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:
AB 11 (McCarty) Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Program: screening services. Amended versioin July 3, 2018
AB 15 (Mainschein) Denti-Cal program: reimbursement rates. Introduced version March 15, 2017
AB 15 (Mainschein) Denti-Cal program: reimbursement rates. Amended version March 23, 2017
AB 254 (Thurmond) Local Educational Agency Behavioral Health Integration pilot program. Amended version June 28, 2017
AB 349 (McCarty) Drug Medi-Cal Treatment Program: rate setting process. Amended version June 7, 2018: Dated June 18, 2018
AB 349 (McCarty) Drug Medi-Cal Treatment Program: rate setting process. Amended version June 7, 2018: Dated July 5, 2018
AB 572 (Quirk-Silva) Alcoholism or drug abuse treatment facilities: City of Costa Mesa pilot program. Amended version July 3, 2017
AB 974 (Quirk-Silva) Mental Health Services Act: reporting veterans spending. Amended version March 28, 2017
AB 1215 (Weber) Mental Health Services Act: innovative programs: research. Amended version June 7, 2018
AB 1372 (Levine) Crisis stabilization units: psychiatric patients. Amended version June 13, 2017
AB 1591 (Berman) Medi-Cal: federally qualified health centers and rural health centers: licensed professional clinical counselor. Amended version March 28, 2017
AB 1688 (Committee on Health) Medi-Cal: Alameda County pilot program. Amended version March 16, 2017
AB 1744 (McCarty) After school programs: substance use prevention: funding: cannabis revenue. Amended version April 26, 2018: Dated June 12, 2018
AB 1744 (McCarty) After school programs: substance use prevention: funding: cannabis revenue. Amended version April 26, 2018: Dated July 3, 2018
AB 1801 (Nazarian) Newborns: cytomegalovirus public education and testing. Amended version June 7, 2018
AB 1957 (Berman) Social Services Modernization, Efficiency, and Due Process Protection Act of 2018. Amended version June 18, 2018
AB 2083 (Cooley) Foster youth: trauma-informed system of care. Amended version July 5, 2018
AB 2112 (Santiago) Federal 21st Century Cures Act: community-based crisis response plan: grant. Amended version May 25, 2018
AB 2122 (Reyes) Medi-Cal: blood lead screening tests. Amended version June 14, 2018
AB 2122 (Reyes) Medi-Cal: blood lead screening tests. Amended version July 3, 2018
AB 2233 (Kalra) Medi-Cal: Assisted Living Waiver program. Amended version June 25, 2018
AB 2299 (Chu) Medi-Cal: managed care plans: informational materials. Amended version June 18, 2018
AB 2299 (Chu) Medi-Cal: managed care plans: informational materials. Amended version August 6, 2018
AB 2342 (Burke) Breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility screening. Amended version May 25, 2018
AB 2393 (Committee on Health) Mental Health. Introduced version February 14, 2018: Dated April 9, 2018
AB 2393 (Committee on Health) Mental Health. Introduced version February 14, 2018: Dated May 11, 2018
AB 2397 (Obernolte) Health and human services: information sharing: administrative actions. Introduced version February 14, 2018
AB 2427 (Wood) Medi-Cal: anticompetitive conduct. Amended version June 7, 2018: Dated June 19, 2018
AB 2427 (Wood) Medi-Cal: anticompetitive conduct. Amended version July 2, 2018: Dated August 15, 2018
SB 192 (Beall) Mental Health Services Fund. Amended version June 12, 2018
SB 707 (Cannella) Medi-Cal: Denti-Cal Advisory Group. Amended version January 22, 2018
SB 707 (Cannella) Medi-Cal: Denti-Cal Advisory Group. Amended version June 21, 2018
SB 1004 (Wiener) Mental Health Services Act: prevention and early intervention. Amended version June 13, 2018
SB 1023 (Hernandez) Reproductive health care coverage. Amended version May 25, 2018: Dated June 19, 2018
SB 1023 (Hernandez) Reproductive health care coverage. Amended version May 25, 2018: Dated July 3, 2018
SB 1108 (Hernandez) Medi-Cal: conditions of eligibility or coverage. Amended version June 20, 2018.
SB 1148 (Pan) Medi-Cal: restorative dental services. Amended version June 21, 2018.
SB 1264 (Stone) Medi-Cal: hypertension medication management services. Amended version May 1, 2018
SB 1287 (Hernandez) Medi-Cal: medically necessary services. Amended version May 21, 2018
SB 1423 (Hernandez) Medi-Cal: Oral interpretation services. Amended version April 9, 2018 Dated April 23, 2018
SB 1423 (Hernandez) Medi-Cal: Oral interpretation services. Amended version April 9, 2018: Dated June 21, 2018
SB 1495 (Committee on Health) Health. Amended version April 10, 2018: Dated April 18, 2018
SB 1495 (Committee on Health) Health. Amended version April 10, 2018: Dated June 20, 2018
Trailer Bill Legislation (TBL):
The Department of Finance (DOF) has posted the Administration’s trailer bill proposals on their website. The Department of Health Care Services’ (DHCS) trailer bill proposals are listed below followed by a link to the language.
• Community Treatment Facilities and Supplemental Medi-Cal Reimbursement
• Hospital Quality Assurance Fee Administration
• 340B Drug Reimbursement in the Medi-Cal Program
• Department of Health Care Services: Elimination of Obsolete Reports
• Cost-Based Reimbursement Clinic Directed Payment Program
• Increase Medi-Cal General Fund Loan Authority
If you have any questions about DHCS’s TBL items or would like to be added to LGA’s TBL stakeholder distribution list, please contact Melissa Rolland, Assistant Deputy Director (Melissa.Rolland@dhcs.ca.gov).
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.
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