Health.

(1) Existing law establishes the Office of Health Information Integrity within the California Health and Human Services Agency to ensure the enforcement of state law mandating the confidentiality of medical information, as defined, and to impose administrative fines on providers of health care for the unauthorized use of medical information. This bill would transfer the duty to impose administrative fines on providers of health care for the unauthorized use of medical information to the State Department of Public Health, and would make other conforming changes. (2) Existing law establishes the California Health Benefit Exchange for the purpose of facilitating the enrollment of qualified individuals and small employers in qualified health plans. Existing law authorizes the board of the California Health Benefit Exchange to adopt emergency regulations until January 1, 2016. Under existing law, emergency regulations remain in effect for no more than 180 days, except as specified, and may be readopted for 2 additional 90-day periods. This bill would allow more than 2 readoptions of those emergency regulations until January 1, 2017, and would allow the emergency regulations adopted by the board to remain in effect for 2 years, as specified. (3) Existing law, as of July 1, 2012, transferred the Office of Patient Advocate from the Department of Managed Health Care to the California Health and Human Services Agency, to provide assistance to, and advocate on behalf of, individuals served by health care service plans regulated by the Department of Managed Health Care, insureds covered by health insurers regulated by the Department of Insurance, and individuals who receive or are eligible for other health care coverage in California, including coverage available through the Medi-Cal program, the California Health Benefit Exchange, the Healthy Families Program, or any other county or state health care program. The duties of the office, include, but are not limited to, compiling an annual publication, to be made available on the office's Internet Web site, of a quality of care report card, rendering assistance to consumers regarding procedures, rights, and responsibilities related to the filing of complaints, grievances, and appeals, and coordinating and working with other government and nongovernment patient assistance programs and health care ombudsperson programs. This bill would revise and recast those provisions by transferring the direct consumer assistance activities that had previously been conferred on the office to the Department of Managed Health Care to be carried out in partnership with community-based consumer assistance organizations for the purposes of serving health care consumers, as provided. The bill would instead require the office, among other things, to provide assistance to, and advocate on behalf of, health care consumers, and would instead make the goal of the office to coordinate amongst, provide assistance to, and collect data from, all of the state agency consumer assistance or patient assistance programs and call centers, to better enable health care consumers to access the health care services to which they are eligible under the law. The duties of the office would include, but not be limited to, producing a baseline review and annual report to be made publically available on the office's Internet Web site by July 1, 2015, and annually thereafter, of health care consumer or patient assistance help centers, call centers, ombudsperson, or other assistance centers operated by the Department of Managed Health Care, the State Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) , the Department of Insurance, and the Exchange, and including certain minimum information, and collecting, tracking, and analyzing data on problems and complaints by, and questions from, consumers about health care coverage for the purpose of providing public information about problems faced and information needed by consumers in obtaining coverage and care. This bill would also make conforming changes. (4) Existing federal law requires a health insurance issuer that offers group or individual health insurance coverage that provides both medical and surgical benefits and mental health or substance use disorder benefits to establish parity in the terms and conditions applicable to medical and mental health benefits, as specified. Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law requires a health care service plan contract that provides hospital, medical, or surgical coverage to provide coverage for the diagnosis and medically necessary treatment of severe mental illnesses under the same terms and conditions applied to other medical conditions, as specified. This bill would require large group, small group, and individual health care service plan contracts to provide covered mental health and substance use disorder benefits in compliance with the provisions of federal law governing mental health parity no later than January 1, 2015. Because a willful violation of that requirement would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (5) Under existing law, DHCS is responsible for licensing and certifying alcoholism and drug abuse recovery and treatment programs and facilities, including both residential and nonresidential programs. Existing law requires the department to charge a fee for the licensure or certification of these facilities and to establish fee scales using different capacity levels, categories based on measures other than program capacity, or any other category or classification that the department deems necessary or convenient to maintain an effective and equitable fee structure. Existing law requires the department to submit proposed new fees or fee changes to the Legislature for approval, as specified, and prohibits new fees or fee changes without legislative approval. This bill would require the department to issue a provider bulletin setting forth the approved fee structure and, on an annual basis, to publish the fee structure on the department's Internet Web site. Existing law authorizes the department to implement the licensing and certification provisions for alcoholism and drug abuse recovery and treatment programs and facilities through emergency regulations. This bill would remove the authorization for emergency regulations and would require the department to adopt regulations through the Administrative Procedures Act. The bill would authorize the department to implement new fees or fee changes by means of provider bulletins or similar action and to supersede the existing licensing and certification fees until the department amends the regulations. The bill would also require the department to notify and consult with interested parties and appropriate stakeholders regarding new fees or fee changes. (6) Existing law requires the State Public Health Officer to establish, and authorizes him or her to administer, a program to provide drug treatments to persons infected with HIV, to the extent that state and federal funds are appropriated. Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to determine a person whose adjusted gross income does not exceed $50,000 per year to be financially eligible to receive services under this program, as specified. Existing law authorizes the State Department of Public Health to subsidize certain cost-sharing requirements for persons otherwise eligible for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) with non-ADAP drug coverage by paying for prescription drugs included on the ADAP formulary, as specified. This bill would additionally authorize the department, if the director determines that it would result in a cost savings to the state, to subsidize costs associated with a health care service plan or health insurance policy, including medical copayments and deductibles for outpatient care, and premiums to purchase or maintain health insurance coverage. The bill would authorize federal funds and moneys in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program Rebate Fund to be used for these purposes. By expanding the purposes for which moneys from the continuously appropriated AIDS Drug Assistance Program Rebate Fund may be expended, the bill would make an appropriation. The bill would also, for purposes of determining financial eligibility for the ADAP program, require information sharing between the Franchise Tax Board and the State Department of Public Health to verify the amount of a person's adjusted gross income. (7) Existing law establishes a program for the control of tuberculosis and requires the State Department of Public Health to maintain the program and administer funds made available by the state for the care of tuberculosis patients. Existing law authorizes the department to establish standards and procedures for the operation of local tuberculosis control programs and to distribute for the purpose of tuberculosis control an annual subvention to any local health department that maintains a tuberculosis control program consistent with the standards and procedures established by the department. This bill would require a local entity that receives funding from the state for the purposes of tuberculosis control to first allocate the moneys received for specified purposes and activities, including submitting the written treatment plan to the local health officer and for cities, counties, and cities and counties to provide counsel to nonindigent tuberculosis patients who are subject to a civil order of detention issued by a local health officer, as specified. (8) Existing law, the Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training Act, establishes a state medical contract program with accredited medical schools, programs that train primary care physician's assistants, programs that train primary care nurse practitioners and registered nurses, hospitals, and other health care delivery systems. Existing law establishes the California Healthcare Workforce Policy Commission, consisting of 15 members, to administer the state medical contract program, except as specified. Existing law requires the commission to identify specific areas of the state where unmet priority needs for primary care family physicians and registered nurses exist, establish standards for, among other things, family practice training programs, family practice residency programs, primary care physician's assistants programs, and programs that train primary care nurse practitioners, and to make recommendations to the Director of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development with regard to the funding of specific programs. Existing law requires the director to select and contract on behalf of the state with the above-described entities for the purpose of, among other things, training medical students and residents in the specialty of family practice, subject to criteria established by the commission. This bill would authorize the state medical contract program to include contracts with teaching health centers, as defined. The bill would require a teaching health center that receives funds pursuant to the state medical contract program to include within its curriculum, programs or departments that recognize family medicine as a major independent specialty. For purposes of the provisions that implement the state medical contract program, the bill would delete references to the specialty of family practice and would refer instead to the specialties of primary care or family medicine, thereby expanding the scope of the state medical contract program to include those specialties. The bill would also require the director to select and contract on behalf of the state for the purpose of, among other things, training medical students and residents in the specialties of internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and family medicine, subject to criteria established by the commission. Existing law requires the commission to review and make recommendations to the Director of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development concerning the funding of those programs that are submitted to the Health Professions Development Program for participation in the state medical contract program established under these provisions. Existing law requires the Chief of the Health Professions Development Program, or his or her designee, to serve as executive secretary for the commission. This bill would delete references to the Health Professions Development Program and would refer instead to the Healthcare Workforce Development Division. The bill would instead specify that the Deputy Director of the Healthcare Workforce Development Division, or his or her designee, serve as executive secretary for the commission. (9) Existing law authorizes the State Department of Public Health to perform various activities relating to the protection, preservation, and advancement of public health, including studies and demonstrations of innovative methods, and authorizes the department to, among other things, apply for and receive grants for the performance of the activity. This bill would authorize the State Department of Public Health to investigate, apply for, and enter into agreements to secure federal or nongovernmental funding opportunities for the purposes of advancing public health, as specified. (10) Existing law creates the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB) and requires MRMIB to administer various programs that provide health care coverage to certain populations, including the California Major Risk Medical Insurance Program, the Access for Infants and Mothers Program, the County Health Initiative Matching Fund, and the Federal Temporary High Risk Pool. This bill would eliminate MRMIB as of July 1, 2014, and transfer the powers, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction of MRMIB to DHCS. The bill would authorize DHCS to conduct transition activities prior to July 1, 2014, to ensure the transfer of the programs administered by MRMIB to DHCS. Existing law establishes the California Major Risk Medical Insurance Program (MRMIP) , which is administered by MRMIB, to provide major risk medical coverage to persons who, among other things, have been rejected for coverage by at least one private health plan. Existing law authorizes MRMIB to take various actions with respect to MRMIP, including determining the eligibility of applicants. Existing law affords dissatisfied subscribers a right to appeal and requires hearings to be conducted pursuant to specified procedures. Existing law creates the Major Risk Medical Insurance Fund as a continuously appropriated fund for purposes of MRMIP and requires that specified amounts from the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Surtax Fund (Surtax Fund) be deposited in the fund. This bill would authorize DHCS to establish eligibility criteria for MRMIP and would authorize DHCS to implement that authority by means of plan letters, plan or provider bulletins, or similar instructions. The bill would authorize hearings regarding subscriber grievances to be conducted pursuant to specified procedures. The bill would continue the Major Risk Medical Insurance Fund in existence to be administered by DHCS for purposes of MRMIP, would eliminate the required deposits from the Surtax Fund, and instead authorize funds to be deposited in the fund from the Surtax Fund. The bill would require DHCS to, by August 1, 2014, establish a work group to develop a plan to utilize available Major Risk Medical Insurance Program Fund moneys, in order to provide subsidized health care coverage for individuals not eligible for or receiving comprehensive health care. Existing law establishes the Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM) Program, administered by MRMIB. Existing law transferred the infant element of AIM to the DHCS on October 1, 2013, and entitled this program the AIM-Linked Infants Program. Existing law requires that an infant be disenrolled from the program if his or her household income exceeds 300% of the federal poverty level. In order to participate in the mother element of AIM, existing law requires that the person have a household income between 200% and 250% of the federal poverty level, unless MRMIB determines that funds are adequate to serve households above 250% of the federal poverty level. Existing law authorizes MRMIB to determine subscriber contribution amount schedules and requires that the contribution not exceed 2% of the subscriber's annual gross family income. This bill would transfer the mother element of AIM to DHCS and would rename the program, including the AIM-Linked Infants Program, the Medi-Cal Access Program. The bill would require a household income between 208% and 317% of the federal poverty level in order to be eligible for the mother element of the program and would require that an infant be disenrolled from the program if his or her household income exceeds 317% of the federal poverty level. The bill would also require that the subscriber contribution for mothers conform with the maintenance of effort requirements under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Existing law creates the County Health Initiative Matching Fund in the State Treasury, administered by MRMIB in collaboration with DHCS, for the purpose of providing matching state funds and local funds received by the fund through intergovernmental transfers to a county agency, a local initiative, or a county organized health system in order to provide health insurance coverage to certain children and adults in low-income households who do not qualify for health care benefits through the Healthy Families Program or Medi-Cal. Under existing law, a county, county agency, local initiative, or county organized health system that will provide an intergovernmental transfer may apply to MRMIB for funding to provide health care coverage to eligible children whose family income is at or below 300% or 400% of the federal poverty level, at the option of the applicant, or to eligible adults whose family income does not exceed 200% of the federal poverty level, provided that the children or adults do not qualify for the Heathy Families Program or the Medi-Cal program. This bill would transfer the powers, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction of MRMIB with respect to this fund to DHCS and would prohibit DHCS from approving any additional local entities for participation in the fund. The bill would require a local entity that was participating in the fund on March 23, 2010, to continue to participate in the fund, maintaining eligibility standards, methodologies, and procedures at least as favorable as those in effect on March 23, 2010. If a county participating in the fund on March 23, 2010, elects to cease funding the nonfederal share of program expenditures, the bill would require DHCS to administer the program within that county and would require the General Fund to provide funding amounts equal to the total nonfederal share of all expenditures incurred by DHCS in that regard. The bill would continuously appropriate money in the fund, thereby making an appropriation. The bill would eliminate the provisions authorizing funding for coverage for certain low-income adults and would authorize a county, county agency, local initiative, or county organized health system that will provide an intergovernmental transfer to apply to DHCS for funding to provide health care coverage to eligible children who are not eligible for the Medi-Cal program, the Medi-Cal Access Program, or a specified targeted low-income program and whose family income is at or below 317% or 411% of the federal poverty level, at the option of the applicant. The bill would also limit the intergovernmental transfer amount to the expenditures that would be eligible for federal financial participation. The bill would require that the state be held harmless from any federal audit disallowance and interest resulting from payments made to a participating application for a disallowed claim. The bill would authorize DHCS to implement these MRMIB transfer provisions by means of all-county letters, plan letters, plan or provider bulletins, or similar instructions. (11) Existing law requires DHCS to implement mental health services relating to the care and treatment of persons with mental disorders. Existing law requires DHCS to utilize a joint state-county decisionmaking process to determine the appropriate use of state and local resources to meet the mission and goals of the state's mental health system. Existing law requires the department to use that process in, among other things, providing assistance to local mental health departments. This bill would require DHCS to also utilize this decisionmaking process to determine the appropriate use of state and local resources to meet the mission and goals with respect to substance use disorders and to provide technical assistance to local behavioral health and substance use disorder services departments. (12) Existing law provides that contracts awarded by various state entities, including the DHCS, for purposes of providing these services may be awarded in accordance with, or are exempt from, specified procedures governing the awarding of state contracts. Existing law, the Mental Health Services Act, an initiative measure enacted by the voters as Proposition 63 at the November 2, 2004, statewide general election, establishes the continuously appropriated Mental Health Services Fund to fund various county mental health programs. Existing law requires that funds be reserved, prior to making allocations from the fund, for the costs incurred by state entities, including the State Department of Public Health, in implementing the programs funded by the act, as specified. The act provides that it may be amended by the Legislature by a 23 vote of each house as long as the amendment is consistent with and furthers the intent of the act, and that the Legislature may also clarify procedures and terms of the act by majority vote. This bill would authorize contracts awarded by the State Department of Public Health for purposes of providing mental health services, as specified, to be awarded in accordance with, and exempt those contracts from, specified procedures governing the awarding of state contracts. The bill would also make technical changes. The bill would state the findings and declarations of the Legislature that these changes clarify procedures and terms of the act. (13) Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the DHCS, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. Existing federal law provides for the federal Medicare Program, which is a public health insurance program for persons 65 years of age and older and specified persons with disabilities who are under 65 years of age. This bill would exclude from reimbursement under Medi-Cal any increase in the amount charged to the Medi-Cal program for patient care or treatment that is directly related to an identifiable provider-preventable condition, as prescribed. (14) Under existing law, commencing January 1, 2014, an individual who is 21 years of age and older, does not have minor children eligible for Medi-Cal benefits, would be eligible for Medi-Cal benefits but for a specified 5-year bar, and who is enrolled in coverage through the Exchange with an advanced premium tax credit is eligible for Medi-Cal benefits, as prescribed. Commencing January 1, 2014, the department is also required to pay the beneficiary's insurance premium costs and cost-sharing charges under these provisions. This bill would limit the premium and cost-sharing payments the department would make under those provisions to the amount necessary to pay for the 2nd lowest cost silver plan in the Exchange and would require the department to consult with various entities in the development and implementation of specified processes, procedures, and notices for purposes of those provisions. The bill would require the health care service plans and health insurers providing coverage in the Exchange to cooperate with requests from the Exchange to collaborate in the development of, and participate in the implementation of, these premium and cost-sharing payments, and would also prohibit those plans and insurers from charging or requiring an enrollee or insured to make any payments for any services subject to these payments. Because a willful violation of that requirement by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also, under specified federal provisions applicable to qualified pregnant woman and children, provide that a woman shall be eligible for Medi-Cal benefits if her income is less than or equal to 109% of the federal poverty level as determined, counted, and valued in accordance with federal law. The bill would also require the department to seek any state plan amendments or federal waivers necessary to provide full scope Medi-Cal benefits to pregnant women during their pregnancy and for 60 days thereafter for women whose income is over 109% of, and is up to and including 138% of, the federal poverty level. The bill would require these women to enroll in a Medi-Cal managed care plan in the counties in which one is available, to the extent permitted by state and federal law. The bill would, after the department determines that the California Healthcare Eligibility, Enrollment, and Retention System (CalHEERS) has been programmed for implementation of these provisions, but no sooner than January 1, 2015, require the department to implement a specified option for women eligible for Medi-Cal pregnancy-related and postpartum services who are enrolled or will be enrolled in individual health care coverage through the Exchange and also opt to enroll in Medi-Cal. The bill would, except as provided, require the department to provide specified benefits and pay the beneficiary's insurance premium costs and the beneficiary's cost sharing for benefits and services during the beneficiary's period of eligibility for pregnancy-related and postpartum services under the Medi-Cal program. The bill would require the department to make these premium or cost-sharing payments to the beneficiary's qualified health plan, as specified. The bill would require the department to consult with various entities in developing specified processes, procedures, and notices for purposes of these provisions. The would authorize the department to contract with public and private entities to implement these provisions for purposes of these provisions and would make those contract exempt from specified public contracting requirements. The bill would require health care service plans and insurers providing individual coverage in the Exchange to cooperate with requests from the Exchange to collaborate in the development of, and participate in the implementation of, these premium and cost-sharing payments for eligible Exchange enrollees and would also prohibit those plans and insurers from charging or requiring an enrollee or insured to make any payments for any services subject to these payments. Because a willful violation of that provision by a health care service plan would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (15) Existing law authorizes the DHCS to enter into nonexclusive contracts to arrange for the administration and disbursement of funds to Medi-Cal providers or to their designated agents in consideration for services rendered and supplies furnished, as prescribed. This bill would, except as specified, exempt any contract amendments, modifications, or change orders to a fiscal intermediary contract entered into by the department pursuant to this authorization from certain provisions of the Public Contract Code. (16) Existing law requires the DHCS to screen Medi-Cal providers and designate each provider as "limited," "moderate," or "high" categorical risk. Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care Services to conduct a criminal background check of all providers designated as a "high" categorical risk. This bill would require a provider or applicant designated as a "high" categorical risk to submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information for the purpose of obtaining information as to the existence of past criminal conduct, as specified. The bill would require the Department of Justice to request specified information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation with respect to a provider's past criminal conduct, and to review and provide this information to DHCS. The bill would require the Department of Justice to charge a fee, to be paid by the applicant or provider, sufficient to cover the cost of processing the criminal background check request. (17) Existing law requires DHCS to seek federal approval pursuant to a Medicare or a Medicaid demonstration project or waiver, or a combination thereof, to establish a demonstration project that enables beneficiaries dually eligible for the Medi-Cal program and the Medicare Program to receive a continuum of services that maximizes access to, and coordination of, benefits between the programs. Existing law requires, with some exceptions, DHCS to enroll dual eligible beneficiaries into a managed care plan that is selected to participate in the demonstration project unless the beneficiary makes an affirmative choice to opt out of enrollment or is already enrolled in a specified managed care organization on or before June 1, 2013. Existing law requires DHCS, for the 2013 and 2014 calendar years, to comply with certain requirements with respect to offering contracts to Medicare Advantage Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNP plans) and the application of the above-mentioned enrollment provisions to beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage and D-SNP plans. This bill would, for the 2015 calendar year and the remainder of the demonstration project, authorize DHCS to offer D-SNP contracts, as defined, in non-Coordinated Care Initiative Counties to D-SNP plans. The bill would, in Coordinated Care Initiative counties, authorize DHCS to offer the contracts to D-SNP plans approved for the plans' service areas on January 1, 2013, and only for specified beneficiaries. The bill would also make related changes to the application of the above-mentioned enrollment provisions for the 2015 calendar year and the remainder of the demonstration project. (18) Existing law requires DHCS to establish a list of performance measures to ensure dental health plans meet quality criteria required by DHCS. Existing law requires DHCS to post, on a quarterly basis, the list of performance measures and each plan's performance on the DHCS Internet Web site. This bill would require DHCS, in consultation with stakeholders, to establish a list of performance measures to ensure the dental fee-for-service program meets quality and access criteria required by DHCS. The bill would require DHCS, commencing October 1, 2014, for the 2013 calendar year, and annually on or before October 1 for each preceding calendar year thereafter, to post the list of performance measures along with the data of the dental fee-for-service program performance on the DHCS Internet Web site. The bill would also require DHCS to annually prepare and post on its Internet Web site, as specified, a summary report of the nature and types of complaints and grievances regarding access to, and quality of, dental services, including the outcome. (19) Existing law requires DHCS to establish and maintain a plan, known as the County Administrative Cost Control Plan, for the purpose of effectively controlling costs related to the county administration of the determination of eligibility for benefits under the Medi-Cal program within the amounts annually appropriated for that administration. Under existing law, the Legislature finds and declares that linking appropriate funding for county Medi-Cal administrative operations, including annual cost-of-doing-business adjustments, with performance standards will give counties the incentive to meet the performance standards and enable them to continue to do the work they do on behalf of the state. Existing law further provides that it is the intent of the Legislature to provide appropriate funding to the counties for the effectual administration of the Medi-Cal program, except that it is the intent of the Legislature to not appropriate money for a cost-of-doing-business adjustment for specified fiscal years. This bill would additionally provide that it is the intent of the Legislature to not appropriate funds for the cost-of-doing-business adjustment for the 2014–15 fiscal year. (20) Existing law requires Medi-Cal funding to be made available for a new hospital, as defined, that is a nonprofit entity that serves the population of South Los Angeles formerly served by the Los Angeles County Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital, as prescribed. This bill would modify those funding provisions for the new hospital as they relate to Medi-Cal payments for hospital services and certain supplemental payments. (21) Existing federal law provides for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly the Food Stamp Program, under which nutrition assistance benefits are allocated to each state by the federal government. Existing federal law also provides for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) program for purposes of nutrition education and obesity prevention grant programs. Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to investigate and apply for federal funding opportunities regarding promoting healthy eating and preventing obesity, including those available under federal law, as specified. Existing law requires the department to, upon receipt of federal funding regarding healthy eating and preventing obesity, provide in-kind support and award grants to support local assistance to local governments, nonprofit organizations, and local education agencies. Between July 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015, inclusive, this bill would require the State Department of Public Health to convene a quarterly meeting of stakeholders to solicit input and receive feedback on nutrition education and obesity prevention, and to help minimize disruption to services in the SNAP-Ed program during a specified transition period. (22) This bill would require DHCS to, by August 1, 2014, work with stakeholders to develop a notice to be sent or made available to individuals enrolled in a state health care program administered by DHCS that does not provide minimum essential coverage who, as determined by DHCS, may be eligible for Medi-Cal or coverage through the California Health Benefit Exchange. (23) This bill would require the State Department of Public Health to report to the fiscal and appropriate policy committees of the Legislature and post on its Internet Web site various reports, including, among others, specified workload and performance metrics and updates that relate to the State Department of Public Health's Licensing and Certification Program. The bill would require the State Department of Public Health to hold seminannual stakeholder meetings for all interested stakeholders to provide feedback on improving the program. (24) This bill would also reappropriate the balance of a specified appropriation made in the Budget Act of 2011 to the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission and would make those funds available for encumbrance until June 30, 2015. (25) Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. (26) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. (27) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.