BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session AB 1149 (Wood) - Public health emergencies: funding ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: February 27, 2015 |Policy Vote: HEALTH 9 - 0 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: Yes |Mandate: No | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: June 22, 2015 |Consultant: Brendan McCarthy | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- This bill does not meet the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: AB 1149 would add trade associations to the eligible recipients of federal funding for bioterrorism preparedness and emergency response. Fiscal Impact: Minor cost pressures to provide funding to trade associations, rather than to facilities directly (federal funds). By authorizing trade associations to receive federal funding (via the Department of Public Health), individual health facilities may not receive funding directly. However, given the very large number of health facilities in the state, it is not practical for the Department to grant enough funds to individual AB 1149 (Wood) Page 1 of ? facilities to have a practical benefit. Using trade associations can be a cost-effective way to disseminate information and best practices to individual facilities. Background: Under current law, the Department of Public Health receives federal funding for bioterrorism preparedness and emergency response. Those funds are allocated to local governments and to hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, emergency medical systems, and poison control centers. The Department of Public Health had previously provided funding to trade associations (particularly for the trade association representing long-term care facilities) because it was not practical to provide funding to each of the very large number of facilities in the state. A recent legal opinion by Department staff indicates that providing funds to trade associations is not authorized in law. Proposed Law: AB 1149 would add trade associations to the eligible recipients of federal funding for bioterrorism preparedness and emergency response. This bill is an urgency measure. Related Legislation: AB 1793 (Yamada, Statutes of 2012) eliminated the former sunset date on this program and added long-term health care facilities to the eligible recipients (such facilities had previously been provided funding, until a Department legal opinion indicated they were not specifically eligible). Staff Comments: In the current fiscal year, $74 million in federal funds has been appropriated for this program. -- END -- AB 1149 (Wood) Page 2 of ?