California Health and Safety Code § 131019.5

(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply: (1) “Determinants of equity” means social, economic, geographic, political, and physical environmental conditions that lead to the creation of a fair and just society. (2) “Health equity” means efforts to ensure that all people have full and equal access to opportunities that enable them to lead healthy lives. (3) “Health and mental health disparities” means differences in health and mental health status among distinct segments of the population, including differences that occur by gender, age, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, education or income, disability or functional impairment, or geographic location, or the combination of any of these factors. (4) “Health and mental health inequities” means disparities in health or mental health, or the factors that shape health, that are systemic and avoidable and, therefore, considered unjust or unfair. (5) “Vulnerable communities” include, but are not limited to, women, racial or ethnic groups, low-income individuals and families, individuals who are incarcerated and those who have been incarcerated, individuals with disabilities, individuals with mental health conditions, children, youth and young adults, seniors, immigrants and refugees, individuals who are limited-English proficient (LEP), and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQQ) communities, or combinations of these populations. (6) “Vulnerable places” means places or communities with inequities in the social, economic, educational, or physical environment or environmental health and that have insufficient resources or capacity to protect and promote the health and well-being of their residents. (b) The State Department of Public Health shall establish an Office of Health Equity for the purposes of aligning state resources, decisionmaking, and programs to accomplish all of the following: (1) Achieve the highest level of health and mental health for all people, with special attention focused on those who have experienced socioeconomic disadvantage and historical injustice, including, but not limited to, vulnerable communities and culturally, linguistically, and geographically isolated communities. (2) Work collaboratively with the Health in All Policies Task Force to promote work to prevent injury and illness through improved social and environmental factors that promote health and mental health. (3) Advise and assist other state departments in their mission to increase access to, and the quality of, culturally and linguistically competent health and mental health care and services. (4) Improve the health status of all populations and places, with a priority on eliminating health and mental health disparities and inequities. (c) The duties of the Office of Health Equity shall include all of the following: (1) Conducting policy analysis and developing strategic policies and plans regarding specific issues affecting vulnerable communities and vulnerable places to increase positive health and mental health outcomes for vulnerable communities and decrease health and mental health disparities and inequities. The policies and plans shall also include strategies to address social and environmental inequities and improve health and mental health. The office shall assist other departments in their missions to increase access to services and supports and improve quality of care for vulnerable communities. (2) Establishing a comprehensive, cross-sectoral strategic plan to eliminate health and mental health disparities and inequities. The strategies and recommendations developed shall take into account the needs of vulnerable communities to ensure strategies are developed throughout the state to eliminate health and mental health disparities and inequities. This plan shall be developed in collaboration with the Health in All Policies Task Force. This plan shall establish goals and benchmarks f

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