On Thursday, the Department of Finance (DOF) issued a two-page budget letter directing all state agencies and departments to immediately undertake specified actions to reduce current year expenditures amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Pointing to the significant economic impact from COVID-19, DOF indicates that revenue decreases and cost increases are expected to last for several…
Read More »Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed Executive Order N-58-20 allowing adults to obtain a marriage license, at the discretion of their local county clerk, via videoconferencing as long as both adults are located within the State of California, are present, and can present identification during the video conference. The license can then be issued via…
Read More »On Tuesday, the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) published a report summarizing recent federal legislative and other actions to allocate funding to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The post details federal emergency funding streams and the process by which federal COVID-19-related funding will flow to public and private entities throughout the state. The full LAO…
Read More »This week, several federal developments related to the oversight and accountability of COVID-19 response funding and activities occurred. Below, we detail these actions: Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Names Leader, Establishes Website The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) this week announced a series of developments, including the appointment of its executive director and U.S. House of…
Read More »A coalition of national public health organizations and associations, including the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), and the National Coalition of STD Directors, released a $7.6 billion federal emergency supplemental funding request to support an expanded and robust nationwide contact tracing workforce…
Read More »The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative invites local health departments to a webinar entitled, “Health Equity and COVID-19: Opportunities to Improve Child Wellbeing through Policy. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, May 13 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm and will feature a special guest presentation from Dr….
Read More »The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a new grant program to provide funds to states, local governments, tribes, and U.S. territories to work collaboratively with environmental justice communities to understand, promote, and integrate approaches to provide meaningful and measurable improvements to public health and the environment in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. These…
Read More »On Monday, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 on Budget Process, Oversight, and Program Evaluation convened an oversight hearing regarding the Newsom Administration’s ongoing COVID-19 response activities. Monday’s hearing had approximately 11 Assembly Members in attendance with members physically distanced and panelists participating via videoconferencing. Budget Subcommittee No. 6 Chair Assembly Member Phil Ting opened…
Read More »Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a series of initiatives to support vulnerable older adults in California who are isolating at home during the statewide stay-at-home order. The initiatives announced today focus on providing older Californians with nutritious meals, social connection and support, and wellness checks. The initiatives include: Restaurants Deliver: Home Meals for Seniors California…
Read More »This week, Governor Gavin Newsom issued two executive orders amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These orders include: Foster Youth Services Newsom late last week issued Executive Order N-53-20 allowing for temporary waivers of certain youth programs to ensure the continuity of care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The executive order provides county welfare agencies…
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