SB 1041

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law, the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act of 1991, establishes the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (Program) , which is administered by the State Department of Public Health. Existing law requires the department to adopt regulations establishing a standard of care at least as stringent as the most recent United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention screening guidelines. Existing law provides that the standard of care shall require a child who is determined to be at risk for lead poisoning to be screened. Existing regulations require every health care provider who performs a periodic health assessment of a child to order a child who receives services from a publicly funded program for low-income children to be screened for lead poisoning. Existing law requires the department to collect and analyze all information necessary to effectively monitor appropriate case management efforts, prepare a biennial report on this material, and disseminate the report to local health departments and the general public. This bill would make it a goal of the state that all children at risk of lead exposure receive blood lead screening tests, and would require the department to take action, and to require local agencies to take action, necessary to ensure these goals are met. By requiring local agencies to take action to meet these goals, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department to notify health care providers who perform periodic health assessments for children about, and would require those health care providers to inform parents and guardians about, the childhood lead exposure and blood lead screening tests, as specified. The bill would require the department to report on additional content, including the total number of children enrolled in Medi-Cal and who have secured blood lead screening tests. The bill would specify that any material in the report comply with state and federal privacy laws. The bill would require the department to prominently post the biennial report on the Internet Web site. The bill would require the department to collaborate with the State Department of Health Care Services to collect and analyze information related to children enrolled in Medi-Cal. Existing law requires the department to, by March 1, 2019, and by March 1 of each year thereafter, prepare and prominently post on its Internet Web site information that evaluates the department's progress in meeting the program goals. This bill would require the information to include the biennial report. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 105295 of the Health and Safety Code proposed by SB 1097 to be operative only if this bill and SB 1097 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.