Senate Bill No. 2406 would have required that every physician, physician assistant, dentist, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, podiatrist, optometrist, and nurse practitioner who provides direct medical services to patients must complete two hours of course work or training on cultural awareness and competency on or before July 1, 2020 and every registration period afterward. Cultural competency coursework must cover topics of minority issues including ethnic, religious, linguistic, sexual orientation and gender identity healthcare issues and their impact on minority health care.

Assembly Bill No. A 0866AB would have required that at least once every two years, a long-term care facility should ensure that each facility staff member, who works directly with residents, receives training on cultural competency. This training would have focused on patients who identify as LGBT and patients living with HIV. Facility staff required to receive training under this section would have received the training within six months of hire unless the staff member provided proof of having received comparable training within the prior two years that was determined to comply with this section.

Assembly Bill No. A 002267 would have required the commissioner of mental health to provide guidelines for required training and credentialing of peer support specialists, who would have been certified as having completed cultural competency training prior to working at a peer crisis diversion home.

Assembly Bill No. A 001182 would have required school psychologists to complete 60 graduate semester hours in psychology credits including a master’s degree, which will include mandatory coursework on the biological, social and cultural bases of development, for initial licensure.

Assembly Bill No. A 00271 would have required the commissioner of mental health to adopt rules and regulations for standardized training curriculum requirements for employees and volunteers providing mental health services to persons with developmental disabilities. Cultural competency training would have been required as part of the curriculum.