BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2317
Page 1
GOVERNOR'S VETO
AB 2317 (Koretz)
As Amended May 26, 2006
2/3 vote
HEALTH 11-1 APPROPRIATIONS 14-4
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|Ayes:|Chan, Berg, Cohn, |Ayes:|Chu, Bass, Berg, |
| |Dymally, Frommer, Jones, | |Calderon, |
| |Lieu, Montanez, | |De La Torre, Karnette, |
| |Nakanishi, Negrete | |Klehs, Leno, Nakanishi, |
| |McLeod, | |Nation, Oropeza, |
| |Ridley-Thomas | |Ridley-Thomas, Saldana, |
| | | |Yee |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Strickland |Nays:|Sharon Runner, Emmerson, |
| | | |Haynes, Walters |
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|ASSEMBLY: |55-25|(May 31, 2006) |SENATE: |27-13|(August 17, |
| | | | | |2006) |
| | | | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires the Department of Health Services (DHS) to
conduct the Perinatal
Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD) Community Awareness Campaign
(Campaign), as specified. Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes a number of findings and declarations regarding 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 Campaign to:
a) Provide awareness, assistance, and information regarding
PMAD using television, print media, radio, Internet Web
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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; and,
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 private
contributions to fund the campaign and permits it to include a
survivor of PMAD and members from the California Medical
Association (CMA), the American College of Obstetrics and
Gynecology (ACOG), the California Psychiatric Association,
Postpartum Support International (PSI), the California
Hospital Association (CHA), the California Psychological
Association, the California Nurses Association (CNA), the
California Association for Nurse Practitioners (CANP), 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 Community Postpartum
Anxiety and Mood Disorders Awareness Campaign Fund, which is
created under this bill in the State Treasury. Continuously
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appropriates monies 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 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 : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, annual on-going cost pressure, likely in the hundreds
of thousands to millions of dollars annually, depending upon the
scope of the PMAD Campaign. This bill is operative only to the
extent nonstate funding is made available to fully support the
activities of the bill, so the amount of funding would depend
upon funds received.
COMMENTS : According to the author, no laws in California
currently exist in regards to postpartum depression information,
treatment or resources. Additionally, despite the high
statistics of occurrence, the state has not created a uniform
standard of care. There is a significant need for women and
families to be educated and made aware of the statistics and
symptoms related to PMAD as well as the treatment and support
options available. In raising the level of awareness, we can
reduce the stigma associated with PMAD, which prevents most
women from seeking adequate care.
PMAD affects childbearing women and takes many forms, including
depression, anxiety, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive
disorder, and psychosis. Postpartum depression, which differs
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from the "baby blues," affects approximately 10% of new mothers
and usually occurs within days of the delivery but could take
weeks to appear. Symptoms include sluggishness, fatigue or
exhaustion, feelings of hopelessness, appetite and/or sleep
disturbances, confusion, and lack of interest in the baby.
Postpartum depression can sometimes develop into psychosis
following a traumatic event and often characterized by
hallucinations and/or delusions. Estimates of the prevalence of
psychotic episodes are one to two in every 1,000 deliveries.
The medical community does not fully understand all factors
contributing to PMAD, but it is commonly thought that it is
caused by physiological factors, such as hormone levels, and can
be exacerbated by external risk factors such as marital
problems, sleep deprivation, and pre-existing mental illness.
Women who have a prior postpartum mood episode and those who
have a history of mood disorders outside of pregnancy are at
higher risk of having a PMAD with psychotic features.
GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE :
As crafted, the bill is technically flawed. It will
not result in an effective community awareness
campaign because it establishes program parameters and
a time frame that are not workable and lacks proper
funding.
I commend efforts of high profile spokespersons,
professional organizations and others who have done
important and productive work to bring attention to
this significant condition that afflicts so many new
mothers. To improve access to this information, I
have directed the CDHS to provide a link on their
website to credible national professional
organizations and to distribute materials developed by
these organizations in trainings and through specific
county Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health programs.
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Analysis Prepared by : Melanie Moreno / HEALTH / (916)
319-2097
FN: 0018052