Davis Vetoes, Cuts Funding From Some Health Related-Measures
Citing the state's "worsening economic situation," Gov. Gray Davis (D) yesterday cut funding from some health care-related measures and vetoed others entirely, the Fresno Bee reports. Davis signed a bill (SB 664) that commissioned a study of admissions processes for state community college nursing programs, but he "slashed" the $130,000 appropriated to complete the report. In his signing message, Davis requested that the California Postsecondary Education Commission provide funding for the study. Davis vetoed a bill (AB 1279) that would have appropriated $2 million to improve rural health care. The bill, sponsored by Assembly member Sarah Reyes (D-Fresno), would have funded expanded evening and weekend hours for rural clinics and providers. In vetoing the bill, Davis said that $17.8 million had already been spent on "similar" projects (Maxwell, Fresno Bee, 10/4). Davis also vetoed a bill (SB 760) by Sen. Kevin Murray (D-Culver City) that would have appropriated $1 million to help medical students repay their loans if they agree to practice in medically underserved areas. Davis said that such financial assistance should come from the areas that "benefit" from the additional physicians (AP/San Jose Mercury News, 10/4). Davis also recently vetoed a bill (AB 1061) sponsored by Assembly member Richard Dickerson (R-Redding) that would have allowed authorized school personnel to help students take non-prescription medications, as long as a parent or guardian had given permission.
Davis did sign other health care-related measures, including:
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AB 334: Sponsored by Assembly member Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), the bill revises existing law on community-based mental health care. The new law revises the training, consultation and technical assistance that the Department of Mental Health is required to provide for counties.
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AB 402: Sponsored by Assembly member Lou Papan (D-Millbrae), the bill creates the Lupus Foundation of American, California Chapters Fund and allows taxpayers to donate to the fund through their income tax returns.
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AB 559: Sponsored by Assembly member Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa), the bill allows school districts to provide emergency epinephrine auto-injectors to trained school personnel so the drug can be given to any person having an anaphylactic reaction.
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AB 652: Sponsored by Assembly member Jerome Horton (D-Inglewood), the bill requests that the University of California Regents report to the Legislature on the university's efforts to recruit students from "underserved" areas for its medical, dental and optometric schools.
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AB 1589: Sponsored by Assembly member Joseph Simitian (D-Palto Alto), the bill requires the state Medical Board to conduct a study evaluating the electronic transmission of non-controlled prescriptions and hospital drug orders (Office of the Governor release, 10/3).
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SB 349, sponsored by the Senate Committee on Business and Professions, the measure amends current health professional licensing laws (Office of the Governor release, 10/3).
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SB 683: Sponsored by Sen. Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento), the bill mandates that "no part" of the confidential information from the Ken Maddy California Cancer Registry or the Birth Defects Monitoring Program be subject to subpoena discoverable in a court proceeding.
- SB 1180: Sponsored by the Senate Public Employees Retirement Committee, the bill allows Protection and Advocacy Inc. to contract for health coverage through CalPERS (Office of the Governor release, 10/3).
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