BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1737
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 14, 2010

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                     AB 1737 (Eng) - As Amended:  March 15, 2010 

          Policy Committee:                              Business and  
          Professions  Vote:                            7 - 3 

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the following state agencies to use  
          additional separate collection categories and tabulations for  
          major Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander groups:

          1)State Department of Health Care Services;

          2)State Department of Public Health;

          3)State Department of Social Services;

          4)Employment Development Department;

          5)Department of Industrial Relations;

          6)State Personnel Board;

          7)Department of Fair Employment and Housing; and,

          8)State Department of Education.


           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Combined costs for the affected departments for form changes and  
          computer reprogramming would range from $2 million to $5 million  
          (GF/Prop 98). The majority of the costs would likely be borne by  
          the California Department of Education which would need to  
          modify 11 data systems and for local education agencies (LEAs)  
          which would be required to modify their data systems.









                                                                  AB 1737
                                                                  Page  2

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . According to the author's office, the diversity of  
            Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI)  
            communities makes it critical that data be collected for  
            separate ethnic groups.  The author argues that "AB 1737 would  
            ensure that state-collected health, social services, labor,  
            and civil rights data is disaggregated into additional AANHPI  
            ethnic groups, as currently reported by the U.S. Census."

           2)Related Legislation  . This bill is substantially similar to AB  
            295 (Lieu) from 2007.  The governor vetoed that legislation.   
            In his veto message the governor noted that he believed this  
            legislation was unnecessary and that the state could not  
            afford the additional expense.  In addition, he noted that  
            existing law gives state agencies the flexibility to expand  
            upon current demographic categories if necessary.  

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081