Passage of landmark legislation in California, the Latino and Indigenous Disparities Reduction Act (SB 1016), was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, with the goal of reducing health disparities between Latinos and Mesoamerican Indians. The bill is a milestone in the collection of disaggregated health data, allowing for a more detailed and accurate analysis of the specific needs of these populations, which represent 40% of the state's residents.

According to the Latin Times, the legislation requires the California Department of Public Health to collect detailed data for specific subgroups within Latino communities, such as Mexicans, Guatemalans, Salvadorans, among others. In addition, it also includes data from Mesoamerican indigenous nations, such as the Mixtecs, Zapotecs, and Mayans, and opens up the possibility of expansion to other indigenous and Latino groups in the future. This measure aims to ensure that the data collected accurately reflects the diversity of these communities, helping to identify gaps in health care and improve resource allocation.

A central point of the legislation is the recognition of the challenges faced by speakers of indigenous languages during the COVID-19 pandemic, who have had difficulty accessing health information due to language barriers. SB 1016 seeks to rectify this situation by ensuring that state agencies and health care providers have enough data to meet the language needs of these populations, with the goal of preventing similar health disparities in the future.

The bill's author, Senator Lena Gonzalez, according to the Latin Times, highlighted that this legislation is an essential step to combat historic health inequities faced by Latinos and Indigenous people in California. She stressed that the collection of more detailed data will allow a better understanding of the health needs of these communities, facilitating equitable access to health services.

Supporters of the bill, such as Dr. Seciah Aquino of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, and Indigenous leaders, such as Arcenio J. Lopez of the Mixteco/Indigenous Community Organizing Project, praised the passage of the legislation, calling it a transformative victory and an important milestone for the recognition and inclusion of these communities in state health data.

In summary, SB 1016 is a key piece of legislation to combat health disparities by improving the collection and analysis of data from Latino and Mesoamerican indigenous populations, as well as offering a more appropriate response to their linguistic and cultural needs.