BILL ANALYSIS AB 503 Page 1 GOVERNOR'S VETO AB 503 (Furutani) As Amended August 19, 2009 2/3 vote ----------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: |80-0 |(May 11, 2009) |SENATE: |39-0 |(September 2, | | | | | | |2009) | ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: |78-0 |(September 8, | | | | | | |2009) | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Original Committee Reference: HEALTH SUMMARY : Extends to January 1, 2015, the sunset date of an advisory council which provides consultation to the Department of Public Health (DPH) Domestic Violence Program (DVP), and requires DPH and the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) to consider consolidation of their respective domestic violence (DV) programs. The Senate amendments : 1)Extend to January 1, 2015, the sunset date of the Domestic Violence Advisory Council (DVAC), which provides consultation to the DVP. 2)Require DPH to consult with Cal EMA to consider consolidation of their respective DV programs and to report conclusions to the Legislature by June 30, 2011. 3)Correct references to the DPH Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Division and to Cal EMA. 4)In order to address chaptering conflicts, add language to double-joint this bill with SB 273 (Corbett), which would make DV programs gender-neutral. AB 503 Page 2 AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill deleted the January 1, 2010 sunset on the DVAC. FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, unknown costs for the DVAC, but likely under $50,000 annually, and unknown but probably absorbable costs for reporting on consolidation. COMMENTS : The author states the DVAC helps the state allocate $20 million per year to 94 battered women's shelters. According to DPH, the DVP provides grants to 94 DV agencies that provide a variety of services, including but not limited to 24-hour crisis hotlines, business centers, emergency shelter, transitional housing, legal assistance with restraining orders and custody disputes, court and social advocacy, counseling, household establishment assistance, and community resource and referral services. The DVP also provides technical assistance and training to local agencies to serve all victims of DV. DVAC had at least three meetings or conference calls in 2008 and discussed grant administration, funding, and new program ideas for serving the underserved. GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE : California's fiscal crisis required tough choices in our state budget. One of the most difficult choices was to eliminate funding for the Department of Public Health's domestic violence program. Since that Department no longer receives funding for this program, extending the sunset date for the advisory committee is also unnecessary. I am, however, signing Senate Bill 273 to extend the advisory council to the California Emergency Management Agency because that program will continue to provide assistance to the victims of domestic violence. AB 503 Page 3 While I regret returning this bill without my signature, our fiscal situation compels the elimination of this statutory provision. Analysis Prepared by : Allegra Kim / HEALTH / (916) 319-2097 FN: 0003378