SB 1419 passed the Assembly Health Committee
in spite of AVFCA Witnesses giving Great Testimony!

Call your Assembly Member and the Assembly Judiciary Committee
and ask them to Oppose or Abstain on SB 1419!

SB 1419 (Becker) prohibits parents or guardians of 12+ year old minors from accessing their medical records for any treatment the minor consented to.  It was heard in the Assembly Health Committee on Tuesday and passed 9-3-3.  Thank you to Tino (AVFCA's Health Rights Director) and Bonnie for giving solid testimony voicing A Voice for Choice Advocacy's concerns.  You can watch the hearing here: https://youtu.be/FxCxBEU4VoU. Our concerns were heard by both Republican and Democrat legislators, and we are in talks with Senator Becker's office and the California Medical Association, to have the bill amended so that parents do have access to medical records related to services their minor child consented to.  This would not only make this bill ethical, but also would stregthen the current statute with respect to ensuring parents have access to these medical records so they can care for and advocate for their children, post-treatment.  Our letter to legislators can be found here: https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/AVFCA-SB1419-Letter-of-Oppose-unless-Amended-Becker-Asm-Health-1.pdf

Take Action TODAY!

A note about asking legislators to abstain: Our goal is to defeat these bills.  That is, to ensure there are not enough "Aye" votes.  If a legislator votes "Noe" or does not record a vote (aka abstains), their effect is the same.  The vaccine issue is a polarizing one and legislators, especially Democrat legislators, don't want to vote against legislation that would put them on one side or another on this issue.  So an abstention is just as helpful to stopping the bill from passing, as a "Noe" vote.

Take Action THIS Week: Please submit your letter of opposition Assembly Judiciary Committee today and ask them to abstain or oppose SB 1419 unless it is amended.

- Write a brief letter in your own words asking the Assembly Judiciary Committee to vote NO or to ABSTAIN on SB 1419.  This does not need to be more than a few sentences stating “Please vote no or abstain on SB 1419 in the Assembly Judiciary Committee, as there should not be a blanket ban on parents or guardians having access to their child's medical records.  Please amend the bill so that parents can access high level medical records to help care for their children after treatment or full access in the case of an adverse reaction or death resulting from treatment.” If you wish to give more details, use the following points (do not copy them word for word!)

- There may be times where a minor has an adverse reaction to a medication, has post treatment complications or in rare instances may die while under the physician’s care.  In these cases a parent would not be able to gain access to their children’s medical records to understand the background and help them.  They would also not be able to gain access to file a lawsuit or compensation claim, which a 12+ year old minor would be too young to do.
- Please amend the bill so parents have access to partial medical records, including treatment received, medication administered, adverse events or notable events recorded and full medical records if the child has an adverse reaction or dies, while under the healthcare provider’s care.

Make sure your letter is polite, to the point, and sounds convincing.  Remember you are trying to sway the legislators to vote the way you want them to, not alienate them.  If you can write on behalf of an organization or company, be sure to put your letter on a letterhead and sign it, so that it gets recognized.

- Create an account or sign in at https://calegislation.lc.ca.gov/Advocates/

- Click “Submit a letter” and enter the bill number (SB 1419), and follow the instructions to upload your letter to Assembly Judiciary Committee. 

Over the past 7 years, A Voice for Choice Advocacy has established itself as the leading legislative organization lobbying in the California Capitol for your health rights.  While A Voice for Choice Advocacy's lobbying activity in the Capitol is important, your positive constituent relationships with your CA State Senator and Assembly Member and their staff are critical to assisting with A Voice for Choice Advocacy's efforts in the Capitol.

If you found this information helpful and appreciate the work A Voice for Choice Advocacy is doing, please support us by making a donation today.

Together we can make change happen!

C

Christina Hildebrand
President/Founder
A Voice for Choice Advocacy, Inc.
[email protected]
www.AVoiceForChoiceAdvocacy.org