BILL NUMBER: AB 2354 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 13, 2010
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 8, 2010
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member V. Manuel Perez
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
An act to add Article 6 (commencing with Section 128570) to
Chapter 5 of Part 3 of Division 107 of the Health and
Safety Code, relating to public health.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2354, as amended, V. Manuel Perez. Community Health Workers:
Promotores.
Existing law establishes training and certification programs for
various healing arts professionals including, among others, nurses,
midwives, occupational therapists, dietitians, and social workers.
This bill would require the State Department of Public Health, in
consultation with the University of California, to establish a
technical advisory committee to study the creation of a
framework for a promotores development program, as specified
current use of promotores in supporting positive
health outcomes throughout California and the funding resources that
support the work of promotores. This bill would also encourage the
department to incorporate the use of promotores for programs
requiring outreach or involving strategies that seek to increase
access to care, health education, prevention, and the
creation of healthier communities .
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) Promotores, also known as Community Health Workers
(CHWs) community health workers , peer leaders,
or health advocates, serve as a bridge between the community and the
public and private health care system, providing
health education, health promotion, prevention, informational
counseling, and referral information, as well as resources in a
manner that is culturally and linguistically appropriate. Promotores
function as cultural brokers who possess a unique understanding of
those, often difficult-to-reach, communities they serve.
(b) According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, integrating promotores and community health workers into
health programs has been associated with improvements in access to
health care, prenatal care, pregnancy and birth outcomes, client
health status, health- and screening-related behaviors, community
health, and reduced health care costs.
(b) Integrating promotores and community health workers into
health programs and strategies has been documented as being
associated with improvements in access to health care, health status,
and health screening behavior. The role of promotores, however,
expands beyond disease-related functions into community health.
Promotores are critical in creating health communities, improving the
built environment, increasing awareness about community factors
affecting health, and in creating mechanisms for families, and
particularly low-income families, to learn, thrive, and participate
in and transform their communities.
(c) In 2009, through Assembly Concurrent Resolution 75 (Chapter
125 of the Resolutions of 2009), the Legislature recognized and
applauded the contributions of promotores in improving community
health and well-being, advocacy, and cost-effective prevention by
declaring October 2009 as California Promotores Month.
(c) Federal
(d) Ongoing federal efforts to
address health care affordability, accessibility, and use have
identified the promotores model as an effective practice and have
committed financial support to help implement the model. Current
federal legislative efforts include law
includes funding and support for programs that could employ
promotores on a broad scale.
(d) The Legislature recognizes and applauds the contributions of
promotores toward improving community health and well-being,
advocacy, and cost-effective prevention. Currently, however,
California does not have a statewide certification or standardized
training to certify the status of promotores.
(e) As increased federal public health funding becomes available
to California, specifically for the increased use of promotores and
for programs that employ promotores, it is incumbent upon the state
to have a comprehensive assessment of the current use of and
funding for promotores. This should include the feasibility of a
promotores development program, and a multiphased strategy for
implementing a program to set standards, train, evaluate, promote,
and expand the work of promotores, in community health clinics and
local public health departments, community-based organizations,
research institutions, and other public and private entities
throughout the state. statewide strategy to target
resources and invest funding into proven programs, successful models,
and the best practices. Accordingly, a comprehensive assessment of
the current use of and funding for promotores is needed to guide the
state's future investments.
SEC. 2. The State Department of Public Health,
in consultation with the University of California, shall establish a
technical advisory committee to study the creation of a framework for
a promotores development program. The committee shall advise the
department, the Governor, and the Legislature regarding its findings
and recommendations. The committee shall use federal funding,
including, but not limited to, funding from the United States
Department of Health and Human Services, the federal Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, and the Health Resources and Services
Administration, to support the development of the study.
SEC. 2. Article 6 (commencing with Section 128570)
is added to Chapter 5 of Part 3 of Division 107 of the
Health and Safety Code , to read:
Article 6. Promotores Development Program Study
128570. (a) The State Department of Public Health, in
consultation with the University of California, shall conduct a
comprehensive assessment of the current use of promotores in
supporting positive health outcomes throughout California, including,
but not limited to, in rural communities, and the funding resources
that support the work of promotores.
(b) This assessment shall include all of the following:
(1) An examination of promotores programs throughout California
that identifies best practices in at least the areas of recruitment,
hiring, training, compensation, scope of work, supervision, program
design and implementation, successful programs, and resources.
(2) The federal, state, and local agencies that operate promotores
programs, use or contract for promotores, or provide resources to
organizations, including, but not limited to, nonprofit
organizations, that support and expand the work of promotores.
(3) An examination of previous studies that evaluated promotores
programs and have identified model programs or best practices.
(c) The department shall convene a technical advisory committee to
help guide and design this assessment. This advisory committee shall
include representatives from the following:
(1) Community-based organizations with experience in training and
hiring promotores.
(2) County public health departments.
(3) Foundations that support promotores programs.
(4) Primary community care clinics.
(5) Promotores or community health workers.
(6) Universities and other academic institutions.
(7) Other stakeholders the department deems necessary.
(d) The committee and the department shall use federal funding,
including, but not limited to, funding from the United States
Department of Health and Human Services and its Health Resources and
Services Administration and funding from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, to support the development of this
assessment.
SEC. 3. As federal funding is awarded to the
states for health prevention efforts, the State Department of Public
Health is encouraged to incorporate the use of promotores for
programs requiring outreach or involving strategies that seek to
increase access to care, health education, prevention, and the
creation of healthier communities.