Bill Text: CA SR66 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relative to “2-1-1” information and referral service.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-02-29 - (Corrected March 7). [SR66 Detail]
Download: California-2023-SR66-Enrolled.html
|
Enrolled
March 07, 2024 |
|
Passed
IN
Senate
February 29, 2024 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Resolution
No. 66
| Introduced by Senator Newman (Coauthors: Senators Caballero, Dodd, Hurtado, and Roth) |
February 14, 2024 |
Relative to “2-1-1” information and referral service.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SR 66, Newman.
Digest Key
Bill Text
WHEREAS, 2-1-1 is a trusted information and referral service that provides individuals across the state with connections to community, health, and disaster-related services. By dialing an easy to remember three digit code, known as 2-1-1, Californians can speak with highly trained staff 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and receive real-time assistance in over 150 languages; and
WHEREAS, The 2-1-1 service is operated by 26 local nonprofit organizations serving the entire state, is available through phone, SMS texting, and the internet, and is tailored to provide people of all income levels, languages, and cultural backgrounds with unique resources specific to their concerns and geographic location; and
WHEREAS, The 2-1-1 service consistently assists with identifying emerging needs and can relay valuable insights to public officials at local, regional, and state levels; and
WHEREAS, The 2-1-1 service provides emergency operation resources during times of natural and other disasters, including providing accurate and timely information for preparations and long-term referrals for followup services, as evidenced by its role in supporting the Office of Emergency Services during annual wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters; and
WHEREAS, During difficult times and through the COVID-19 pandemic, 2-1-1 providers took on the challenge of providing additional resources, answering over 2,000,000 phone calls, making over 2,150,000 referrals in 2022, and averaging well over 11,000 inquiries from Californians in need every single day of the year; and
WHEREAS, Since 2006, 2-1-1 call specialists have assisted with more than 2,000,000 requests to locate community, health, and disaster-related services; and
WHEREAS, During uncertain economic times, the demand for rapid response assistance and complex case management increases significantly. In many cases, individuals and families who have never had to navigate health and social services find themselves lost and struggling through the systems of care; and
WHEREAS, 2-1-1 providers across the state demonstrated their capabilities as experienced responders able to scale their infrastructure and offer new services quickly, including addressing rising food insecurity and assisting people for whom online forms presented language, digital, or internet accessibility challenges; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate hereby proclaims the month of February 2024 as 2-1-1 Month and the day of February 11, 2024 as 2-1-1 Day to promote and strengthen the 2-1-1 service in providing Californians free and confidential referrals to needed resources; and be it further
Resolved, That the Senate commits to support the 2-1-1 service and infrastructure so that all Californians have equitable access to this critical service that provides resource connections regarding support for poverty, housing, family and children, aging and disability, health equity, and disasters; and be it further
Resolved, That the Senate encourages all Californians to be aware of the 2-1-1 service and look up their local 2-1-1 service provider on the internet at 211.org; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
