Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs
The Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs (LGA) facilitates, coordinates, and advocates for the development and enactment of legislation in the interest of public health. As a key player in carrying out the Department of Health Care Services' mission to preserve and improve the health status of all Californians, LGA assists in the development and refinement of the State's health care laws. LGA performs its role through various functions.
Primary Functions:
Develops strategies for introducing and promoting legislation to implement the Department's sound public health principles.
Monitors the State's political pulse through interactions with Legislators and their staff, public and private agencies, the health professional community, consumers, constituency groups and educational partners who express interest in public health. LGA uses this information as it advises the California Health and Human Services Agency and Governor on public health policy.
Articulates Department and Administration policies to the California Legislature, in coordination with the California Health and Human Services Agency and the Governor.
Provides technical assistance to California State legislators and their staff on the Department's various programs through briefings, testimony at informational hearings, individual meetings, periodic newsletters, fact sheets, etc.
Builds and fosters strong partnerships for health with California State legislators and their staff.
Secondary Functions:
Provides consultative and technical assistance to the Department's programs and the public.
Ensures that the Department's bill analyses provide a sound basis for effective legislative advocacy.
Ensures that the Department's bill analyses synthesize the policies, activities and resource needs of its numerous programs.
Facilitates Department responses to constituent-related inquiries received from California State legislators and their staff.
DHCS Letters of Support and Opposition:
Assembly Bills
AB 43 (Gloria)
Mental health. Amended version June 24, 2019
AB 567 (Calderon)
Long-term care insurance. Amended version June 13, 2019
AB 919 (Petrie-Norris)
Alcoholism and drug abuse recovery and treatment programs. Amended version July 8, 2019
AB 920 (Petrie-Norris)
Substance use disorder services: advisory workgroup. Amended version June 25, 2019
AB 1131 (Gloria)
Medi-Cal: comprehensive medication management. Amended version June 24, 2019
AB 1443 (Maienschein)
Mental health: technical assistance centers. Amended version March 25, 2019
Senate Bills
SB 289 (Archuleta)
Medi-Cal: home- and community-based services: military. Amended version July 1, 2019
SB 445 (Portantino)
Alcohol and drug treatment: youth. Amended version June 11, 2019
Archive of previous legislative session's Letters of Support and Opposition
Trailer Bill Legislation:
The Department of Finance (DOF) posts DHCS' trailer bill proposals on their website (https://esd.dof.ca.gov/dofpublic/trailerBill.html). All DHCS trailer bill proposals are listed below and is updated regularly as proposals and fact sheets become available.
2020-21 January Budget Proposals
Conform Inmate Eligibility to Federal Law
Electronic Health Record Incentive Program Name Change and Extension
Restoration of Dental Fee-For Service in Sacramento and Los Angeles Counties
Undocumented 65+ Medi-Cal Expansion (Withdrawn as part of May Revision)
Drug Medi-Cal Reimbursement of Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders
Aligning Rate Review with the Access Monitoring Review Plan
Pharmacy Proposals - California Definition of Best Practices
Skilled Nursing Financing Reform
2020-21 May Revision Proposals
COVID-19 Medi-Cal Response
Managed Care Savings and Efficiencies
Discontinuation of the Health Insurance Premium Payment (HIPP) Program
Elimination of County Case Management Allocation under the Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) Program
Elimination of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and Rural Health Center (RHC) Prospective Payment System (PPS) Carve-Outs for Pharmacy and Dental Services
Eliminate Specific Optional Benefits
Medi-Cal Eligibility-Related Proposals
Re-impose Estate Recovery
Sunset of Medical Interpreters Pilot
Sunset of Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital Payments
Sunset of Proposition 56 Value Based Payments
Legislative Staff with constituent inquiries - Please call us at (916) 440-7500
LGA staff is trained to assist you with constituent case work and handling the exchange of personal identifying information related to your constituent's case.
Authorization to Disclose Health Information
(Form for constituents authorizing the Department to release their health information to members of the Legislature).
Legislative Reports
(Legislatively Mandated Reports released) (Summary of Chaptered and Vetoed legislation of interest to DHCS)
Contact Us
Current staff roster
1501 Capitol Avenue, Suite 6017
(916) 440-7500 FAX: (916) 440-7510
Mailing address: MS 0006, PO Box 997413, Sacramento, CA 95899-7413
