BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 484
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August 17, 2011

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                     SB 484 (Rubio) - As Amended:  July 11, 2011 

          Policy Committee:                              JudiciaryVote:  
          7-1
                        Health                                10-3

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill provides the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) the 
          same access to California Department of Corrections and 
          Rehabilitation (CDCR) health care services contracts that the 
          Joint Legislature Audit Committee (JLAC) and the Bureau of State 
          Audits (BSA) have under existing law.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Negligible fiscal impact.

           COMMENTS  

           Background and Purpose  . Although the Public Records Act (PRA) 
          generally requires all public records to be open for public 
          inspection, it permits a number of exceptions. The PRA limits 
          access to CDCR records that relate to its health care services 
          contracts. Specifically, information revealing the process of 
          negotiations is not subject to disclosure for one year after 
          execution of the contract, and information regarding payment 
          rates is not subject to disclosure for three years after 
          execution. These restrictions are intended to protect the 
          competitive nature of the bidding process.  Notwithstanding the 
          restrictions, contracts are immediately open to inspection by 
          the JLAC and the BSA, provided that confidentiality is 
          maintained until the contracts would generally be available to 
          the public. This bill gives the LAO the same access to 
          contracts, subject to the same confidentiality requirement.  
          According to the author, the LAO will use this information to 
          analyze CDCR's budget needs.








                                                                  SB 484
                                                                  Page  2


          The most recent amendments deleted provisions requiring CDCR to 
          plan for and implement health care cost reductions.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081