Politics & Government
Sacramento CA: AB 847 and AB 554 Clear Assembly Floor
San Bruno California Assemblyman Kevin Mullin has two of his bills move on to the Senate for consideration.
Speaker pro Tem Kevin Mullin Has Social Equity and Elections Bills Clear Assembly Floor
Mental Health Funding and Availability of Bilingual Poll Workers Should Increase
Find out what's happening in San Brunofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Sacramento – Today, two bills introduced by Assemblymember Kevin Mullin (D-San Mateo) cleared the Assembly floor and now move on to the Senate for consideration.
Find out what's happening in San Brunofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
AB 847 received unanimous support on the Assembly floor and directs the State Department of Health Care to develop a proposal for submission to the federal Secretary of Health and Human Services, allowing California to compete to become a designated state eligible for enhanced federal mental health funds. Federal law currently allows for eight states to be selected and California could receive approximately $2 Billion dollars in additional funding. These additional funds would significantly help California’s counties increase outpatient mental health, alcohol and drug services. Increased assistance would also be available to help those who are homeless due to untreated mental illness, get off the streets and out of hospitals and jails and into treatment.
“Mental health services are critical to the wellbeing of many Californians,” said Mullin. “If we can become a designated state, our ability to help those individuals who are often overlooked would improve significantly and we could offer them opportunities currently unavailable today.”
AB 554 received bipartisan support and allows students who are lawful permanent residents to serve as poll workers in California elections. Currently there is a critical shortage of poll workers who speak languages other than English and this bill provides elections officials the opportunity to draw from an expanded pool of bilingual poll workers.
“As we look at ways to encourage people to vote and become involved in the elections process, this bill is a great step forward,” stated Mullin. “Not only are we expanding our access to bilingual poll workers, we are providing high-school aged lawful permanent residents first-hand experience with American democracy; hopefully inspiring them to become naturalized voting citizens in the future.”
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Kevin Mullin represents the 22nd Assembly District and is the Speaker pro Tempore of the California State Assembly. He chairs the Select Committee on Biotechnology and serves on the following committees: Budget, Budget Subcommittee #4 on State Administration, Business and Professions, Elections and Redistricting, Housing and Community Development and Revenue and Taxation. The 22nd district includes the cities of Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, Foster City, Hillsborough, Millbrae, Pacifica, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Mateo, portions of South San Francisco and the San Mateo County Coastside communities of Montara and Moss Beach.
Susan
Susan Kennedy
Director of Communications
Office of Assemblymember, Kevin Mullin
916-309-2022 – Capitol Office
650-349-2200 – District Office
Photo Credit: San Bruno Patch Archives
Source Credit: California Assemblyman Kevin Mullin
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