BILL ANALYSIS
ACR 29
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
ACR 29 (Jones)
As Amended July 2, 2009
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |78-0 |(April 13, |SENATE: |34-1 |(August 27, |
| | |2009) | | |2009) |
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Original Committee Reference: HEALTH
SUMMARY : Requests the California Health and Human Services
Agency (CHHSA) provide leadership to encourage departments
within the agency focus on preventing, reducing, and eliminating
health disparities among racial and ethnic population subgroups.
The Senate amendments :
1)Encourage the Legislature to consider the diverse health care
needs of various ethnic subgroups, including, but not limited
to, the multiple subgroups within the Asian Pacific Islander
population, to the extent possible.
2)Clarify the intent for CHHSA and it's departments to conduct
the work encouraged by this resolution within existing
resources.
EXISTING LAW establishes CHHSA, the state agency tasked with
administration and oversight of California's state and federal
programs for health care, social services, public assistance,
and rehabilitation through the following 12 departments:
Department of Aging; Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs;
Department of Public Health; Department of Health Care Services;
Department of Mental Health; Managed Risk Medical Insurance
Board; Emergency Medical Services Authority; Office of Statewide
Health Planning and Development; Department of Child Support
Services; Department of Community Services and Development;
Department of Developmental Services; and, Department of
Rehabilitation.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill was substantially similar
to the version as passed by the Senate.
ACR 29
Page 2
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations Committee
analysis, to the extent to which CHHSA chooses to provide
leadership as requested by this resolution and to the extent
that any of these activities go beyond current efforts and
programs currently under the authority of CHHSA, this bill could
potentially result in major state costs to address disparities
in the manner described in this resolution.
COMMENTS : According to the author, low-income populations and
communities of color disproportionately experience worse health
and safety outcomes across a broad spectrum of illnesses,
injuries, and treatments. The author maintains that efforts to
reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care
in California will continue to fall short unless the complex
interplay of social, physical, and environmental influences are
addressed through collaborative interdisciplinary actions. As
the lead agency tasked with administrative oversight of
California's state and federal programs for health, the CHHSA is
the most appropriate state entity to take a leadership role and
facilitate collaboration with state departments in order to
address ethnic and racial health disparities in California. The
author maintains that while some departments within CHHSA
independently operate various programs that address racial and
ethnic disparities, the purpose of this resolution is to
encourage CHHSA to assist with bridging the silos that currently
exist in state government and to move toward a more
comprehensive strategy.
Analysis Prepared by : Tanya Robinson-Taylor / HEALTH / (916)
319-2097
FN: 0001761