AB 540, as amended, Pan. Reporting and tracking of violent deaths.
Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health, which is responsible for various programs relating to the health and safety of people in the state, including licensing health facilities, regulating food and drug safety, and monitoring and preventing communicable and chronic diseases.
This bill would require the department to establish and maintain the California Electronic Violent Death Reporting System. The bill would further require the department to collect data on violent deaths, as specified, contract with county health departments to collect certain data, and apply for grants to implement these provisions. The bill would also make related legislative findings and declarations.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a) Information and data regarding violent deaths can help
4provide states and communities with a clearer understanding of
5violent deaths and therefore lead to better prevention of violent
6deaths.
7(b) According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and
8Prevention (CDC), in the United States, violence accounts for
9
approximately 51,000 deaths annually. Violent deaths result from
10the intentional use of physical force or power against oneself,
11another person, or a group or community, and include suicide,
12homicide, and legal intervention deaths. Violence adversely affects
13all Americans, not only through premature death, but also through
14medical costs and lost productivity.
15(c) The CDC further notes that the cost of these deaths totaled
16$47.2 billion: $47 billion in work loss costs and $215 million in
17medical treatment.
18(d) In 2002, the National Violent Death Reporting System
19(NVDRS) was established as a surveillance system that pulls
20together data on violent deaths. NVDRS collects information from
21death certificates, coroner or medical examiner reports, police
22reports, and crime
laboratories.
23(e) NVDRS data informs decisionmakers and program planners
24about the magnitude, trends, and characteristics of violent deaths
25in a particular state or community so appropriate prevention efforts
26can be identified and implemented, and the data facilitates the
27evaluation of state-based prevention programs and strategies.
28(f) According to NVDRS, a national system will allow the CDC
29to provide information for every state to inform their prevention
30efforts. It will also ensure enhanced information on the national
31scope of the problem of violent deaths is available to monitor and
32track trends and to inform national efforts.
Article 3 (commencing with Section 131230) is added
34to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 112 of the Health and Safety
35
Code, to read:
(a) The department shall establish and maintain the
4California Electronic Violent Death Reporting System.
5(b) The department shall collect data on violent deaths as
6reported from data sources, including, but not limited to, death
7certificates, law enforcement reports, and coroner or medical
8examiner reports.
9(c) The department shall contract with county health departments
10to collect the data specified in subdivision (b).
11(d) The department shall apply for grants provided under the
12National Violent Death Reporting Systembegin delete orend deletebegin insert
ofend insert the federal Centers
13for Disease Control and Prevention for purposes of implementing
14this section.
15(e) The department may accept private or foundation moneys
16to implement this section.
17(e)
end delete
18begin insert(f)end insert Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit data sources
19that the department is required to collect, which may include any
20public agency document that may contain data on violent
deaths.
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