Bill Text: CA SB331 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Senate Bill 331 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Suicide prevention: strategic plans.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-08-30 - August 30 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. [SB331 Detail]

Download: California-2019-SB331-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 331

Introduced by Senator Hurtado
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Levine)
(Coauthor: Senator Beall)

February 19, 2019

An act to add Section 4098.6 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to suicide prevention.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 331, as introduced, Hurtado. Suicide-prevention: strategic plans.

Existing law, the California Suicide Prevention Act of 2000, authorizes the State Department of Health Care Services to establish and implement a suicide prevention, education, and gatekeeper training program to reduce the severity, duration, and incidence of suicidal behaviors.

This bill would require counties to create a suicide-prevention strategic plan that places particular emphasis on preventing suicide in children who are less than 19 years of age. By creating a new duty for counties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that suicides are increasing across the United States.

(2) Over the 10-year period between 2007 and 2016, California has experienced a constant rise in deaths by suicide, with the exception of one year, 2012, in which there was a slight decrease in deaths by suicide. Over the same 10-year period, almost 40,000 Californians died by suicide.

(3) Since 2009, only seven counties in California, the Counties of Contra Costa, Fresno, San Diego, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Tuolumne, have adopted a suicide-prevention strategic plan, with two additional counties, the Counties of Marin and Santa Cruz, recently convening work groups to develop a suicide-prevention strategic plan.

(4) The County of Santa Clara, which has had a concerted suicide-prevention effort since 2010, and has implemented a suicide-prevention strategic plan, has seen an 11 to 14 percent decrease in suicide deaths, while the overall suicide rate in California is increasing.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this act to require counties to implement suicide-prevention strategic plans and reduce the suicide rate in California.

SEC. 2.

Section 4098.6 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

4098.6.

Counties shall create a suicide-prevention strategic plan. The strategic plan shall place particular emphasis on preventing suicide in children who are less than 19 years of age.

SEC. 3.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.