Equity Strategic Plan Address Health Disparities

The act renames the existing "health disparities grant program" as the "health disparities and community grant program" (program) and expands the program to authorize the office of health equity (office) to:

• Award grants from money currently transferred from the prevention, early detection, and treatment fund to the health disparities grant program fund (fund) for the purpose of positively affecting social determinants of health to reduce the risk of future disease and exacerbating health disparities in underrepresented populations; and
• Award grants from any additional money appropriated by the general assembly to the fund to community organizations to reduce health disparities in underrepresented communities through policy and systems changes regarding the social determinants of health.

On or before July 1, 2022, and continuing every 2 years thereafter, the department of public health and environment (department), in collaboration with the health equity commission and other stakeholders, is required to conduct an assessment and publish a report concerning health disparities and inequities that includes an assessment of the impact of social determinants of health on health disparities and inequities and recommended strategies to begin to address such inequities.

Within 6 months after the publication of the department's first report, the governor is required to convene the health equity commission to develop an equity strategic plan and to ensure that there is coordination in equity-related work across state agencies to address the social determinants of health. Additional state agencies are added to and required to participate on the commission and are required to develop an equity strategic plan in the agency's respective area.

$4,872,818 is appropriated to the department for use by the office of health equity to implement the act. Of the total amount appropriated, $4,821,035 is from the general fund and $51,783 is from the health disparities grant program fund.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)