BILL ANALYSIS �
Bill No: SB
1345
SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Senator Roderick D. Wright, Chair
2011-2012 Regular Session
Staff Analysis
SB 1345 Author: Evans
As Amended: April 11, 2012
Hearing Date: April 24, 2012
Consultant: Paul Donahue
SUBJECT
Commission on the Status of Women
DESCRIPTION
This bill would continue in statute the Commission on the
Status of Women, which the Governor's budget proposes to
eliminate. Specifically, this bill :
1)Authorizes members of the Commission who are also Members
of the Legislature to vote by proxy.
2)Provides that the powers and duties of the Commission
shall be carried out only to the extent that funds are
available.
3)Authorizes the Commission to study these additional
topics:
a) Educational needs of women and girls.
b) Women's economic opportunities and employment
rights.
c) The effect that the state budget has on women and
children.
d) Violence against women, including, but not limited
to, human trafficking.
SB 1345 (Evans) continued
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4)Authorizes the Legislature to recommend that the
Commission study additional topics relevant to women.
5)Authorizes the Commission to review the implementation of
any law to ensure that the law is not discriminating
against women or creating an inequitable environment for
women.
EXISTING LAW
Existing law creates within state government the Commission
on the Status of Women, consisting of 17 members, including
certain Members of the Legislature. Existing law sets
forth the powers and duties of the commission, and
authorizes the commission to study certain topics.
BACKGROUND
1)The Commission on the Status of Women was initially
established in 1965 as an advisory committee. It was
made permanent by statute enacted in 1971. According to
its mission statement, the Commission is an "independent,
non-partisan agency working to advance the causes of
women. Toward that end, the Commission influences public
policy by advising the Governor and the Legislature on
issues impacting women and educating and informing its
constituencies-thereby providing opportunities that
empower women and girls to make a maximum contribution to
society."
The Commission consists of a 17-member body including the
Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Labor
Commissioner, three Assemblymembers and three Senators.
Nine of the 17 members are public members: one appointed
by the Speaker of the Assembly, one by the Senate
Committee on Rules, and seven are appointed by the
Governor. Public members serve four-year terms and are
reimbursed for necessary expenses.
2)Author's purpose : The author states that the Commission
is an important source of information and data on women
and girls for the Legislature, private organizations,
individuals, and state and local entities. The author
SB 1345 (Evans) continued
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adds that the Governor has proposed to eliminate all
funding for the Commission through his budget and in
budget trailer bill language, and that this measure would
save the Commission, in statute, even if it's only a
shell, until funds become available.
3)Supporters contend that "an argument against the need for
the Commission is in part that other agencies can deal
with women's issues. That is based on the false premise
that women don't need a point of advocacy within
government with the argument that men don't have one
either. This ignores many important facts, such as the
high number of single mothers compared to single
fathers?and the fact that women on the average are paid
77% of what men earn. Women's health issues are
different from men's, and we may not be able to rely on
the Office of Women's Health due to the proposal to
eliminate that office."
4)Budget proposals : As noted above, the Governor's Budget
eliminates the Commission on the Status of Women, for a
savings of $270,000 General Fund in 2012-13.<1> In
addition, the budget consolidates the Office of Women's
Health,<2> the Office of Multicultural Health, the Health
in All Policies Task Force, the Healthy Places Team, and
the Department of Mental Health's Office of Multicultural
Services into the new Office of Health Equity within the
Department of Public Health.
PRIOR/RELATED LEGISLATION
AB 2200 (Speier) Chapter 760, Statutes of 1994 .
Established the Office of Women's Health in the State
Department of Public Health. Directed the Office to
develop a state strategy for addressing the health related
needs of women.
-------------------------
<1>
http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/StateAgencyBudgets/8000/8820/depar
tment.html
<2> The mission of the office is to guide women's health
policy in an effective and comprehensive fashion to promote
health and reduce the burden of preventable disease and
injury among the women and girls of California.
(http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/owh/Pages/default.aspx)
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SUPPORT:
American Association of University Women (AAUW)
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees
California Coalition Against Sexual Assault
California National Organization for Women
County of Sonoma - Commission on the Status of Women
National Association of Social Workers - California Chapter
South Placer Branch, AAUW California
OPPOSE:
None on file
FISCAL COMMITTEE: Senate Appropriations Committee
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