As you may know, California has a new single payer health care proposal in the Legislature, SB 562 (Lara, Atkins), the Healthy California Act.

The Santa Barbara County Action Network Board of Directors is joining with a coalition of organizations seeking endorsements of the legislation. We have just sent our letter of support. We urge you to support this legislation as well, and if you are a member of a group that might also support the legislation, please ask the group to also send a letter.

The bill was passed by the Senate Health Committee on April 26. The next hearing will be with the Appropriations Committee tomorrow (May 25) and then a Senate Floor vote soon after. It must pass these votes so that it will go on to the Assembly in 2018. So time is of the essence.

Here are links to a sample letter that you can customize, the text of the 36-page bill and a fact sheet.

DIRECTIONS FOR SENDING A SUPPORT LETTER FOR SENATE BILL 562, The Healthy California Act (Lara, Atkins)

1. If from a group, the letter should be on the group's letterhead stationery. 

2. Send the letter of support by email to the capitol office of Senator Ricardo Lara care of Megan Baier [email protected].

3. Send the letter of support by email to Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson [email protected].

4. Please cc the emails to the Health Care for All-California Endorsement Coordinator Nel Benningshof [email protected], to  Health Care for All-Santa Barbara [email protected] and SBCAN [email protected] so we can keep track of the letters that have been sent.

Thank you for your consideration.