(1) Existing law provides for licensing and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care. A willful violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Insurance Commissioner. Existing law requires health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of severe mental illnesses, including pervasive developmental disorder or autism, under the same terms and conditions applied to other medical conditions, as specified. Commencing July 1, 2012, and until July 1, 2014, existing law requires health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies to provide coverage for behavioral health treatment, as defined, for pervasive developmental disorder or autism. This bill would require health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies to provide coverage for the screening, diagnosis, and treatment, other than behavioral health treatment, of pervasive developmental disorder or autism. The bill would, however, provide that no benefits are required to be provided that exceed the essential health benefits that will be required under specified federal law. The bill would prohibit health care service plans and health insurers from denying, terminating, or refusing to renew coverage solely because the individual is diagnosed with or has received treatment for pervasive developmental disorder or autism. Because the bill would change the definition of a crime with respect to health care service plans, it would thereby impose a state-mandated local program. (2) 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.
Sponsored bills
This measure would designate November 2012 as California Sikh American Awareness and Appreciation Month. It would recognize and acknowledge the significant contributions made by Californians of Sikh heritage to the state and afford all Californians the opportunity to understand, recognize, and appreciate the rich history and shared principles of Sikh Americans.
This measure would declare May 2012 to be American Stroke Month in California.
Existing law grants to various local entities the right, title, and interest of the State of California in and to certain tidelands and submerged lands in trust generally for purposes of commerce, navigation, and fisheries, and for other public trust purposes. This bill would specify that the preparation of a sea level action plan for all of its legislatively granted public trust lands shall be among the management priorities of a local trustee of granted public lands, as defined. The bill would require a local trustee whose gross public trust revenues, as defined, exceed $250,000 to prepare a sea level action plan for those lands by July 1, 2013, but would specify that all other local trustees may, but are not required to, prepare a plan. The bill would require the plan to include, among other things, an assessment of the impact of a range of sea level rise on granted public trust lands, an estimate of the financial cost of this impact, and strategies to prevent or mitigate damage to development and infrastructure and to protect and enhance habitat. This bill would require the State Lands Commission to exempt a local trustee of granted public trust lands from the requirement to prepare a sea level action plan or grant a deadline extension if the revenues derived from its granted public trust lands and assets or funding to it from other sources are not sufficient to pay for the cost of developing the plan.
This measure would call on the United States Congress to pass the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011, Senate Bill No. 1925, authored by Senators Leahy and Crapo, and ensure the sustainability of vital programs designed to keep women and families safe from violence and abuse.
This measure would recognize the week of March 4, 2012, to March 10, 2012, inclusive, as National Agriculture Week, and would designate March 21, 2012, as California Agriculture Day.
This measure would recognize March 2, 2012, as Read Across America Day.
This measure would declare the month of February 2012 as Children's Dental Health Month.