Advocacy Alert: California Senate Alert: Oppose AB 2473

August 25, 2022

via CCAPP

After months of earnest negotiations, the sponsors of AB 2473 have declined to accept amendments that would keep it from crashing the SUD workforce!

The bill would do the following:

• Require registrants to complete 80 hours of core education toward certification within the first six months of employment (six-month employment cliff).
• With processing times (six weeks), registrants would need to complete the equivalent of two three-unit college courses or vocational school in 4.5 months (unfair to students, faculty, and curriculum developers).
• Removes hardships for registrants who are unable to meet the requirements.
• Provides NO funding for registrants to pay for coursework.
• Increases registrant fees due to double processing (at six months and again at one year).
• Provides NO ability for DHCS or counties to suspend requirements if there are workforce shortages.
• Would be the only law that makes behavioral health workers unemployed for failing to move up a career ladder.

Contrary to the sponsor's recent statements, the bill does not provide for pay increases for these minimum wage workers. With programs reporting vacancies for registrants for more than six months, and wage competition from Amazon and Target, we will assuredly see a further deterioration in the ability to recruit and retain registrants (1/2 of the workforce) if this bill were to pass.

CCAPP is asking all agencies, providers, and facilities to send their logo to CCAPP to be placed on a floor alert to be sent to the Senate Floor.

To be added to the floor alert, please send your logo to communications@ccapp.us and they will add it.

Learn more here.

Questions? Concerns?

As always, we want your input. What topics would you like to see us cover in future Advocacy Alerts? If you are a representative of a state association and have something for us to consider for an Advocacy Alert, let us know!

Did you know BHAP members get regular access to our advocate in Washington, DC? If you have any questions about BHAP's advocacy efforts, please contact us.