BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1088
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 3, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS, PROFESSIONS AND CONSUMER
PROTECTION
Mary Hayashi, Chair
AB 1088 (Eng) - As Amended: April 25, 2011
SUBJECT : State agencies: collection of demographic data.
SUMMARY : Requires every state agency, board, or commission to
use additional separate collection categories and tabulations
for other major Asian groups and Native Hawaiian and other
Pacific Islander (API) groups, including, but not limited to,
Asian Indian, Bangladeshi, Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Hmong,
Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Malaysian, Pakistani, Sri
Lankan, Taiwanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Fijian, Native Hawaiian,
Guamanian (also known as Chamorro), Samoan, and Tongan.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Adds Bangladeshi, Hmong, Indonesian, Malaysian, Pakistani, Sri
Lankan, Taiwanese, Thai, and each major Native Hawaiian group,
including Fijian, Native Hawaiian, Guamanian (also known as
Chamorro), Samoan, and Tongan to the separate collection
categories and tabulations for each major API group, for state
agencies, boards, and commissions that collect demographic
data as to the ancestry or ethnic origin of Californians.
2)Requires state agencies, boards, and commission to include
data collected pursuant to the different collection categories
and tabulations in every demographic report on ancestry or
ethnic origins of Californians published or released on or
after July 1, 2012.
3)Requires the State Department of Health Care Services, the
State Department of Public Health, the Department of
Industrial Relations, and the Department of Fair Employment
and Housing to make any data collected pursuant to this bill,
publicly available, except for personal identifying
information, which shall be deemed confidential, by posting
the data on the Internet Web site of the agency by July 1,
2012, and annually thereafter, as specified.
4)Requires state agencies to update their data collection to
reflect the additional Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific
Islander groups as they are reported by the United States
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(U.S.) Census Bureau within 18 months after the U.S. Census is
released.
5)Makes legislative findings and declarations.
EXISTING LAW requires state agencies, boards, and commissions
which directly or by contract collect demographic data as to the
ancestry or ethnic origin of Californians to use separate
collection categories and tabulations for each major Asian and
Pacific Islander group, including, but not limited to, Chinese,
Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, Asian Indian, Hawaiian,
Guamanian, Samoan, Laotian, and Cambodian.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
Purpose of this bill . According to the author's office, "State
law currently requires state agencies that collect demographic
data on the ethnic origin of Californians to disaggregate that
information for each API group, including, but not limited to,
Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, Asian Indian,
Hawaiian, Guamanian, Samoan, Laotian, and Cambodian. This bill
would require state agencies to collect demographic data for
additional API ethnic groups, including, but not limited to,
Bangladeshi, Fijian, Hmong, Indonesian, Malaysian, Pakistan, Sri
Lankan, Taiwanese, Thai, and Tongan.
"The API community is extremely diverse, and its different
ethnicities face their own unique challenges in areas such as
education, language, employment, health, and incarceration.
Disaggregation of demographics data for these diverse API
ethnicities would enable state agencies and social service
providers to analyze who is and is not benefitting from the vast
array of services provided by the state. Utilizing this
disaggregated data to develop targeted programs for underserved
populations would reduce future costs to the state by providing
these populations with assistance and access to government
programs before conditions arise to impact whole regions across
the state.
"In addition, this bill would require specific departments to
post and annually update their collected data on their
department websites. In order for the data to be useful for
lawmakers and stakeholders, the information must be made public
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and accessible."
Background . Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific
Islander (AANHPI) communities are not a homogenous group, but
instead encompass a great variety of social and economic
conditions.
While overall data may show that AANHPI are doing better than
average on certain social indicators, data that is separated out
by ethnic group clearly shows that certain communities,
especially among Pacific Islander and Southeast Asian ethnic
groups, have some of the greatest needs, including some of the
highest poverty rates and lowest educational attainment rates in
California. Laotians, Cambodians, and Hmong, for example, have
some of the highest poverty rates of all ethnic groups.
Similarly, AANHPI overall have a low mortality rate from
homicides, but particular ethnic groups, including Cambodians
and Vietnamese, have rates that are two to four times greater
than average. In the health care arena, specific AANHPI ethnic
groups are more likely to face certain conditions, a fact that
is masked when looking only at overall data for all AANHPI. For
example, Vietnamese, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders,
experience frequent mental distress at higher rates than other
AANHPI groups, yet the Vietnamese represent the highest
proportion of insured Californians who are without mental health
coverage.
AANHPI make up 15.5% of the state's population and continue to
grow. From 1990 to 2000, the combined AANHPI population grew by
as much as 52%. AANHPIs are now the second largest major racial
or ethnic group in four counties and the majority of the
population in eight cities across California.
Support . The American Cancer Society states in support, "In
order to close gaps in health outcomes, we must first identify
where gaps exists. The American Cancer Society recognizes that
it is imperative to collect accurate, standardized and
comprehensive data on racial and ethnic minorities and
underserved populations. This information helps us understand
disparities in cancer incidence, treatment, and outcomes.
Better data supports the creation of appropriate programs and
interventions for minority and medically underserved
populations.
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"AB 1088 is intended to ensure that state data reflects the
diversity of California's API communities, which represent
dozens of different cultures, languages, histories, and ethnic
groups with a wide range of health, economic, educational, and
social needs. Aggregating data for racial/ethnic groups often
obscures the more meaningful differences among the populations.
For example, because of data collected about specified
ethnicities, we know that the rate of smoking is higher in
California's Korean communities than in the aggregated API
category.
"The American Cancer Society is committed to a variety of
efforts to improve data collection that can reduce disparities
in care. We believe AB 1088 will further that goal by providing
valuable and critical knowledge."
Previous legislation . AB 1737 (Eng) of 2010, requires specified
state agencies to use additional separate collection categories
and tabulations for major Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific
Islander groups, as specified. This bill was held in Assembly
Appropriations Committee.
AB 295 (Lieu) of 2007 required various state entities to report
collected demographic data according to each major API group and
make that data available to the public to the extent that
disclosure did not violate confidentiality. AB 295 was vetoed.
SB 549 (Correa) of 2009 authorizes the Board of Barbering and
Cosmetology to collect gender, language and ethnicity data from
new licensure applicants and renewal licenses and requires that
the information be posted on the board's Internet Web site. SB
549 was vetoed.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (co-sponsor)
Asian Pacific American Legal Center (co-sponsor)
Asian Pacific Islanders Community Action Network (co-sponsor)
Advancement Project
American Cancer Society
Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Asian & Pacific Islanders California Action Network
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Asian Business Association
Asian Pacific Health Corps at UCLA
Asian Pacific Liver Center
Asian Resources, Inc.
Asian Law Alliance
Asian Youth Center
California Association for Bilingual Education
California Health Nail Salon Collaborative
California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
Californians Together Coalition
Center for Asian American Wellness
Chinatown Service Center
Council on American-Islamic Relations California
Department of Adult Education, Montebello Unified School
District
Empowering Pacific Islander Communities
EndOil and Communities for Clean Ports
Families in Good Health at St. Mary Medical Center
First 5 LA
Guam Communications Network
Having Our Say!
International Children Assistance Network
Korean American Family Service Center
Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance
Koreatown Youth & Community Center
La Casa de San Gabriel Community Center
National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse
National Cambodian American Organization
NICOS Chinese Health Coalition
Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance,
Inc.
Pacific Asian Counseling Services
Pacific Clinics
Pacific Islander Consortium in Employment
PELE, The Sorority of Oceania
Search to Involve Pilipino Americans
South Asian Network
Special Service for Groups, Inc./PALS for Health
Taiwanese American Citizens League
TOA Institute
Tongan Community Service Center
Union of Pan Asian Communities
Viet Dreams
Vietnamese American Cancer Foundation
Numerous individuals
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Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Rebecca May / B.,P. & C.P. / (916)
319-3301