Written by Imperial Valley News
Sacramento, CA - Scores of bills were heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee today, and included among the passing measures was a bill authored by Assemblymember V. Manuel Pérez (D-Coachella).
AB 2093 protects access to vaccines, by ensuring that those insured do not have to pay additional out-of-pocket expenses for childhood vaccinations, while also requiring that doctors are fully reimbursed for the costs of administering them. Currently, private practice physicians are not fully reimbursed for these costs, and many are considering charging parents upfront fees for such shots or no longer offering them. This places public health at risk. The bill passed the Committee on a vote of 7-1 and moves next to the Senate Floor.
In addition, the Committee referred five non-fiscal bills by Pérez directly to the Senate Floor for consideration:
AB 1846 will facilitate timely compliance with California’s climate change rules, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and spur job creation. It allows state water and air agencies the discretion to use a focused environmental impact report for projects that install pollution control equipment or change their raw material formulations to a more sustainable product for the purposes of complying with the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32).
AB 2037 seeks to reduce air pollution in border communities by only authorizing the approval of energy contracts to out-of-state power plants that meet California emissions standards. In order to gain contract approval, plants must meet Best Available Control Technology standards for controlling their air pollution emissions.
AB 2147 adds criteria to the state’s Safe Routes to School funding program, ensuring that disadvantaged communities have equitable access to it and that the grant making process includes the participation of community stakeholders. Disadvantaged communities, such as those in rural and unincorporated areas, frequently lack basic infrastructure like sidewalks that enable children to be active and safe.
AB 2443 promotes transparency between the legislative and executive branches by requiring the Administration to provide the Legislature with copies of any official position taken or comments made to the US Trade Representative relating to a pending trade agreement.
Amendments to AB 2669 will ensure that notifications about water quality violations are provided to communities both in English, as well as the predominant language spoken by the impacted community. Such a provision previously existed in water regulations but was omitted in a recent update. The bill also corrects an oversight in the guidelines for the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, by ensuring that the costs of environmental documentation are included as eligible costs for grants awarded through the program.
Meanwhile, five other bills have been referred to the Senate Appropriation Committee’s suspense file, and they will be taken up at a subsequent hearing before the August 13 constitutional deadline:
AB 1378 helps ensure that veterans obtain competitive workforce skills for the new green economy. It also promotes accountability by requiring an evaluation of veterans’ related workforce development programs.
AB 1558 completes the codification of the Little Hoover Commission Report on the state's economic and workforce development programs by requiring that the State Economic Development Strategy be submitted to the Legislature by July 1, 2011.
AB 2354 makes sure our state is ready to compete for federal grant opportunities related to the use of community health workers, also known as promotores. It will give California the tools it needs to draw down funding that will create jobs for this critical workforce, while also promoting positive health behaviors and outcomes.
AB 2437 authorizes the establishment of the California Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2010 for the purpose of supporting the retooling and expansion of California's manufacturing facilities to retain and create quality jobs.
AB 2515 requires the Department of Public Health (DPH) to develop emergency, interim regulations that would expedite the permitted use of filters for contaminated water systems, thereby improving access to clean, drinking water for the state’s impacted communities, including in the Eastern Coachella Valley where arsenic contamination of ground water is a serious public health threat. The bill would additionally authorize the DPH, during the interim period, to award grants to eligible communities for the purchase of filters.
