BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 540
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 540 (Pan)
As Amended May 24, 2013
Majority vote
HEALTH 13-5 APPROPRIATIONS 12-0
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|Ayes:|Pan, Ammiano, Atkins, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra, |
| |Bonilla, Bonta, Chesbro, | |Bradford, |
| |Gomez, | |Ian Calderon, Campos, |
| |Roger Hern�ndez, | |Eggman, Gomez, Hall, |
| |Lowenthal, Mitchell, | |Ammiano, Pan, Quirk, |
| |Nazarian, V. Manuel | |Weber |
| |P�rez, Wieckowski | | |
| | | | |
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|Nays:|Maienschein, Mansoor, |
| |Nestande, Wagner, Wilk |
| | |
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SUMMARY : Authorizes the Department of Public Health (DPH) to
establish the California Electronic Violent Death Reporting
System (CalEVDRS) and allows DPH to collect data on violent
death, as specified. Specifically, this bill :
1)Authorizes DPH to establish and maintain CalEVDRS. Allows DPH
to do all of the following:
a) Collect data on violent deaths as reported from data
sources, including, but not limited to, death certificates,
law enforcement reports, and coroner or medical examiner
reports;
b) Contract with county health departments to collect data
specified in a) above;
c) Apply for grants provided under the National Violent
Death Reporting System (NVDRS) of the federal Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for purposes of
implementing this bill.
2)Allows DPH to accept private or foundation moneys to implement
AB 540
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this bill.
3)States that nothing in this bill is to be construed to limit
data sources from which DPH can collect, including any public
agency document that contains data on violent deaths.
4)States legislative findings and declarations on violent
deaths.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires the registration of each live birth, fetal death,
death, and marriage that occurs in the state.
2)Requires that deaths be registered with the local registrar of
births and deaths in the district in which the death was
officially pronounced or the body was found, within eight
calendar days after death and prior to any disposition of the
human remains.
3)Requires DPH, on or before January 1, 2005, to implement an
Internet-based electronic death registration system for the
creation, storage, and transfer of death registration
information.
4)Requires a physician and surgeon, physician assistant, funeral
director, or other person to immediately notify the coroner
when he or she has knowledge of a death that occurred or has
charge of a body in which death occurred under any of the
following circumstances: without medical assistance, during
the continued absence of the attending physician and surgeon,
where the attending physician and surgeon or the physician
assistant is unable to state the cause of death; where suicide
is suspected; following an injury or an accident; under
circumstances as to afford a reasonable ground to suspect that
the death was caused by the criminal act of another.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriation
Committee, if DPH establishes the program, there would be costs
of approximately $275,000 for fiscal year (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
AB 540
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copied and sent to DPH or is entered by the source.
COMMENTS : According to the author, violence is a significant
public health problem in the United States. According to the
CDC, each year more than 18,000 people are murdered and over
32,000 end their own lives. Hospital emergency departments
treat an average of 55 people for injuries every minute,
millions of dollars are spent on treatment, and millions more
are lost due to lost productivity. This bill codifies and
expands the current CalEVDRS 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,
and by requiring DPH to apply for grants awarded by the NVDRS
allows California to participate in this system and get data on
the magnitude, trends, and characteristics of violent deaths.
Data on violent deaths that would be collected by DPH would
assist policy makers and communities in determining appropriate
prevention and education efforts.
Analysis Prepared by : Rosielyn Pulmano / HEALTH / (916)
319-2097
FN: 0000806