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HR-74 (2021-2022)



Current Version: 09/01/21 - Introduced

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HR74:v99#DOCUMENT

Revised  September 03, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

House Resolution
No. 74

Introduced by Assembly Member Akilah Weber
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Aguiar-Curry, Arambula, Bauer-Kahan, Berman, Bloom, Boerner Horvath, Bryan, Burke, Calderon, Carrillo, Cervantes, Chau, Chiu, Cooley, Cooper, Daly, Frazier, Friedman, Gabriel, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, Lorena Gonzalez, Gray, Grayson, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Lee, Levine, Low, Maienschein, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, O’Donnell, Petrie-Norris, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Reyes, Luz Rivas, Robert Rivas, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Stone, Ting, Villapudua, Ward, and Wicks)

September 01, 2021

Relative to health misinformation.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


HR 74, as introduced, Akilah Weber.
WHEREAS, Health misinformation has significantly undermined public health efforts, and the unmitigated proliferation of health misinformation has created a culture of mistrust and has prolonged the COVID-19 pandemic, endangering the health and safety of all Californians; and
WHEREAS, The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in 4,222,663 confirmed cases and 65,287 confirmed deaths in the State of California, as of August 31, 2021; and
WHEREAS, The spread of COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on our health and safety, our statewide, regional, and local economies, our communities of color, the educational development of our children, and every aspect of our lives; and
WHEREAS, The COVID-19 vaccines available under emergency use authorization have met the rigorous scientific standards set forth by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality, and have demonstrated that their benefits outweigh their risks; and
WHEREAS, The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has received full FDA approval and has been proven to be highly effective in preventing serious disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, These COVID-19 vaccines are available to eligible Californians at no out-of-pocket cost, regardless of income, and are administered by health care professionals, including nurses and physicians; and
WHEREAS, Misinformation has caused confusion and nationally has led to many eligible individuals declining COVID-19 vaccines, rejecting public health measures relating to masking or physical distancing, and using unproven treatments; and
WHEREAS, On July 15, 2021, the United States Surgeon General issued an advisory and statement describing the “urgent threat” posed by the rise of false information about COVID-19 – a threat that continues to put “lives at risk” and prolong the pandemic; and
WHEREAS, Recent surges in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations have highlighted the importance of clear and unequivocal communications from public officials that authorized or approved vaccines are the best protection against severe illness and hospitalization; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That health misinformation is declared a public health crisis, and that the State of California is urged to commit to appropriately combating health misinformation and curbing the spread of falsehoods that threaten the health and safety of Californians; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
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REVISIONS:
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