2020 CA Legislation
Bills we sponsored:
AB 2360: Mothers and Children Mental Health Support Act of 2020. (Brian Maienschein, D)
Requires health insurers/plans to establish a telehealth consultation program that provides providers who treat children and pregnant and postpartum women with access to a psychiatrist. The bill would require the consultation to be done by telephone or telehealth video, and would authorize the consultation to include guidance on providing triage services and referrals to evidence-based treatment options, including psychotherapy. The health service plan will be required to communicate the availability of the telepsychiatry program to its contracting medical providers at least twice a year, and maintain utilization data to inform improvements to the program.
AB 2360 Fact Sheet
AB 2360 Support Letter
This bill was vetoed by the governor, who wishes to see a corresponding budget allocation for the Department of Health Care Services the state's Medicaid agency tied to start-up and oversight costs. You can find the veto message here.
2020 Mom plans to reintroduce this bill in 2021 as a co-sponsoring organization along with the corresponding budget request.
Bills We Supported That Were Signed Into Law:
AB 890: Nurse practitioners: scope of practice: practice without standardized procedures. Removes the requirement in existing law that requires nurse practitioners to be “supervised” by a physician.
SB 855: Health coverage: mental health or substance use disorders. Requires insurers to follow generally accepted standards of care for mental health and substance use disorders.
SB 803: Mental Health Services: Peer Support Specialist Certification (Beall)
Will establish professional standards and certification for Peer Support Specialists.
SB 803 Fact Sheet
SB-1383: Unlawful employment practice: family leave. Ensures working Californians can take Paid Family Leave to care for themselves, a new child, or a seriously ill family member, without fear of losing their job. Signed into law September 17, 2020.
Press release.
SB 1237: Nurse-Midwives Scope of Practice. Provides expectant mothers and certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) integrated team-based care with already in use in hospitals. Signed into law September 18, 2020.
Due to the COVID crisis this supported bill is not moving forward in 2020.
AB 2258: Doula Care: Medi-Cal Pilot Program (Reyes)
Due to the COVID crisis these three sponsored bills are not moving forward in 2020.
AB 2417: Expanding Maternal Mental Health Screening: Bereaved Mothers (Jim Patterson, R)
Requires extension of current laws for obstetric providers to screen for and hospitals to provide education on maternal mental health (MMH) disorders to include bereaved mothers who have suffered from miscarriage, stillbirth, or fatal fetal diagnosis.
AB 2417 Fact Sheet
AB 2417 Support Letter
AB 2418: Perinatal Hospice / Patient Rights: Bereaved Mothers (Jim Patterson, R)
Ensures that bereaved mothers will be informed about their available options for perinatal hospice, time allowed to be spent with the baby after delivery, medical testing, burial/cremation, religious ceremonies, pictures, and possible keepsakes after experiencing a loss. This bill will also require the CA State Department of Public Health to compile and make available information about perinatal hospice services to hospitals and patients.
AB 2418 Fact Sheet
AB 2418 Support Letter
AB 3229: County Maternal Mental Health Services Reports (Buffy Wicks, D)
Requires California counties to submit an annual report on how they are using funding to address maternal mental health issues to the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, which will post the reports on its website each year.
AB 3229 Fact Sheet
AB 3229 Support Letter