CA SB 476

Author: Suzette Martinez Valladares
Short-term residential therapeutic programs.
02/26/2025 - Referred to Com. on RLS.
SB 476, as introduced, Valladares. Short-term residential therapeutic programs. Existing law, the California Community Care Facilities Act, provides for the licensing and regulation of community care facilities, including short-term residential therapeutic programs, by the State Department of Social Services, and defines a short-term residential therapeutic program as a residential facility licensed by the department and operated by any public agency or private organization that provides an integrated program of specialized and intensive care and supervision, services and supports, treatment, and short-term, 24-hour care and supervision to children that is trauma-informed. Existing law requires a short-term residential therapeutic program to prepare and maintain a current, written plan of operation that includes a program statement containing, among other things, a description of how the short-term residential therapeutic program will meet specified standards established by the department in collaboration with the State Department of Health Care Services. Existing law requires a short-term residential therapeutic plan to ensure the availability of licensed nursing staff, as specified. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.

CA SB 402

Author: Suzette Martinez Valladares
Health care coverage: autism.
07/17/2025 - Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
SB 402, as introduced, Valladares. Health care coverage: autism. Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a health care service plan contract or a health insurance policy to provide coverage for behavioral health treatment for pervasive developmental disorder or autism and defines “behavioral health treatment” to mean specified services and treatment programs, including treatment provided pursuant to a treatment plan that is prescribed by a qualified autism service provider and administered either by a qualified autism service provider or by a qualified autism service professional or qualified autism service paraprofessional. Existing law defines “qualified autism service provider,” “qualified autism service professional,” and “qualified autism service paraprofessional” for those purposes. Those definitions are contained in the Health and Safety Code and the Insurance Code.This bill would move those definitions to the Business and Professions Code. The bill would also make technical and conforming changes.