(a) The department shall seek any federal waivers it deems necessary to establish a demonstration or pilot project for the provision of peer support services in counties that agree to participate and provide the necessary nonfederal share funding for the demonstration or pilot project. The demonstration or pilot project shall do all of the following:

(1) Include a peer support specialist certified pursuant to this article as a Medi-Cal provider type for purposes of the demonstration or pilot project.

(2) Include peer support specialist services as a distinct service type in counties that opt in to the demonstration or pilot project.

(3) Develop and implement one or more billing codes, reimbursement rates, and claiming requirements for peer support specialist services.

(b) (1) This section does not require a county to participate in a demonstration or pilot project pursuant to this section. A county that opts to participate in a demonstration or pilot project and provide the necessary nonfederal share funding shall be considered to do so voluntarily for purposes of all state and federal laws.

(2) A county that opts to participate in a demonstration or pilot project pursuant to this section agrees to fund the nonfederal share of any applicable expenditures through certified public expenditures or intergovernmental transfers in accordance with Section 433.51 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Each participating county shall certify that the local funds it uses to fund the nonfederal share of expenditures pursuant to this section qualify for federal financial participation pursuant to applicable federal Medicaid laws and any terms of federal approval, in the form and manner as required by the department.

(3) Demonstration or pilot projects developed and implemented pursuant to this section shall not constitute a mandate of a new program or higher level of service that has an overall effect of increasing the costs mandated by the 2011 realignment legislation for the counties that opt in to a demonstration or pilot project.

(4) General Fund moneys shall not be used to fund the nonfederal share of any expenditures made pursuant to a demonstration or pilot project under this section.

(c) This section shall be implemented only if and to the extent that the department obtains any necessary federal approvals, and federal financial participation is available and is not otherwise jeopardized.

(Added by Stats. 2020, Ch. 150, Sec. 2. (SB 803) Effective January 1, 2021.)