BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1963
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 12, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 1963 (Nava) - As Amended: April 27, 2010
Policy Committee: Environmental
Safety and Toxic Materials Vote: 5-1
Health 12-5
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires medical professionals who conduct blood
testing of pesticide-handling professionals, as required by law,
to report test results to the Department of Pesticide Regulation
(DPR). Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires medical professionals who conduct blood testing of
pesticide-handling professionals, as required by law, to
report test results to DPR monthly and in an approved
electronic format, subject to a $200 fine for failure to
comply.
2)Requires the report to contain certain information, including:
the purpose of the test, the name of the person tested,
contact information of the health care provider or medical
supervisor who ordered the analysis, contact information of
the analyzing laboratory, the date the sample was collected
and the date it was reported, and contact information for the
person tested and his or her employer, if known and readily
available.
3)Requires the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
(OEHHA) to review the test results and authorizes the office
to consult with local health and agriculture officials.
4)Requires, by December 31, 2013, DPR and OEHHA, in consultation
with the Department of Public Health (DPH), to report to the
Legislature on the effectiveness of the medical supervision
program and the utility of laboratory-based reporting for
illness surveillance and prevention.
AB 1963
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FISCAL EFFECT
Both OEHHA and DPR report that the bill would result in
additional work to processes and evaluate additional data, and
to prepare the joint report. Both entities indicate, however,
that they expect the additional work to be manageable and
consistent with work they already perform and, therefore, the
new charge can be absorbed within existing resources.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . Proponents contend this bill will provide public
health officials information with which to assess the
effectiveness of the state's existing program for monitoring
and preventing pesticide exposure. These proponents note that
electronic data management should make reporting and analysis
of such data feasible and relatively easy.
2)Background . Several state agencies, in conjunction with local
partners, provide public health and occupational health and
safety measures addressed by this bill. DPR regulates
pesticide sales. OEHHA provides risk managers in state and
local agencies with relevant toxicological and medical
information. DPH provides leadership in the development of
laboratory measurements and information for assessment,
control, and prevention of indoor and outdoor air pollution
and human exposure to toxic chemicals.
California' cholinesterase (ChE) monitoring program was
established in 1974 to monitor farmworkers with the highest
exposure to pesticides that use organophosphates. The current
program requires specified workers with exposure to high
concentrations of organophosphate pesticides be tested
periodically. Results from these tests are not collected by a
central agency or in a standardized format, making tracking
and analysis on a statewide basis difficult.
3)Related Legislation . AB 1530 (Lieber, 2007) was substantially
similar to this bill and passed the Assembly 47-32. The bill
was held by Senate Appropriations.
AB 1963
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4)Supporters include the Health Officers Association of
California and many other public health, civil rights and
environmental organizations, who contend the state needs the
data this bill provides to assess the effectiveness of
existing programs to monitor and prevent pesticide poisoning.
5)Opponents include organizations and laboratories that conduct
the pesticide testing described in this bill. These opponents
contend it will be quite costly to complete the electronic
reporting required by this bill, despite a lack of evidence of
poisoning among professionals who handle pesticides.
Analysis Prepared by : Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081