BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2222
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Date of Hearing: May 5, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2222 (Galgiani) - As Amended: April 6, 2010
Policy Committee: Public
SafetyVote: 7-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes the Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation (CDCR) to install telemedicine fixtures and
broadband infrastructure in new or existing buildings authorized
pursuant to phase II of AB 900 (Solorio, 2007) which has the
effect of authorizing lease-revenue bond financing for this
purpose.
(Phase II of AB 900 authorizes $2.5 billion for construction of
up to 4,000 beds at or near existing facilities, up to 2,000
medical and/or mental health beds, and up to 10,000 reentry beds
in multiple locations, while Phase I authorizes $3.6 billion for
up to 12,000 beds at or near existing facilities, up to 6,000
medical and/or mental health beds, and 6,000 reentry beds.)
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Depending on the extent to which CDCR opts to use this
authority, costs could range into the tens of millions of
dollars (lease-revenue bonds/GF), though CDCR already has the
authority to use authorized bond funds for telemedicine
infrastructure at new facilities.
2)Depending on the extent to which telemedicine proves a more
cost-efficient method of providing inmate health care in
appropriate cases, the investment in telemedicine will result
in significant out-year health care savings that should exceed
the cost of telemedicine infrastructure. (GF)
COMMENTS
AB 2222
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1)Rationale. The author notes the importance of telemedicine in
ongoing state and federal efforts to provide affordable and
constitutionally acceptable inmate health care and contends
that the cost of building the infrastructure necessary to
provide such care should be covered under the existing AB 900
lease-revenue bond authority.
2)Telemedicine a crucial component of CDCR/federal health care
receiver health care efforts . According to the receiver's
April 2010 Cost Containment Report, telemedicine leads to
significant cost avoidance in the areas of contract medical
and medical custody transportation costs. Telemedicine is also
a significant component of the receiver's efforts to identify
$800 million in proposed health care savings in the 2010-11
state budget.
3)NuPhysicia also recommends significantly increased
telemedicine investment to address prison health care
shortcomings . In March 2010, NuPhysicia, a private company
involved in the telemedicine programs of The University of
Texas Medical Branch, released a report - "Assessment and
Evaluation: California's Opportunities for Improved Inmate
Health Care Quality and Cost Controls" - that criticized
CDCR's underreliance on telemedicine and encouraged the state
to integrate telemedicine into daily care.
4)It is not clear why the bill limits funding to phase II, as
CDCR has not even started phase I.
5)The proposed spending authority does not appear to be
necessary as CDCR may use bond funds for telemedicine
infrastructure in new construction.
6)Telemedicine is the provision of interactive healthcare via
telecommunication technology. Telemedicine allows patients to
visit with physicians live over video for immediate care, or
via recorded video/still images, patient data is stored and
sent to physicians for diagnosis and follow-up treatment at a
later time.
AB 2222
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7)Related Legislation.
a) AB 2668 (Galgiani) requires CDCR to install telemedicine
fixtures and broadband infrastructure in the CDCR Medical
Facility, based upon the availability of funding. AB 2668
is also before this committee today.
b) AB 1785 (Galgiani) requires CDCR to maintain a statewide
telemedicine services program, requires an operational
telemedicine program at each institution, and expands
existing telemedicine services. AB 1785 will be heard by
this committee later in the month.
Analysis Prepared by : Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081