Overview
The Bill Tracker includes legislation CHA monitored during the 2024 legislative session, which adjourned on Aug. 31. The 2025-26 session will convene with an organizational session on Dec. 2, after which the Legislature will break until Jan. 6, 2025.
Aging and Disability 1
AB 2800 (Kalra, D-San Jose)
Oppose
Failed to pass the Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee by the April 26 deadline.
AB 2800 would have expanded the definition of “neglect” — significantly increasing the types of conduct that constitute elder abuse — and lowered the evidentiary standard for determining elder abuse. The bill would have resulted in an increase in elder abuse claims, which are not subject to the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (commonly known as MICRA), and would have resulted in increased liability costs and potential impact on patient access.
Artificial Intelligence 1
AB 2930 (Bauer-Kahan, D-San Ramon)
Oppose Unless Amended Through Coalition
Moved to the Senate inactive file at the author’s request.
AB 2930 would have regulated the use of “automated decision systems” (ADSs) in order to prevent “algorithmic discrimination.” The bill would have required developers and deployers that use ADSs for making decisions related to employment to conduct impact assessments on these tools and provide that impact assessment to the Civil Rights Department within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. The bill would have given individuals the right to know when and how an ADS is being used and to opt out of its use.
Bioethical Issues 1
SB 1196 (Blakespear, D-Encinitas)
Follow
Failed to pass the Senate Health Committee by the April 26 deadline.
SB 1196 would have altered provisions of the End of Life Option Act, including replacing the term “terminal disease” for the purposes of an individual qualifying to use the act with “grievous and irremediable medical condition.” This replacement term would have included dementia if the individual meets specified capacity requirements. The bill would have authorized the self-administration of an aid-in-dying drug through intravenous injection and would have also repealed the act’s Jan. 1, 2031, expiration date. The provision allowing hospitals to prohibit their employees and health care providers from participating in physician-assisted death during work hours or on hospital property remains in statute and would not have been altered by this bill.
Clinics 1
AB 2132 (Low, D-Cupertino)
Follow
Signed by the governor on Sept. 29.
AB 2132 requires adult patients (18 years or older) who receive primary care services in settings where primary care services are provided — including a facility, clinic, center, or office — to be offered tuberculosis (TB) screening if TB risk factors are identified and if those services are covered under the patient’s health insurance, based on the latest screening indications recommended by the state Department of Public Health, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Thoracic Society, or the United States Preventative Services Task Force. The bill contains specific exemptions where this requirement does not apply, including an exemption for emergency departments.
Community Benefit 2
AB 2297 (Friedman, D-Burbank)
Neutral
Signed by the governor on Sept. 24.
AB 2297 prohibits hospitals from considering patients’ monetary assets when determining eligibility for financial assistance, imposing a time limit on eligibility, or placing liens on a patient’s real property. The bill also reinstates the requirement for patients to pay hospitals when a health insurance company pays a patient directly or a patient receives money from a lawsuit. The bill also allows hospitals to consider certain assets of a Medicare patient when determining eligibility for financial assistance to allow compliance with Medicare bad debt rules. The bill requires hospitals to make other changes to their financial assistance and billing policies.
SB 1061 (Limón, D-Santa Barbara)
Neutral
Signed by the governor on Sept. 24.
SB 1061 prohibits consumer credit reporting agencies from including medical debt in consumer credit reports and also prohibits a health care provider from furnishing information regarding a medical debt to a consumer credit reporting agency. The bill also requires hospitals to maintain all documents related to an individual’s medical debt, including litigation documents. Amendments taken in the Assembly Appropriations Committee conform the definition of medical debt to the proposed federal rule.
Emergency Services 4
AB 977 (Rodriguez, D-Pomona)
Co-sponsor
Signed by the governor on Sept. 29.
AB 977 extends certain penalties for violence committed against first responders to all health care workers who provide services within emergency departments. The bill defines “health care worker” as all staff and employees who provide services and treatment in the emergency department. AB 977 also allows emergency departments to post a notice stating that an assault and battery against hospital staff is a crime and may result in a felony conviction.
AB 2175 (Lowenthal, D-Long Beach)
Oppose Unless Amended
Held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 16.
AB 2175 would have required general acute care hospitals to annually report to the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) specified information, including all specialties listed on the hospital’s call panel, whether each specialty is available 24/7, and the telephone number to contact for interfacility transfers. HCAI would have been required to develop a searchable database accessible to hospital staff.
AB 2960 (Lee, D-Milpitas)
Oppose Unless Amended
Held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 16.
AB 2960 would have required primary care clinics and hospital emergency departments to, at least once a year, offer a syphilis test to all sexually active patients at least 15 years of age.
SB 963 (Ashby, D-Sacramento)
Support
Signed by the governor on Sept. 26.
SB 963 requires general acute care hospitals with an emergency department (ED) to create a human trafficking system available at the ED that allows patients to self-identify as a victim of human trafficking or domestic violence. CHA was successful in securing amendments that would limit hospital and staff liability for complying in good faith with the provisions of the law.
Equity 3
AB 311 (Santiago, D-Los Angeles)
Support
Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on Aug. 15.
AB 311 would have ensured undocumented immigrants are eligible to receive food assistance benefits.
AB 3161 (Bonta, D-Oakland)
Follow
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
AB 3161 was amended on Aug. 23 to remove the requirement for hospitals to report patient demographic information to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) when reporting an adverse event. The bill is now limited to requiring hospitals to update their patient safety plans to (1) allow anyone to make an anonymous patient safety report; (2) include patient sociodemographic factors when analyzing patient safety events; and (3) include a process for addressing racism and discrimination. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, hospitals are required to submit their patient safety plans to CDPH biannually, and the plans will be posted on CDPH’s website. The bill authorizes CDPH to impose a fine of up to $5,000 on health facilities that do not adopt, update, or submit patient safety plans.
SB 37 (Caballero, D-Merced)
Support
Vetoed by the governor on Sept. 25.
SB 37 would, upon appropriation of funding by the Legislature, have required the Department of Housing and Community Development to begin developing the Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities Housing Stability Pilot Program to award competitive grants to eligible entities including nonprofit community-based organizations, continuums of care, public housing authorities, and area agencies on aging. Grant funds would have provided housing subsidies to older adults and adults with disabilities whose households are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
Finance 4
AB 2098 (Garcia, D-Coachella)
Support
Vetoed by the governor on Sept. 28.
AB 2098 would have extended repayment conditions for non-designated public hospitals with loans from the California Health Facilities Financing Authority Fund.
AB 2637 (Schiavo, D-Santa Clarita)
Support
Vetoed by the governor on Sept. 22.
AB 2637 would have allowed the California Health Facilities Financing Authority to issue long-term working capital financing by removing the limitation that loans be repaid within 24 months. The bill would have also allowed the authority to establish financial eligibility standards for working capital loans.
SB 136 (Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review)
Follow
Signed by the governor on March 25.
SB 136 authorizes changes to the managed care organization tax that will result in approximately $1.5 billion in new revenue to help the state maintain and improve the Medi-Cal program.
SB 1269 (Padilla, D-El Centro)
Follow
Failed to pass the Senate Health Committee by the May 3 deadline.
SB 1269 would have established a definition for “safety net hospital” and stated the Legislature’s intent that policymakers use this definition when crafting policy related to these hospitals.
Government Payers 9
AB 4 (Arambula, D-Fresno)
Follow
Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on Aug. 15.
AB 4 would have required Covered California to administer a program to allow persons not otherwise able to obtain coverage because of immigration status to enroll in health insurance coverage similar to other Californians, subject to an appropriation and to the extent feasible under federal law and regulation.
AB 1783 (Essayli, R-Corona)
Oppose
Failed to pass an Assembly policy committee by the May 3 deadline.
AB 1783 states the Legislature’s intent to remove all taxpayer funding for health care for undocumented individuals.
AB 2200 (Kalra, D-San Jose)
Oppose Through Coalition
Held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 16.
AB 2200 would have created the California Guaranteed Health Care for All Program (CalCare) to establish comprehensive, universal single-payer health care coverage. The bill would have established a board that would obtain all necessary waivers, approvals, and agreements allowing existing federal health care payments to be paid to CalCare, which would have then assumed responsibility for benefits and services previously paid with those funds.
AB 2342 (Lowenthal, D-Long Beach)
Follow
Failed to pass the Assembly Health Committee by the April 26 deadline.
AB 2342 would have provided an annual supplemental payment for Medi-Cal services to each critical access hospital that is located on an island more than 10 miles off California’s coast (i.e., Catalina Island).
AB 2956 (Boerner, D-Solana Beach)
Support
Held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 16.
AB 2956 sought to make it easier for individuals to maintain their Medi-Cal coverage by modifying the Medi-Cal eligibility redetermination process, subject to federal approval. Specifically, the bill would have extended provisions related to continuous eligibility for adults and increase county flexibility related to income verification.
SB 1213 (Atkins, D-San Diego)
Support
Vetoed by the governor on Sept. 27.
SB 1213 would have expanded eligibility for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program to Californians with family incomes of up to 250% of the federal poverty level.
SB 1236 (Blakespear, D-Encinitas)
Support
Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 16.
SB 1236 would have prohibited using an individual’s medical history to determine Medigap coverage. The bill would have also ensured Medicare beneficiaries have a reasonable opportunity to access Medigap coverage by creating an annual open enrollment period at the beginning of each year.
SB 1268 (Nguyen, R-Huntington Beach)
Support
Failed to pass the Senate Health Committee by the April 26 deadline.
SB 1268 would have clarified and strengthened requirements that Medi-Cal managed care plans maintain network contracts with safety-net providers who serve a significant number of Medi-Cal or indigent patients.
SB 1423 (Dahle, R-Bieber)
Sponsor
Vetoed by the governor on Sept. 22.
SB 1423 would have established a critical access hospital (CAH) technical advisory group at the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to evaluate and make recommendations on the financial stability of CAHs. The bill would have required DHCS to submit a report to the Legislature with recommendations on improving the financial stability of CAHs.
Health Facilities 4
AB 1895 (Weber, D-La Mesa)
Follow
Vetoed by the governor on Sept. 29.
AB 1895 would have required general acute care hospitals whose perinatal unit expects challenges in the next six months that may result in a reduction or loss of perinatal services to report specified information to the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI). This information would have included, but would not have been limited to, the number of medical staff and employees working in the perinatal unit and the number of deliveries per month over the past 12 months, the factors that have caused challenges in the perinatal unit and what is needed for the perinatal unit to remain open, and whether state intervention is needed. The information provided by hospitals to HCAI would have been forwarded to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). This information would have been kept confidential to the extent applicable by law. The bill also would have required HCAI, CDPH, and DHCS to assess the potential impact to the community if the perinatal unit closes, as well as develop recommendations for resolving the perinatal unit’s challenges. If the hospital closes its perinatal unit, the hospital would have still been required to provide public notice of the closure as required by Health and Safety Code Section 1255.25. Additionally, hospitals would have been required to post the results of the state’s community impact assessment on its internet website 90 days in advance of the proposed closure. The bill also would have required hospitals to permit public comment on the closure for 60 days after the notice is given and hold at least one public hearing.
AB 2300 (Wilson, D-Suisun City)
Follow
Signed by the governor on Sept. 25.
AB 2300 phases out the manufacture, sale, or distribution of IV bags and IV tubing made with intentionally added Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Beginning Jan. 1, 2030, the manufacture, sale, or distribution of IV bags with intentionally added DEHP is prohibited. Manufacturers can extend this deadline to 2032 if they meet public disclosure criteria. Beginning Jan. 1, 2035, this prohibition is extended to all IV tubing. Certain blood kits, bags, and tubing are exempted from this prohibition.
SB 1300 (Cortese, D-Campbell)
Neutral
Signed by the governor on Sept. 28.
SB 1300 requires hospitals, 120 days prior to closing either supplemental inpatient psychiatric or maternity services, to provide public notice with specified information, including a justification for the health facility’s decision to eliminate the services and demographic information about the patients that received those services in the past five years. Within 60 days of public notice, the bill requires hospitals to hold a public hearing within 25 miles of the facility and that is accessible to the public remotely. The county board of supervisors must be invited to provide testimony on the impacts of the elimination of services to the county and community health systems.
SB 1439 (Ashby, D-Sacramento)
Support
Failed to pass the Housing and Community Development Committee on June 26.
SB 1439 would have expanded the legal definition of “exempt surplus land” to include specified sites within the city of Sacramento that are intended for the development of health facilities.
Health Insurance 12
AB 236 (Holden, D-Pasadena)
Follow
Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on Aug. 15.
AB 236 would have required a health plan or insurer to annually audit and delete inaccurate listings from its provider directories, including deleting a provider from its directory if the plan or insurer has not financially compensated a provider in the prior year. It would have also required the Department of Managed Health Care and the Department of Insurance to develop uniform formats for plans and insurers to use to request directory information from providers, and it would have authorized the departments to establish methodology and processes to ensure accuracy of provider directories.
AB 1842 (Reyes, D-San Bernardino)
Support
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
AB 1842 requires a group or individual health care service plan or health insurer offering an outpatient prescription drug benefit to provide coverage without prior authorization, step therapy, or utilization review for at least one medication approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in each of four designated categories, including medication for the reversal of opioid overdose, such as a naloxone product or another opioid antagonist.
AB 3059 (Weber, D-La Mesa)
Support
Signed by the governor on Sept. 29.
AB 3059 clarifies that donor milk is covered as part of essential health benefits for babies who have a medical necessity. The bill exempts hospitals from having a tissue bank license in order to distribute donor milk to babies in the neonatal intensive care unit.
AB 3221 (Pellerin, D-Santa Cruz)
Support
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
AB 3221 requires records, books, and other documentation from health plans to be available for inspection, including in electronic form, by the Department of Managed Health Care.
AB 3260 (Pellerin, D-Santa Cruz)
Support
Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on Aug. 15.
AB 3260 would have required health plans to expedite reviews of urgent grievances and make determinations of urgency by enrollees’ health care providers binding.
AB 3275 (Soria, D-Merced and R. Rivas, D-Salinas)
Support
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
AB 3275 updates and clarifies requirements for health care service plans or health insurers to timely reimburse services provided by hospitals.
SB 294 (Wiener, D-San Francisco)
Support
Held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on Aug. 15.
SB 294 would have required a health care service plan or disability insurer that provides coverage for mental health or substance use disorders (SUDs) to treat as a grievance any modification, delay, or denial issued in response to an authorization request for coverage of treatment for a mental health or SUD for an insured up to 26 years of age.
SB 516 (Skinner, D-Oakland)
Follow
Re-referred to the Assembly Health Committee on Aug. 22. Aug. 27 hearing in the Assembly Health Committee canceled at the author’s request.
SB 516 would have required health plans and insurers to report data regarding prior authorization (PA) and approval rates and would have required the Department of Managed Health Care and the Department of Insurance to assess this information and provide direction regarding elimination of PA for certain procedures.
SB 999 (Cortese, D-Campbell)
Support
Held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on Aug. 15.
SB 999 would have imposed certain requirements on health plans and insurers, including:
- Having qualified health care providers in the relevant clinical specialty review appeals and make initial review determinations
- Maintaining telephone and other direct communication access during normal business hours for health care providers to request authorization for mental health and substance use disorder care
- Providing health care providers and enrollees the clinical citations used for denials of care
SB 1120 (Becker, D-Menlo Park)
Support
Signed by the governor on Sept. 28.
SB 1120 addresses a health plan’s use of artificial intelligence, algorithm, or other software decision-making tools to inform authorization or coverage decisions, including specified requirements for oversight, disclosure, and fair and equitable application.
SB 1180 (Ashby, D-Sacramento)
Support
Signed by the governor on Sept. 28.
SB 1180 requires a health care service plan contract issued, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2025, to establish a reimbursement process for services provided by a community paramedicine program, triage to alternate destination program, or mobile integrated health program. The bill also requires coverage of these programs under Medi-Cal, upon appropriation and receipt of any necessary federal approvals and the availability of federal financial participation.
SB 1320 (Wahab, D-Fremont)
Support
Signed by the governor on July 15.
SB 1320 requires health plans and insurers to create a process to reimburse providers for mental health and substance use disorder treatment services that are integrated with primary care services.
HIT/Medical Records 2
AB 1331 (Wood, D-Healdsburg)
Concerns
Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on Aug. 15.
AB 1331 would have required the Center for Data Insights and Innovation to take over the establishment and implementation of, as well as all functions related to, the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) Data Exchange Framework.
AB 3030 (Calderon, D-City of Industry)
Neutral
Signed by the governor on Sept. 28.
AB 3030 requires hospitals, clinics, physicians, and other providers using generative artificial intelligence (AI) to generate patient communications to include a disclaimer on each communication that informs the patient that it was generated by AI if the communication concerns patient clinical information and is not reviewed by a medical professional.
Integration 1
AB 3129 (Wood, D-Healdsburg)
Oppose
Vetoed by the governor on Sept. 28.
AB 3129 would have required hedge funds and private equity groups to notify and receive prior approval from the attorney general when entering into a transaction with a health care facility or provider group, with some exemptions. Recent amendments were intended to exempt hospitals, but CHA’s technical concerns remained unaddressed.
Labor and Employment 9
AB 2319 (Wilson, D-Suisun City)
Follow
Signed by the governor on Sept. 26.
AB 2319 expands provisions of the California Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act (Chapter 533, Statutes of 2019). Specifically, it requires hospitals to provide implicit bias training to all employees regularly assigned to positions that interact with perinatal patients. Hospitals are required to annually submit proof of compliance to the attorney general (AG). If a hospital’s proof of compliance shows a “systemic failure” of employees to complete the training, a facility is liable for a fine of $5,000 for the first violation and $15,000 for each subsequent violation. Systemic failure means the lesser of the following:
- 10% or more of providers failing to complete the training, provided that if only one or two providers did not receive the training, the facility was provided a reasonable opportunity to cure, or
- 25 providers failing to complete the training.
The bill also specifies that failure by a physician who is not directly employed by the facility is not counted toward the percentage of providers failing to complete the required training, provided that the facility offered the training to the physician. The AG is authorized to post hospitals’ compliance records on its website. CHA worked closely with the author and bill sponsors in securing amendments that recognize hospitals’ good faith efforts to implement the bill.
AB 2975 (Gipson, D-Gardena)
Neutral
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
AB 2975 requires the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (better known as Cal/OSHA) Standards Board to amend the existing Workplace Violence Prevention in Health Care standards to require weapons detection screening monitored by trained non-patient care personnel at the hospital’s main public entrance, emergency department entrance, and labor and delivery entrance, if separately accessible to the public. Amendments taken in the Senate Appropriations Committee include, among others, requiring the Cal/OSHA Standards Board to amend the standard by 2027 instead of 2025; requiring hospitals to comply within 90 days after the standard is adopted; removing the requirement for hospital policy to include storage and confiscation of a detected weapon; and allowing handheld metal detector wands to be the sole device in hospital entrances with existing spacing limitations, as well as for long-term care hospitals or inpatient rehabilitation facilities.
ACA 6 (Haney, D-San Francisco)
Oppose
Failed to pass when reconsidered by the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee on June 11.
ACA 6 would have required the University of California (UC) system to submit all service contracts to the State Personnel Board, in effect banning the UC health system from using registry nurses and temporary staff.
ACA 14 (Ortega, D-Hayward)
Oppose
Passed the Assembly floor on May 23. Pending a Senate policy committee referral.
ACA 14 would have required the University of California (UC) system to submit all service contracts to the State Personnel Board, in effect banning the UC health system from using registry nurses and temporary staff.
PAGA REFORM
Support Through Coalition
AB 2288 and SB 92 were signed by the governor on July 1.
AB 2288 (Kalra, D-San Jose) and SB 92 (Umberg, D-Santa Ana) collectively represent agreed upon reforms to California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). AB 2288 includes provisions that reduce and cap penalties for violations of the Labor Code, new standing requirements, and steps employers may take to reduce their liability. SB 92 contains a new right to cure process for employers and increases judicial discretion.
SB 399 (Wahab, D-Fremont)
Oppose Through Coalition
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
SB 399 prohibits an employer from taking an adverse action against an employee who declines to attend an employer-sponsored meeting or participate in, receive, or listen to communications regarding the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters. SB 399 enables the employee to bring a civil action for damages and injunctive relief.
SB 828 (Durazo, D-Los Angeles)
Support
Signed by the governor on May 31.
SB 828 moves the initial health care minimum wage implementation date and all future wage adjustments from June 1 to July 1. This is needed to address state budget concerns.
SB 1116 (Portantino, D-Glendale)
Oppose Through Coalition
Failed to pass the Assembly Insurance Committee on June 26.
SB 1116 would have allowed employees who are unable to work due to a lockout to receive unemployment insurance benefits after a two-week waiting period.
SCA 8 (Durazo, D-Los Angeles)
Oppose
Introduced on Sept. 13. Pending referral to a Senate policy committee.
SCA 8 would have required the University of California (UC) system to submit all service contracts to the State Personnel Board, in effect banning the UC health system from using registry nurses and temporary staff.
Mental Health 10
AB 1001 (Haney, D-San Francisco)
Oppose
Failed to pass the Senate Health Committee by the July 3 deadline.
AB 1001 would have required general acute care hospitals to adopt behavioral health emergency service policies related to minimum staffing requirements, response times, and data management and reporting. This bill would have established the Behavioral Health Emergency Response and Training Fund to support staffing increases in public and non-profit general acute care hospitals.
AB 1316 (Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks; Ward, D-San Diego)
Sponsor
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
AB 1316 requires that Medi-Cal managed care plans pay hospital emergency departments for serving Medi-Cal beneficiaries experiencing a mental health crisis. It also ensures people who need access to a mental health inpatient bed are transferred promptly to the care they need, regardless of whether they are on an involuntary psychiatric hold.
AB 2154 (Berman, D-Palo Alto)
Neutral
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
AB 2154 requires hospitals to provide a copy of the state-published Patients’ Rights Handbook to certain family members with the consent of individuals on involuntary psychiatric holds.
AB 2161 (Arambula, D-Fresno)
Support
Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on Aug. 15.
AB 2161 would have promoted the widespread availability of evidence-based services to treat the early signs of psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia. The bill would have required the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission to create a strategic plan that would identify opportunities to improve California’s response to early psychosis. It would have also required the Department of Health Care Services to partner with the University of California to develop a Center for Mental Health Wellness and Innovations.
AB 2700 (Gabriel, D-Encino)
Support
Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 16.
AB 2700 would have promoted expanded use of behavioral health facilities, rather than emergency departments (EDs), for individuals with behavioral health needs. It would have required the Emergency Medical Services Authority to publish descriptions of all local agencies that are serving as, or could serve as, alternatives to hospital EDs, including psychiatric health facilities, psychiatric hospitals, sobering centers, and crisis stabilization units. The bill would also have required each local emergency medical services agency to develop protocols for transporting individuals to alternate destinations.
SB 1012 (Wiener, D-San Francisco)
Follow
Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 16.
SB 1012 would have enacted the “Regulated Psychedelic Facilitators Act” and the “Regulated Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Act” to establish a state-regulated program that provides adults safe access to psychedelic-assisted behavioral health therapy.
SB 1017 (Eggman, D-Stockton)
Neutral
Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 16.
SB 1017 would have required the Department of Public Health, Department of Health Care Services, and Department of Social Services to develop a solution to collect, aggregate, and display information about beds, including acute psychiatric beds, in 13 types of behavioral health treatment facilities. This bill would take effect Jan. 1, 2026.
SB 1082 (Eggman, D-Stockton)
Support
Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 16.
SB 1082 would have expanded the availability of home-like care settings for individuals living with a serious mental illness by establishing a new residential model called an Augmented Residential Care Facility. The bill would have strengthened the continuum of community-based care options for individuals living with the most significant mental health needs.
SB 1184 (Eggman, D-Stockton)
Follow
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
SB 1184 authorizes administration of antipsychotic medication to a person who is involuntarily detained for evaluation and treatment for the total duration of their treatment.
SB 1238 (Eggman, D-Stockton)
Support
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
SB 1238 expands the definition of a “designated facility” in the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act to include facilities that both (1) have appropriate services, personnel, and security to safely treat individuals being held involuntarily and (2) are licensed or certified as a skilled-nursing facility, mental health rehabilitation center, or a facility capable of providing medically monitored or managed intensive inpatient treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). In addition, this bill requires the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to authorize licensed psychiatric health facilities and licensed mental health rehabilitation centers to admit individuals diagnosed only with a SUD. This bill requires DHCS to ensure that designated facilities are reimbursed for evaluation and treatment of stand-alone SUDs at rates equivalent to those provided for evaluation and treatment of mental health disorders.
Nursing 8
AB 1577 (Low, D-Cupertino)
Neutral as Amended
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
AB 1577 requires health facilities and clinics, upon the written request of a California community college (CCC) or California state university (CSU), to meet with and work in good faith to meet the clinical placement needs of their nursing program. If, after meeting with the CCC or CSU, a health facility or clinic is not able to meet the clinical placement needs of the school, the health facility or clinic is required to annually, on Jan. 30, submit a form to the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) describing the reasons the health facility is not able to meet the school’s clinical placement needs. This information will be posted on HCAI’s website for five years. The bill gives HCAI the authority to assess an administrative penalty in an amount not to exceed $1,000 for failure to provide the informational notice by the Jan. 30 due date. These requirements will sunset on Jan. 1, 2032.
AB 1695 (Gipson, D-Gardena)
Support
Passed the Senate on Sept. 12. Ordered to be returned to the Senate and held at the desk on Sept. 13.
AB 1695 would have created the Nursing Pathway Pilot Program, which would have reduced the barriers to enrolling in community college nursing programs, thereby increasing the training and retention of more nurses at all levels.
AB 2015 (Schiavo, D-Santa Clarita)
Follow
Signed by the governor on Sept. 22.
AB 2015, sponsored by the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN), authorizes the board to approve for five years a director, assistant director, or member of the faculty of an approved school of nursing or nursing program. The BRN is required to display an individual’s faculty approval status through an online search tool.
AB 2104 (Soria, D-Merced)
Support
Vetoed by the governor on Sept. 27.
AB 2104, similar to Sen. Roth’s SB 895, would have required the chancellor of the California Community Colleges to develop a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing Pilot Program at 10 community college districts in order to offer a bachelor of science in nursing degree. In identifying eligible community college districts, the chancellor’s office would have been required to prioritize community college districts in broadly recognized underserved nursing areas, as well as community college districts with persistent poverty. The pilot program would have ended Jan. 1, 2031. The bill also would have required the Legislative Analyst’s Office, by Jan. 1, 2030, to evaluate the program’s effectiveness and whether it should be continued or expanded.
SB 895 (Roth, D-Riverside)
Co-sponsor
Vetoed by the governor on Sept. 27.
SB 895 would have required the California Community Colleges to develop a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing Pilot Program at 10 community college districts in order to offer a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree. It also would have required the Legislative Analyst’s Office to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot, which would have ended on Jan. 1, 2034.
SB 1015 (Cortese, D-Campbell)
Follow
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
SB 1015, sponsored by the California Nurses Association, requires the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) to annually report information related to the management of clinical placements and coordination with clinical facilities by approved nursing programs. The report must include information related to how approved nursing programs collaborate and coordinate with other approved schools of nursing or regional planning consortiums that utilize the same clinical facility. The report must be posted on the BRN’s website and be submitted to the Legislature. Additionally, SB 1015 requires the BRN’s Nursing Education and Workforce Advisory Committee to study and recommend standards for how approved nursing programs should manage and coordinate clinical placements. The study must include various topics, such as the necessity and feasibility of a statewide consortium to manage and coordinate clinical placements, as well as identifying and reporting violations of Business and Professions Code section 2786.4, related to the prohibition of payment to any clinical facility in exchange for clinical placement slots. The report detailing the committee’s findings will be submitted to the Legislature.
SB 1042 (Roth, D-Riverside)
Follow
Held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on Aug. 15.
SB 1042 would have required health facilities, as defined in Health and Safety Code section 1250, and clinics, as defined in Health and Safety Code sections 1200 and 1204, to report to the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) information on the number of clinical placements available. All approved nursing programs, public and private, would have been required to report their clinical placement needs. Upon request of an approved nursing program, health facilities and clinics would have been required to meet with representatives from the nursing program to work in good faith to meet the program’s needs related to educating and training nurses. The bill also would have allowed the BRN, upon request by an approved nursing program, to assist in identifying clinical placement slots to meet the program’s clinical placements needs. Hospitals could have elected to make existing or additional clinical placements slots available.
SB 1451 (Ashby, D-Sacramento)
Support Through Coalition
Signed by the governor on Sept. 22.
SB 1451 is the Senate Business and Professions Committee omnibus bill. The bill includes clarifying guidance to provisions of AB 890 (Wood, 2019), which established a regulatory framework for nurse practitioners (NPs) to practice independently. Among the changes, SB 1451 clarifies experience requirements for transition to practice and the disclosures that NPs must provide to patients.
Public Health 1
AB 98 (J. Carrillo, D-Palmdale and Reyes, D-San Bernardino)
Support
Signed by the governor on Sept. 29.
AB 98 establishes reasonable impact mitigation requirements for warehouse developments near “sensitive receptors” which, as defined, includes hospitals and the patients they treat from surrounding residential communities.
Seismic 3
AB 869 (Wood, D-Healdsburg)
Support
Signed by the governor on Sept. 28.
AB 869 allows a delay of the 2030 deadline for certain rural hospitals and district hospitals of up to three years and an additional two-year delay depending on the financial need of the hospital or if they are experiencing construction delays. Transparency and accountability measures are also included. Amendments taken in the Senate Appropriations Committee added distressed hospitals.
SB 1119 (Newman, D-Fullerton)
Support
Vetoed by the governor on Sept. 28.
SB 1119 would have extended the first seismic compliance deadline for three hospitals: Providence St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, Providence St. Joseph Hospital – Eureka, and Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center.
SB 1432 (Caballero, D-Merced)
Sponsor
Vetoed by the governor on Sept. 12.
SB 1432 was CHA’s proposal to address the 2030 seismic requirement. Specifically, the bill would have provided up to an additional five years depending on the project timeline, at the discretion of the Department of Health Care Access and Information. The bill would have also required the state to consider the complexity of a seismic construction project and the impacts on health care access when determining an extension to the 2030 requirement.
Substance Use Disorders 3
AB 1510 (Jones-Sawyer, D-Los Angeles)
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Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on Aug. 15.
AB 1510 would have enacted the “Fighting Fentanyl Bond Act of 2024” and placed a general obligation bond on the November 2024 ballot to finance various substance use disorder treatment, harm reduction, research, and criminal justice programs.
AB 1859 (Alanis, R-Modesto)
Support
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
AB 1859 authorizes coroners to test for xylazine if they suspect an individual may have died from an opioid overdose, and to report positive test results to the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program and provide the state Department of Public Health with a quarterly report on positive results.
AB 2115 (Haney, D-San Francisco)
Support
Signed by the governor on Sept. 27.
AB 2115 expands efforts to prevent overdose deaths by increasing access to methadone. At the federal level, clinics are authorized to dispense 72 hours of methadone to a patient during the referral and enrollment process for a methadone clinic (opioid treatment program). This extended dispensing authority provides methadone access while individuals are awaiting enrollment in a methadone clinic. Unfortunately, current California law does not fully align with this new authority. AB 2115 addresses this issue by updating state law to allow clinics to dispense 72 hours of methadone during the referral and enrollment process for a methadone clinic.