Notwithstanding any other provision of state law, the department shall develop a proposal for consolidation of various programs affecting the health of mothers and children. The department, in developing the proposal, shall consult with the State Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Board, the California Conference of Local Health Officers, the California State Association of Counties, the Primary Care Clinic Advisory Committee, and other organizations interested in health services for women and children, as determined by the department, that shall assist it in identifying waivers of state and federal requirements that would be necessary to implement the proposal. The proposal shall consider administrative cost savings that may result from this consolidation. The department shall obtain waivers from state and federal requirements that the department determines are necessary to make the proposal viable. Any problem in obtaining the waivers shall be reported to the Legislature with the proposals. The department shall submit its proposal to the Legislature on or before January 1, 1984. Programs may include, but need not be limited to, the following:

(a)  California Children’s Services.

(b)  WIC—Special Supplemental Food.

(c)  Child Health and Disability Prevention.

(d)  California Immunization Assistance Program.

(e)  Children and Youth Project.

(f)  Dental Disease Prevention.

(g)  Rural Health.

(h)  Indian Health.

(i)  Pediatric Renal Failure Centers.

(j)  Prepaid Health Plans.

(k)  Family Planning.

( l)  Infant Medical Dispatch Centers Program.

(m)  Childhood Lead Program.

(n)  Tuberculosis Control Program.

(o)  Venereal Disease.

(p)  SSI Disabled Children’s Program.

(q)  Other maternal and child health programs, including, but not limited to, the following:

(1)  Sickle Cell.

(2)  Prenatal Testing.

(3)  Tay Sachs.

(4)  Huntington’s Disease.

(5)  Prenatal Access.

(6)  High Risk Followup.

(7)  O.B. Access.

(8)  Perinatal Health Clinics.

(9)  Primary Care Clinics.

(10)  Maternal and Child Health Grants.

Consolidation may include combining two or more specialized programs or the development of a single planning, evaluation, budgeting and reporting process for two or more programs that share a common target population. The department may submit more than one proposal for consolidation if two or more groupings of programs merit consolidation.

Each proposal shall be developed after a review by the department of consolidation efforts proposed or developed by the counties. In the design of the proposal, the department shall consider how state level plans may assist further development of these local efforts.

The department shall consult with the Department of Finance to develop a simplified budget and reporting format for programs that are recommended for consolidation.

The Department of Finance shall make modifications in the California Fiscal Information System as it deems necessary to accommodate the proposed program consolidation.

The office shall consult with the department with respect to the implementation of this section. The office shall incorporate recommendations for the consolidation of maternal, child, and adolescent health services in applicable policy plans adopted after January 1, 1983.

(Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1023, Sec. 301.1. Effective September 29, 1996.)