BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 766
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Date of Hearing: May 27, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
766 (Ridley-Thomas) - As Amended April 27, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill requires the Department of Public Health (DPH) to give
preference to schools with a high percentage of children and
youth who receive free or low-cost health coverage through
Medi-Cal or Covered California when developing a request for
AB 766
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proposal (RFP) for grant funding for Public School Health Center
Support Programs
FISCAL EFFECT:
Negligible state fiscal effect. This grant program is currently
not funded.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, children from lower
socioeconomic backgrounds have poorer health outcomes. These
health disparities are due, in part, to barriers in accessing
medical care and using primary care services. Recent
expansions in insurance coverage have improved access to
health care for this population. Yet, even with the expansion
of health insurance, children from low-income households are
not guaranteed access to health care services. The author
concludes that SBHCs provide a health care delivery model that
can help to address some of the barriers to health care
services that insured children from low-income households
face.
2)Related Legislation. SB 118 (Liu) renames the Public School
Health Center Support Program the School-Based Health and
Education Partnership Program and makes changes to the
requirements and funding levels. Creates a new type of grant
to fund interventions related to obesity, asthma, alcohol and
substance abuse, and mental health. SB 118 is pending a
hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
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3)Support. Health advocacy groups, including the California Pan
Ethnic Health Network and the California Black Health Network,
support this bill, stating it will provide health care to
California's most vulnerable students.
4)Opposition. The California Right to Life Committee (CRLC)
states in opposition that CRLC must continue to oppose any
publicly funded program which advocates and promotes abortions
and related services.
Analysis Prepared by:Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916)
319-2081