BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 959
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Date of Hearing: May 27, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
959 (Chiu) - As Amended March 26, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill would require the Departments of Health Care Services,
Public Health, Aging and Social Services to include the
collection of sexual orientation and gender identity data in the
course of their current demographic data collection efforts.
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Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires collected data to be reported to the Legislature
during the regular process of reporting demographic data.
2)Requires collected data to be reported to the public in
accordance with state and federal law, except for personal
identifying information, which shall be deemed confidential
and shall not be disclosed.
3)Requires the specified state departments to comply as soon as
possible, but no later than July 1, 2017.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Minor costs to four state agencies to update forms and
information collection procedures.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. This bill seeks to reduce health and well-being
disparities for LGBT communities by ensuring that sexual
orientation and gender identity data is collected on a
statewide basis by key government agencies that deal with
health and human services. According to the author, "Due to
the systematic exclusion of data collection of LGBT
communities, significant disparities in their health and
welfare have been prolonged compared to the broader community.
LGBT communities face disproportionately high rates of
poverty, suicide, homelessness, isolation, substance abuse,
and violence, and low rates of health insurance. Collecting
voluntary date on SOGI is a necessary first step to understand
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the extent to which LGBT communities are experiencing
disparities and whether government programs are effectively
reaching LBGT individuals in need of care and assistance."
2)Background. State government agencies routinely collect
demographic data on race, ethnicity, gender, and disability on
a wide variety of state forms and surveys. The purpose of
this data is to help better understand disparities in
underserved communities. Current law only requires any state
agency, board, or commission that directly, or by contract,
collects demographic data to separate the collection of this
data by major Asian groups. The law is silent on demographic
data collection based on sexual orientation or gender
identity.
3)Related Legislation. AB 532 (McCarty), pending on the Assembly
Floor, requires any state agency, board, or commission that
collects demographic data to provide the option of identifying
as multiracial and selecting one or more ethnic or racial
designations.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
AB 959
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