BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2317|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2317
Author: Koretz (D), et al
Amended: 5/26/06 in Assembly
Vote: 21
SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE : 5-4, 6/21/06
AYES: Ortiz, Alquist, Chesbro, Figueroa, Kuehl
NOES: Runner, Aanestad, Cox, Maldonado
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 55-25, 5/31/06 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Postpartum mood and anxiety disorders
SOURCE : American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists,
District IX
California Psychiatric Association
DIGEST : This bill requires the Department of Health
Services to conduct the Perinatal Mood and Anxiety
Disorders Community Awareness Campaign, as specified.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1. Requires the Department of Health Services (DHS) to
maintain a program of maternal and child health,
CONTINUED
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including pregnancy testing, perinatal health care, and
nutrition.
2. Requires DHS to develop and provide information
regarding a variety of diseases and health care issues,
including gynecological cancers, breast cancer,
hepatitis C, Lyme disease, reproductive health,
children's health, drug overdose, HIV/AIDS, nutrition,
and oral health.
This bill:
1. Makes a number of findings and declarations regarding
Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD), the number
of women affected by it, and the lack of information,
screening, and treatment for the disorder.
2. Requires DHS to conduct the PMAD Community Awareness
Campaign (Campaign) to:
A. Provide awareness, assistance, and information
regarding PMAD using television, print media, radio,
Internet web sites, outdoor advertising, and other
media where appropriate, to disseminate information
to pregnant women and new mothers regarding the
availability of services and treatment for PMAD,
which may include medication, professional therapy
and counseling, support groups, and telephone crisis
hotlines.
B. Establish an Internet web site devoted to
providing information about the symptoms and
treatment of PMAD that is accessible to the general
public.
C. Undertake public education activities related to
PMAD, as appropriate.
3. Requires DHS to convene a work group to develop
recommendations on the most efficient and effective ways
to raise public awareness of the symptoms, warning
signs, and treatment of PMAD.
4. Requires the workgroup to be responsible for securing
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private contributions to fund the campaign and permits
it to include a survivor of PMAD and members from the
California Medical Association, the American College of
Obstetrics and Gynecology, the California Psychiatric
Association, Postpartum Support International, the
California Hospital Association, the California
Psychological Association, the California Nurses
Association, the California Association for Nurse
Practitioners, and the California Nurse Midwives
Association.
5. Permits DHS to use nonpublic sources of funding to
support the activities of the workgroup and to fund the
PMAD Campaign.
6. Requires the work group, by January 1, 2008, to prepare
and submit to DHS its recommendations relating to the
PMAD Campaign.
7. Requires voluntary contributions received for the
purposes of this bill to be deposited into the PMAD
Campaign Fund, which is created by this bill in the
State Treasury. Continuously appropriates from the fund
to DHS to implement this bill.
8. Requires this bill to be implemented only after the
Department of Finance (DOF) determines that nonstate
funds in an amount sufficient to fully support PMAD
Campaign activities have been deposited. Requires the
PMAD Campaign to continue to be implemented thereafter
only to the extent that DOF determines that sufficient
nonstate funds to fully support its activities have been
deposited for those purposes.
9. Requires DOF, if it determines that insufficient
voluntary contributions have been deposited by January
1, 2008, to notify either the Chief Clerk of the
Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate of this fact, in
which case, the PMAD Campaign remains in effect only
until January 1, 2008, and unless there is a later
enacted statute that deletes or extends that date, the
statute is repealed.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: Yes Fiscal Com.: Yes
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Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/9/06)
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,
District IX (co-source)
California Psychiatric Association (co-source)
California Psychological Association
California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
California Association for Nurse Practitioners
California Hospital Association
California Medical Association
California National Organization for Women
California Nurse Midwives Association
Mental Health Association in California
National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter
OPPOSITION : (Verified 8/9/06)
Citizens Commission on Human Rights, Los Angeles/Hollywood
Chapter
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District IX, writes that
the nature of PMAD makes it difficult for the patient to
recognize her situation and subsequently reach out for
help. Stigma still exists where a woman may not feel she's
a good mother if she suffers from this condition, and
education will help to erase that stigma. The California
Psychiatric Association asserts that this bill will ensure
that no woman needlessly suffers prolonged undetected bouts
of perinatal mood or anxiety disorders. The California
Association for Nurse Practitioners writes that they share
the author's commitment to women's health issues, including
the identification and treatment of postpartum mood and
anxiety disorders. The California Medical Association
believes the early diagnosis and treatment of mental
illness is cost-effective and can greatly benefit patients
and a statewide program to raise awareness about risk
factors, symptoms and screening tools as well as available
therapy and medication will enable both mothers and fathers
to better identify and respond to PMAD in their families.
The California Psychological Association states that this
bill will help create a healthy physical and mental
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environment for California's mothers, children, and
families. The California National Organization for Women
recognizes the devastating impact that PMAD disorders can
have on new mothers and their children and supports
programs that aim to increase awareness and provide
education around this important issue.
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : The Los Angeles/Hollywood
Chapter of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights writes
that there is no objective or scientific test for any
psychiatric illness, including postpartum depression, and
that there are many known physical causes for the symptoms
labeled by the psychiatric industry as postpartum
depression. The Commission contends that the biggest
beneficiary of this bill would be the psychiatric and
pharmaceutical industries, not mothers and children.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Arambula, Baca, Bass, Berg, Bermudez, Calderon,
Canciamilla, Chan, Chavez, Chu, Cohn, Coto, Daucher, De
La Torre, Dymally, Evans, Frommer, Garcia, Goldberg,
Hancock, Jerome Horton, Shirley Horton, Jones, Karnette,
Klehs, Koretz, Laird, Leno, Levine, Lieber, Lieu, Liu,
Matthews, Montanez, Mullin, Nakanishi, Nation, Nava,
Negrete McLeod, Oropeza, Parra, Pavley, Ridley-Thomas,
Ruskin, Saldana, Salinas, Spitzer, Torrico, Tran, Umberg,
Vargas, Wolk, Wyland, Yee, Nunez
NOES: Aghazarian, Benoit, Blakeslee, Bogh, Cogdill,
DeVore, Emmerson, Harman, Haynes, Houston, Huff, Keene,
La Malfa, La Suer, Leslie, Maze, McCarthy, Mountjoy,
Niello, Plescia, Richman, Sharon Runner, Strickland,
Villines, Walters
CTW:mel 8/9/06 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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