BILL NUMBER: SB 291	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Lara

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2015

   An act to amend Section 152 of the Health and Safety Code,
relating to public health.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 291, as introduced, Lara. Office of Health Equity.
   Existing law establishes the Office of Health Equity within the
State Department of Public Health for the purposes of aligning state
resources, decisionmaking, and programs to accomplish various goals
relating to health, and requires the office to perform various duties
specifically relating to multicultural health.
   This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to these
provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 152 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to
read:
   152.  (a) The  State Department of Public Health 
Office of Health Equity  within the State Department of Public
Health  shall do all of the following:
   (1) Perform strategic planning to develop departmentwide plans for
implementation of goals and objectives to close the gaps in health
status and access to care among the state's diverse racial and ethnic
communities, women, persons with disabilities, and the lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQQ) communities.
   (2) Conduct departmental policy analysis on specific issues
related to multicultural health.
   (3) Coordinate projects funded by the state that are related to
improving the effectiveness of services to ethnic and racial
communities, women, and the LGBTQQ communities.
   (4) Identify the unnecessary duplication of services and future
service needs.
   (5) Communicate and disseminate information and perform a liaison
function within the department and to providers of health, social,
educational, and support services to racial and ethnic communities,
women, persons with disabilities, and the LGBTQQ communities. The
department shall consult regularly with representatives from diverse
racial and ethnic communities, women, persons with disabilities, and
the LGBTQQ communities, including health providers, advocates, and
consumers.
   (6) Perform internal staff training, an internal assessment of
cultural competency, and training of health care professionals to
ensure more linguistically and culturally competent care.
   (7) Serve as a resource for ensuring that programs collect and
keep data and information regarding ethnic and racial health
statistics, including those statistics described in reports released
by Healthy People 2020, and information based on sexual orientation,
gender identity, and gender expression, strategies and programs that
address multicultural health issues, including, but not limited to,
infant and maternal mortality, cancer, cardiovascular disease,
diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), child and adult immunization,
osteoporosis, menopause, and full reproductive health, asthma,
unintentional and intentional injury, and obesity, as well as issues
that impact the health of racial and ethnic communities, women, and
the LGBTQQ communities, including substance abuse, mental health,
housing, teenage pregnancy, environmental disparities, immigrant and
migrant health, and health insurance and delivery systems.
   (8) Encourage innovative responses by public and private entities
that are attempting to address multicultural health issues.
   (9) Provide technical assistance to counties, other public
entities, and private entities seeking to obtain funds for
initiatives in multicultural health, including identification of
funding sources and assistance with writing grants.
   (b) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the
State Department of Public Health shall biennially prepare and submit
a report to the Legislature on the status of the activities required
by this chapter. This report shall be included in the report
required under paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 131019.5.