AB 483 LEA BOP Audits
Introduced 2023-2024 session – Signed into Law 2023
Summary:
Schools are one of the primary providers of physical and mental health services for children. The Local Education Agency Billing Option Program (LEA BOP) is intended to help reimburse schools for the health and mental health services they provide; however, punitive state administration of the program prevents schools from drawing down federal funds. This bill would make changes to how the state monitors and provides support to schools participating in LEA BOP thereby increasing funding for student health and mental health services.
Equity Impact:
More mental health resources positively correlate with fewer suspensions, expulsions, and absences. This bill would increase federal funding for student health and mental health services, regardless of health insurance provider or disability status.
AB 1352 Expansion of Local Childcare Pilot Flexibilities
Introduced 2023-2024 session – Partially implemented in 2023 Budget Act
Summary:
California has authorized a handful of counties to participate in childcare pilots that give early learning and childcare (ELC) providers regulatory flexibility to increase hours of care, rates, and eligibility for children and families. The childcare pilots have successfully demonstrated that these regulatory flexibilities create greater workforce stability, continuity of care for children, and support for working families; however, the existing pilots are set to expire within a year. This bill would extend the existing pilots and allow all counties to access regulatory flexibility through participation in the childcare pilots.
Equity Impact:
The childcare pilots allow ELC providers to increase childcare services and supports to low-income families and increase wages for childcare staff. This bill would ensure that Santa Clara families and providers continue to benefit from the pilots and would extend these benefits to families in additional counties.
SB 10 Fentanyl Prevention
Introduced 2023-2024 session – Signed into Law 2023
Summary:
Fentanyl is now responsible for one in five deaths among California youths aged 15-to-24 years old fentanyl was responsible for an astounding one in five youth deaths (ages 15-to-24) in California last year. This bill builds upon the successful model established in Santa Clara by providing a state framework that will help ensure students and school staff have access to educational and training resources needed to prevent future fentanyl poisoning and overdoses.
Equity Impact:
This bill ensures that students have access to life saving medication and trained staff on school campuses.
SB 551 MHSA PEI Funding for School-Based Services
Introduced 2023-2024 session – Partially implemented in 2023 Budget Act
Summary:
Children are 21 times more likely to receive health and mental health services when they are provided on a school campus. This bill would require counties to include youth and education representatives on Mental Health Boards which influence how counties invest Prop 63 mental health funding.
Equity Impact:
The cost of mental health services, transportation to off-campus facilities, and stigma associated with mental health, act as barriers for low-income students, immigrant families, and children of color. This bill would increase access to school-based mental health services and reduce all of the above barriers.
SB 722 Early Learning and Care Barriers to Inclusion
Introduced 2023-2024 session – Signed into Law 2023
Summary:
Families of children with disabilities have greater difficulty finding an early learning and care provider who will accept their child and are three times more likely to experience job disruptions because they are unable to secure reliable childcare. This bill would increase access to childcare for children with disabilities by removing regulatory barriers that prevent children from being enrolled for months while the state processes paperwork.
Equity Impact:
Access to early learning reduces the prevalence and severity of disabilities and increases the likelihood that a child with a disability will graduate with their peers. This bill would increase access to early learning and childcare for children with disabilities.
