Laird Statement on Historic Health Care Bill

SACRAMENTO – Assembly Budget Committee Chair John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) today released the following statement on the Assembly’s passage of AB 1x1:

“Today’s Assembly passage of health care reform is a major step forward for California,” said Assemblymember Laird.  “The bill is historic because it demonstrates that through bi-partisan cooperation, we’ve found agreement on how to cover more than 5 million uninsured Californians, including all 800,000 currently uninsured kids.  And with a very difficult budget year ahead, I’m pleased the bill is self-funded and actually reduces pressure on the state’s general fund.

As the author of AB 1, the universal children’s health insurance bill that passed both houses this year, I’m especially pleased with AB 1x1’s provision to cover all kids. The bill achieves this by covering all children up to 300% of the federal poverty level ($51,500 for a family of three), regardless of their immigration status. Children with health insurance are healthier, are more likely to succeed in school, and their parents miss fewer work days.”