the child shall be referred for other necessary health
7care, diagnostic services, treatment and other measures described
8in Section 1396d of Title 42 of the United States Code to correct
9or ameliorate any trauma-related defects and physical and mental
10illnesses and conditions.

end insert
begin insert

11
(d) “Trauma,” as used in this section, is defined as any
12physiological response to an event, series of events, or set of
13circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically
14or emotionally harmful or life threatening and that has lasting
15adverse effects on the individual’s functional and mental, physical,
16social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.

end insert


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