BILL ANALYSIS Ó
Bill No: AB
1088
SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Senator Roderick D. Wright, Chair
2011-2012 Regular Session
Staff Analysis
AB 1088 Author: Eng
As Amended: June 21, 2011
Hearing Date: June 28, 2011
Consultant: Art Terzakis
SUBJECT
State Agencies: collection of demographic data
DESCRIPTION
AB 1088 requires certain state agencies to collect and
tabulate data for additional major Asian groups, as listed,
in order to better reflect the diversity of Asian American,
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in
California. Specifically, this measure:
1. Makes various legislative findings and declarations
relative to the fact that Asians and Pacific
Islanders, an extremely diverse group, represent
approximately 15.5% of the state's population and that
demographic data should be revised on a regular basis
and made accessible to the public so that local
governments, elected officials, decision makers and
other stakeholders can use the information to
strategically target programs for those in need.
2. Requires the Department of Health Care Services
(DHCS), the Department of Public Health (DPH), the
Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), and the
Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), in
the course of collecting demographic data directly or
by contract as to the ancestry or ethnic origin of
California residents, to collect and tabulate data for
additional major Asian groups, including, but not
limited to, Bangladeshi, Hmong, Indonesian, Malaysian,
Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Taiwanese, and Thai, and
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additional major Native Hawaiian and other Pacific
Islander groups, including, but not limited to Fijian
and Tongan.
3. Requires DHCS, DPH, DIR, and DFEH to make any data
collected pursuant to this measure, publicly
available, except for personal identifying
information, which shall be deemed confidential, by
posting the data on the Internet Web site of the
agency by July 1, 2012, and annually thereafter.
4. Requires DHCS, DPH, DIR, and DFEH to update their
data collection to reflect the additional Asian,
Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander groups as they
are reported by the United States Census Bureau within
18 months after the decennial U.S. Census for the year
2020 is released to the public.
5. Revises and recasts existing major Asian group
categories for purposes of collecting demographic data
and adds a new provision that stipulates the data
collected by state agencies, boards, and commissions
pursuant to the different collection categories must
be included in every demographic report on ancestry or
ethnic origins of Californians published or released
on or after 7/1/2012.
EXISTING LAW
Existing law requires state agencies, boards, and
commissions which directly or by contract collect
demographic data as to the ancestry or ethnic origin of
Californians to use separate collection categories and
tabulations for each major Asian and Pacific Islander
group, including, but not limited to, Chinese, Japanese,
Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, Asian Indian, Hawaiian,
Guamanian, Samoan, Laotian, and Cambodian.
BACKGROUND
Purpose of AB 1088: The author's office notes that
currently the law requires state agencies that collect
demographic data on the ethnic origin of Californians to
disaggregate that information for each Asian Pacific
Islander (API) group, including, but not limited to,
Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, Asian
Indian, Hawaiian, Guamanian, Samoan, Laotian, and
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Cambodian. The author's office points out that this
measure would require state agencies to collect demographic
data for additional API ethnic groups, including, but not
limited to, Bangladeshi, Fijian, Hmong, Indonesian,
Malaysian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Taiwanese, Thai, and
Tongan.
Proponents of this measure state that the API community is
extremely diverse and its different ethnicities face their
own unique challenges in areas such as education, language,
employment, health, and incarceration. Proponents believe
that disaggregation of demographics data for these diverse
API ethnicities would enable state agencies and social
service providers to analyze who is and is not benefitting
from the vast array of services provided by the state.
Utilizing this disaggregated data to develop targeted
programs for underserved populations would reduce future
costs to the state by providing these populations with
assistance and access to government programs before
conditions arise to impact whole regions across the state.
Proponents cite the fact that Asian American, Native
Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities are not
a homogenous group, but instead encompass a great variety
of social and economic conditions. While overall data may
show that AANHPI are doing better than average on certain
social indicators, data that is separated out by ethnic
group clearly shows that certain communities, especially
among Pacific Islander and Southeast Asian ethnic groups,
have some of the greatest needs, including some of the
highest poverty rates and lowest educational attainment
rates in California. Laotians, Cambodians, and Hmong, for
example, have some of the highest poverty rates of all
ethnic groups.
Similarly, AANHPI overall have a low mortality rate from
homicides, but particular ethnic groups, including
Cambodians and Vietnamese, have rates that are two to four
times greater than average. In the health care arena,
specific AANHPI ethnic groups are more likely to face
certain conditions, a fact that is masked when looking only
at overall data for all AANHPI. For example, Vietnamese,
Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, experience
frequent mental distress at higher rates than other AANHPI
groups, yet the Vietnamese represent the highest proportion
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of insured Californians who are without mental health
coverage.
Proponents claim that AANHPI make up 15.5% of the state's
population and continue to grow. From 1990 to 2000, the
combined AANHPI population grew by as much as 52%. AANHPIs
are now the second largest major racial or ethnic group in
four counties and the majority of the population in eight
cities across California.
PRIOR/RELATED LEGISLATION
AB 1737 (Eng) 2009-10 Session. Would have required certain
state agencies to use additional separate collection
categories and tabulations for major Asian, Native
Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander groups. (Held on Suspense
in Assembly Appropriations)
SB 26 (Simitian) 2007-08 Session. Would have enacted the
"Ethnic Heritage Respect and Recognition Act of 2007"
modeled after the Clinton Administration's "Standards for
Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on
Race and Ethnicity." It required any state entity that
collects demographic data on the ancestry, ethnic origin,
ethnicity, or race of Californians to provide forms that
offer respondents the option of selecting one or more
ethnic or racial designations. (Held in Assembly
Appropriations)
AB 295 (Lieu) of 2007-08 Session. Would have required
various state entities to report collected demographic data
according to each major API group and make that data
available to the public to the extent that disclosure did
not violate confidentiality. (Vetoed by the Governor on the
basis that existing law gives state agencies the
flexibility to expand upon current demographic categories
if necessary. The Governor encouraged the proponents to
work with individual agencies if they believe a
circumstance exists where expanding the number of ethnic
categories for the purposes of data collection is
warranted.).
SB 1615 (Simitian) of 2005-06 Session. Would have required
state entities that collect demographic data on the
ancestry, ethnic origin, ethnicity, or race of Californians
to provide forms that offer respondents the option of
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selecting one or more ethnic or racial designations. (Held
on Suspense in Senate Appropriations)
AB 2420 (Lieu) 2005-06 Session. Would have expanded from
11 to 23 the ancestry or ethnic origin
collection categories required to be collected by any state
agency, board, commission, California Community Colleges,
or the California State University. Also, would have
required the above entities to collect, tabulate, report,
and make available to the public data collected on the
groups. (Held in Senate Appropriations)
SB 301 (Alarcon) of 2003-04 Session. Would have created
the Commission on Latino/Latina Affairs consisting of 15
members. Also, provided that the duties of the commission
include advising the Governor, the Legislature, and state
agencies, departments, and commissions on issues relating
to the social and economic development, and the rights and
interests of Latino/Latina communities. (Vetoed by the
Governor on the basis that the Legislature and the
Administration can create commissions to advise them
without the need for legislation.)
AB 116 (Nakano) Chapter 716 of 2002. Created the
Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs
consisting of 13 members appointed, as specified. The
duties of the commission include advising the Governor, the
Legislature, and state agencies, departments and
commissions on issues relating to the social and economic
development, and the rights and interests of APIA
communities.
SUPPORT: As of June 24, 2011:
Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (co-sponsor)
Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) (co-sponsor)
Asian and Pacific Islanders California Action Network
(co-sponsor)
Advancement Project
American Cancer Society
American Lung Association
Asian & Pacific Islander Health Forum
Asian Alliance Law
Asian Americans for Community Involvement
Asian Business Association
Asian Law Caucus
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Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association
Asian Pacific Environment Network
Asian Pacific Islander Caucus for Public Health
Asian Pacific Islander School Board Members Association
Asian Pacific Liver Center
California Immigrant Policy Center
California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
Californians Together
Communities for Clean Ports
CSU Sacramento Polynesian Club
CSULB Pacific Islanders Association
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities
Filipino American Service Group Inc.
Guam Communities Network
Housing and Economic Rights Advocates
Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan
International Children Assistance Network
Japanese American Citizen's League
Kaleponi Advocates for Hawaiian Affairs
Korean Resource Center
Korea Town Immigrant Workers Alliance
Kutturan Chamoru Foundation
Mainland Council: Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs
Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund
Montebello Unified School District
National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance
Abuse
National Association of Social Workers - California Chapter
SUPPORT (continued)
One East Palo Alto Neighborhood Improvement Initiative
Pacific Asian Counseling Services
PAC BIZ
Pacific Clinics
Pacific Health
Pacific Islander Health Partnership
Pacific Links Foundation
Samoan Solutions
Search to Involve Pilipino Americans
SF Samoa and Samoa Parents in Action
Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Strategic Actions for a Just Economy
Tafesilafa'i Inc.
Taiwanese American Citizens League
Tau Omega Alpha - First Asian American Fraternity
Thai Community Development Center
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The Asian American Education Institute
The Samoan Community Development Center
The Second Samoan Congregation Church
The Sorority of Oceania
The Wage Justice Center
TOA Institute
TOFA (To'utupu'o e 'Otu Felenite Association) Inc
Tongan American Youth Foundation
Tongan Community Service Center
Urban Islanders
Vietnamese for Health Coalition
Youth of Samoa California (Tupulaga A Samoa Kalifonia)
OPPOSE: None on file as of June 24, 2011
FISCAL COMMITTEE: Senate Appropriations Committee
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