Bill Text: CA SB1278 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

California Senate Bill 1278 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Office of Binational Border Health.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-05-25 - May 25 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. [SB1278 Detail]

Download: California-2017-SB1278-Amended.html

Amended IN Senate April 16, 2018

Amended IN Senate April 02, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 1278

Introduced by Senator Hueso

February 16, 2018

An act to amend Section 475 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to the Office of Binational Border Health.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 1278, as amended, Hueso. Office of Binational Border Health.

Existing law ~~required the former State Department of Health Services to establish a permanent~~ establishes an Office of Binational Border Health within the State Department of Public Health to facilitate cooperation between health officials and health professionals in California and Mexico, to reduce the risk of disease in the California border region, and in those areas directly affected by border health conditions. Existing law requires the office to convene a voluntary community advisory group with no more than 12 California representatives, including a representative from an association of local health officers specializing in border health issues. Existing law requires the advisory group to develop a strategic plan, and requires the office to prepare an annual border health status report and to submit the report to the Director of Public Health, the Legislature, and the Governor.

This bill would require that 2 members of the advisory group represent local nonprofit organizations or community-based organizations that provide services related to border health, with one member from San Diego and one member from the Imperial Valley. The bill would require the advisory group to update the strategic plan every 2 years, and would require the plan to include, among other things, solutions to address challenges to binational cooperation and communication relating to health. The bill would require the office to post the strategic plan and any updates to the strategic plan on its Internet Web site. The bill would also require the office’s annual border health status report to identify and recommend changes in law necessary to achieve the goals of the office.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 475 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

475.

(a) (1) The State Department of Public Health shall establish a permanent Office of Binational Border Health to facilitate cooperation between health officials and health professionals in California and Mexico, to reduce the risk of disease in the California border region, and in those areas directly affected by border health conditions.

(2) The department shall administer the office, and shall seek available public or private funding, or both, to support the activities of the office.

(b) (1) The Office of Binational Border Health shall convene a voluntary community advisory group of representatives of border community-based stakeholders to develop a strategic plan with short-term, intermediate, and long-range goals and implementation actions.

(2) The advisory group shall include no more than 12 California representatives. The advisory group shall include, but not be limited to, members from local government, hospitals, health plans, community-based organizations, universities, and Los Angeles, San Diego, and Imperial County health departments. One member shall be a representative from an association of local health officers specializing in border health issues, one member shall be a representative of a local nonprofit organization or community-based organization in San Diego that provides services related to border health, and one member shall be a representative of a local nonprofit organization or community-based organization in the Imperial Valley that provides services related to border health. The office shall invite and request appropriate participation from representatives of the Baja California health department and other Mexican health departments affected by border health issues.

(3) The advisory group shall update the strategic plan every two years. The strategic plan shall include recommended solutions to address challenges to binational cooperation and communication relating to health, and to address and remediate problems associated with health at the local, state, and federal levels. Recommendations resulting from the strategic plan shall be developed and shared in consultation with the California appointees to the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission established pursuant to Section 290n of Title 22 of the United States Code, including the Director of Public Health.

(4) The office shall post the strategic plan and any updates to the strategic plan on its Internet Web site in a manner accessible to the public.

(c) The office shall prepare an annual border health status report, and shall submit it the report to the Director of Public Health, the Legislature, and the Governor. The report shall identify and recommend changes in law necessary to achieve the goals of the office.