BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 1577
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 7, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                   AB 1577 (Atkins) - As Amended:  March 19, 2014 

          Policy Committee:                              HealthVote:17-1

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              Yes

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the person completing a death certificate to  
          record the decedent's sex to reflect the decedent's gender  
          identity, unless presented with a legal document that documents  
          the decedent's gender transition.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Likely minor, if any, state fiscal effect.  

          Of about 230,000 deaths in California annually, approximately  
          700 deaths are expected among transgender individuals.  Although  
          this bill applies to all deaths, as a practical matter it would  
          likely only address the subset of this 700 that may have issues  
          with discrepancies in gender identification.  Under this bill,  
          counties could be required to process additional legal  
          documents, leading to potential state-reimbursable mandate  
          costs. However, workload to comply with this bill at the county  
          level appears minor, and mandate claims appear unlikely.  

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  . This bill seeks to make an official document of a  
            transgender person consistent with their gender identity,  
            regardless of their biological sex.  A transgender person is  
            one who does not identify with, or present as, the sex and  
            assumed gender assigned at birth. This bill is co-sponsored by  
            Equality California and the Transgender Law Center. 

           2)Previous Legislation  . AB 1121 (Atkins), Chapter 651, Statutes  
            of 2013, creates, as of July 1, 2014, an optional  
            administrative procedure for a transgender person born in  








                                                                  AB 1577
                                                                  Page  2

            California to amend gender and name on his/her birth  
            certificate without first obtaining a court order.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916) 319-2081