BILL NUMBER: ACR 75CHAPTERED BILL TEXT RESOLUTION CHAPTER 125 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 29, 2009 ADOPTED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 10, 2009 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 27, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 27, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 7, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members V. Manuel Perez and Ammiano (Principal coauthor: Senator Padilla) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Arambula, Block, Caballero, Conway, Coto, De La Torre, Swanson, Adams, Anderson, Bass, Beall, Bill Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Blumenfield, Brownley, Buchanan, Charles Calderon, Carter, Chesbro, Cook, Davis, De Leon, DeVore, Duvall, Emmerson, Eng, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick, Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman, Jones, Krekorian, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Monning, Nava, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, Portantino, Ruskin, Salas, Silva, Skinner, Solorio, Audra Strickland, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines, and Yamada) MAY 19, 2009 Relative to promotores and community health workers. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 75, V. Manuel Perez. Promotores and community health workers. This measure would recognize the pioneering work of promotores and community health workers in delivering vital and cost-effective health care services in communities throughout California and declare October 2009 as California Promotores Month. WHEREAS, The delivery of health care is often constrained by issues of access and outreach to individuals and their families; and WHEREAS, Barriers to accessing quality health care and mental health care services include financial barriers, being uninsured or underinsured, geography or residing in medically underserved communities, fragmentation of health care services, poor outreach and education to vulnerable communities, language barriers, and a lack of diversity and cultural competency in the health care workforce; and WHEREAS, According to the California Health Care Foundation's 2008 publication titled "Snapshot: California's Uninsured," approximately 6,600,000 Californians are uninsured. Low-income families earning less than $25,000 per year, younger people under 34 years of age, and people of color are most likely to be uninsured; and WHEREAS, For hundreds of years, promotores and community health workers have been fighting the effects of catastrophic epidemics, inequalities, and injustices; and WHEREAS, Promotores, also known as community health workers, peer leaders, or health advocates, serve as cultural brokers who provide a unique understanding of the cultures they serve. They serve as a bridge between the community and the public health care delivery system and provide education and prevention information and resources in a manner that is culturally and linguistically appropriate to the community's individuals and families. As the authentic voice of their community, promotores also connect governments and policymakers to people living within that community; and WHEREAS, Promotores are volunteer, stipend, paid, and independent contractors who may be associated with city and county health and human services and mental health agencies, nonprofit community-based organizations, health clinics, hospitals, and community centers. By training and integrating active community members to promote health and wellness, promotores have demonstrated a significant level of cost-effectiveness in delivering health care education and services, particularly in maternal and child health and chronic diseases, including, but not limited to, asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and HIV/AIDS; and WHEREAS, According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, integrating promotores and community health workers into health programs has been associated with improvements in access to health care, prenatal care, pregnancy and birth outcomes, client health status, health- and screening-related behaviors, and reduced health care costs; and WHEREAS, Recently, in the present time of mounting economic, political, and social challenges, promotores, both paid and volunteer, provide aid and support to those most in need at clinics, churches, workplaces, schools, parks, hospitals, farm fields, and mostly at home in the neighborhoods where they live and raise their own families; and WHEREAS, In California, Vision y Compromiso has brought together thousands of individuals and hundreds of organizations united as one voice behind a vision of a dignified and healthy life for all, Hacia Una Vida Digna y Sana, and while growing in leadership and experience, and despite their heartfelt service and documented successes, promotores and community health workers receive little recognition for their work and often face serious challenges accessing educational and employment training opportunities; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California formally endorses the pioneering work of promotores and duly recognizes the leadership provided by Vision y Compromiso, for fostering this initiative to build greater community leadership and capacity; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature also duly recognizes the leadership provided by regional coordinators, staff, board members, and advisors of organizations, for their dedication to and collaboration with promotores and community health workers across California; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature supports the continuing effort by promotores to increase their presence and support for the well-being of California communities; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature encourages policies and programs that will enhance the status of promotores in the delivery of health care, encourage health delivery systems to integrate promotores where appropriate, and provide incentives and funding for staff, where appropriate, to encourage their program development and integration, given the changing demographics and health care needs of California in the 21st century; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature declares October 2009 as California Promotores Month in order to raise awareness of the important contributions of promotores and community health workers; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.