BILL ANALYSIS
------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 543|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 543
Author: Ma (D)
Amended: 8/24/09 in Senate
Vote: 27 - Urgency
SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE : 10-1, 7/8/09
AYES: Alquist, Strickland, Cedillo, Cox, DeSaulnier, Leno,
Maldonado, Negrete McLeod, Pavley, Wolk
NOES: Aanestad
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 12-0, 8/17/09
AYES: Kehoe, Cox, Corbett, Denham, Hancock, Leno, Oropeza,
Price, Runner, Walters, Wolk, Yee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Wyland
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 78-0, 6/2/09 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Perinatal care: The Nurse-Family Partnership
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill authorizes the use of Nurse-Family
Partnership (NFP) Program grant moneys as a match for other
grants administered by the Department of Public Health
(DPH). This bill extends, from January 1, 2009 to January
1, 2014, the date on which the California Families and
Children Account ceases to exist, if it has insufficient
funds to implement the NFP Program.
ANALYSIS : Existing law establishes the NFP program to
CONTINUED
AB 543
Page
2
provide grants for voluntary nurse home visiting programs
for expectant first-time mothers, their children, and their
families, as specified. Existing law prohibits the use of
grant moneys to match other grants administered by the
State Department of Public Health.
This bill allows the use of Nurse-Family Partnership
program grant moneys as a match for other grants
administered by the department.
Existing law establishes the California Families and
Children Account in the State Treasury to accept private
donations to pay for the program. The account is
continuously appropriated to the department for this
purpose. Existing law only allows grants to be distributed
if the Director of Finance determines that there are
sufficient funds from private donations available in the
account. Additionally, under existing law, if there are
not sufficient funds on deposit in the account by January
1, 2009, the account shall cease to exist.
This bill permits the department to accept federal grants
for purposes of the program. This bill revises existing
law to require the program to be implemented if the
Director of the Department of Finance determines that at
least $500,000 is available in the account. If this
determination is not made by January 1, 2014, it would
require that the account cease to exist and funds in the
account immediately be distributed to each contributor and
the account must cease to exist.
Background
In a 2005 study of early childhood programs, the RAND
Institute reported that by the time a child in the NFP
Program had reached 15 years of age, the NFP Program cost
over $9,000, but provided societal benefits of about
$26,300 for a benefit-to-cost ratio of 2.88 to one.
A 1997 RAND Institute study also examined the benefits for
children and their families enrolled in the original NFP
Program in Elmira and found that the NFP Program:
1.Generated increased tax revenues from increased
AB 543
Page
3
employment and earnings;
2.Decreased welfare enrollment;
3.Reduced expenditures for education, health, and other
services; and,
4.Lowered criminal justice system costs from arrest,
adjudication, and incarceration.
The analysis indicated a net savings to government programs
of $18,611 per family in 1996 dollars, which was over four
times the cost of the program.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: Yes Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2009-10 2010-11
2011-12 Fund
NFP administration in at least $500
up to millions Private/
9 counties in grants
annually, if funding Special/
permits Federal*
*California Families and Children Account
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/24/09)
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees, AFL-CIO
California Commission on the Status of Women
Child Abuse Prevention Center
County of San Diego
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California
Junior Leagues of California State Public Affairs Committee
OPPOSITION : (Verified 8/24/09)
Great Kids, Inc.
AB 543
Page
4
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : Fight Crime: Invest in Kids
California and the Child Abuse Prevention Center state that
programs like the NFP Program are proven to prevent child
abuse and neglect. Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California
adds that in light of the Obama Administration making
federal investments in the NFP Program a high budget
priority, extending the program and allowing the use of
federal funds is justified in order to create more
opportunities to provide the NFP Program to families in
need. The County of San Diego states that its NFP Program
is funded primarily by sales tax and vehicle license fees,
which are decreasing due to the current economic crisis and
contends that this bill would provide an opportunity for
the county to apply for new grant funding available for the
NFP Program from the federal government.
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : Great Kids, Inc. states that a
variety of evidence-based, effective home visitation
programs reduce child abuse and neglect, and all
evidence-based evaluated home visiting models should be
included. Great Kids, Inc. contends that a variety of
professionals can effectively provide home visiting
services to prevent child abuse and neglect, serve more
families with less money, help address nurse workforce
shortages, and ensure community fit.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Tom
Berryhill, Blakeslee, Blumenfield, Brownley, Buchanan,
Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Chesbro, Conway,
Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, DeVore, Duvall,
Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes,
Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick, Gilmore,
Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huber,
Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu, Logue,
Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava,
Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel
Perez, Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva,
Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson,
Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines, Yamada, Bass
NO VOTE RECORDED: Bill Berryhill, Block
AB 543
Page
5
CTW:RJG:nl 8/24/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
**** END ****