State 988 system.

Existing federal law, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020, designates the 3-digit telephone number "988" as the universal number within the United States for the purpose of the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system operating through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Existing law, the Miles Hall Lifeline and Suicide Prevention Act, requires, among other things, the California Health and Human Services Agency (agency) to create, no later than December 31, 2024, a set of recommendations to support a 5-year implementation plan for a comprehensive 988 system. Existing law requires the agency to convene a state 988 advisory group for purposes of advising the agency on the set of recommendations and requires the recommendations to include specified information. Existing law requires the advisory group to meet at least once per quarter until December 31, 2024. Existing law authorizes the agency to disband the advisory group on or after January 1, 2025. Existing law requires the agency, until December 31, 2029, to post regular updates, no less than annually, regarding the implementation of 988 on its public internet website. This bill would require the advisory group to meet at least once per quarter until December 31, 2029. The bill would authorize the agency to disband or reconvene the advisory group on or after January 1, 2030. The bill would require the above-described regular updates to include, among other things, the progress toward statewide interoperability between 988 and 911. The bill would require the agency to have the primary responsibility for statewide governance and implementation of the 988 system. The bill would require the agency to maintain a 988 System Governance Board to provide cross-agency coordination and oversight related to implementation of the 988 system, as specified. The bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services to be responsible for oversight of 988 center operations, am