Mental Health Services Act: county program and expenditure plans.

Existing law, the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) , an initiative measure enacted by the voters as Proposition 63 at the November 2, 2004, statewide general election, establishes the Mental Health Services Fund (MHSF) , a continuously appropriated fund, to fund various county mental health programs, including children's mental health care, adult and older adult mental health care, and prevention and early intervention programs. The MHSA established the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission and requires the counties to prepare and submit a 3-year program and expenditure plan, and annual updates, as specified, to the commission and the department. Existing law authorizes a county that is unable to complete and submit a 3-year plan or annual update for the 2020–21 fiscal year due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency to extend the effective timeframe of its currently approved 3-year plan or annual update to include the 2020–21 fiscal year and requires the county to submit a 3-year program and expenditure plan or annual update to the commission and the department by July 1, 2021. This bill would additionally authorize a county that is unable to complete and submit a 3-year plan or annual update for the 2021–22 fiscal year due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency to extend the effective timeframe of its currently approved 3-year plan or annual update to include the 2021–22 fiscal year and would require the county to submit a 3-year program and expenditure plan or annual update to the commission and the department by July 1, 2022. Existing law authorizes the State Department of Health Care Services to allow counties to determine the percentage of funds to allocate across programs for children and adults and older adults for the 2020–21 fiscal year by means of all-county letters or other similar instructions without taking further regulatory action. This bill would extend that authorization to the 2021–22 fiscal year. Existing law establishes the Federal Trust Fund within the State Treasury, which consists of money paid into it in trust from the United States. This bill would make an appropriation by appropriating $186,973,000 from the Federal Trust Fund to the State Department of Health Care Services to support community mental health services. Existing law authorizes the MHSA to be amended by a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature if the amendments are consistent with, and further the intent of, the MHSA. Existing law authorizes the Legislature to add provisions to the act to clarify procedures and terms of the act by majority vote. This bill would state the finding of the Legislature that the changes made are consistent with, and further the purposes of, the MHSA. This bill would state that its provisions are severable. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.