BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session SB 115 (Fuller) - Valley fever ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: April 20, 2015 |Policy Vote: HEALTH 9 - 0 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: No | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: May 11, 2015 |Consultant: Brendan McCarthy | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: SB 115 would appropriate $1 million from the General Fund to the Department of Public Health to support research into a vaccine for Valley Fever. Fiscal Impact: $1 million appropriation from the General Fund. Background: Valley Fever is an infection that is caused when a person inhales certain fungal spores. In California, Valley Fever is most common in central valley counties. While most individuals who are exposed to the fungal spores that cause Valley Fever experience no symptoms or mild symptoms, in some cases serious medical complications occur. Current law authorizes the Department of Public Health to SB 115 (Fuller) Page 1 of ? support research into potential vaccines for Valley Fever with any funds appropriated for that specific purpose. Current law also requires that if state-supported research is successful in developing an effective vaccine, the state shall be reimbursed for its contribution to the research in proportion to the state's contribution to the total cost of that research. Beginning in 1997, an effort to compile funding for Valley Fever research generated $700,000 from the General Fund and $1.5 million from the California HealthCare Foundation. Over the next decade a combination of federal, state, and private funds raised over $16 million. To date, no effective vaccine has been developed. Proposed Law: SB 115 would appropriate $1 million from the General Fund to the Department of Public Health to support research into a vaccine for Valley Fever. The bill would authorize $100,000 of that amount for administrative costs by the Department of Public Health. Related Legislation: AB 1955 (Ashburn, 2002), SB 1027 (Ashburn, 2003), and SB 492 (Ashburn, 2005) were all substantially similar to this bill. AB 1955 was held on this committee's Suspense File. SB 1027 and SB 492 were held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. -- END --