BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 673
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 673 (John A. Pérez and Lara)
As Introduced February 17, 2011
Majority vote
HEALTH 12-5 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Monning, Ammiano, Atkins, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Blumenfield, |
| |Bonilla, Eng, Gordon, | |Bradford, Charles |
| |Hayashi, | |Calderon, Campos, Davis, |
| |Roger Hernández, Bonnie | |Gatto, Hall, Hill, Lara, |
| |Lowenthal, Pan, V. Manuel | |Mitchell, Solorio |
| |Pérez, Williams | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Logue, Garrick, Mansoor, |Nays:|Harkey, Donnelly, |
| |Silva, Smyth | |Nielsen, Norby, Wagner |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires the Office of Multicultural Health (OMH), to
perform various duties on behalf of the Department of Public
Health (DPH) and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)
with respect to the state's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender (LGBT) communities. Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires OMH to do all of the following on behalf of DPH and
DHCS:
a) Perform strategic planning within these departments to
develop department-wide plans for implementation of goals
and objectives to close the gaps in health status and
access to care among the state's LGBT communities;
b) Coordinate pilot projects and planning projects funded
by the state that are related to improving the
effectiveness of services to the LGBT communities;
c) Communicate and disseminate information and perform a
liaison function within the departments and to providers of
health, social, educational, and support services to the
LGBT communities. Requires OMH to consult regularly with
representatives from the LGBT communities, including health
providers, advocates, and consumers;
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d) Serve as a resource for ensuring that programs keep data
and information regarding statistics and information based
on sexual orientation and gender identity; and,
e) Prepare and submit a biennial report to the Legislature
on the status of the above activities.
EXISTING LAW establishes OMH within DPH to perform various
duties on behalf of DPH and DHCS relating to the state's racial
and ethnic communities.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, the estimated annual ongoing General Fund costs to
DPH of $100,000 for an additional position in OMH to perform
duties related to the LGBT community.
COMMENTS : According to the author, this bill integrates health
issues affecting the LGBT communities as part of the mission of
OMH. The author maintains that expanding the mission of OMH to
include issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity
will help the state develop and implement more inclusive public
health policies that benefit all California's diverse
populations. The author also maintains that this bill
additionally provides OMH with the authority to seek funding for
health initiatives that target LGBT communities.
OMH was created in August 1993 by Executive Order W-58-93 and in
1999 was established in statute in AB 1107 (Cedillo), Chapter
146, Statutes of 1999. OMH is a shared policy office within the
Director's Office of DPH and DHCS and serves as an advisor to
both departments and a liaison between DPH, DHCS, and outside
stakeholders. OMH also has a 25-member Multicultural Health
Advisory Council that advises DPH and DHCS on multicultural
health issues. The mission of OMH is to increase the capacity
of DPH and DHCS programs, health care providers, and
ethnic/racial communities to reduce gaps and improve the
provision of and access to health care among California's
diverse population groups.
LGBT individuals encompass all races and ethnicities, religions,
and social classes. Sexual orientation and gender identity
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questions are not asked on most national or state surveys,
making it difficult to estimate the number of LGBT individuals
and their health needs. A recently released Institute of
Medicine (IOM) report entitled, "The Health of Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for
Better Understanding," concluded that in order to advance
understanding of the health needs of all LGBT individuals,
researchers need more data about the demographics of these
populations, improved methods for collecting and analyzing data,
and an increased participation of sexual and gender minorities
in research. The IOM report further states that building a more
solid evidence base for LGBT health concerns will not only
benefit LGBT individuals, but also add to the repository of
health information that pertains to all people.
According to the Center for American Progress (CAP), the LGBT
population continues to experience worse health outcomes than
their heterosexual counterparts. Due to factors like low rates
of health insurance coverage, high rates of stress due to
systematic harassment and discrimination, and a lack of cultural
competency in the health care system. CAP further states that
members of the LGBT population are at a higher risk for cancer,
mental illness, and other diseases, and are more likely to
smoke, drink alcohol, use drugs, and engage in other risky
behaviors. CAP asserts that people who are both LGBT and
members of a racial or ethnic minority will often face the
highest level of health disparities. For example, as the
National Coalition for LGBT Health notes, a black gay man faces
disparities common to the African American community as well as
those suffered by the LGBT community, and a transgender
Spanish-speaking woman, regardless of her sexual orientation,
must navigate multiple instances of discrimination based on
language, ethnicity, and gender.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains that
the perspectives and needs of LGBT people should be routinely
considered in public health efforts to improve overall health of
every person and eliminate health disparities.
Analysis Prepared by : Tanya Robinson-Taylor / HEALTH / (916)
319-2097
FN: 0000491
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