Tracking Legislation

It looks like some of you beat me to it, but to help you track current legislative policies and gather information about past legislation, I have compiled a list of resources to get you started.

Tracking the U.S. Congress
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/subjects.xpd
This is a tool to follow the status of federal legislation. You can subscribe to web feeds or email updates to keep up with the latest activity in Congress. This link provides you with a list of bills in Congress organized by subject and popularity, including immigration, abortion and health insurance.

California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN)
http://www.cpehn.org/issues.php
Mission: To improve access to health care and eliminate health disparities by advocating for public policies and sufficient resources to address the health needs of the community. CPEHN's website allows you to track the progress of priority bills for the 2008 legislative session, such as those that are:
Achieving Equity Through Place-Based Solutions
Expanding Access to Health Care
Increasing Access to Nutritious Food
Increasing the Diversity of the Health Care Workforce
Ensuring Cultural and Linguistic Competency
Improving Our School Health Centers

Ballot Measure Update – California Secretary of State
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_j.htm#2008General
This site lists ballot measures that have qualified for this year’s general election. In addition, you will find a list of initiatives that are currently circulating for possible placement on the next ballot, failed to qualify, were withdrawn, or are pending at the Attorney General's Office.

California Ballot Initiatives Database
http://holmes.uchastings.edu/cgi-bin/starfinder/0?path=calinits.txt&id=webber&pass=webber&OK=OK
University of California Hastings College of the Law maintains a comprehensive, searchable database of information on California ballot initiatives from 1911 to the present. The database contains the full text of the initiatives, accompanying material relating to their filing & qualification, related legal and legislative history, and digital images of pertinent documents.

California Ballot Propositions Database
http://holmes.uchastings.edu/cgi-bin/starfinder/0?path=calprop.txt&id=webber&pass=webber&OK=OK
University of California Hastings College of the Law also maintains a comprehensive, searchable database of California ballot measures from 1911 to the present. The Hastings site also offers PDF versions of ballot pamphlets from 1911 to the present.

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_hpolicy.cfm
This site provides a list of daily headlines on health-related issues connected with legislation, including health coverage & access, presidential candidate health care proposals, state policies, report briefs, and opinion pieces. You can also sign up for email alerts to get this information sent to you directly.

Kaiser Health Disparities Report: A Weekly Look at Race, Ethnicity and Health
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_disparities.cfm
This is a great resource to monitor current issues related to health disparities as well as for accessing archives. Categories include: Politics & Policy, Public Health, Culture-Based Care, and Initiatives. You can also sign up for daily or weekly e-mail alerts.