Bill Text: CA SB934 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: California Childhood Cancer Research Fund Act.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-7)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2022-08-11 - August 11 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. [SB934 Detail]

Download: California-2021-SB934-Introduced.html

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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 934

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Introduced by Senator Rubio
(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Aguiar-Curry and Blanca Rubio)
(Coauthors: Senators Dodd and Wiener)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Choi, Cooper, Flora, Gray, Mathis, Nguyen, Patterson, and Luz Rivas)

February 07, 2022

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An act to add Article 4 (commencing with Section 104215) to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 103 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to cancer, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 934, as introduced, Rubio. California Pediatric Cancer Research Fund Act.

Under existing law, the State Department of Health Care Services is responsible for the administration and oversight of various health care programs, including those related to cancer screening and research.

This bill, the California Pediatric Cancer Research Fund Act, would create the Childhood Cancer Research Grant Program to provide funding to various entities to support research and treatment for children impacted by cancer and the long-term effects of cancer treatment. The bill would require the grant program to be administered by the Pediatric Cancer Research Board composed of 7 members appointed by the Governor, including specialists in pediatric oncology. The bill would require the board to publish an annual report summarizing the research projects that receive funding, the budget associated with each project, and the board’s own budget and actual expenses. The bill would create the Andrew Hirschman Pediatric Cancer Research Fund and would appropriate $50,000,000 for the implementation and administration of the grant program, as specified.

Digest Key

Vote: 2/3   Appropriation: YES   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the California Pediatric Cancer Research Fund Act.

SEC. 2.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children.

(b) In California, the age-adjusted death rate (per 100,000) of childhood cancer is 2.4. The national average is 2.2.

(c) According to a June 2018 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on geographic incidence rates of pediatric cancer in the United States, California has the highest incident rate for childhood leukemia in the country.

(d) More than 95 percent of childhood cancer survivors will have significant health-related issues by the time they are 45 years of age.

(e) California is currently appropriating no funds to combat childhood cancer even though the disease affects approximately 2,000 California children annually, approximately 36 children are diagnosed per week.

(f) The National Cancer Institute spends the vast majority of its research budget on adult cancers.

(g) Other states, including Kentucky, Texas, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are funding pediatric cancer research, but more resources are needed.

(h) California is uniquely situated to advance pediatric cancer research given its size, diversity, and population. California has significant expertise available from the talented medical professionals and research institutions in the state.

SEC. 3.

 Article 4 (commencing with Section 104215) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 103 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:

Article  4. Childhood Cancer Research Grant Program

104215.

 (a) The Childhood Cancer Research Grant Program is hereby established.

(b) The purpose of the grant program is to provide funding to qualified research institutions to support research and treatment for California children impacted by cancer and the long-term effects of treatment.

104216.

 (a) The Childhood Cancer Research Grant Program shall be administered by the Pediatric Cancer Research Board, which is hereby created.

(b) The board shall consist of seven members appointed by the Governor as follows:

(1) Four specialists in pediatric oncology from hospitals or other research institutions in California.

(2) A childhood cancer survivor or a parent of a childhood cancer survivor.

(3) A representative of the American Childhood Cancer Organization.

(4) The Director of the State Department of Health Care Services, or the director’s designee.

(c) Within six months of the date of the first meeting of the board, the board shall administer the Childhood Cancer Research Grant Program.

(d) The board shall receive and evaluate applications of qualifying research institutions for grants to conduct research relating to the causes, prevention, screening, treatment, and cure of pediatric cancer, including the effects experienced by patients following completion of a course of treatment. The board shall establish minimum standards for awarding grants in a manner consistent with the purposes of this article.

(e) For the purposes of this section, a “qualified research institution” includes, but is not limited to, an academic medical institution, state or local government agencies, public or private organizations within California, and any other institution approved by the board, which is conducting a pediatric cancer research project.

(f) No later than July 1, 2024, and on an annual basis thereafter, the board shall publish a report summarizing the research projects that received funding and the budget associated with each, as well as the board’s own budget and actual expenses.

104217.

 (a) The Andrew Hirschman Pediatric Cancer Research Fund is hereby created for the implementation and administration of the grant program. Moneys in the fund shall be available upon appropriation by the Legislature.

(b) The sum of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) is hereby transferred from the General Fund to the Andrew Hirschman Pediatric Cancer Research Fund.

(c) The sum of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the Andrew Hirschman Pediatric Cancer Research Fund to the board for implementation and administration of the grant program.