Existing law, the State Civil Service Act, regulates employment with the state and vests in the Department of Human Resources all powers, duties, and authority necessary to operate the state civil service system. Existing law permits the use of personal services contracts for purposes of cost savings when specified conditions are met, including when the potential economic advantage of contracting is not outweighed by the public’s interest in having a particular function performed directly by the state government.

Existing law establishes the State Department of State Hospitals within the California Health and Human Services Agency, and provides the department with jurisdiction over specified facilities for the care and treatment of persons with mental health disorders, including the Patton State Hospital.

This bill would require the State Department of State Hospitals to establish, by January 1, 2025, a physician registry for the Patton State Hospital to be composed of members of State Bargaining Unit 16, under a 3-year pilot program. The bill would require the department to conduct and post on its internet website a semiannual survey of managers and employees to determine the efficacy of the registry. By January 10, 2026, and each year thereafter for the duration of the pilot program, the bill would require the department to submit a report to the Legislature that includes a study of the effectiveness of the registry to determine if the registry compensation rates were successful in addressing the operational needs for flexible services at a lower cost than contract registries. The bill would make the implementation of its provisions contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or other statute, and would repeal its provisions on January 1, 2029.