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Budget and Policy Post

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The 2021-22 Budget: Assessment of CalHEERS Dashboard

March 25, 2021 - Supplemental report language adopted by the Legislature in 2020-21 directed our office to provide an assessment of a new dashboard developed by the administration for Medi-Cal eligibility functionality issues in the California Healthcare Eligibility, Enrollment, and Retention System—an information technology system. This post provides our assessment of the dashboard and associated process changes, and identifies opportunities for legislative oversight going forward.


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Flexible Funding to California in the American Rescue Plan

March 23, 2021 - This post is our initial overview of the federal fiscal relief funding California is expected to receive from the American Rescue Plan.


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The 2021-22 Budget: CalAIM: New Directions for Services for Seniors and Persons With Disabilities

March 15, 2021 - The California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) proposal is a far-reaching set of reforms to expand, transform, and streamline Medi-Cal service delivery and financing. This post—the fourth in a series assessing different aspects of the Governor’s proposal—analyzes CalAIM proposals targeted at seniors and persons with disabilities, including new benefits and structural changes to how long-term services and supports (LTSS) are administered. (LTSS include, among other supports and services, institutional care in nursing homes and home- and community-based services such as home care and personal care services.)


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The 2021-22 Budget: CalAIM: Equity Considerations

March 12, 2021 - The California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) proposal is a set of reforms to expand, transform, and streamline Medi-Cal service delivery and financing. This post—the third in a series assessing different aspects of the Governor’s proposal—analyzes CalAIM’s potential to reduce health disparities, and therefore promote health equity.


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The 2021-22 Budget: Various CSU Proposals

March 9, 2021 - This post analyzes four of the Governor’s budget proposals for the California State University (CSU). Specifically, the post covers proposals relating to CSU Stanislaus’s off-campus center in Stockton, the Computing Talent Initiative based at CSU Monterey Bay, CSU’s ability to transfer funds among its accounts, and summer-term student financial aid.


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The 2021-22 Budget: University Capital Outlay

March 5, 2021 - In this post, we focus on university capital outlay projects. We first provide background on university capital financing and project review. We then review capital outlay proposals for the California State University (CSU) and the University of California (UC). Next, we raise some concerns with the previously authorized UC Merced medical school project and make an associated recommendation. We end the post by offering several other recommendations intended to strengthen legislative oversight of university projects.


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The 2021-22 Budget: California Institutes for Science and Innovation

March 2, 2021 - In this post, we describe the Governor’s proposal relating to the California Institutes for Science and Innovation (hereafter referred to as “the institutes”), which are administered by the University of California (UC). We first provide background on the institutes’ activities and budget. Next, we describe the Governor’s proposal. We then offer our assessment of the proposal and make an associated recommendation.


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The 2021-22 Budget: Public School Restrooms Feminine Hygiene Products Mandate

March 1, 2021 - The Commission on State Mandates recently found new requirements to offer feminine hygiene products in certain public school restrooms to be a reimbursable mandate. In this post, we provide background on state mandates and the recent decision, share our assessment, and provide an associated recommendation.


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The 2021-22 Budget: UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources

February 26, 2021 - In this post, we analyze the Governor’s proposals relating to base funding for the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) at the University of California (UC). We first provide background on ANR’s operations and budget. Next, we describe the Governor’s ANR proposals and the additional ANR funding included in the February early action package. We then offer our assessment of the proposals and make associated recommendations.


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The 2021-22 Budget: UC Programs in Medical Education

February 26, 2021 - This post analyzes the Governor's proposal to provide a General Fund augmentation to the University of California's Programs in Medical Education. These programs provide medical education focused on health equity and clinical experiences focused on underserved communities.


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The 2021-22 Budget: State Board of Equalization

February 23, 2021 - The Governor's proposed 2021-22 appropriation for the Board of Equalization (BOE) is $31.8 million, 30 percent higher than the amount spent in 2019-20. Due to vacancies, BOE spent just $24.5 million of its $31.3 million appropriation in 2019-20. This post discusses issues for the Legislature to consider as it decides how much to appropriate for BOE in the 2021-22 budget.


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The 2021-22 Budget: Hastings College of the Law

February 22, 2021 - This report analyzes the Governor's proposal to provide the Hastings College of the Law a General Fund base increase in 2021-22.


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The 2021-22 Budget: Behavioral Health: Community Care Demonstration Project

February 19, 2021 - This post analyzes the Governor’s proposal in the Department of State Hospitals to provide $233.2 million General Fund in 2021-22 and $136.4 million General Fund in 2022-23 and ongoing to establish a demonstration project—that would be optional for counties to participate in—in which responsibility for treating individuals found incompetent to stand trial and facing a felony charge would be realigned to participating counties.


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The 2021-22 Budget: Educator Workforce Proposals

February 19, 2021 - In this post, we analyze the Governor’s proposals to address teacher shortages, as well as his proposals to provide additional professional development for school staff. For each, we provide background, describe the Governor’s proposals, assess these proposals, and offer associated recommendations.


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The 2021-22 Budget: Behavioral Health: Continuum Infrastructure Funding Proposal

February 17, 2021 - This post analyzes the Governor’s proposal in the Department of Health Care Services to provide $750 million General Fund—on a one-time basis—in competitive grants to counties to acquire or renovate facilities for community behavioral health services.