BILL NUMBER: AB 673	ENROLLED
	BILL TEXT

	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 31, 2011
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  SEPTEMBER 6, 2011
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 1, 2011

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Members John A. Pérez and Lara

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2011

   An act to amend Section 152 of the Health and Safety Code,
relating to public health.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 673, John A. Pérez. Office of Multicultural Health: LGBT
communities.
   Existing law establishes the Office of Multicultural Health within
the State Department of Public Health. Existing law requires the
office to perform various duties on behalf of the State Department of
Public Health and the State Department of Health Care Services
relating to the state's racial and ethnic communities.
   This bill would require the office to also perform those duties
with respect to the state's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
communities.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 152 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to
read:
   152.  (a) The office shall do all of the following on behalf of
the State Department of Health Care Services and the State Department
of Public Health:
   (1) Perform strategic planning within these departments to develop
departmentwide plans for implementation of goals and objectives to
close the gaps in health status and access to care among the state's
diverse racial and ethnic communities and the lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender (LGBT) communities.
   (2) Conduct departmental policy analysis on specific issues
related to multicultural health.
   (3) Coordinate pilot projects and planning projects funded by the
state that are related to improving the effectiveness of services to
ethnic and racial communities and the LGBT communities.
   (4) Identify the unnecessary duplication of services and future
service needs.
   (5) Communicate and disseminate information and perform a liaison
function within the departments and to providers of health, social,
educational, and support services to racial and ethnic communities
and the LGBT communities. The office shall consult regularly with
representatives from diverse racial and ethnic communities and the
LGBT communities, including health providers, advocates, and
consumers.
   (6) Perform internal staff training, an internal assessment of
cultural competency, and training of health care professionals to
ensure more linguistically and culturally competent care.
   (7) Serve as a resource for ensuring that programs keep data and
information regarding ethnic and racial health statistics and
information based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender
expression, strategies and programs that address multicultural health
issues, including, but not limited to, infant mortality, cancer,
cardiovascular disease, diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), child and adult
immunization, asthma, unintentional and intentional injury, and
obesity, as well as issues that impact the health of racial and
ethnic communities and the LGBT communities, including substance
abuse, mental health, housing, teenage pregnancy, environmental
disparities, immigrant and migrant health, and health insurance and
delivery systems.
   (8) Encourage innovative responses by public and private entities
that are attempting to address multicultural health issues.
   (9) Provide technical assistance to counties, other public
entities, and private entities seeking to obtain funds for
initiatives in multicultural health, including identification of
funding sources and assistance with writing grants.
   (b) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the
office shall biennially prepare and submit a report to the
Legislature on the status of the activities required by this chapter.