BILL ANALYSIS
SCR 36
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SENATE THIRD READING
SCR 36 (Alquist)
As Introduced April 20, 2009
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :33-0
HEALTH 18-0
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|Ayes:|Jones, Fletcher, Adams, |
| |Blumenfield, Block, |
| |Carter, Conway, De La |
| |Torre, De Leon, Emmerson, |
| |Hall, Hayashi, Hernandez, |
| |Bonnie Lowenthal, Nava, |
| |V. Manuel Perez, Salas, |
| |Audra Strickland |
| | |
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SUMMARY : Recognizes and commends the California Departments of
Public Health (DPH), Education (CDE), and Health Care Services
(DHCS) for their "well adolescent" programs and initiatives, and
encourages all Californians to recognize and support the efforts
of these departments. Specifically, this resolution :
1)Recognizes and commends the number and scope of "well
adolescent" programs and initiatives that DPH, CDE, and DHCS
administer.
2)Encourages all Californians to recognize and support DPH, CDE,
and DHCS' focus on improving adolescent health through efforts
to prevent chronic diseases, promote improved treatment of
chronic diseases, and ensure updated immunizations against
preventable diseases.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
COMMENTS : According to the author, this resolution is needed to
make a statement of the importance of making substantial and
measurable progress in reducing the incidence of preventable
diseases among all Californians, starting with children.
DPH administers several adolescent health programs under its
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Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Program. The
Adolescent Family Life Program is designed to enhance the
health, social, economic, and educational well-being of pregnant
and parenting adolescents and their children through
comprehensive case management that works with client strengths
and links clients to services. The Childhood Injury Prevention
Program incorporates injury prevention in local programs and
services. MCAH also receives federal funds to collaborate with
state and local agencies to provide health and physical
education, as well as social, psychological, and health services
to school children, including adolescents. The Nutrition and
Physical Activity Initiative integrates and coordinates
promotion of healthy eating and physical activity within MCAH
and local programs. In addition, other programs within DPH
engage in a wide array of activities intended to improve the
health of adolescents, including providing access to vaccines
for eligible low-income children, preventing tobacco use, and
preventing teen dating violence and sexual violence.
DHCS provides preventive screening, diagnostic, treatment,
rehabilitation, and follow-up services through a variety of
programs meeting specific health care needs of targeted
populations. The DHCS Child Health and Disability Prevention
(CHDP) Program enrolls private physicians, local health
departments, community clinics, managed care plans, and some
local school districts to deliver periodic health assessments
for the early detection and prevention of disease and
disabilities for low-income children and youth. The CHDP
Program also oversees the screening and follow-up components of
the federally mandated Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis,
and Treatment program for Medi-Cal eligible children and youth.
Local CHDP programs also administer a program to provide public
health nurse expertise in meeting the medical, dental, mental,
and developmental needs of children and youth in foster care.
CDE provides grants for drug and tobacco prevention programs,
such as the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program
and Tobacco-Use Prevention Education, resources for the
prevention of underage alcohol use, and technical support for
sexual health education programs.
Children Now, a national children's advocacy organization,
developed state-specific report cards which include adolescent
health, among other topics. On the 2009 California Report Card,
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Children Now gave California a "B-" for adolescent health,
stating that too few adolescents have access to the supports and
services they need to thrive. Specifically, Children Now cites
statistics indicating that one in three high school students
report not having access to a caring adult; one in five
adolescents report being at risk for depression; one in four
reports being threatened by a peer; and, one in five sexually
active adolescents report engaging in unsafe sex. Children Now
recommends that California ensure that adolescents have strong
social supports and access to timely and high-quality services.
Children Now suggests investment in school-based health clinics
and health promotion.
GlaxoSmithKline, sponsor of this resolution, writes it supports
this resolution because it is committed to supporting a range of
public health education and outreach efforts to help contain the
costs of chronic diseases, many of which can be prevented with
sound practices at an early age. The California Medical
Association argues the message in this resolution is crucial and
that prevention through well adolescent visits that include
education to encourage positive habits and healthy lifestyles
are excellent tools to ensure continued health from childhood
into adulthood. The California Hepatitis C Task Force writes in
support of this resolution that education and wellness go hand
in hand in building a strong and prosperous California. The
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District IX
(California) (ACOG-IX) argues in support of this resolution that
ACOG-IX supports wellness programs that focus on adolescent
health and that adolescents develop behavior in childhood years
that affect not only their current health but also their
behavior in adulthood.
Analysis Prepared by : Allegra Kim / HEALTH / (916) 319-2097
FN: 0001724