AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 30, 2017

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 25, 2017

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 6, 2017
california legislature201718 regular session

ASSEMBLY BILL No. 1279

Introduced by Assembly Member Salas

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Cunningham and Fong)

February 17, 2017

An act to add Chapter 18.5 (commencing with Section 26165) to

Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to public health,
and making an appropriation therefor. health.

legislative counsels digest

AB 1279, as amended, Salas. Valley fever.
(1)Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to
establish a list of reportable communicable and noncommunicable
diseases and conditions and specify the timeliness requirements related
to the reporting of each disease and condition. Existing law also supports
research into the development of a vaccine to protect against valley
fever (coccidioidomycosis).
This bill would require each county to ascertain and report the
existence of every confirmed case of valley fever to the department in
a timely manner. By requiring the county to perform a new duty to
collect and report information, this bill would impose a state-mandated
local program.
The bill would require the department to establish a workgroup that
includes health officers from the 5 counties with the highest incidence
incidences of valley fever and to implement an enhanced monitoring

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system that tracks cases of valley fever in the state. state, and to develop
an annual outreach program to educate the public about valley fever.
The bill would require the department to post confirmed cases of valley
fever on its Internet Web site. The bill would require the department to
conduct an annual outreach program to educate the public about valley
fever. The bill would appropriate $2,000,000 from the General Fund
to the department to fund research equipment, enhanced monitoring,
and public outreach related to valley fever.
By requiring counties to perform a new duty to collect and report
information, and requiring select counties to participate in a workgroup,
this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(2)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.
Vote: 23 majority. Appropriation: yes no. Fiscal committee:
yes. State-mandated local program: yes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

line 1 SECTION 1. Chapter 18.5 (commencing with Section 26165)

line 2 is added to Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:
line 3
line 4 Chapter 18.5. Valley Fever Reporting
line 5
line 6 26165. (a)Each county shall ascertain and report the existence
line 7 of every confirmed case of valley fever to the department in a
line 8 timely manner.
line 9 (b)The department shall post all confirmed cases of valley fever
line 10 on its Internet Web site.
line 11 26167. (a)The department shall establish an enhanced
line 12 monitoring system to track confirmed cases of valley fever
line 13 throughout the state.
line 14 (b)In order to improve timely and accurate monitoring for valley
line 15 fever, the department shall establish a workgroup that shall include
line 16 health officers from the five counties with the highest incidence
line 17 incidences of valley fever, as determined by the department.

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line 1 26168. The department workgroup described in subdivision

line 2 (b) of Section 26167 shall conduct develop an annual public
line 3 outreach program to educate the public about valley fever.
line 4 26169. For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions
line 5 shall apply:
line 6 (a)Department means the State Department of Public Health.
line 7 (b)Valley fever means coccidioidomycosis.
line 8 SEC. 2. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
line 9 this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
line 10 local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
line 11 pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
line 12 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
line 13 SEC. 3. The sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) is hereby
line 14 appropriated from the General Fund to the State Department of
line 15 Public Health for the purpose of funding research equipment,
line 16 enhanced monitoring, and public outreach related to valley fever,
line 17 also known as coccidioidomycosis.

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