BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2786
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 2786 (Health Committee)
As Amended August 20, 2010
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |74-0 |(May 6, 2010) |SENATE: |37-0 |(August 30, |
| | | | | |2010) |
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Original Committee Reference: HEALTH
SUMMARY : Allows the California Department of Public Health
(DPH) to modify the list of communicable diseases and conditions
for which clinical labs must submit specimens to the local
public health laboratory to undergo further testing and allow
DPH to modify the list at any time in consultation with the
California Conference of Local Health Officers and the
California Association of Public Health Laboratory Directors.
The Senate amendments add language to avoid chaptering-out
conflicts with AB 2541 (Portantino and Fletcher), should both
bills be enacted. Both AB 2786 and AB 2541 amend the same code
sections.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires DPH to establish a list of diseases and conditions
which health care providers and local health officers are
required to report to the local public health department.
Allows DPH to modify this list and exempts this modification
from requirements, governing changes in administrative
regulations under Administrative Procedures Act (APA).
2)Under regulation, requires labs to report test results on
certain diseases considered to be of "public health
importance."
3)Does not exempt DPH from complying with APA requirements when
modifying the list of reportable diseases and conditions for
which public health labs are required to submit specimens.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill is substantially similar to
the version as passed by the Senate.
AB 2786
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FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Fund
CDPH additional up to $185 up to $370 up to $370 General
laboratory staff
Local public health unknown, but potentially significant if
the General*
additional laboratory staff laboratories workload increased
enough
to need to hire an additional technician
*Could be eligible for reimbursement by the Commission on State
Mandates
COMMENTS : According to the sponsor, the Health Officers
Association of California, this bill will allow DPH and local
public health authorities to respond to a public health
emergency in a timely manner. The sponsor notes that there have
been instances in which DPH has requested clinical laboratories
to submit specimens on a voluntary basis for shiga-toxin
producing E. coli and Meningococcal disease. Providing these
samples on a voluntary basis does not ensure a large enough
sample size to detect common source outbreaks. This was
apparent during the recent E. coli outbreak, during which
clinical laboratories in California were not performing the
additional tests necessary for identifying clusters of cases
revealing a common source outbreak.
Analysis Prepared by : Martin Radosevich / HEALTH / (916)
319-2097
FN: 0006749