BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 540
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Date of Hearing: May 15, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 540 (Pan) - As Amended: April 29, 2013
Policy Committee: HealthVote:13-5
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Department of Public Health (DPH) to
establish and maintain the California Electronic Violent Death
Reporting System (Cal-EVDRS). Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires DPH to collect data on violent deaths, as specified,
and prohibits this bill from being construed to limit data
sources, which may include any public agency document with
data on violent deaths.
2)For implementation purposes, requires DPH to apply for grants
under the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) National Violent
Death Reporting System (NVDRS) and permits DPH to accept
private or foundation moneys.
FISCAL EFFECT
Costs to DPH to maintain Cal-EVDRS of approximately $275,000 for
FY 2013-14 and $469,000 for FY 2014-15. Costs including
necessary staffing, operating expenses, and contracting costs to
obtain data. The contracting costs are estimated at an average
of $25 per record, though actual costs may vary depending on
whether a record is copied and sent to DPH or is entered by the
source.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . This bill codifies and expands the current
Cal-EVDRS and requires DPH to collect data on violent deaths.
Recently, President Obama's Fiscal Year 2014 budget included
$20 million for the expansion of CDC's NVDRS. By requiring
DPH to apply for NVDRS grants, this bill allows California to
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participate in the system and get data on the magnitude,
trends, and characteristics of violent deaths. Data on
violent deaths would assist policy makers and communities in
determining appropriate prevention and education efforts.
This bill is co-sponsored by the American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO and the Union of
American Physicians and Dentists.
2)Background . Violence is a significant public health problem.
Each year, about 50,000 lives end in the United States because
of homicide or suicide. For fatal and nonfatal injuries due
to violence, billions of dollars are spent on medical care and
there is a cost of more than $60 billion from lost
productivity. NVDRS was established in 2002 as a surveillance
system that pulls together data on violent deaths. NVDRS
collects information from death certificates, coroner or
medical examiner reports, police reports, and crime
laboratories. The ultimate goal is to provide communities
with a clearer understanding of violent deaths so these deaths
can be prevented. In 2008, Congress appropriated more than
$3.2 million for CDC to continue funding NVDRS in 17 states.
California is not among the currently participating states.
3)Reporting and Tracking of Violent Deaths in California .
California participated in NVDRS from 2005-2008 and collected
data from the City of Oakland, City and County of San
Francisco, and Santa Clara County. The program expanded in
2006-2007 to include the counties of Los Angeles, Riverside,
Alameda, and Shasta. During these years, DPH contracted with
county health departments to collect data on violent deaths
from four data sources - death certificates, coroner/medical
examiner records, police reports, and crime laboratory
records.
Unfortunately, due to its size, decentralized government,
privacy concerns, and lack of resources among law enforcement
agencies, California was unable to obtain law enforcement
records required by NVDRS and could not reapply for federal
funding. As a result, DPH developed Cal-EVDRS, and with the
creation of the Electronic Death Registration System in 2005,
which allowed counties to file death certificates online
instead of mailing paper forms, DPH was able to capture
information from coroners on violent death. As of 2010, 14
counties are contributing data to the system. The California
Wellness Foundation currently funds the program but this
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funding will soon expire.
Analysis Prepared by : Debra Roth / APPR. / (916) 319-2081