Staff
Mark Newton
(916) 319-8323
Deputy Legislative Analyst: Health, Developmental Services, and Technology
Jason Constantouros
(916) 319-8322
Medi-Cal/Managed Care/Family Health/Health Care Affordability and Workforce Development
Brian Metzker
(916) 319-8354
Privacy, Security, and Technology
Ryan Miller
(916) 319-8356
Medi-Cal/Behavioral Health/Covered California/CalHHS Agency Issues
Angela Short
(916) 319-8309
Child Welfare, Child Support, Community Services and Development, Community Care Licensing, CalSTRS
Karina Hendren
(916) 319-8352
Medi-Cal/Long-Term Care/Developmental Services
Will Owens
(916) 319-8341
Public Health/Behavioral Health/State Hospitals
Sonia Schrager Russo
(916) 319-8361
CalWORKs/CalFresh
Juwan Trotter
(916) 319-8358
In-Home Supportive Services/Aging Programs
Ginni Bella Navarre
(916) 319-8342
Deputy Legislative Analyst: Human Services and Governance


Publications

Health and Human Services

To browse all LAO publications, visit our Publications page.



Handout

Overview of Last-Mile Broadband Infrastructure Project Administration and Funding

April 6, 2022 - Presented to: Assembly Committee on Communications and Conveyance


Post

The 2022-23 Budget: Analysis of the Care Economy Workforce Development Package

March 10, 2022 - This post analyzes the Governor’s proposed Care Economy Workforce Development Package. We provide an assessment and recommendations for both the package as a whole and for two specific components of the package.


Handout

Initial Analysis and Key Questions: Racial Disproportionalities and Disparities in California’s Child Welfare System

March 9, 2022 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 On Health and Human Services


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The 2022-23 Budget: CalHR California Leads Proposal

February 28, 2022 - In this post, we analyze the Governor’s proposal to provide resources to the Department of Human Resources (CalHR) to implement specific proposals recommended by a taskforce established by the Governor aimed at finding ways to make the state a better employer. In addition, the proposal would seek to improve statewide data on the workforce to inform a statewide diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy. We recommend that the Legislature approve the proposal and encourage the Legislature to exercise legislative oversight of the process to ensure that the administration’s policies meet legislative objectives and priorities.


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The 2022-23 Budget: Analysis of Child Welfare Proposals and Program Implementation Updates

February 22, 2022 - California’s children and family programs include an array of services to protect children from abuse and neglect and to keep families safely together when possible. This analysis: (1) provides program background; (2) outlines the Governor’s proposed 2022-23 budget for children and family programs, including child welfare services and foster care programs; (3) provides implementation updates on a number of programs that were funded in 2021-22; and (4) raises questions and issues for the Legislature to consider as it evaluates the budget proposal.


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The 2022-23 Budget: California Department of Technology

February 22, 2022 - This post provides background on the California Department of Technology's cost recovery model and rate development process for IT services, evaluates related Governor's budget proposals and available information on a proposed rate re-evaluation process, and offers our recommendations to the Legislature.


Report

The 2022-23 Budget: Analysis of Child Support Program Proposals

February 18, 2022 - This brief describes the Governor's 2022-23 budget proposals for the child support program and provides comments and recommendations to the Legislature.


Handout

Overview of the Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative

February 16, 2022 - Assembly Committee on Communications and Conveyance


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The 2022-23 Budget: California Food Assistance Program

February 11, 2022 - In this post, we analyze the Governor’s proposal to provide food assistance to currently ineligible immigrants aged 55 and older. First, we provide some essential background on California’s food assistance programs, then we describe the Governor’s proposed expansion, and finally provide an analysis of the proposal as well as issues for legislative consideration.


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The 2022-23 Budget: Analysis of the Governor’s CalWORKs Proposals

February 11, 2022 - In this post, we provide some basic background on the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, an update on recent program changes and caseload trends, and an overview of the Governor’s CalWORKs budget proposals.


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The 2022-23 Budget: Update on Home- and Community- Based Services Spending Plan

February 10, 2022 - This post provides an update on the state's home- and community-based services spending plan, which was conditionally approved by the federal government in January 2022. We describe the quarterly updates the state will need to provide the federal government and ways to ensure legislative oversight over implementation of HCBS spending plan.


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The 2022-23 Budget: Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) Program

February 2, 2022 - This post summarizes the Governor’s budget assumptions and proposals related to the Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) program, including the Governor’s intent to increase SSP grants in 2023-24. The post also summarizes other SSI/SSP goals the Legislature could pursue relative to the intended 2023-24 SSP grant increase.


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The 2022-23 Budget: In-Home Supportive Services

February 2, 2022 - This post describes the Governor’s budget assumptions and proposals related to the In-Home Supportive Services program and offers relevant issues for Legislative consideration.

Update (2/7/22): Time requirement for incentive payment to IHSS providers in the state’s HCBS spending plan has been updated.


Report

The 2022-23 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

January 13, 2022 - On January 10, 2022, Governor Newsom presented his proposed state budget to the Legislature. In this report, we provide a brief summary of the proposed budget based on our initial review. In the coming weeks, we will analyze the plan in more detail and release several additional budget analyses.

Update (1/21/22): Includes a corrected estimate of Governor’s Budget proposals that are excludable under the State Appropriations Limit (SAL).


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The 2021-22 Spending Plan: Human Services

November 22, 2021 - The 2021‑22 spending plan provides just over $23 billion from the General Fund for human services programs. This is an increase of over $6 billion, or 37 percent, compared to the revised prior-year spending level. This significant increase is primarily the result of higher spending in several different departments and programs.