Special Populations
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 8-5 to pass AB 2560 by Assembly member Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) (Bill status, 8/17). The measure would create a Public School Health Center Support Program to oversee the establishment, retention or expansion of school health centers in collaboration with the Department of Education. Under the legislation, DHS would be responsible for maintaining a database of services provided by school health centers, as well as information on health issues that are unique to school-age children, such as childhood obesity, asthma and immunizations. The bill would require the education department and other programs to provide technical assistance to promote new school health centers and expand and retain existing health centers (Bill text, 8/8).
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 8-5 to pass AB 774 by Assembly member Wilma Chan (D-Oakland) (Bill status, 8/17). The bill would require hospitals to submit to the Department of Health Services their policies, eligibility criteria, review processes and applications for discounted or charity care. The measure would allow DHS to impose administrative penalties for violating those policies. In addition, hospitals that overcharge patients would have to provide reimbursement or use the funds to provide care to patients eligible for discounted or no-cost services (Bill text, 8/7).