California Health Officials Express Concern About Ballot Measure To Prohibit Collecting Racial and Ethnic Data

"[D]ozens of prominent health officials and organizations" in California have raised concerns about a ballot measure that would prevent California government agencies and schools from collecting racial and ethnic data, saying it could negatively impact collection of some health statistics, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Proposition 54, also known as the Racial Privacy Initiative, was proposed by University of California Regent Ward Connerly and will appear on the Oct. 7 ballot. Although the measure contains an exemption for recording racial and ethnic information about "medical research subjects and patients," some health officials maintain that Proposition 54 would not "protect wide swaths of data now used to track important health issues," according to the Chronicle. Officials are concerned that the measure could apply to individuals filling out health surveys or forms; could affect birth and death records, hampering life expectancy and disease tracking; and would make it impossible for researchers to track breast cancer incidence by race based on population estimates, the Chronicle reports. In addition, the measure would hinder research efforts into the possible difference in treatments and disease rates among ethnic groups, opponents say. Officials from the California Medical Association, the Northern California Cancer Center and the San Francisco Department of Public Health all have expressed concern about the initiative. However, supporters of the measure say they do not intend to harm "legitimate health research." Diane Schacterle, Prop. 54 coordinator for the American Civil Rights Coalition, which put the measure on the ballot, said that the bill is intended to "abolish racial classifications" and "promote equality among" state residents, the Chronicle reports. She added, "We believe the exemption is broad enough to include everything, and if there is a particular area that comes up later, and [the measure's opponents] can show a compelling need, we will accompany them to the Legislature to get an override" (Torassa, San Francisco Chronicle, 8/11).