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AB-2360 Emergency response advisory working group.(2021-2022)



Current Version: 06/08/22 - Amended Senate

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AB2360:v96#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Senate  June 08, 2022
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 07, 2022
Amended  IN  Assembly  March 24, 2022

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 2360

Introduced by Assembly Member Arambula
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Rodriguez)

February 16, 2022

An act to add and repeal Section 1399.875 155 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to public health.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2360, as amended, Arambula. Emergency response advisory working group.
Existing law establishes the Office of Health Equity in the State Department of Public Health for the purposes of aligning state resources, decisionmaking, and programs to accomplish certain goals related to, among others, health equity and protecting vulnerable communities. Existing law requires the office to perform certain functions in connection to multicultural health. Existing law also requires the department to biennially prepare and submit a report to the Legislature on the status of these activities.
This bill would, subject to an appropriation of funds, require the Office of Health Equity to convene an advisory working group, consisting of specified stakeholders, to develop tools and protocols for the future allocation of funds to reduce racial disparities in recovery, response, and repair efforts following state and local emergencies. Additionally, the bill would require the advisory working group to submit a report with its findings and recommendations to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2025, and make that report available to the public by posting it on the State Department of Public Health’s internet website. The bill would require the advisory working group in preparing the report to evaluate the unmet needs among various communities during the COVID-19 pandemic and with respect to up to five other recent emergency funding allocations stratified by local health jurisdiction, county, and Senate and Assembly legislative district. These provisions would be repealed on January 1, 2029. The bill would also make related findings and declarations.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) Social determinants of health are the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. Structural inequities that exist within these determinants are the source of the health and economic disparities that have been documented throughout the response and recovery from COVID-19.
(b) COVID-19 revealed the cracks in our public health and emergency response infrastructure. Our lack of a comprehensive and collaborative emergency response system of care exacerbated the inequities and disproportionality that historically disinvested communities faced.
(c) Policy and funding decisions should be subject to strict accountability to ensure program goals are met by including historically disinvested community representation; as a result of repeatedly bearing the impacts of unintended or intended consequences of past policies and decisions, historically disinvested communities have the most viable solutions. Expenditures should not perpetuate, extend, or create preventable harm, or otherwise disproportionately or negatively impact communities.
SEC. 2.Section 1399.875 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:
1399.875.

SEC. 2.

 Section 155 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

155.
 (a) (1) Subject to an appropriation of funds by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or other measure made for purposes of this section, the Office of Health Equity within the State Department of Public Health, in consultation with public health advocates and other subject matter experts, shall convene an advisory working group, on or before March 31, 2023, to develop tools and protocols for the future allocation of funds to reduce racial disparities in recovery, response, and repair efforts following state and local emergencies.
(2) The advisory working group shall include, but is not limited to, a representative from all of the following stakeholders:
(A) The Office of Health Equity within the State Department of Public Health.
(B) A local public health department.
(C) At least three leaders of community-based organizations representing three different jurisdictions in the state.
(b) (1) The advisory working group shall submit a report to the Legislature with its findings and recommendations, pursuant to subdivision (a), on or before January 1, 2025, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code. The advisory working group shall make the report available to the public by posting it on the department’s internet website.
(2) In preparing the report, the advisory working group shall, at minimum, evaluate and report on both of the following:
(A) The unmet needs among Black, Indigenous, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, unstably housed or homeless communities, LGBTQ individuals, and individuals with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and with respect to up to five other recent emergency funding allocations stratified by local health jurisdiction, county, and Senate and Assembly legislative district.
(B) Recommendations for funding priorities to address the unmet needs in future state and local emergencies.
(c) This section is repealed on January 1, 2029.