The California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) is the state agency tasked with administration and oversight of "state and federal programs for health care, social services, public assistance and rehabilitation" in the U.S. state of California. The agency is headed by the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, with headquarters in Sacramento.[1] Many of the laws in the California Health and Safety Codes are enforced by it.
CHHS was created from a reorganization of other California agencies, including the California Health and Welfare Agency which included the California Department of Health Services.
Organization
The agency is divided into various departments and boards:[4]
The agency was originally created in 1961 by Government Code section 12800 as the Human Relations Agency, and renamed to the Health and Welfare Agency in 1972 to and again to its current name in 1998.[7]