AP18:079
For Immediate Release
May 30, 2018
Contact:
Sam Mahood
(916) 653-6575
New Measure Eligible for California's November 2018 Ballot
Authorizes State Regulation of Kidney Dialysis Clinics. Limits Charges for Patient Care. Initiative Statute.
SACRAMENTO - Secretary of State Alex Padilla today announced that an initiative is eligible for the November 6, 2018, General Election ballot.
In order to become eligible for the ballot, the initiative needed 365,880 valid petition signatures, which is equal to five percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2014 General Election.
An initiative can qualify via random sampling of petition signatures if the sampling projects a number of valid signatures greater than 110 percent of the required number. The initiative needed at least 402,468 projected valid signatures to qualify by random sampling, and it exceeded that threshold today.
On June 28, 2018, the Secretary of State will certify the initiative as qualified for the November 6, 2018 General Election ballot, unless the proponent withdraws the initiative prior to that date pursuant to Elections Code section 9604(b).
The Attorney General's official title and summary of the initiative is as follows:
AUTHORIZES STATE REGULATION OF KIDNEY DIALYSIS CLINICS. LIMITS CHARGES FOR PATIENT CARE. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Limits amounts outpatient kidney dialysis clinics may charge for patient care and imposes penalties for excessive charges. Requires annual reporting to the state regarding clinic costs, patient charges, and revenue. Prohibits clinics from discriminating against patients based on the source of payment for care. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: State administrative costs of around $1 million annually to be covered by increases in license fees on chronic dialysis clinics. State and local government savings largely associated with reduced government employee and retiree health benefits spending on dialysis treatment, potentially up to tens of millions of dollars annually. (17-0014.)
The proponents of this initiative are Edward Howard and Benjamin Tracey. The proponents can be reached c/o BJ Chisholm at (415) 421-7151 and bchisholm@altber.com.
For more information about how an initiative qualifies for the ballot in California, visit http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/how-qualify-initiative/
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