Chapter 13.7 - Statewide African-American Initiative

California Health and Safety Code — §§ 121290-121290.9

Sections (8)

Added by Stats. 2005, Ch. 403, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2006.

(a)There is hereby established the Statewide African-American Initiative to address the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on the health of African-Americans by coordinating prevention and service networks around the state and increasing the capacity of core service providers. For purposes of this chapter, “initiative” means the Statewide African-American Initiative.

(b)The initiative shall have an executive director who shall coordinate the initiative and report to the Office of AIDS through the Statewide African-American HIV/AIDS Steering Committee formally established pursuant to Section 121290.8.

(c)The initiative shall be implemented in the following five designated regions:

(1)Alameda/San Francisco.

(2)Los Angeles.

(3)Sacramento/Central Valley.

(4)San Bernardino/Riverside.

(5)San Diego.

(d)(1) The Office of AIDS shall provide initial administrative support for the core functions of the initiative.

(2)Until January 1, 2008, the initiative shall be housed at the Office of AIDS. By January 1, 2008, the initiative shall establish itself as an independent nonprofit organization for purposes of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

§ 121290.1

Added by Stats. 2005, Ch. 403, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2006.

The initiative shall sponsor and conduct an annual Summit on African-Americans and HIV. The summit shall be funded solely by private funds. The summit shall do all of the following:

(a)Provide a report on the progress of the initiative.

(b)Offer technical assistance workshops.

(c)Provide an overview of local, regional, and national efforts concerning health disparities relating to African-Americans and HIV.

§ 121290.2

Added by Stats. 2005, Ch. 403, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2006.

The initiative shall have all of the following responsibilities:

(a)To design and conduct a series of complementary projects to implement policy and planning to address the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on the African-American community, focusing on all of the following categories:

(1)Research.

(2)Policy and advocacy.

(3)Workforce development.

(4)Organizational capacity.

(5)Prevention and treatment information and resources.

(b)To provide integrated leadership in developing, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining HIV-related services and programmatic partnerships between research institutions, community-based organizations, the business community, and public sector agencies.

(c)To improve the efficacy of local service providers through the central coordination of service availability, data, and funding sources through the development of a central coordinating body.

§ 121290.4

Added by Stats. 2005, Ch. 403, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2006.

The initiative shall employ all of the following strategies to achieve its objectives:

(a)Serve as a community resource for technical assistance and training in the communication and dissemination of information, and for the synthesis, interpretation, and dissemination of HIV/AIDS data and public health information.

(b)Assemble a network of health experts, HIV/AIDS service providers, community-based organizations, and relevant public and private sector stakeholders who will be accessible through the regional centers, to support the capacity building of community-based programs to eliminate HIV-related health disparities for African-Americans.

(c)Establish the administrative, educational, and communication infrastructure, including personnel, facilities, and technology, to support the activities of the initiative’s provider network.

(d)Assess the availability and allocation of scientific, governmental, and private sector resources to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS on African-Americans.

(e)Evaluate community-focused interventions and demonstration projects to eliminate disparities in the evaluation and treatment of HIV/AIDS, based on information from the work of the initiative and local and regional resources.

(f)Coordinate and disseminate data, including epidemiology, outcome assessment, and informatics, to provider networks addressing health disparities regarding HIV/AIDS.

(g)Facilitate the development of lasting academic and community partnerships that promote healthy lifestyles, prevent disease, and reduce risk factors for HIV/AIDS.

(h)Increase ongoing access to culturally appropriate health care for African-Americans living with HIV/AIDS.

§ 121290.5

Added by Stats. 2005, Ch. 403, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2006.

(a)The initiative shall establish a central coordinating body to provide administrative, technical, educational, and health information dissemination services to the initiative’s network of community-based organizations.

(b)The duties of the central coordinating body shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(1)Helping to provide program administration services, project management, fiscal support, resource allocation, and program evaluation to the initiative.

(2)Assisting in the collection, management, and analysis of primary and secondary data, and providing technical support and training.

(3)Aiding in the synthesis, interpretation, and dissemination of information on HIV and African-Americans.

(c)The objectives of the central coordinating body shall include, but not be limited to, both of the following:

(1)To achieve economies of scale in effort, expertise, and equipment, and thereby build the capacity of the provider network and the Office of AIDS to develop, implement, and evaluate community programs to address HIV/AIDS among African-Americans.

(2)To pool services, expertise, equipment, and facilities to support several interrelated projects and collaborating organizations, thereby leveraging greater resources than those that would be provided separately to each project and without formal interactions among the Office of AIDS, community-based organizations, and public sector agencies.

§ 121290.7

Added by Stats. 2005, Ch. 403, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2006.

The Office of AIDS shall appoint an internal advisory committee composed of the office’s African-American HIV specialist, a section head from the office, and a designee to supervise the day-to-day activities of the initiative.

§ 121290.8

Added by Stats. 2005, Ch. 403, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2006.

There is hereby established the Statewide African-American HIV/AIDS Steering Committee. The committee shall be appointed by the Office of AIDS and shall initially consist of the current membership of the informally established Statewide African-American HIV/AIDS Steering Committee, which consists of leadership from service providers, researchers, educators, community-based organizations, and public sector agencies.

§ 121290.9

Added by Stats. 2005, Ch. 403, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2006.

The requirements of this chapter shall be implemented only after the Department of Finance makes a determination that nonstate funds in an amount sufficient to fully support the activities of the initiative have been deposited with the state. Thereafter, the requirements of this chapter shall be implemented only to the extent that nonstate funds are received for the purposes of this chapter.