BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                      



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   SB 416|
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  SB 416
          Author:   Kehoe (D)
          Amended:  5/17/11
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE GOVERNMENTAL ORG. COMMITTEE  :  7-5, 3/22/11
          AYES:  Wright, Calderon, Corbett, De Le�n, Evans, Padilla, 
            Yee
          NOES:  Anderson, Berryhill, Cannella, Strickland, Wyland
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Hernandez

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  6-2, 5/26/11
          AYES:  Kehoe, Alquist, Lieu, Pavley, Price, Steinberg
          NOES:  Walters, Runner
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Emmerson 


           SUBJECT  :    State government forms:  personal data

           SOURCE  :     Equality California


           DIGEST  :    This bill requires the Department of Public 
          Health and the Department of Health Care Services to 
          collaborate with the University of California, to include 
          specified information related to gender into the California 
          Health Interview Survey.  This bill requires the above 
          departments to collaborate with the California state 
          coordinator for the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance 
          System to include specified information related to gender 
          into the system.

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           ANALYSIS  :    Existing law creates the Department of Public 
          Health and requires it to carry out various duties related 
          to public health programs.  Existing law creates the State 
          department of Health Care Services and requires it to carry 
          out various duties related to health purchasing programs.

          This bill requires the Department of Public Health and the 
          Department of Health Care Services to collaborate with the 
          University of California, to include specified information 
          related to gender into the California Health Interview 
          Survey (CHIS).  This bill requires the above departments to 
          collaborate with the California state coordinator for the 
          Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to 
          include specified information related to gender into the 
          system.

           Comments
           
          A report brief from the Institute of Medicine of the 
          National Academies noted that when conducting research on 
          lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations, 
          researchers face a number of challenges in understanding 
          the health needs of LGBT populations, including a lack of 
          data.

          Such disparities exist in many areas.  A 2008 Disparities 
          in Service Utilization and Expenditures for Individuals 
          with Developmental Disabilities study as published in the 
          Disability & Health Journal identified a receipt of 
          regional center services disparity among ethnic groups 
          after controlling for need and other factors.  For example, 
          Latinos received $3,190 and African Americans received 
          $1,080 fewer in services when compared to white consumers.  
          However, the study acknowledges that other factors could 
          explain the disparities, including client and family 
          attitudes and beliefs, language skills, and lack of 
          knowledge of the system.

          The CHIS and the BRFSS are telephone surveys.  Both collect 
          data on sexual orientation.  Neither collects data on 
          gender identity or gender expression.  If the CHIS and the 
          BRFSS include any question about marital status, this bill 
          would require the departments to include questions about 
          registered domestic partnership status and about the gender 







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          of the spouse or partner.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes   
          Local:  No

          According to the Senate Appropriations Committee analysis:

                          Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions                2011-12     2012-13    
           2013-14   Fund  

          Health care survey 
             data collection
           - CHIS             Up to $50           Up to $100Up to 
          $100      General
               
           - BRFSS            Up to $14           Up to $21Up to 
          $21General/
                                                            Federal

          Increased service                            Unknown, major 
          cost pressure                                     General/
             delivery                                       Federal

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  5/25/11)

          Equality California (source)
          American Civil Liberties Union
          BIENESTAR Human Services, Inc.
          California Communities United Institute
          California NOW
          California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
          Gay-Straight Alliance Network
          Mental Health America of Northern California
          Openhouse
          The Trevor Project
          Transgender Law Center

           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    Proponents state that, "In an 
          environment of limited resources, it is critically 
          important that the State of California collect information 
          that allows those limited resources to be focused on doing 
          the most good at the lowest cost." 







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          PQ:do  5/27/11   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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