Summary

This bill would rename the Office of AIDS the Office of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Education, and would require that the department establish within the office 6 regional HIV/AIDS centers, as prescribed. The bill would require the department to fund culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach programs in each of those regional centers designed to significantly increase rates of earlyHIV/AIDS testing, and provide individuals who test positive for HIV or AIDS with appropriate referrals for care and medical treatment.
The bill would require the department to work collaboratively with community-based organizations focused on HIV/AIDS prevention
services, and to utilize all available private services and existingpartnerships to conduct outreach to populations that typically have
little or no exposure to HIV/AIDS information.

Background

Existing law establishes an Office of AIDS in the State Department of Public Health, and requires that the office be responsible for the coordination of state programs, services, and activities relating to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and AIDS related conditions (ARC).

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