BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2340
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2340 (Garcia)
As Amended March 28, 2014
Majority vote
HEALTH 15-4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Ayes:|Pan, Maienschein, | | |
| |Ammiano, Gordon, Bonilla, | | |
| |Bonta, Chesbro, Gomez, | | |
| |Gonzalez, Roger | | |
| |Hern�ndez, Lowenthal, | | |
| |Nazarian, Nestande, | | |
| |Ridley-Thomas, Wieckowski | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Ch�vez, Waldron, | | |
| |Patterson, Wagner | | |
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY : Authorizes the Deputy Director of the Office of Health
Equity (OHE) to include representatives from women's health
organizations that focus on health disparities on an advisory
committee.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
COMMENTS : According to the author the OHE was created in 2012
by consolidating the Office of Women's Health with the Office of
Multicultural Health, and while the broad focus of OHE seeks to
eliminate health disparities across a wide range of vulnerable
communities, including individuals that face more than one type
of oppression, the focus of the office fails to fully
acknowledge the importance of gender. Women and girls are
members of all other vulnerable communities listed as a focus
for the OHE, but policy and guidance does not require the
analysis of the inequities faced solely or particularly by
women. The author asserts that by creating an expansive focus
on numerous other important communities, the OHE is allowing
women's specific issues and needs to be swallowed up by the
needs of the broader community and in order to fully address
issues of gender inequality, women's lives must be at the center
of analysis, with examination of women's experience through the
AB 2340
Page 2
lens of gender, and focusing on ways that gender intersects with
other social categories.
Current law establishes the OHE, which was created to work to
achieve the highest level of health and mental health for all
people, with special attention focus on those who have
experienced socioeconomic disadvantages and historical
injustice, including vulnerable communities and culturally,
linguistically, and geographically isolated communities.
Vulnerable communities are identified as women, racial and
ethnic groups, low-income families and individuals, the current
and formerly incarcerated, individuals with disabilities or
mental health conditions, children, youth and young adults,
seniors, immigrants and refugees, the limited-English
proficient, LGBT populations, or combinations of those
populations. The OHE is tasked with conducting policy analysis,
establishing a comprehensive, cross-sector strategic plan to
eliminate health and mental health disparities and inequities,
and collaborate with and build upon the work of the Health in
All Policies Task Force. To accomplish these goals, the OHE has
an advisory committee to actively participate in decision
making. The OHE is authorized in statute to create the advisory
committee. There are no specific requirements as to the number
of members or their background or qualifications.
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC) supports this
bill and states, thousands of women walk through Planned
Parenthood's doors every day and in order to help those who have
experienced socioeconomic disadvantages and historical
injustice, women need to be kept at the forefront of the
conversation. According to PPAC, allowing the OHE to include
representatives from women's health organizations that focus on
health disparities faced by women and girls will do just that by
providing the gender lens in both the representation on the
advisory committee and the work of the OHE.
There is no opposition to this bill.
Analysis Prepared by : Lara Flynn / HEALTH / (916) 319-2097
FN: 0003334
AB 2340
Page 3