4265 Department of Public Health
Budget-Balancing Reductions
  • The Governor's Budget includes General Fund reductions of $31.7 million and 51.2 positions in 2008-09.

  • Lease payments totaling $11.6 million General Fund, have been exempted from the budget-balancing reductions. These payments secure lease revenue bonds for the Richmond Laboratory. In addition, activities related to foodborne illness and lead testing totaling $5.6 million General Fund, have been exempted from the budget balancing reductions to ensure the safety of California's food supply. These activities include sampling and testing imported candy and conducting chemical and microbial tests of food, consumer products, and environmental samples.

  • The major budget-balancing reductions include:

    Reductions of $11 million for the AIDS programs. This reduction will be achieved by reducing state support and local assistance for various programs, including AIDS Education and Prevention, AIDS Epidemiology Studies and Surveillance, AIDS Drug Assistance, and HIV Counseling and Testing. This reduced level of funding does not jeopardize the state's ability to meet the federal maintenance-of-effort requirement for receipt of Ryan White Act funds.

    Reductions of $6.6 million and 22.0 positions for other communicable disease programs and services, including laboratory support services, immunization programs, and communicable disease surveillance activities.

    Reductions of $5.4 million and 3.0 positions for family health programs. This will result in a reduced level of funding to local agencies that provide case management services for at-risk teens, perform domestic violence prevention activities, and conduct education activities including breastfeeding, nutrition, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome risk reduction.

    Reductions of $3.3 million and 5.7 positions for chronic disease programs. This will result in a reduced level of funding to local agencies that conduct cancer and injury prevention surveillance activities, develop public health interventions, and monitor environmental contaminants.