BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    





                                                                  AB 503

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          GOVERNOR'S VETO
          AB 503 (Furutani)
          As Amended August 19, 2009
          2/3 vote

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          |ASSEMBLY:  |80-0 |(May 11, 2009)  |SENATE: |39-0 |(September 2,  |
          |           |     |                |        |     |2009)          |
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |78-0 |(September 8,   |        |     |               |
          |           |     |2009)           |        |     |               |
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          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

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           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

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               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 



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