SB 539

Bill Subjects

Abstract

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, imposes a 1% tax on that portion of a taxpayer's taxable annual income that exceeds $1,000,000 and requires that the revenue from that tax be deposited in the Mental Health Services Fund to fund various county mental health programs. The MHSA requires the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) , in coordination with the California Behavioral Health Planning Council, to identify the total statewide needs for each professional and other occupational category utilizing county needs assessment information and develop a 5-year education and training development plan. Existing law requires OSHPD to include in the 5-year plan, among other things, expansion plans for the capacity of postsecondary education to meet the needs of identified mental health occupational shortages and curriculum to train and retrain staff to provide services in accordance with the provisions and principles of the MHSA. The MHSA permits amendment by the Legislature by a 23 vote of each house if the amendment is consistent with, and furthers the intent of, the MHSA. This bill would amend the MHSA by requiring the Controller, in any fiscal year in which the Department of Finance estimates that the revenues to be deposited into the Mental Health Services Fund for the fiscal year will exceed the base amount of $1,900,000,000, to, no later than the last day of each month and before any transfer or expenditure from the fund for any other purpose for the following month, reserve in the fund an amount that is equal to 15% of 112 of the estimated amount of increased revenue for the fiscal year, except as specified. The bill would require, at the end of each fiscal year, the Controller to transfer 15% of the amount reported by the Department of Finance to be the actual amount of revenue that exceeded the base amount from the fund to the Mental Health Services Workforce Education and Training Account, which the bill would establish as an account in the fund and continuously appropriate money to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development to implement its 5-year education and training development plan. The bill would require the base amount to be recalculated every 5 years to reflect the average revenue amount deposited into the Mental Health Services Fund for the previous 5 years to correspond with the commencement of each plan. The bill would prohibit moneys in the account from being loaned to the General Fund. The MHSA authorizes a county's allocation of MHSA funds for community supports and services to include funds for technological needs and capital facilities, human resource needs, and a prudent reserve, and limits the total allocation for those specified purposes to 20% of the average amount of funds allocated to that county for the previous 5 years. The bill would amend the MHSA by authorizing a county to transfer funds allocated for community supports and services to the Mental Health Services Workforce Education and Training Account if included in the county's plan, and exempting that transfer of funds from the 20% limitation described above. The bill would additionally appropriate $70,000,000 from the General Fund to OSHPD for the purpose of funding the 5-year education and training development plan.