BILL NUMBER: AB 2397INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Allen FEBRUARY 24, 2012 An act to add Section 4140 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to mental health. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2397, as introduced, Allen. Mental health: state hospitals: ancillary clinical staff-to-patient ratios. Existing law provides for state hospitals for the care, treatment, and education of mentally disordered persons. These hospitals are under the jurisdiction of the State Department of Mental Health, which is authorized by existing law to adopt regulations regarding the conduct and management of these facilities. This bill would require these state hospitals to have, at a minimum, an ancillary clinical staff-to-patient ratio of 1 to 25 for each applicable staff classification, based on the facility's licensed bed capacity with a specified shift relief factor. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 4140 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read: 4140. (a) A state hospital under the jurisdiction of the State Department of Mental Health shall have, at a minimum, an ancillary clinical staff-to-patient ratio of 1 to 25 for each applicable staff classification. (b) The ancillary clinical staff-to-patient ratios shall be based on the facility's licensed bed capacity with a shift relief factor of 0.2, as calculated by the State Department of Mental Health, to reflect absences, such as those due to illness, vacation, and training. (c) For the purposes of this section, ancillary clinical staff includes, but is not limited to, psychiatric, psychological, social worker, and rehabilitative staff.