BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 877
Page 1
Date of Hearing: August 3, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
SB 877
(Pan) - As Amended June 29, 2016
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|Policy |Health |Vote:|16 - 0 |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable:
Yes
SUMMARY:
This bill requires the California Department of Public Health
(CDPH) to establish and maintain an electronic system for
tracking and reporting on violent deaths, to the extent that
funding is appropriated by the Legislature or available through
private funds in each fiscal year.
It also authorizes CDPH to apply for grants provided under the
National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), and to accept
private or foundation moneys to implement this section.
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FISCAL EFFECT:
CDPH received a tentative award of funding on July 13, 2016,
through Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in
order to resume participation in the NVDRS. The actual funding
amount is not able to be released until the award is official.
Assuming funds are appropriated or available through private
sources:
1)Ongoing costs of $460,000 per year for staff to oversee
contracts with counties and law enforcement organizations,
analyze data, and prepare reports (GF or potentially
federal/private funds, if available).
2)Ongoing costs of $300,000 for payments to counties and law
enforcement agencies to reimburse counties and law enforcement
agencies who would provide information to DPH for entry into
the tracking system (GF or potentially federal/private funds,
if available). Previously, CDPH provided reimbursement to
local government agencies to reimburse them for the time
needed to provide information to CDPH.
3)CDPH has an existing database that was used for such
reporting. However, to the extent reinstating the program
requires any upgrade, expansion, or ongoing maintenance of the
California Electronic Violent Death Reporting System
(Cal-EVDRS),there could be unknown, likely minor information
technology costs (GF or potentially federal/private funds, if
available).
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COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, violence is a threat to
public health and proper data could be used to prevent violent
deaths. In 1975 a national database tracking detailed
information on car deaths in the nation helped decrease and
prevent car fatalities. This bill intends to do the same thing
with other types of fatal incidents. The author notes
re-creating a California database allows for research on how
to best prevent violent deaths, and that we cannot prevent
violent deaths if we do not understand what is driving them.
2)Background. The National Violent Death Reporting System
(NVDRS) is a federal database in which states participate on a
voluntary basis. NVDRS is a population-based active
surveillance system that provides a complete census of violent
deaths that occur in U.S. states where funding has been
provided. It combines data from multiple sources, including
medical examiners, coroners, law enforcement, crime labs, and
death certificates.
From 2005 to 2008, California was one of 17 states funded to
participate in the national system. During these years, the
state collected data from certain cities and counties that
represented about half of the state's violent deaths.
Eventually, difficulty and expense of meeting the terms
required by NVDRS led to California's inability to reapply for
federal funding, and California's participation ended in 2008.
Some states are still federally funded to participate in the
database, and operate under a cooperative agreement with CDC
to whom all violent deaths are voluntarily reported. In 2014,
CDC expanded the system to a total of 32 states. The goal is
to eventually expand it nationwide.
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3)Related Budget Action. The 2016 State Budget includes $5
million for the creation of a research center on firearm
violence at the University of California.
Analysis Prepared by:Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916)
319-2081