Mary Hayashi - Career

Career

Hayashi, who was born in Gwangju, South Korea, is the first Korean-American woman elected to the California State Legislature. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in economics from the University of San Francisco, and an MBA from Golden Gate University.

Her primary legislative interest is health care, and she has been named Legislator of the Year by the California Medical Association. In 2011, she authored AB 25, which requires a school district to immediately remove an athlete from a school-sponsored athletic activity if he or she is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury. The bill was signed into law by Governor Brown. AB 25 prohibits the return of the student until he or she is evaluated by, and receives written clearance from, a licensed health care provider. In addition, the bill requires a concussion and head injury information sheet to be signed and returned by that athlete and their parent or guardian before the first practice or competition.

Hayashi is a recognized advocate for mental health issues. She is a commissioner on the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Committee, which oversees the implementation of the Mental Health Services Act. The Act, formerly Prop.63, was passed by the voters in 2004. The Act provides funding to counties for mental health services for the purpose of transforming the mental health system to better serve children, adults, and seniors in need. In addition, Hayashi authored AB 509, which catalyzed the creation of the Office of Suicide Prevention under the California Department of Mental Health. In 2009, the American Association of Suicidology presented her with their National Public Policy Award.

Also in 2009, Hayashi authored AB 235 to fix coverage problems in emergency mental health care. California law required health plans to cover an emergency relating to mental illness and emotional disturbances, but when a patient was transferred to a psychiatric unit, health plans saw this as going beyond the scope of emergency care. They would deny claims on the basis that no prior approval was obtained. Health care professionals, however, demonstrated that such inpatient admissions were still a part of the emergency care necessary to treat the medical condition. In order to address this problem and ensure the stabilization of a patient who is in a mental health crisis, Hayashi authored AB 235, which provided a definition for “psychiatric emergency medical condition.” By providing this definition, health care professionals can provide emergency mental health care until the patient is stable, including admission to a psychiatric unit at a general acute hospital or an acute psychiatric hospital. This definition also provides a clear guideline that will allow health plans to appropriately process claims for those services. This bill was signed and chaptered into law.

She serves as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Business, Professions and Consumer Protection. Hayashi also serves on the Committee on Health and the Committee on Insurance, and is a member of the Legislative Environmental Caucus and the California Legislative Women's Caucus. She is Vice Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus.

She is the author of a book, Far from Home: Shattering the Myth of the Model Minority.

Hayashi unsuccessfully ran for Alameda County Board of Supervisors seat 2 in 2012, coming in third, after Richard Valle and Union City Mayor Mark Green.