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Panel advances bill letting some California cities share homeless-response data across teams
Summary
The Assembly Human Services subcommittee advanced SB 479 to let specified city local health jurisdictions operate multidisciplinary homeless‑response teams and share limited client information among housing, behavioral‑health and service staff; sponsors said the change closes a gap that currently limits city teams compared with counties.
Sen. Arguin urged lawmakers to approve SB 479, saying it would let three city local health jurisdictions and Oakland (at the city's discretion) operate multidisciplinary teams and share specified information across departments to coordinate housing and care. He said the bill addresses a state law that currently allows only counties to share such information and has left city teams “working in silos.”
Scott Gilman, director of Berkeley Housing, Community Services, described city staff who go out to encampments “completely hamstrung” by confidentiality limits. "Current law puts people living outside encampments and caregivers in danger and is a disservice to the people struggling through homelessness," Gilman said.
Peter Radu, Berkeley neighborhood services manager, cited local data and argued that Berkeley’s unsheltered population has high rates of behavioral‑health needs and that better inter‑team information-sharing would improve placement outcomes. "There are many people in Berkeley right now that have an oar, but none of us can be certain that we're rowing the boat in the same direction," Radu said.
Witnesses from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the City of Pasadena and the National Association of Social Workers, California chapter, expressed support. No witnesses in opposition appeared in the hearing room. The author said his office has met with privacy advocates and discussed possible narrow amendments. The chair recommended the committee record an aye recommendation and, once quorum was established, the committee passed SB 479 to the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee.
The measure would amend state rules that authorize counties, but not city local health jurisdictions, to share specified information among housing, behavioral health and service teams. Supporters said the change is modest but necessary to allow city teams to deliver coordinated, wraparound services; opponents (privacy advocates) were noted but no formal opposition testimony was offered during the hearing.
The committee recorded final passage out of the Human Services Committee by roll call and sent the bill to the Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee for further consideration.
