BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 460
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 460 (Pavley)
As Amended September 3, 2013
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE : 39-0
HEALTH 18-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Pan, Ammiano, Atkins, |Ayes:|Gatto, Harkey, Bigelow, |
| |Bonilla, Bonta, Chesbro, | |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian |
| |Gomez, | |Calderon, Campos, |
| |Roger Hern�ndez, | |Donnelly, Eggman, Gomez, |
| |Lowenthal, Maienschein, | |Hall, Holden, Linder, |
| |Mansoor, Mitchell, | |Pan, Quirk, Wagner, Weber |
| |Nazarian, Nestande, | | |
| |V. Manuel P�rez, Wagner, | | |
| |Wieckowski, Wilk | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires the Department of Public Health (DPH) to
include information regarding environmental health in the
California Prenatal Screening Program (PSP) patient educational
information (PEI) and to post that information on DPH's Internet
Web site. Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires DPH to include information regarding environmental
health in the PEI including, but not limited to, the following
statement:
We encounter chemicals and other substances in
everyday life that may affect your developing fetus.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to reduce
your exposure to these potentially harmful substances
at home, in the workplace, and in the environment.
Many Californians are unaware that a number of
everyday consumer products may pose potential harm.
Prospective parents should talk to their doctor and
are encouraged to read more about this topic to learn
about simple actions to promote a healthy pregnancy.
2)Requires DPH to include in the PEI links to educational
materials derived from peer-reviewed and science-based
materials relating to environmental health and reproductive
SB 460
Page 2
toxins.
3)Requires DPH to send a notice to all distributors of the PEI,
informing them of the change to the Prenatal Patient Booklet.
Requires DPH, in the notice, to encourage
obstetrician-gynecologists and midwives to discuss
environmental health with their patients and to direct their
patients to the appropriate page or pages in the PEI for
additional information.
4)Requires the new information to be included in the PEI when it
is otherwise revised and reprinted, in order to minimize
costs.
5)Allows DPH to modify the language in the PEI after
consultation with medical and scientific experts in the field
of environmental health and reproductive toxins.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, ongoing costs, not likely to exceed $50,000, to
review information related to environmental health and develop a
new page in the booklet with a specified statement and links to
information.
COMMENTS : According to the author, many pregnant women are
uninformed about environmental health and how reproductive
toxins can inhibit the health and development of their unborn
children. A recent University of California, San Francisco
survey of 2,600 obstetricians and gynecologists nationwide found
that most do not warn their pregnant patients about chemicals in
food, consumer products, or the environment that could endanger
their fetuses. A growing body of research has shown that
pregnant women's exposure to harmful chemicals can increase the
changes of cognitive and neurological impairment and cancer
later in life. If pregnant women receive information about
environmental health, they will be better equipped to make more
informed decisions and possibly reduce their exposure to harmful
reproductive toxins. In this way, women can help reduce the
chances that their children will suffer from lifelong or future
health conditions, such as cancer.
According to DPH the PSP PEI was last updated in April 2013, and
at that time 800,000 booklets were printed, about a year's
supply. DPH plans to update the information again in the Spring
of 2014.
SB 460
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The Breast Cancer Fund is the sponsor of this bill and writes,
although it is not common knowledge, scientists now know that
breast cancer begins in the womb. A fetus is exposed to
hundreds, if not thousands, of chemicals during gestation. The
placenta, once thought to be a barrier, cannot filter these
chemicals and as a result, babies are now born "pre-polluted,"
their bodies carrying the burden of hundreds of chemicals before
they even breathe air. These chemicals can be found in
household products like canned food, cleaning products,
cosmetics, cookware, toys, and furniture. This information will
educate women about the importance of avoiding hazardous
substances in every day consumer products during their
pregnancy.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,
District IX-California, writes in support of this bill that, a
startling amount of new scientific evidence shows the impact of
environmental exposures on reproductive health including fetal
and childhood development. There is a history of the Prenatal
Screening Program patient education information being used for
purposes other than prenatal screening with one page devoted to
information about umbilical cord blood banking. Toxic exposure
information, especially about how to reduce exposures, is
critical, time sensitive information and as obstetricians, they
believe the Prenatal Patient Booklet is an excellent vehicle to
share that information, as all pregnant patients already receive
the Prenatal Patient Booklet.
Analysis Prepared by : Lara Flynn / HEALTH / (916) 319-2097
FN: 0001986