BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Tom Torlakson, Chairman

                                           1472 (Leno)
          
          Hearing Date:  8/30/07          Amended: 8/20/07
          Consultant:  John Miller        Policy Vote: Health 7 - 4
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          ____
          BILL SUMMARY: AB 1472 creates the California Healthy Places Act  
          of 2008. The bill requires the Department of Public Health to  
          establish an interagency working group to identify and evaluate  
          existing environmental health factors and to make  
          recommendations for improvements.  
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          ____
                            Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions         2007-08      2008-09       2009-10     Fund
           Staffing/support       $ 200      $ 1,200     $ 1,200   GF  
          Local assistance       $ 0        $ 1,600     $ 1,600   GF  

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          ____

          STAFF COMMENTS:  SUSPENSE FILE

          AB 1472 would enact the California Healthy Places Act to develop  
          policies and practices which minimize unhealthy environmental  
          practices and optimize healthful environments. The intent of the  
          measure is to adapt environmental policy to the demands of  
          population growth and modern living. The bill requires the  
          Department of Public Health to form a working group which will  
          include various other state agencies, to identify and evaluate  
          evidence on best practices affecting environmental health. The  
          findings of the working group would be shared with local  
          governments and would form the basis for guidelines to local  
          governments for planning and development purposes by 2010.

          The department estimates that it will require eight full time  
          positions and specialist contracts totaling $1,800,000 in order  
          to implement the bill. The department estimated that it would  
          require two full time health educators and two full time  
          research scientists to staff the study. Much of the research is  
          already done, and a literature survey would eliminate the need  
          for several of these positions. The Committee has reduced their  










          estimates by $675,000. The department projects local assistance  
          costs at $1,600,000.