Proposition 3 Bond Act
Benefits 13 California Regional Children’s Hospitals
Proposition 3:
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Oakland Tribune "We can think of no better investment by Californians than to continue to provide the very best medical care for seriously ill children who otherwise might not have any hope for a better life or even for survival. Contra Costa Times "With the economic downturn and large state deficit, voters may be reluctant to support such a measure. That is understandable, but they should make an exception for Prop. 3. Children with life-threatening diseases need better facilities now, regardless of the health of the economy. " San Francisco Chronicle |
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- Authorizes $980 million for grants to California's 13 regional children's hospitals
- Funds the construction, expansion, remodeling, furnishing, and equipping of children’s hospitals
- Costs the state $64 million a year for 30 years
- Cost divided by CA population = approximately $1.75 a year for each Californian
- 80% of the bond proceeds go to eight regional nonprofit children's hospitals that focus on serious diseases and illnesses and 20% go to five University of California children's hospitals
1. What is Proposition 3 - The Children's Hospitals Bond Act?
2. How much will Proposition 3 cost California taxpayers?
3. How many children’s hospitals are there in California?
4. What are "children’s hospitals?"
5. Why is there a need for Proposition 3?
6. What kind of projects will be funded by Proposition 3?
7. How does a hospital qualify for funding?
8. Why do the children’s hospitals need more than was approved by the voters in 2004?
9. How can voters be sure the bond money will be spent for the purposes intended?
10. Shouldn't the legislature make decisions about what programs to fund?
11.
What organizations and individuals are endorsing Prop. 3?
12. What can you do to support California's kids and our Children's Hospitals?
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1. What is Proposition 3 - The Children's Hospitals Bond Act?
The Children’s Hospital Bond Act, or Proposition 3 on the November 4 ballot, will provide $980 million to California’s children’s hospitals to help the hospitals:
- Expand and renovate to make more room to treat more children
- Purchase life-saving medical equipment for the treatment of the most seriously ill and injured children in the state
- Upgrade facilities to meet California’s seismic standards.
2. How much will Proposition 3 cost California taxpayers?
- The $980 million bond will cost the state $64 million a year for 30 years.
- Approximately $1.75 a year for each Californian.
3. How many children’s hospitals are there in California?
- 13 regional children’s hospitals in California, including the five that are part of the University of California. (see full list below) (top of page)
4. What are Children’s Hospitals?
California’s children’s hospitals are the regional, tertiary-care centers that treat children with the most serious and life threatening diseases like childhood leukemia, cancer, heart defects, sickle cell anemia, diabetes and cystic fibrosis. California's children’s hospitals treat over one million children’s injuries and illnesses each year without regard to a family’s income or ability to pay and are the pediatric health care safety net for the majority of the state’s low-income children.
Children’s hospitals are also the training centers for pediatric sub-specialists and other pediatric healthcare professionals and they are the nation’s premier pediatric research centers making children’s hospitals the source of scientific discoveries in biomedical research that benefit all children. For example, the polio vaccine was first tested in a children’s hospital and pediatric AIDS was first diagnosed at a children’s hospital.
5. Why is there a need for Proposition 3?
Advances in technology and research are bringing hope to children and their families where there was no hope before. Medical technology improvements occur rapidly, especially with regard to the most serious childhood illnesses. Children’s hospitals must have access to the latest technology in order to effectively treat these seriously ill children. Without additional capital investments, children’s hospitals will not meet the needs of California’s burgeoning population of children which the Department of Finance projects to grow by 35% over the next two decades.
6. What kind of projects will be funded by Proposition 3? (top of page)
This bond money will be used to purchase new medical technologies and to expand and renovate Children’s hospitals to make it possible to provide more care to more children. Past bond funds have helped build complete new buildings like the patient towers under construction at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach as well as expansions, renovations and equipment purchases in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU), Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU), Emergency Departments, surgical suites, and cancer centers. Each of the eligible 13 children’s hospitals has qualifying projects that cannot be completed without this bond.
7. How does a hospital qualify for funding?
Any private, non-profit children’s hospital that meets the eligibility criteria specified in the legislation can apply for specific project grants to the California Health Facilities Financing Authority which oversees and approves the bond program. The following private, non–profit children’s hospitals have been identified as meeting the eligibility criteria and would be able to apply for grant funding of no more than $98 million each:
- Children’s Hospital Central California
- Children’s Hospital Orange County
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
- Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland
- Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital
- Miller Children’s Hospital, Long Beach
- Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford
- Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego
As specified in the legislation, the following University of California Children’s Hospitals could apply for specific project grants of no more than $39 million each:
9. Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA
10. University Children’s Hospital at University of California Irvine
11. University of California, Davis Children’s Hospital
12. University of California, San Diego Children’s Hospital
13.
University of California, San Francisco Children’s Hospital (top of page)
8. Why do the children’s hospitals need more than was approved by the voters in 2004?
The escalating cost of construction, as well as the growing population of California children, has created capital and capacity challenges for children’s hospitals. Planned and essential hospital projects will cost children’s hospitals hundreds of millions of dollars over the next few years and bonds are the only realistic way to fund these needed improvements and expansions. This $980 million bond fund will be used to expand and improve children’s hospitals and purchase new medical technologies, which will help ensure access for seriously ill and injured children.
Funds generated by the successful passage of Proposition 61 in 2004 with 58% of the vote have been critically important to the children’s hospitals’ ability to expand their capacity. But the capital needs of children’s hospitals far exceed the funds authorized in 2004 and nearly 70% of those funds have already been committed.
A recent RAND report confirms what the children’s hospitals have been experiencing: Since 2001, hospital construction costs in the state have almost doubled. In California, the finished cost of a fully furnished and equipped new hospital building is about $1,000 per square foot – more than three times that of a new office building.
9. How can voters be sure the bond money will be spent for the purposes intended?
Bond money approved by voters cannot be spent for anything other than what voters intended. Each children’s hospital must apply to the California Health Facilities Financing Authority for the funds. The authority will approve and oversee each project.
10. Shouldn't the legislature make decisions about what programs to fund?
Children’s Hospitals sponsored a bill in 2007 to put the Children’s Hospital Bond Act of 2008 on the November ballot which passed the Assembly by the required 2/3 vote with strong bi-partisan support. The bill was not considered in the Senate when health care reform failed. As time ran out for the Legislature to act, the Children’s Hospitals, with the support of the legislative sponsors, collected more than 684,000 signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
As the San Francisco Chronicle writes, "...reservations about obtaining bond money through the initiative process are trumped by the need to assure that these facilities - known for their specialized care and groundbreaking research - remain open."
And the Contra Cost Times encourages voters to consider that, "Children with life-threatening diseases need better facilities now, regardless of the health of the economy."
11.
What organizations and individuals endorse a Yes on Prop. 3?
Business and Economic Leaders California Business Roundtable Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Long Beach Chamber of Commerce San Jose/Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce Orange Chamber of Commerce Silicon Valley Leadership Group Tulare Chamber of Commerce Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA) Golden Valley Chamber of Commerce Mountain View Chamber of Commerce Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Madera Chamber of Commerce Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce |
Public Policy and Children’s Advocates League of Women Voters of California Children’s Defense Fund Children Now Children’s Partnership The California Federation of Teachers The California Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Consumer Federation of California Tenant Associations Coalition Political Action Committee Teamsters Joint Council 42 Newspapers Metroactive (Silicon Valley Weekly) Daily 49er (Cal State Long Beach) |
Elected Officials & Individuals Lt. Governor John Garamendi State Treasurer Bill Lockyer Former Governor Pete and Gayle Wilson U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer Congresswoman Lois Capps Congressman Jim Costa Congresswoman Anna Eshoo Congressman George Radanovich Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard Congressman Adam Schiff Congressman Henry Waxman Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey |
Assembly Speaker Emeritus Fabian Nunez
State Assembly Member Hector De La Torre State Assembly Member Nicole Parra State Assembly Member Jim Beall State Assembly Member Sally Lieber
Fresno Mayor Alan Autry Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors |
Political Organizations Potrero Hill Democratic Club Harvey Milk Democratic Club The Stonewall Democratic Club Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club San Francisco Young Democrats Democratic Women’s Forum of San Francisco Irish American Democratic Club John George Democratic Club Alameda Democratic Club Central City Democrats The New Majority Los Angeles |
Medical and Healthcare Leaders
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What can you do to support California's kids and our Children’s Hospitals?
- TELL OTHERS
Tell your friends and colleagues about Prop. 3. Ask them to vote yes and help us give sick kids in California a better life.
- DISTRIBUTE FLYERS & WINDOW POSTERS
- VOTE YES ON PROP 3 NOVEMBER 4th
- JOIN THE YES ON PROP. 3 CAMPAIGN
Sponsored by California's Network of Regional Not-for-Profit Children's Hospitals
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