Public Health
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed a bill (AB 203) by the Assembly Budget Committee that specifies the Department of Public Health's responsibilities for providing information during the state budget process. The bill also makes revisions to existing state laws, including:
- Extending the deadline to distribute federal funds intended for bioterrorism preparedness and emergency response efforts;
- Requiring the list of drugs covered under the AIDS Drug Assistance Program to be developed in consultation with the program's medical advisory committee; and
- Permitting California to develop a program to expedite enrollment of uninsured parents in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (Bill Text, 8/21).