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Controlling Asthma in Los Angeles County: A Call to Action
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ASTHMA MANAGEMENT IN SCHOOLS
 AB 2560 (Ridley-Thomas)
If passed, it would establish a public school health center
program in the Department of Health Services that cooperates
with the California Department of Education to collect data
on health information from public school health centers to
include data on asthma. Also establishes an 11 member
advisory committee.
AB 315 (Hancock)
School facilities: energy efficiency: design standards. This
bill would require the state by July 1, 2007, to adopt
regulations to ensure that design standards for new school
facilities are in accordance in the Best Practices Manual
produced by the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS).
This bill requires the regulations to pay close attention to
energy efficiency; water efficiency; material use and indoor
environmental quality measures.
This bill passed the Assembly and is currently in the
Senate. On August 30, 2005, it was read for the second time
and approved for a third reading.
AB 2865 (Torrico)
The Health School Act of 2000 requires that the least toxic
method of pest management be implemented at schools. This
bill would include private child day care facilities. It
would also provide day care providers with information and
training on least toxic pest management techniques to create
a healthier environment for children.
AB 2865 was re-referred to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee on April 26, 2006.
AB 2825 (Ruskin)
School Sites: hazardous emissions and substances:
environmental impact. This bill would prevent facilities
emitting hazardous materials from locating within 1000 feet
of existing or pending school sites, and simultaneously
prohibit schools from being built within 1000 feet of toxic
industries. It will help make the school environment safer
and more protective, and limit the amount of toxins that
they, as well as school staff, are exposed to.
AB 2825 was referred to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee on May 4, 2006
AB 2826 (Ruskin)
The Toxic Clean-Up School Site: This bill would amend the
California Education Code relating to school facilities by
requiring more school expansion projects, including the use
of portable classrooms for more than six months, to be
reviewed by the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC).
This bill would ensure that more CA schools that require
environmental cleanup receive it. It will also provide
schools with important information before they begin any
major modernization or expansion project, which they can use
to make the most fiscally responsible decision.
On April 25, 2006 the bill was re-referred to the
Assembly Committee on Education.
AB 1137 (Dymally)
The bill would require the State Department of Education to
provide educational materials to each licensed child care
center, school district, and county office of education to
administer emergency medical aid to children, pupils, or
staff members suffering from an asthma or anaphylactic
emergency. It would require the department to develop
prerequisites for issuance of medication and equipment.
Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public
instruction to establish minimum standards of training for
the administration of epinephrine auto-injectors.
AIR POLLUTION
AB 888 (De La Torre 2005) 2-year bill
Air quality; generally requires air districts to adopt and
enforce rules and regulations for the control of emissions
from stationary sources, and from specified mobile,
indirect, and area-wide sources of air pollution in order to
achieve and maintain state and federal ambient air
standards. Designates the South Air Quality Management
District as the agency responsible for air pollution control
within the South Coast Air Basin.
SB 1601 (Lowenthal)
This bill would require a marine port to require, that the
lessee use Best Available Control Technology (BACT) to
reduce particulate matter (PM) and nitrous oxide (Nox)
emissions from specified source categories. SB 1601 would
require that on or before June 1, 2007, each district
develop and publish BACT guidelines aimed at reducing
particulate matter and emissions, as well as to determine
what measures constitute BACT for each source. The Bill
would require each district, for every year thereafter, in
consultation with the state board, to update its BACT
determinations for each source category.
On May 9, 2006 this bill was read for the third time by
the Senate Appropriations Committee, amended and awaiting a
second reading.
AB 32 (Nunez)
This bill would enact the California Global Warming
Solutions Act of 2006, which will require the state board to
adopt regulations on or before January 1, 2008, establishing
a program to monitor and report existing emissions and
changes in emissions of greenhouse gases from sources
identified by the state board and to monitor compliance with
emission limits on greenhouse gases.
The bill passed the Assembly and is currently in the
Senate. On April 18, 2006, AB 32 was read for the second
time, amended and re-referred to Committee on Environmental
Quality.
AB 1101 (Oropeza)
The Air Toxics “Hot Spots” Information and Assessment Act of
1987 requires the state board to compile a list of
substances that present a chronic and acute threat to the
public health when present in the air, subjects a facility
to prepare and submit to an air district a proposed
comprehensive emissions inventory plan for district
approval. The plan also requires a facility operator to
conduct a toxic air risk reduction audit and develop an
emissions reduction plan. It would require that the state
board, on or before July 1, 2007, prepare and make available
to the public a list of diesel magnet sources. The bill
would require that a diesel magnet source also comply with
the risk reduction audit and plan requirements.
AB 1101 passed the Assembly and was referred to the
Senate Transportation, Housing and Environmental Quality
Committees on February 9, 2006.
SB 459 (Romero) 2-year bill
Air pollution fees; authorizes the South Coast Air Quality
Management District to impose mitigation fee on railroads.
Railroad companies operating within Los Angeles, Orange,
Riverside or San Bernardino Counties are subject to fines if
they do not meet certain emissions limitations.
As of June 27, 2005 this bill was in the Assembly
Committee on Transportation awaiting a hearing date.
SB 760 (Lowenthal) 2-year bill
Congestion relief at ports: security enhancement,
environmental mitigation and user fees. It would impose user
fee of $30 at Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Funds
from the user fee be used to mitigate environmental
pollution caused by the movement of cargo, to alleviate
congestion on the highways serving the ports by improving
the rail system that transports shipments from and to those
ports and the on-dock rail facilities at those ports, and
for port security projects at the Port of Long Beach and the
Port of Los Angeles.
SB 762 (Lowenthal) 2-year bill
California Intermodal Port Congestion and Environmental
Quality District-Creates a port congestion and environmental
quality district which would reduce the overall port truck
fleet by not allowing the dirtiest trucks into the ports of
Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland.
SB 1205 (Escutia) 2-year-bill
The bill would create the Children’s Breathing Rights Act
which increases civil penalties for air pollution laws from
non-vehicular sources from $1,000 to $10,000 a day. After
June 1, 2007, the fine for chronic violators will increase
to $100,000. This fine will go into the funds to be used as:
25% to the State Board for enforcement and technology.
SB was placed on the Appropriations Committee suspense
file on May 8, 2006.
HEALTH CARE ACCESS
AB 264 (Chan. 2005) 2-yr. bill
This bill would require a health care service plan contract
to include coverage for outpatient training and education
that is necessary in order to use the medications and
devices prescribed for the treatment of pediatric asthma.
Because the bill would specify additional requirements for a
health care service plan, the violation of which would be a
crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program. (This
was originally a school a school health bill.)
This bill passed the assembly and is currently in the
Senate. As of March 29, AB 264 is awaiting a hearing in the
Senate Committee on Banking, Finance, and Insurance.
SB 437 (Escutia)
California Healthy Kids Insurance Program. This bill is a
twin bill to the vetoed AB 772 (Chan, 2005). It brings Medi-Cal
and Healthy Families together under a single program, the
California Healthy Kids Insurance Program, and streamlines
the enrollment process. It would also expand eligibility for
children’s health programs, by raising the ceiling from 250
percent to 300 percent of the federal poverty level.
AB 1111 (Frommer)
California Healthy Kids Fund: This bill would create a fund
in the State Treasury, where public and private
contributions would be deposited. It proposes establishing a
trust fund for the receipt of both public and private funds
to cover the costs of insuring all children. This bill would
only be enacted if SB 437 passes.
HOUSING/INDOOR AIR
AB 2160 (Lieu)
Green building guidelines. The bill would state the intent
of the Legislature to enact legislation requiring state
agencies to develop voluntary model statewide residential
green building guidelines and to provide information to
local jurisdictions on how to evaluate and use different
green building strategies.
AB 2276 (Pavley) Indoor Air Cleaning Devices
It would require the California Air Resources Board to
develop and adopt regulations to reduce emissions of ozone
from indoor air cleaning devices, including emissions
standards for ozone from those devices, a ban on the sale of
higher-emitting devices, requiring manufacturers to publicly
disclose information on the ozone levels emitted by indoor
air cleaning devices, and requiring manufacturers to engage
in public outreach regarding the health effects of indoor
ozone exposure.
AB 3018(Lieber)
Indoor Air Pollution: This bill would require the California
Air Resources Board in consultation with the State
Department of Health Services and other appropriate local,
state or federal agencies to develop a program for the
prevention and control of indoor air pollution, including
conducting education and community outreach, and developing
emission standards or other measures to limit the emissions
of air contaminants from products that are primarily used or
located indoors that may cause or contribute to adverse
health effects. AB 3018 would require the air resources
board to prioritize specified air contaminants, and to
utilize the priority listing to develop and adopt air
pollution prevention and control measures in order to reduce
indoor exposures to pollutants.
The bill is in the Assembly; it was re-referred to the
Appropriations Committee on April 17, 2006. On May 3, 2006,
AB 3018 was put on the Appropriations suspense file.
OTHER
SCR 81 (Alquist)
Asthma Awareness Month: Senate Concurrent Resolution 81
would designate the month of May 2006 as Asthma Awareness
Month in order to increase awareness and understanding about
asthma and educate those with the disease on the treatments
available and the methods of preventing attacks.
AB 2015 (Lieu)
South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD): Board
Membership
The bill would restructure the Governing Board of the SCAQMD.
The South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) already
has five opportunities to place a representative on the
Board.
Southern CA Contacts:
Assembly Member Cindy Montanez
Health Deputy, Giannina Perez
State Capitol
Room 3013
Sacramento, CA 94249-0001
(916) 319-2039
Senator Richard Alarcon
Health Deputy, Alma Perez
State Capitol
Room 4035
Sacramento, CA 94249-0001
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