CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20172018 REGULAR SESSION Senate Resolution No. 26Introduced by Senators Hernandez and De LenMarch 07, 2017 Relative to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSR 26, as introduced, Hernandez. Digest KeyBill TextWHEREAS, Over the first two years of full implementation of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148)(Affordable Care Act), Californias uninsured rate decreased by halfthe largest percentage point decline in the uninsured rate of any statefrom 17.2 percent in 2013 to 8.6 percent in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau, with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicating a further fall to 7.1 percent in the first nine months of 2016; andWHEREAS, This decline, from 6.5 million uninsured individuals in 2013 to 3.3 million uninsured individuals in 2015, is a historic accomplishment that reaches across all income levels, geographic regions, and ethnic groups in California; andWHEREAS, In June 2016 nearly 3.7 million individuals received coverage through the Affordable Care Acts Medicaid eligibility expansion; andWHEREAS, Over 13 million children and adultsapproximately one-third of the populationnow receive health care coverage through the Medi-Cal program in California; andWHEREAS, Since the California Health Benefit Exchange, also known as Covered California, opened its doors it has cumulatively enrolled 2.5 million people into health care coverage; and WHEREAS, Currently, nearly 1.4 million people are enrolled in health care coverage through Covered California, with approximately 90 percent receiving federal subsidies; andWHEREAS, The lifeblood of these coverage expansions in California is the federal funding received through the Affordable Care Act; andWHEREAS, California has among the strongest consumer protections for health care coverage in the country and our vigorous regulatory system is threatened by proposals being pursued by President Trump and Congressional leaders that would allow insurance companies to sell products across state lines or would preempt state consumer protections; and WHEREAS, Repeal of the Affordable Care Act without a strong replacement would necessitate devastating budget cuts in California, resulting in broad and deep economic harm across all geographic areas of the state, all socioeconomic strata, and countless industries; andWHEREAS, Numerous studies predict that repeal measures could cost California over $20 billion in annual federal funding; andWHEREAS, According to the Labor Center at the University of California at Berkeley, partial repeal of the Affordable Care Act could lead to the loss of 209,000 jobs in California, including tens of thousands of jobs in the most economically depressed regions of the state; andWHEREAS, Repeal of the Affordable Care Act would constitute a regressive tax increase on millions of Americans; andWHEREAS, Millions of Americans rely on the historic protections established under the Affordable Care Act, including, among others, the prohibition against refusing coverage to a person with a preexisting condition, the ability of a parent to add or keep children and young adults under 26 years of age on the parents health care coverage, and the prohibition against lifetime limits on coverage; andWHEREAS, Since the Affordable Care Act was passed in March 2010, the United States private sector added over 15,000,000 jobs and set a record for consecutive months of job growth; andWHEREAS, It is well understood that health care policy is necessarily extremely complex because it involves the lives and well-being of countless Americans, impacts the national economy in innumerable ways, and involves highly technical medical procedures, regulations, insurance markets, and practices; now, therefore, be itResolved by the Senate of the State of California, that the Senate affirms its strong support for the Affordable Care Act and calls upon the United States Congress to reject any effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act unless it is simultaneously replaced with an alternative program that meets the standards clearly and consistently articulated by President Trump: that not one American will lose coverage and that coverage will be more affordable and of higher quality for all Americans; and be it furtherResolved, That the Senate urges Congress to not vote on any measure that would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act without first allowing an exhaustive and comprehensive public review, including evaluations by the Congressional Budget Office and relevant policy committees, so that Americans have the meaningful opportunity to offer input and have their concerns heard; and be it furtherResolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States, and to the author for appropriate distribution.
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20172018 REGULAR SESSION Senate Resolution No. 26Introduced by Senators Hernandez and De LenMarch 07, 2017 Relative to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSR 26, as introduced, Hernandez. Digest Key
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20172018 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Resolution No. 26
Introduced by Senators Hernandez and De LenMarch 07, 2017
Introduced by Senators Hernandez and De Len
March 07, 2017
Relative to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SR 26, as introduced, Hernandez.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
WHEREAS, Over the first two years of full implementation of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148)(Affordable Care Act), Californias uninsured rate decreased by halfthe largest percentage point decline in the uninsured rate of any statefrom 17.2 percent in 2013 to 8.6 percent in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau, with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicating a further fall to 7.1 percent in the first nine months of 2016; and
WHEREAS, This decline, from 6.5 million uninsured individuals in 2013 to 3.3 million uninsured individuals in 2015, is a historic accomplishment that reaches across all income levels, geographic regions, and ethnic groups in California; and
WHEREAS, In June 2016 nearly 3.7 million individuals received coverage through the Affordable Care Acts Medicaid eligibility expansion; and
WHEREAS, Over 13 million children and adultsapproximately one-third of the populationnow receive health care coverage through the Medi-Cal program in California; and
WHEREAS, Since the California Health Benefit Exchange, also known as Covered California, opened its doors it has cumulatively enrolled 2.5 million people into health care coverage; and
WHEREAS, Currently, nearly 1.4 million people are enrolled in health care coverage through Covered California, with approximately 90 percent receiving federal subsidies; and
WHEREAS, The lifeblood of these coverage expansions in California is the federal funding received through the Affordable Care Act; and
WHEREAS, California has among the strongest consumer protections for health care coverage in the country and our vigorous regulatory system is threatened by proposals being pursued by President Trump and Congressional leaders that would allow insurance companies to sell products across state lines or would preempt state consumer protections; and
WHEREAS, Repeal of the Affordable Care Act without a strong replacement would necessitate devastating budget cuts in California, resulting in broad and deep economic harm across all geographic areas of the state, all socioeconomic strata, and countless industries; and
WHEREAS, Numerous studies predict that repeal measures could cost California over $20 billion in annual federal funding; and
WHEREAS, According to the Labor Center at the University of California at Berkeley, partial repeal of the Affordable Care Act could lead to the loss of 209,000 jobs in California, including tens of thousands of jobs in the most economically depressed regions of the state; and
WHEREAS, Repeal of the Affordable Care Act would constitute a regressive tax increase on millions of Americans; and
WHEREAS, Millions of Americans rely on the historic protections established under the Affordable Care Act, including, among others, the prohibition against refusing coverage to a person with a preexisting condition, the ability of a parent to add or keep children and young adults under 26 years of age on the parents health care coverage, and the prohibition against lifetime limits on coverage; and
WHEREAS, Since the Affordable Care Act was passed in March 2010, the United States private sector added over 15,000,000 jobs and set a record for consecutive months of job growth; and
WHEREAS, It is well understood that health care policy is necessarily extremely complex because it involves the lives and well-being of countless Americans, impacts the national economy in innumerable ways, and involves highly technical medical procedures, regulations, insurance markets, and practices; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, that the Senate affirms its strong support for the Affordable Care Act and calls upon the United States Congress to reject any effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act unless it is simultaneously replaced with an alternative program that meets the standards clearly and consistently articulated by President Trump: that not one American will lose coverage and that coverage will be more affordable and of higher quality for all Americans; and be it further
Resolved, That the Senate urges Congress to not vote on any measure that would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act without first allowing an exhaustive and comprehensive public review, including evaluations by the Congressional Budget Office and relevant policy committees, so that Americans have the meaningful opportunity to offer input and have their concerns heard; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States, and to the author for appropriate distribution.