AB 1219, as introduced, Baker. California Cancer Task Force.
Under existing law the State Department of Health Care Services is required to develop and maintain the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program to expand and ensure quality breast and cervical cancer treatment for low-income uninsured and underinsured individuals who are diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer, and is required to develop and implement a program to provide quality prostate cancer treatment for low-income and uninsured men. The State Department of Public Health is required to perform various public health functions, including providing for breast and cervical cancer screening services.
This bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services and the State Department of Public Health to convene a joint California Cancer Task Force to coordinate the agencies’ efforts to address the most prevalent forms of cancer in California with specific goals, as provided.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of
2the following:
3(a) The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study--3
4recruited over 300,000 adults across the United States to help better
5understand the genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that
6cause or prevent cancer.
7(b) In 2014, scientists estimated that in California more than
81,382,200 people would live with a history of cancer, nearly
9156,000 would be diagnosed with cancer, and more than 56,000
10would die of cancer.
11(c) From 1988 to 2010, cancer incidence rates in California
12declined by 9 percent.
13(d) Despite these improvements, it is estimated nearly one in
14two Californians born today will develop cancer at some point in
15their lives, and it is likely that one in five will die of the disease.
16(e) The exact reasons why one individual develops cancer, and
17another individual with very similar life experiences does not, are
18beyond scientific understanding. Just as there are many different
19types of cancers, there are many factors that contribute to an
20individual’s risk of developing cancer.
21(f) The goal of the American Cancer Society’s Cancer
22Prevention Study--3 is to better understand those factors that
23contribute to cancer.
Article 4 (commencing with Section 104210) is added
25to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 103 of the Health and Safety
26Code, to read:
27
The State Department of Health Care Services and
31the State Department of Public Health shall convene a joint
32California Cancer Task Force to coordinate the agencies’ efforts
33to address the most prevalent forms of cancer in California with
34all of the following specific goals:
35(a) Improving early diagnosis and proper case management of
36cancer within the Medi-Cal program and other publicly funded
37health care programs.
P3 1(b) Improving outreach and education efforts to ensure
2California physicians benefit from the latest methods for early
3diagnosis and treatment of the most prevalent forms of cancer in
4California.
5(c) Improving patient
awareness of the need for early diagnosis
6of, and available treatments for, the most prevalent forms of cancer
7in California.
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