Foster care: gender affirming health care and mental health care.

Existing law provides that it is the policy of the state that all minors and nonminors in foster care have specified rights, including, among others, the right to receive medical, dental, vision, and mental health services, the right to be involved in the development of their own case plans and plans for permanent placement, and the right to be placed in out-of-home care according to their gender identity, regardless of the gender or sex listed in their court or child welfare records. This bill would provide that the rights of minors and nonminors in foster care, as described above, include the right to be involved in the development of case plan elements related to placement and gender affirming health care, with consideration of their gender identity. The bill would also provide that the right of minors and nonminors in foster care to health care and mental health care includes covered gender affirming health care and gender affirming mental health care, as defined. The bill would require the State Department of Social Services, in consultation with the State Department of Health Care Services and other stakeholders, to develop guidance and describe best practices to identify, coordinate, and support foster youth seeking access to gender affirming health care and gender affirming mental health care and to incorporate current guidance on ensuring access to Medi-Cal services for transgender beneficiaries. The bill would require the department to issue written guidance by January 1, 2020. The bill would also include a statement of legislative findings and declarations.