The Legislature finds and declares the following: Health information technology provides tools that can improve the quality, safety, and value of health care services. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (Public Law 111-5) includes within it the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (the HITECH Act). The HITECH Act provides an unprecedented opportunity for California to develop a statewide health information technology infrastructure to improve California’s health care system. It includes provisions and federal funding to encourage the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology and exchange.