Health Financing

SB 267 by Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) was amended to eliminate provisions that would have established a Trauma Care Fund and a competitive grant system for local Emergency Medical Services agencies. The bill now addresses the California High School Exit Exam and students with disabilities (Bill text, 6/19).

SB 1350 by Romero also addresses a state trauma fund. The measure was amended to require the Emergency Medical Services Authority to establish regulations by July 1, 2008, to institute a statewide trauma system. Under the bill, trauma care regions within the statewide system would be required to develop a plan to provide trauma care coverage to the entire region. The legislation would require a competitive grant-based system to be developed based on the number of uninsured patients a trauma center treats (Bill text, 6/21).