Policy Committees Resume Hearings
After last week’s legislative deadline for bills to be passed out of their house of origin, policy committees in both houses met to resume hearings. Many bills are still awaiting policy committee assignments, and the next several weeks are shaping up to be quite busy as we move toward the next legislative deadline in July.
Below, we highlight bills of interest to CHEAC Members. This week’s full bill list is available here.
Cannabis
AB 175 (Chau) as amended on 5/30/17 – Support
The CHEAC Legislative Committee this week moved to support Assembly Member Ed Chau’s AB 175, which would require adult use cannabis manufacturers, prior to releasing cannabis-infused edible products, to receive product packaging and labeling approval from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). This measure works to ensure compliance with CDPH cannabis regulations, including the requirements that packaging be child resistant and not attractive to children. AB 175 is assigned to the Senate Transportation & Housing Committee where it awaits a hearing date.
Local Health Department Administration
AB 1250 (Jones-Sawyer) as amended on 5/30/17 – Oppose
AB 1250, introduced by Assembly Member Reginald Jones-Sawyer, Sr., awaits committee assignment in the Senate. The measure specifies an extensive list of criteria that must be met when counties and cities contract out for personal services, including provisions related to cost savings, displacement of county and city employees, competitive bidding processes, and performance standards. Counties and cities would also be required to conduct an audit to determine cost savings through contracts, and would not be able to renew contracts prior to those audits. For contracts exceeding $100,000 annually, the measure imposes additional public disclosure requirements. Certain intergovernmental contracting is permitted and services such as public transit and public works are exempted.
This bill poses significant challenges related to local health department administration, as well as general local government operations. CHEAC has joined the California Association of Counties (CSAC) in opposing this bill.
Communicable Disease Control
AB 1279 (Salas) as amended on 5/30/17 – Watch
Assembly Member Rudy Salas’ AB 1279 is currently in the Senate awaiting policy committee assignment. The measure requires counties to find and report to CDPH every confirmed case of valley fever within their jurisdiction in a timely manner. CDPH is also required to post confirmed cases online, establish an enhanced monitoring system to track confirmed cases, conduct annual public outreach, and establish a workgroup consisting of five health officers from the counties with the highest incidences of valley fever. The Health Officers Association of California (HOAC) recently removed their opposition to the bill. It should be noted that the Budget Conference Committee did not approve funding for enhanced valley fever monitoring and education programs this week.