Press Releases

Senate Health Committee Passes SB 276 to Prevent Fake Medical Exemptions that put Kids and Communities at Risk of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

Measles was declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000, but so far in 2019 there have been more than 30 cases of measles in CA; there were 21 confirmed cases of measles in all of 2018

April 24, 2019

SACRAMENTO, CA – As California state health officials grapple with containing the outbreak of measles, Senate Bill 276, authored by Dr. Richard Pan, a pediatrician and state senator representing the Sacramento region and Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, representing the San Diego area, was passed by the Senate Health Committee. SB 276 will strengthen oversight of the medial exemption process, which some doctors in the state are abusing by selling medical exemptions to parents.

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Vaccines & Senate Bill 276: Fact vs. Myth

April 24, 2019

SACRAMENTO, CA – To help combat misinformation that continues to be perpetuated by some individuals opposed to Senate Bill 276, the broad coalition of doctors, parents, patients and public health officials that are working to combat fake medical exemptions that put children and communities at risk, distributed the following Fact vs. Myth sheet: 

 

MYTH: SB 276 would take away medical exemptions from children that need them. FALSE.

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Dr. Richard Pan Introduces SB 276 to Combat Fake Medical Exemptions that Put Children and Communities at Risk

Legislation will protect every student’s right to be safe at school by ensuring the medical exemption process is not exploited

March 26, 2019

SACRAMENTO – Dr. Richard Pan, a pediatrician and state senator representing the Sacramento region and Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez who represents the San Diego area, introduced SB 276 today to strengthen oversight of the medial exemption process which a handful of doctors in the state are abusing by selling medical exemptions to parents.

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Dr. Richard Pan & Coalition Announce Plans to Use Food Trucks and Delivery Tracking Software to Deliver a Million Summer Meals in 2019

Coalition includes Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, the No Kid Hungry Campaign, United Way, the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, local school districts and Sacramento Public libraries

March 1, 2019

SACRAMENTO – Along with a broad collation of schools, organizations and local leaders, Dr.

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Dr. Richard Pan and Vaccinate California Make Statements on CDC Report Detailing a Measles Outbreak that Occurred in the Bay Area

February 28, 2019

Sacramento, CA— Dr. Richard Pan, pediatrician and State Senator who authored Senate Bill 277 in 2015 which removed all exemptions to vaccine requirements for school entry except medical exemptions, and Leah Russin, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Vaccinate California, a parent advocacy group working to improve public health in California by raising vaccination rates, made the following statements after today’s release of a Centers of Disease Control and Prevention report that provides details of a 2018 measles outbreak among unvaccinated individuals in California. 

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Dr. Richard Pan Introduces Measure Taking Bold Step to Address the State’s Long-Term Care Crisis

Coalition-backed legislation will create roadmap to long-term care benefit for middle-class Californians

February 25, 2019

SACRAMENTO – Dr. Richard Pan, a pediatrician and state senator representing the Sacramento area, and Assemblymember Ash Kalra, representing San Jose, today announced new legislation that is the first step toward building a new program to finance long-term services and supports (LTSS) for California’s working and middle-class families.

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Dr. Richard Pan Introduces Legislation to Address California’s Mental Health Crisis and Get Our Students the Help they need to be Successful

February 21, 2019

SACRAMENTO – Dr. Richard Pan, a pediatrician and state senator representing the Sacramento area, and Senator Anthony Portantino, introduced Senate Bill 428 today to increase school and community-level capacity to tackle California’s growing youth mental health crisis.

The measure is sponsored by a coalition of organizations including the California Council of Behavioral Health Associations (CBHA), California Behavioral Health Directors Association (CBHDA), Born this Way Foundation, and Children Now.

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Consumer and Worker Coalition Unveils Bills to Lower Premiums and Shine a Light on Health Care Cost Drivers for 10 Million Californians

February 19, 2019

Sacramento, CA – A coalition of health care, consumer and worker advocates today announced the introduction of two bills that could deliver savings to 10 million Californians with employer-based health insurance and increase transparency in health care pricing. The two bills, AB 731 by Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) and SB 343 by Senator Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), come as the U.S. debates the next round of reform following the Affordable Care Act.

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Dr. Richard Pan Issues Letter to United States Surgeon General Urging a Call to Action on Vaccine Hesitancy in the United States

February 19, 2019

SACRAMENTO – Dr. Richard Pan, a pediatrician and state senator representing the Sacramento region, sent a letter to U.S. Surgeon General Vice Adm. Jerome M. Adams calling on him to issue a call to action on vaccine hesitancy in the United States and make this crisis a public health priority.

In the letter, Dr. Richard Pan wrote:

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Western Association for College Admission Counseling Names Dr. Richard Pan Legislator of the Year

February 11, 2019

SACRAMENTO – The Western Association for College Admission Counseling, the largest college admissions professional organization in the state of California, announced today that they have named Dr. Richard Pan, State Senator, as their 2019 Legislator of the Year.

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