Exciting Legislative Updates: CAADPE-Sponsored Bills Gain Momentum 

Governor Signs SB 1320: A Major Step Towards Integrated Care

We’re thrilled to share that Governor Newsom has officially signed SB 1320 (Wahab) into law! This pivotal legislation, championed by CAADPE, mandates that health plans create a reimbursement process for mental health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services when integrated with primary care. This new process will align with federal Medicare guidelines, ensuring a streamlined and effective approach to integrated care.

SB 1320 is part of a broader bipartisan legislative package aimed at enhancing behavioral health care. The bill addresses a critical need highlighted in recent investigations by the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC), which found gaps in plans’ processes for providing integrated behavioral health care services. This integration ensures that primary care and behavioral health providers collaborate effectively, ultimately leading to better health outcomes and increased access to SUD treatment.

CAADPE has long advocated for this type of integration, recognizing its crucial role in addressing the complex needs of individuals with MH and SUD conditions. We believe that this new law will significantly improve patient care by fostering collaboration between specialty and primary care providers.

AB 1470: Documentation Reform on the Horizon

In other exciting news, AB 1470 (Quirk-Silva), a documentation reform bill co-sponsored by CAADPE, the California Alliance, and CBHA, is making its way to Governor Newsom’s desk. This bill aims to standardize documentation requirements for behavioral health services across counties, facilitating smoother claim adjudication for mental health and SUD treatment services under CalAIM.

The bill received unanimous, bipartisan support in the Legislature and now awaits the Governor’s signature.

CAADPE-Supported Bills Advance from Appropriations

Following the recent Appropriations Suspense process, several CAADPE-supported bills have made significant progress. Out of 830 measures reviewed, approximately 500 have advanced to the next legislative stage. Among these is SB 997 (Portantino), which CAADPE co-sponsored alongside GenUP. This bill allows school districts to implement policies enabling students in middle and high schools to carry FDA-approved naloxone or other opioid antagonists for emergency overdose reversal. It also mandates the stocking and distribution of fentanyl test strips in schools and training for students on their use.

Additional CAADPE-supported bills that have progressed include:

• AB 1841: Requires state colleges to make federally approved opioid overdose reversal medication available in on-campus housing and mandates training for university housing staff on how to quickly respond in an overdose.
• AB 1976: Requires workplace first-aid kits to include naloxone or other opioid antagonists.
• AB 2115: Authorizes some nonprofit clinics to dispense narcotic drugs to an individual to relieve acute withdrawal symptoms when necessary while arranging referral to an NTP.
• AB 2376: Expands the definition of “chemical dependency recovery services” to include medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and medically-managed voluntary inpatient detoxification.
• AB 2711: Advocates for a public health approach in schools for students who voluntarily disclose substance use and seek help.
• SB 950: Ensures that each eligible resident of a community correctional reentry center is enrolled in Medi-Cal within 30 days of entering the facility.
• SB 1180: Ensures health plans cover emergency triage to alternative destinations like mental health facilities or sobering centers.

These legislative advancements reflect a growing commitment to improving behavioral health care and expanding access to critical services. We look forward to continued progress and will keep you updated on these important developments.

Thank you for your ongoing support and advocacy as we work together to enhance mental health and substance use disorder treatment in California!