Legislature Reaches Fiscal Bill Deadline, One Week Remains before Summer Recess
Today is the deadline for the California Legislature policy committees to hear and report all fiscal bills, which resulted in a busy week of committee hearings and amendments to bills. Next Friday, July 6 is the deadline for policy committees to hear and report all non-fiscal bills and also the start of the Legislature’s month-long summer recess.
Below, we highlight actions of significant interest to CHEAC Members. For a full update, this week’s version of the CHEAC Weekly Bill Chart is available here.
Chronic Disease Prevention and Wellness Promotion
AB 1335 (Bonta) as amended on June 20, 2018 – Support
Assembly Member Rob Bonta’s AB 1335 was heard in the Senate Health Committee this week. The measure would require the labels of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) to bear the safety warning, “STATE OF CALIFORNIA SAFETY WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and tooth-decay.” The safety warnings would also be required for vending machines, dispensing machines, and points of purchase for any sealed SSBs. In 2017, SB 300 (Monning) proposed the same requirements, but the bill did not receive a hearing its first policy committee. AB 1335 was advanced from the Senate Health Committee to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday.
SB 1192 (Monning) as amended on June 12, 2018 – Support
SB 1192 by Senator Bill Monning would require restaurants selling children’s meals to make the default beverage with that meal either water, sparkling water, or flavored water or unflavored milk or nondairy milk alternative. Customers would be able to receive a different drink upon request. The measure would also require the beverage listed or displayed on restaurant menus or advertisements for children’s meals to be one of the default beverages. SB 1192 was advanced from the Assembly Appropriations Committee to the Assembly Floor on Wednesday.
Communicable Disease Control
AB 2892 (Quirk) as amended on May 25, 2018 – Support
Assembly Member Bill Quirk’s AB 2892 was heard in the Senate Health Committee this week. The measure would establish the California Mosquito Surveillance and Research Program within the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) tasked with maintaining an interactive website for the management and dissemination of mosquito-borne virus and surveillance control data, providing confirmation of tests completed by local and state agencies, and working in collaboration with local mosquito abatement and vector control districts to conduct research. On Wednesday, AB 2892 was advanced to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Drug and Alcohol Services
SB 275 (Portantino) as amended on June 28, 2018 – Support
SB 275 by Senator Anthony Portantino would require the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to convene an expert panel and adopt regulations based on the expert panel’s recommendations to establish youth substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, early intervention, and prevention quality standards for California youth. The measure would also require each county to designate a single public agency to be responsible for administering youth SUD treatment services within the county and require the agency to comply with the standards adopted by DHCS. SB 275 was advanced by the Assembly Health Committee to the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Tuesday.
Environmental Health
SB 212 (Jackson) as revised on June 27, 2018 – Support
Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson’s SB 212 was heard in the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee this week. SB 212 would establish a comprehensive statewide pharmaceutical and sharps waste stewardship program and require covered pharmaceutical manufacturers to participate in or establish and implement a stewardship program. Stewardship program operators would be required to submit to CalRecycle a stewardship plan that details participating manufacturers, handling, transportation, and disposal procedures, and collection system arrangements. The measure specifies the minimum number of collection sites in counties and requires covered pharmaceutical manufacturers to pay all administrative and operational costs of stewardship the stewardship program. SB 212 was advanced by the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee to the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Tuesday.
Health Coverage/Health Care Reform
AB 11 (McCarty) as amended on June 18, 2018 – Support
Assembly Member Kevin McCarty’s AB 11 was advanced by the Senate Health Committee to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. AB 11 would require screening services under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) Program to include developmental screening services for individuals zero to three years of age.
Tobacco Control
SB 835 (Glazer) as amended on March 20, 2018 – Support
SB 836 (Glazer) as amended on May 15, 2018 – Support
SB 835 and SB 836 by Senator Steven Glazer were heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee this week. SB 835 would ban smoking and disposal of cigar and cigarette waste at all state parks, and SB 836 would ban the same at all coastal beaches. The measures were placed on the Assembly Appropriations suspense file where they will be considered at a later date.