1.0" ?> 20250SR__001598ENR 98 INTRODUCED 2025-02-06 PASSED_SENATE 2025-02-27 ENROLLED 2025-02-28 2025 0 SR 15 ENR Introduced by Senator Ochoa Bogh (Coauthors: Senators Allen, Alvarado-Gil, Archuleta, Arreguín, Ashby, Blakespear, Cabaldon, Caballero, Cervantes, Choi, Cortese, Dahle, Durazo, Gonzalez, Grayson, Hurtado, Jones, Laird, Limón, McNerney, Menjivar, Niello, Padilla, Pérez, Reyes, Richardson, Rubio, Seyarto, Smallwood-Cuevas, Stern, Umberg, Valladares, Wahab, and Weber Pierson) LEAD_AUTHOR SENATE Ochoa Bogh COAUTHOR SENATE Allen COAUTHOR SENATE Alvarado-Gil COAUTHOR SENATE Archuleta COAUTHOR SENATE Arreguín COAUTHOR SENATE Ashby COAUTHOR SENATE Blakespear COAUTHOR SENATE Cabaldon COAUTHOR SENATE Caballero COAUTHOR SENATE Cervantes COAUTHOR SENATE Choi COAUTHOR SENATE Cortese COAUTHOR SENATE Dahle COAUTHOR SENATE Durazo COAUTHOR SENATE Gonzalez COAUTHOR SENATE Grayson COAUTHOR SENATE Hurtado COAUTHOR SENATE Jones COAUTHOR SENATE Laird COAUTHOR SENATE Limón COAUTHOR SENATE McNerney COAUTHOR SENATE Menjivar COAUTHOR SENATE Niello COAUTHOR SENATE Padilla COAUTHOR SENATE Pérez COAUTHOR SENATE Reyes COAUTHOR SENATE Richardson COAUTHOR SENATE Rubio COAUTHOR SENATE Seyarto COAUTHOR SENATE Smallwood-Cuevas COAUTHOR SENATE Stern COAUTHOR SENATE Umberg COAUTHOR SENATE Valladares COAUTHOR SENATE Wahab COAUTHOR SENATE Weber Pierson Relative to the “2-1-1” information and referral service. the “2-1-1” information and referral service

WHEREAS, 2-1-1 is a trusted information and referral service that provides individuals across the state with connections to community, health, and disaster-related services. By dialing an easy-to-remember three-digit code, known as 2-1-1, Californians can speak with highly trained staff 24 hours per day, 365 days per year and receive real-time assistance in over 150 languages; and

WHEREAS, The 2-1-1 service is operated by 26 local nonprofit organizations serving the entire state, is available through telephone, SMS texting, and the internet, and is tailored to provide people of all income levels, languages, and cultural backgrounds with unique resources specific to their concerns and geographic location; and

WHEREAS, The 2-1-1 service consistently assists with identifying emerging needs and can relay valuable insights to public officials at local, regional, and state levels; and

WHEREAS, The 2-1-1 service provides emergency operation resources during times of natural and other disasters, including providing accurate and timely information for preparations and long-term referrals for followup services, as evidenced by its role in supporting the Office of Emergency Services during annual wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters; and

WHEREAS, During difficult times and through the COVID-19 pandemic, 2-1-1 providers took on the challenge of providing additional resources, answering over 2,000,000 telephone calls, making over 2,150,000 referrals in 2022, and averaging well over 11,000 inquiries from Californians in need every single day of the year; and

WHEREAS, Since 2006, 2-1-1 call specialists have assisted with more than 2,000,000 requests to locate community, health, and disaster-related services; and

WHEREAS, During uncertain economic times, the demand for rapid response assistance and complex case management increases significantly. In many cases, individuals and families who have never had to navigate health and social services find themselves lost and struggling through the systems of care; and

WHEREAS, 2-1-1 providers across the state demonstrated their capabilities as experienced responders able to scale their infrastructure and offer new services quickly, including addressing rising food insecurity and assisting people for whom online forms presented language, digital, or internet accessibility challenges; and

WHEREAS, During the recent devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area, 2-1-1 call specialists displayed professionalism and dedication as they handled an influx of calls from Californians seeking information about evacuation routes, recovery aid, housing resources, and other pressing issues; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate hereby proclaims the month of February 2025 as 2-1-1 Month and the day of February 11, 2025 as 2-1-1 Day to promote and strengthen the 2-1-1 service in providing Californians with free and confidential referrals to needed resources; and be it further

Resolved, That the Senate commits to supporting the 2-1-1 service and infrastructure so that all Californians have equitable access to this critical service that provides resource connections regarding support for poverty, housing, family and children, aging and disability, health equity, and disasters; and be it further

Resolved, That the Senate encourages all Californians to be aware of the 2-1-1 service and look up their local 2-1-1 service provider on the internet at 211.org; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.