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Committee clears AB 96 to let people with lived experience become certified Medi‑Cal peer support specialists
Summary
AB 96 would remove the high‑school‑diploma or equivalent requirement for certification as a Medi‑Cal peer support specialist. Supporters said the change would expand the peer workforce by allowing people with lived experience to become certified after required training; the committee passed the bill and referred it to Appropriations.
Assemblymember Jackson presented AB 96 to the Senate Health Committee and said the bill would remove the high school diploma or equivalent requirement to become a certified Medi‑Cal peer support specialist. Supporters and cosponsors told the committee that peer support is an evidence‑based practice that depends on lived experience and that the diploma requirement excludes otherwise qualified candidates.
Don Morrison (S6), peer services program manager for Youth Change and a certified peer support specialist, said peer support uses lived experience to model recovery and connect with clients. He described programs in Sutter‑Yuba County and said the 80‑hour training and recertification process ensure standards are met. "Given our commitment to serving individuals where they are, I believe a high school diploma or equivalency should not be a prerequisite for certification as a peer support worker," Morrison told the committee.
Amra Sheed (S19) of the County Behavioral Health Directors Association noted the AB 96 cosponsors and described the SAMHSA‑aligned core competencies underpinning the training: an 80‑hour initial training plus a 20‑hour biennial recertification requirement that covers documentation, digital literacy, cultural competency and other core topics.
Several counties and advocacy organizations registered support; one organization (CCAP) registered opposition but did not offer extended testimony. After committee questions clarified that the bill does not alter the certified training curriculum and that certification requires documented training and testing, the committee moved AB 96 and voted unanimously to pass the measure as amended and refer it to the Committee on Appropriations.
The chair placed AB 96 on call for final processing.
