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SB 964 · 2021-22

Requires study of behavioral health workforce needs

Official subject Behavioral health.

Vetoed Vetoed Sept. 27, 2022

Plain-language summary

Requires the Department of Health Care Access and Information to hire consultants to report to the Legislature by January 1, 2024. The report must analyze the current behavioral health workforce and the state's needs, and recommend ways to address the workforce shortage.

How these summaries are written

Official summary · Legislative Counsel's Digest

Describes the final version (Enrolled, Aug. 24, 2022).

Read the official summary (2 paragraphs)

Existing law establishes various health professions development programs, within the Department of Health Care Access and Information, for the promotion of education and training of health professionals to address workforce shortage and distribution needs.

The bill would require the department to commission consultants to prepare a report for the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2024, that provides a landscape analysis of the current behavioral health workforce and the state’s behavioral health workforce needs, and to make recommendations on how to address the state’s behavioral health workforce shortage.

Official title

An act to add and repeal Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 127815) of Part 3 of Division 107 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to behavioral health.

Veto message · Sept. 27, 2022

The Governor's message, verbatim.

To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 964 without my signature.

This bill would require the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) to commission a report that examines the current landscape of the state's behavioral health workforce, and to convene a stakeholder group to participate in developing and drafting the report for submission to the Legislature by January 1, 2024.

I commend the author for their work to ensure that all Californian's behavioral health needs are met. One major component to meeting this need is through an adequate and well-trained workforce, which is why I worked with the Legislature to include in the 2022 Budget Act, $248 million over 5 years to increase the number of licensed behavioral health professionals, including more than $100 million to increase the number of social workers. This bill duplicates existing efforts in assessing workforce needs and analyzing trends through HCAI's Workforce Education and Training Council and its Workforce Research Data Center. Furthermore, this bill would require approximately $1.5 million to implement, which was not accounted for in the budget.

With our state facing lower-than-expected revenues over the first few months of this fiscal year, it is important to remain disciplined when it comes to spending, particularly spending that is ongoing. We must prioritize existing obligations and priorities, including education, health care, public safety and safety-net programs.

The Legislature sent measures with potential costs of well over $20 billion in one-time spending commitments and more than $10 billion in ongoing commitments not accounted for in the state budget. Bills with significant fiscal impact, such as this measure, should be considered and accounted for as part of the annual budget process.

For these reasons, I cannot sign this bill.

Sincerely,

Gavin Newsom

Timeline

  1. Feb. 9, 2022 Introduced
  2. May 24, 2022 Passed Senate 37 yes, 0 no
  3. Aug. 18, 2022 Passed Assembly 76 yes, 0 no
  4. Aug. 26, 2022 Enrolled and sent to the Governor
  5. Sept. 27, 2022 Vetoed by the Governor
Full official history (37 actions)
  1. Feb. 9, 2022 Introduced: Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
  2. Feb. 9, 2022 Article IV Section 8(a) of the Constitution and Joint Rule 55 dispensed with February 7, 2022, suspending the 30 calendar day requirement.
  3. Feb. 10, 2022 From printer.
  4. Feb. 16, 2022 Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and ED.
  5. March 16, 2022 Set for hearing March 30.
  6. March 31, 2022 From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on ED. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 3273.) (March 30).
  7. April 4, 2022 Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on ED.
  8. April 6, 2022 Set for hearing April 20.
  9. April 6, 2022 April 20 hearing postponed by committee.
  10. April 8, 2022 Set for hearing April 27.
  11. April 18, 2022 From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on ED.
  12. April 27, 2022 From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 3539.) (April 27). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
  13. April 29, 2022 Set for hearing May 9.
  14. May 9, 2022 May 9 hearing: Placed on APPR suspense file.
  15. May 13, 2022 Set for hearing May 19.
  16. May 19, 2022 From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 3777.) (May 19).
  17. May 19, 2022 Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
  18. May 23, 2022 Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
  19. May 24, 2022 Passed Senate: Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 3883.) Ordered to the Assembly.
  20. May 25, 2022 In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
  21. May 27, 2022 Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and HIGHER ED.
  22. June 6, 2022 From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
  23. June 15, 2022 From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HIGHER ED. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (June 14). Re-referred to Com. on HIGHER ED.
  24. June 22, 2022 From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 21).
  25. June 23, 2022 Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
  26. Aug. 3, 2022 August 3 hearing postponed by committee.
  27. Aug. 10, 2022 August 10 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
  28. Aug. 11, 2022 Joint Rule 62(a) suspended.
  29. Aug. 11, 2022 From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (August 11).
  30. Aug. 15, 2022 Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
  31. Aug. 16, 2022 Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
  32. Aug. 18, 2022 Passed Assembly: Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 5948.) Ordered to the Senate.
  33. Aug. 18, 2022 In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
  34. Aug. 22, 2022 Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 4936.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
  35. Aug. 26, 2022 Enrolled and sent to the Governor: Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
  36. Sept. 27, 2022 Vetoed by the Governor: Vetoed by the Governor.
  37. Sept. 27, 2022 In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.