Portantino’s Autism Treatment Bill Passes Senate Health Committee
For Immediate Release: April 20, 2023
Contact: Lerna Shirinian, (818) 409-0400
Portantino’s Autism Treatment Bill Passes Senate Health Committee
Sacramento, California – Senate Bill 805, authored by Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Burbank), seeks to address a serious lapse in autism treatment. The current system of care for individuals with autism includes essentially one treatment option for parents seeking the best care for their children. This situation results in far too many families having to pay out of pocket for evidence-based care for a child in need. If passed and signed by the Governor, SB 805 will expand care options and better modernize workforce positions to provide better care. The bill took its first successful step this week by passing the Senate Health Committee.
“SB 805 provides treatment choices for families with autistic children,” stated Senator Portantino. “Early intervention and individualized care is key for successful autism treatment and that’s why we are once again trying to expand critical insurance coverage.”
In 2011, SB 946 directed insurance companies in California to provide behavioral health programs (BHTs) in a very narrow way and restricted access to BHT by naming qualified providers who used only one form of BHT. SB 805 corrects this limitation by including qualified providers who use all evidence-based forms of BHT.
SB 805 would expand the criteria for a qualified autism service professional to include a behavioral health professional and a registered, certified, or licensed health care associate or assistant. The bill directs the Department of Developmental Services to adopt emergency regulations to define the qualifications for two new categories of qualified professionals and paraprofessionals. These positions would then be available to provide any form of evidence-based BHT as long as they meet training and education qualifications.
"SB 805 will make a huge difference for autistic children,” said Dr. Diane Cullinane, a developmental pediatrician from Pasadena. “Finally, families will have a choice of the type of behavioral intervention for their child, instead of the current one-size fits all approach. Over the past several years, research has shown effectiveness for both developmental and behavioral approaches to autism treatment. Many families do not know that there are options, since insurance typically only covers one form of behavioral intervention. Children with autism are all unique and one form of treatment is not right for everyone. With the passage of SB 805, more types of services will be available so that individuals with autism can receive the form of treatment that is best for them."
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