One Health Program: zoonotic diseases.

Existing law sets forth various powers and responsibilities for the State Department of Public Health concerning communicable disease prevention and control, in relation to persons, animals, and places, as necessary to protect or preserve the public health, and establishes other duties for the department in regulating food safety and sanitation standards. Existing law sets forth various functions for the Department of Food and Agriculture for protecting the agricultural industry and the public health, safety, and welfare through different mechanisms, including food inspection, animal and plant quarantine, and pest control. Existing law sets forth various responsibilities for the Department of Fish and Wildlife with regard to disease investigation, pest control, and conservation, in relation to certain animals and plants and to wildlife generally. This bill would require the State Department of Public Health, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife to jointly establish and administer the One Health Program for the purpose of developing a framework for interagency coordination in responding to zoonotic diseases and reducing hazards to human and nonhuman animal health, in accordance with the One Health principles set forth by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bill would require the 3 departments to develop the framework in consultation with stakeholders, as specified, and to establish goals, identify activities, and recommend legislation or other actions to advance One Health efforts. The bill would require the departments to periodically post joint reports on their respective internet websites and to submit the reports to the Legislative Analyst's Office. The bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office to submit to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature a single report containing an assessment of the framework, as specified, and recommendations for ways in which the Legislature could conduct regular oversight of the framework's implementation. The bill would condition implementation of these provisions on an appropriation by the Legislature.