California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 990


Introduced by Assembly Member Bonilla

February 26, 2015


An act to amend Section 138.6 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to public health.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 990, as introduced, Bonilla. Women’s health.

Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to develop a coordinated state strategy for addressing the health-related needs of women, including implementation of goals and objectives for women’s health. Existing law establishes the Office of Health Equity within the department to, among other things, communicate and disseminate information within the department and to other state departments to assist in developing strategies to improve the health and mental health status of specified persons, including women. Existing law requires the department to include prescribed information in any literature that it produces regarding breast cancer, including the factors that increase the risk that younger women will develop breast cancer. Existing law describes these risk factors as including, but not limited to, family history of the disease.

This bill would require any literature produced by the department to include the increased risk for breast cancer associated with obesity.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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SECTION 1.  

Section 138.6 of the Health and Safety Code is
2amended to read:

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138.6.  

(a) The State Department of Public Health shall include
4in any literature that it produces regarding breast cancer information
5that shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

6(1) Summarized information on risk factors for breast cancer
7in younger women, including, but not limited to, information on
8the increased risk associated with a family history of the diseasebegin insert,
9and increased risk associated with obesityend insert
.

10(2) Summarized information regarding detection alternatives
11to mammography that may be available and more effective for
12at-risk women between the ages of 25 and 40 years.

13(3) Information on Internet Web sites of relevant organizations,
14government agencies, and research institutions where information
15on mammography alternatives may be obtained.

16(b) The information required by subdivision (a) shall be
17produced consistent with the department’s protocols and procedures
18regarding the production and dissemination of information on
19breast cancer, including, but not limited to, the following factors:

20(1) Restrictions imposed by space limitation on materials
21currently produced and distributed by the department.

22(2) Future regular production and replacement schedules.

23(3) Translation standards governing the number of languages
24and literacy levels.

25(4) The nature, content, and purpose of the material into which
26this new information will be incorporated.

27(c) It is the intent of the Legislature that subdivisions (a) and
28(b) apply to information that is distributed by any branch of the
29department, including, but not limited to, the Cancer Detection
30Section and the Office of Health Equity.



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