A $980 million bond aimed to expand and revamp California's network of children's hospitals has qualified for the November ballot, the secretary of state's office reported late Friday.
If approved by voters, 80 percent of the nearly $1 billion would go to hospitals that treat children with illnesses such as leukemia, cancer, heart defects, diabetes, sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis. The other 20 percent of funds would go toward University of California general acute care hospitals.
Proponents spent more than $1 million to gather the 433,971 signatures needed to qualify for the ballot. It is the third measure to qualify for the November ballot. The others are a high-speed rail bond and a measure to improve the living conditions of farm animals.
The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office estimates the total costs of the children's hospital bond measure to be $2 billion, including interest. That works out to $67 million per year for the next 30 years.
Proponents are hoping to duplicate the success they had in 2004, when voters approved Proposition 61 with 58 percent of the vote. That measure was a $750 million children's hospital bond.
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