BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session AB 1526 (Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care) - Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey: caregiver module ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: March 16, 2015 |Policy Vote: HEALTH 8 - 0 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: No | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: August 17, 2015 |Consultant: Brendan McCarthy | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: AB 1526 would require the Department of Public Health to include additional questions relating to caregiving in the annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. Fiscal Impact: Annual costs of $150,000 per year to expand the existing survey to include the optional caregiving module (General Fund). The Department of Public Health indicates that it costs $7,500 per additional question to expand the existing survey, including the costs to conduct phone interviews and compile responses. Background: Under current federal and state law, the Department of Public Health conducts telephone survey each year, entitled the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. This survey includes questions relating to health status and health-impacting behaviors such as smoking, diet, and exercise. The Department of Public Health includes standard health AB 1526 (Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care) Page 1 of ? questions developed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as 131 additional questions added by the Department relating to public health. In addition to the core questions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed optional modules, including an optional module on caregiving. Proposed Law: AB 1526 would require the Department of Public Health to include additional questions relating to caregiving in the annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. The bill would require the additional questions to be included each year from 2016 to 2021. Staff Comments: Currently, the response rate (which reflects completed surveys) is 39%. According to the Department, expanding the number of questions in the survey does reduce the response rate, as some respondents do not wish to complete the full survey. It is not known whether adding nine additional questions will have a significant impact on the current response rate. -- END --