Hepatitis A pilot project: County of San Diego.

Existing law contains various programs relating to communicable disease prevention, including certain programs related to hepatitis B and hepatitis C, as specified. This bill would require the County of San Diego to operate a 3-year pilot program for the purpose of providing general health care outreach and triage care for the homeless population in the County of San Diego, including providing specific outreach and vaccinations against hepatitis A. The bill would require the County of San Diego's local health department to be the lead agency for the pilot project and would require the local health department to provide public health nurses at homeless shelters in the County of San Diego and to establish a mobile health unit to be dispatched for purposes of assisting public health nurses in providing health-related services to homeless individuals outside of the shelter setting. The bill would require the local public health department to establish a written public health care outreach, triage care, and vaccination policy for the pilot project and would require the local public health department to work in conjunction with the County of San Diego's local social services department and local mental health department for purposes of achieving the goals of the pilot project. The bill would repeal those provisions on January 1, 2023. By imposing new duties on the County of San Diego, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of San Diego.