Sacramento, Calif. – On May 21, 2024, Majority Leader Gonzalez’s (D-Long Beach) Senate Bill 1016, the Latino & Indigenous Health Disparities Reduction Act, was approved by the Senate with a vote of 34-0. The bill aims to address health disparities among Latino and Indigenous communities by requiring the California Department of Public Health to gather and disaggregate more comprehensive data for these groups. This enhanced data will facilitate a more targeted allocation of state resources to address the unique health needs of Latino and Indigenous communities in California. 

“Our diverse Latino and Indigenous communities deserve to be seen,” said Majority Leader Gonzalez (D-Long Beach). “With SB 1016, the specific needs of these communities will be accurately represented in data collected by the state, enabling us to fund and prioritize resources to better support their health and wellbeing. I am thankful to my Senate colleagues for supporting this measure today and our amazing advocates on the ground. I urge my counterparts in the Assembly to also lend their support to the bill as it moves to the second house.”

###

Majority Leader Gonzalez represents the 33rd Senate District, which encompasses the City of Long Beach and portions of South Los Angeles and Southeast Los Angeles, including the cities of Bell, Bell Gardens, Cudahy, Huntington Park, Lakewood, Lynwood, Maywood, Paramount, Signal Hill, and South Gate. In the Senate, she advocates for working families and champions various priorities, such as fighting for a clean environment, digital equity, LGBTQ+ and women's rights, and the economic prosperity of small businesses. Her landmark legislative achievements include bills enacted to end neighborhood oil drilling, provide broadband for all, and expand paid sick leave. Majority Leader Gonzalez also serves as Vice Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus. She lives in Long Beach with her family. To learn more about Majority Leader Gonzalez, visit her website at www.sen.ca.gov/gonzalez.