HR 41 (Harabedian, D-Pasadena)

Sponsor

Introduced on May 5.

HR 41 would designate the week of May 11 to May 17, 2025, as National Hospital Week in California.

SCR 71 (Allen, D-El Segundo)

Sponsor

Introduced on April 30.

SCR 71 would designate the week of May 11 to May 17, 2025, as National Hospital Week in California.

AB 489 (Bonta, D-Oakland)

Support if Amended

Passed the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee on April 22. May 7 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 489 would prohibit using a term, letter, or phrase in an artificial intelligence (AI) or generative AI system that indicates or implies the care or advice AI offers is being provided by a licensed person.

AB 1018 (Bauer-Kahan, D-San Ramon)

Oppose Unless Amended Through Coalition

Passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee on April 29. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 1018 would regulate the development and deployment of automated decisions tools (ADS) that can be used to make consequential decisions, including employment and health care decisions. The bill would also require developers and deployers of ADS to conduct risk assessments and meet other requirements. 

Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee Oppose Unless Amended Coalition Letter

SB 295 (Hurtado, D-Bakersfield)

Oppose Through Coalition

Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 29. To be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 295 would require entities to provide information, upon the Attorney General’s request, on the use of a pricing algorithm. This bill would also prohibit entities from using or distributing any pricing algorithm that uses, incorporates, or was trained with competitor data. For violations, the Attorney General would be authorized to bring a civil action. 

California Chamber of Commerce Coalition’s Oppose Letter to the Author

SB 384 (Wahab, D-Silicon Valley)

Oppose Through Coalition

Placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 5.

SB 384 would prohibit a business from using a price-fixing algorithm to set a price or supply level of a good or service. The bill would also authorize the Attorney General, city attorney, or county counsel to file a civil action for violations, with civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation.

California Chamber of Commerce Coalition’s Oppose Letter to the Author

California Chamber of Commerce Senate Judiciary Committee Oppose Letter

SB 420 (Padilla, D-El Centro)

Concerns

Placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 5.

SB 420 would regulate a developer or a deployer of a high-risk automated decision system, as defined.

Senate Governmental Organization Committee Concern Letter

Senate Appropriations Committee Concern Letter

SB 403 (Blakespear, D-Encinitas)

Follow

Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 29. May 12 hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 403 would make the End of Life Option Act permanent by removing its sunset date. It would also require the California Department of Public Health to include in its annual report additional data on act usage based on input received from stakeholders. CHA will closely monitor the bill to ensure it does not adversely affect the protections currently available to hospitals.

ACA 1 (Valencia, D-Anaheim)

Follow

Introduced on Dec. 2.

ACA 1 would allow for increasing state budget reserves into the Budget Stabilization Account and exempting those funds from the state appropriations limits. Increased budget reserves would potentially protect Medi-Cal from cuts during difficult fiscal years.  

AB 848 (Soria, D-Merced)

Follow

Passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee on April 22. May 7 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 848 would provide that, if in a case of felony conviction for sexual battery in which the defendant was employed at a hospital where the offense occurred and the victim was in the defendant’s care or seeking medical care at the hospital, these facts must be a factor in aggravation in sentencing.

SB 29 (Laird, D-Santa Cruz)

Oppose Through Coalition

Placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on April 21.

SB 29 would make permanent the ability for a decedent’s estate to recover for non-economic damages (pain and suffering).

Senate Judiciary Committee Oppose Unless Amended Coalition Letter

SB 799 (Allen, D-El Segundo)  

Oppose Through Coalition

Failed to pass the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee on April 23. Reconsideration granted. Two-year bill.

SB 799 would expand the California False Claims Act to allow private individuals and attorneys to bring lawsuits against taxpayers. 

AB 1196 (Gallagher, R-Chico)

Support

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 29. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 1196 would require the California Department of Public Health, by Jan. 1, 2029, to update regulations to reflect current professional standards of care relating to extracorporeal bypass surgery. 

Assembly Health Committee Support Letter

Assembly Appropriations Committee Support Letter

AB 55 (Bonta, D-Oakland)

Follow

Passed the Assembly on April 28. Pending a Senate policy committee assignment.

AB 55 would remove the requirement that alternative birth centers be located within 30 minutes of a hospital equipped for obstetrical and neonatal emergencies. Instead, alternative birth centers would be required to adopt a detailed hospital transfer policy, including procedures for record-sharing, communication with receiving providers, and patient notification. The bill would also update Medi-Cal requirements, eliminating the need for centers to be certified as comprehensive perinatal providers (but still requiring that centers provide specified pregnancy and postpartum services).

AB 1312 (Schiavo, D-Santa Clarita)

Oppose Unless Amended

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 29. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 1312 would require hospitals to automatically presume eligibility for financial assistance prior to discharge for patients experiencing homelessness or enrolled in government assistance programs like CalFresh or CalWORKs. Hospitals must also prescreen patients for financial assistance if they are uninsured, enrolled in or eligible for Medi-Cal, and expected to owe more than $500 after insurance adjustments. Any presumptive eligibility or prescreening discount must be reflected on the patient’s billing statement. By July 1, 2026, hospitals would be required to implement a written prescreening process and disclose any third-party software tools used for prescreening. If a patient was approved for financial assistance within the past 12 months, hospitals would have to apply the discount without requiring further assessment before billing. Additionally, hospitals would have to provide written notice of determination for patients found presumptively eligible for charity care or discounted payment under this section. CHA continues to engage with the author and sponsors on amendments to better align the bill with existing hospital workflows, preserve the ability for hospitals to verify income, and use an application process in making financial assistance determinations.

Assembly Health Committee Oppose Unless Amended Letter

SB 351 (Cabaldon, D-Napa)

Follow

Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 29. May 12 hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 351 would prohibit a private equity group or hedge fund involved in any manner with a physician or dental practice doing business in California from interfering with the professional judgment of physicians or dentists in making health care decisions and exercising power over actions (e.g., making decisions regarding coding and billing procedures for patient care services).

AB 40 (Bonta, D-Oakland)

Follow

Passed the Assembly on April 21. Pending a policy committee assignment by the Senate Rules Committee.

AB 40 would have added “reproductive health services, including abortion,” to the definition of the “emergency services and care” that health facilities must provide to determine if an emergency medical condition or active labor exists. The author has accepted CHA’s amendments removing “reproductive health services, including abortion,” from the definition of “emergency services and care” (i.e., what must be done to determine whether an emergency medical condition exists), instead placing it in the list of care that may need to be provided to relieve or eliminate an emergency medical condition.

AB 447 (M. González, D-Los Angeles)

Support

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 29. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 447 would allow physicians or authorized prescribers to dispense an unused portion of a non-controlled medication to an emergency department (ED) patient upon discharge if all of the following conditions are met: the drug is not a controlled substance, the medication was previously ordered and administered to the patient during their ED visit, and dispensing the remaining portion is necessary to continue the patient’s treatment. AB 447 would also exempt hospitals from being required to obtain an automated unit dose system (AUDS) license if the hospital pharmacy owns or leases the AUDS and owns the dangerous drugs and devices within. 

Assembly Health Committee Support Letter

AB 551 (Krell, D-Sacramento; Petrie-Norris, D-Irvine)

Follow

Placed on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on April 23.

AB 551 would create a grant program to support hospital emergency departments in expanding and enhancing access to reproductive health care. The program would provide funding, training, and technical assistance to participating hospitals that apply. This bill is identical to AB 2490 (Petrie-Norris, 2024), which was vetoed by the governor.

AB 4 (Arambula, D-Fresno)

Follow

Placed on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on April 23.

AB 4 would require the California Health Benefit Exchange to design a program, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to allow individuals to obtain coverage regardless of immigration status. 

AB 220 (Jackson, D-Moreno Valley)

Support

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 22. May 7 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 220 would mandate health facilities that provide pediatric or adult subacute care to include a standardized form with treatment authorization requests, preventing Medi-Cal managed care plans from imposing their own criteria for determining medical necessity outside of what is required in those standardized forms.

Assembly Health Committee Support Letter

Assembly Appropriations Committee Support Letter

AB 278 (Ransom, D-Stockton)

Support

Failed to pass the Assembly Health Committee by the deadline and is now a two-year bill.

AB 278 would require the Health Care Affordability Board to establish a Patient Advocate Advisory Standing Committee by June 1, 2026, that is required to publicly meet and advise the board, focusing on obstacles to accessing quality health care and recommendations for improving quality and access to health care for patients with specified conditions while improving affordability.

Assembly Health Committee Support Letter

AB 543 (M. González, D-Los Angeles)

Support Through Coalition

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 22. May 7 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 543 would establish a presumptive eligibility program to provide immediate, full-scope Medi-Cal coverage for individuals experiencing homelessness. The bill would also allow Medi-Cal managed care plans that opt into the program to reimburse street medicine providers for delivering covered services in nontraditional settings, such as encampments or other places not typically used for health care.

AB 627 (Stefani, D-San Francisco)  

Support

Passed the Assembly on May 1. Pending a Senate policy committee assignment.

AB 627 would allow the California Health Facilities Financing Authority to issue long-term working capital financing by removing the limitation that loans be repaid within 24 months. 

Assembly Health Committee Support Letter

AB 974 (Patterson, R-Rocklin)

Support

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 22. April 30 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 974 would prohibit health plans from requiring providers — that are billing allowable costs for services rendered to enrollees with other health care coverage (OHC) — to have in-network status. This bill would also require the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to ensure these providers do not face administrative requirements in excess of what DHCS imposes for OHC billing in the Medi-Cal fee-for-service system.  

Assembly Health Committee Support Letter

AB 1012 (Essayli, R-Corona)  

Oppose

Introduced on Feb. 20.

AB 1012 would make an individual without satisfactory immigration status ineligible for Medi-Cal benefits. The bill would also transfer funds previously allocated to these individuals into a new fund that would restore and maintain payments for Medicare Part B premiums.

AB 1161 (Harabedian, D-Pasadena)

Support

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 29. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 1161  would require continuous eligibility for several state benefit programs, including Medi-Cal, for a recipient or beneficiary who has been displaced or affected by a state or health emergency.

Assembly Human Services Committee Support Letter

Assembly Appropriations Committee Support Letter

AB 1415 (Bonta, D-Oakland)

Oppose

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 22. May 7 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 1415 would expand the Office of Health Care Affordability’s (OHCA’s) oversight to include health systems. The bill would mandate that management services organizations, private equity groups, and hedge funds notify OHCA about significant transactions involving health care entities.

Assembly Health Committee Oppose Letter

Assembly Appropriations Committee Oppose Letter

AB 1460 (Rogers, D-Santa Rosa)  

Support

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 22. Pending an Assembly floor vote.

AB 1460 would prohibit drug manufacturers from engaging in discriminatory practices that prevent or interfere with a qualifying nonhospital 340B community clinic’s ability to purchase or deliver 340B discounted drugs through contract pharmacies.

Assembly Health Committee Support Letter

AJR 3 (Schiavo, D-Santa Clarita) 

Support

Passed the Assembly Public Employment and Retirement Committee on April 23. Pending an Assembly floor vote.

AJR 3 would call on the state’s representatives in Congress to vote against cuts and proposals to privatize Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. 

Assembly Public Employment and Retirement Committee Support Letter

SB 242 (Blakespear, D-Encinitas)

Support

Passed the Senate Health Committee on April 30. To be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 242 would prohibit using an individual’s medical history to make a coverage determination for those enrolled in Medigap policies.

Senate Health Committee Support Letter

SB 246 (Grove, R-Bakersfield)

Support

Placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on April 21.

SB 246, sponsored by the District Hospital Leadership Forum, would establish a Medi-Cal graduate medical education program for district hospitals. 

Senate Health Committee Support Letter

SB 530 (Richardson, D-Inglewood)  

Support

Placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on April 28.

SB 530 would eliminate the existing sunset for the Medi-Cal network adequacy and timely access standards. It would also add more transparency and accountability to the state’s oversight of managed care plans’ compliance with these requirements and the process for approving alternative access standards.

Senate Health Committee Support Letter

Senate Appropriations Committee Support Letter

AB 92 (Gallagher, R-Chico)

Follow

Failed to pass the Assembly Health Committee by the deadline and is now a two-year bill.

AB 92 would require health facilities to allow visits from specified family members unless they pose health or safety risks or disrupt operations, or if the patient objects. In end-of-life situations, in-person visitation cannot be prohibited unless the patient refuses, but visitors would be required to adhere to the same personal protective equipment and testing protocols as staff. Facilities would be allowed to impose reasonable restrictions on visitation — such as limits on hours, age, and number of visitors — but would be required to develop alternate protocols to maximize visitation during health or safety concerns. This bill is similar to AB 2549 (Gallagher, 2024), for which CHA was successful in negotiating amendments to address concerns. AB 2549 was vetoed by the governor. 

AB 421 (Solache, D-Lakewood)

Follow

Introduced on Feb. 5. April 8 hearing in the Assembly Public Safety Committee canceled at the author's request. To be heard in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

AB 421 would prohibit California law enforcement agencies from sharing any information with immigration authorities about enforcement actions occurring within one mile of childcare facilities, religious institutions, or hospitals and medical offices.

AB 435 (Wilson, D-Suisun City)

Support

Passed the Assembly Transportation Committee on March 24. May 7 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 435 would increase the age requirements for several safety belt and child passenger restraint system laws. The bill includes a hospital provision that would increase the age requirement, commencing Jan. 1, 2027, from eight to 10 years old for hospitals to provide parents or guardians with information about child car seat and seatbelt laws at the time of a child’s discharge.

Assembly Transportation Support Letter

AB 849 (Soria, D-Merced)

Oppose Unless Amended

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 29. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 849 would, by Jan. 1, 2027, require providers as defined in Health and Safety Code Section 127500.2 to notify patients, in writing or electronically, that for sensitive examinations involving an ultrasound performed by a sonographer, a trained medical chaperone will be available upon request. Patients would have the right to decline a chaperone, and a provider would have the right to decline performing a sensitive exam without a medical chaperone present. Facilities would be required to educate sonographers and staff who may serve as medical chaperones about appropriate observational and intervention techniques, how to properly drape a patient, the importance of neutrality, and how to report any inappropriate behaviors observed or communicated by the patient. CHA is working closely with Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria’s office to further address staffing constraints that would result from such a mandate.

Assembly Health Committee Oppose Unless Amended Letter

AB 894 (Carrillo, D-Palmdale)

Neutral if Amended

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 22. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 894 would require general acute care hospitals to inform patients of their right to opt out of the patient directory. Such hospitals would be required to verbally inform patients during the intake process, as well as update the “Acknowledgment of Privacy Rights” form to include a checkbox allowing patients to opt out. Forthcoming amendments will include a six-month delayed implementation date to give hospitals time to update their process and workflow to come into compliance. 

AB 960 (Garcia, D-Rancho Cucamonga)

Follow

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 22. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 960 would require general acute care hospitals to allow patients with physical, intellectual, developmental, or cognitive disabilities — including dementia — to have a family member or caregiver present as needed, including outside regular visiting hours, to ensure they can fully and equally access hospital services.

AB 1386 (Bains, D-Bakersfield)

Oppose Unless Amended

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 29. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 1386 would require perinatal services to be considered a basic service at general acute care hospitals, as well as establish a process for hospitals that do not provide this service to submit a compliance plan to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) for approval or denial. The plan must include information on the hospital’s transfer agreements, financial limitations, efforts to establish perinatal care, and other requirements as determined by CDPH. CHA has been actively engaged with the author on amendments so the bill takes a comprehensive approach — one that addresses the key drivers of maternity unit closures, including low delivery volume, workforce shortages, and financial challenges. 

Assembly Health Committee Oppose Unless Amended Letter

SB 81 (Arreguín, D-Oakland)

Support

Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 29. May 12 hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 81 would prohibit health care providers, including health facilities defined under Health and Safety Code Section 1250, from granting immigration enforcement access to patients or nonpublic areas without a valid judicial warrant or court order. The bill would require health care providers to establish or update procedures, as well as inform staff and volunteers on how to respond to immigration enforcement requests. Additionally, it would expand the definition of “medical information” to include immigration status and place of birth, and it would define “immigration enforcement” to encompass efforts related to both civil and criminal federal immigration laws.

Senate Health Committee Support Letter

Senate Judiciary Committee Support Letter

AB 280 (Aguiar-Curry, D-Davis)

Follow

Placed on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on April 23.

AB 280 would require a plan or insurer to annually verify and delete inaccurate listings from its provider directories and would require a provider directory to be 60% accurate on July 1, 2026, with increasing percentage accuracy benchmarks required to be met each year until the directories are 95% accurate by July 1, 2029. The bill would subject a plan or insurer to administrative penalties for failure to meet the prescribed benchmarks. The bill would require a plan or insurer to provide coverage for all covered health care services provided to an enrollee or insured who reasonably relied on inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading information contained in a provider directory and to reimburse the provider the out-of-network amount for those services.

AB 371 (Haney, D-San Francisco)

Support

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 22. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 371 would implement additional network adequacy standards — including time and distance standards and requirements — for specified plans and insurers that cover dental services. The plans and insurers would  be required to offer dental appointments subject to the regulatory geographic accessibility standards of the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) or the Department of Insurance (DOI). The bill would also require that DMHC or DOI review an entire dental provider network’s adequacy. 

Assembly Health Committee Support Letter

AB 384 (Connolly, D-San Rafael)

Support

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 22. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 384 would prohibit health care service plans, including Medi-Cal managed care plans, from requiring prior authorization for mental health and substance use disorder patients.

Assembly Health Committee Support Letter

AB 510 (Addis, D-San Luis Obispo)

Support

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 22. May 7 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 510 would establish a peer-to-peer review process that would authorize a provider to request review of a health care service plan’s or insurer’s decision that delays, denies, or modifies health care service based on medical necessity. The bill would provide that a peer physician — or, in specified circumstances, other peer-licensed health care professional — conduct the review. The bill would also require that reviews occur within two business days of the request or more timely as needed based on the enrollee’s condition. Additionally, if the plan fails to meet the review timelines, the service shall be deemed approved, superseding any prior delay, denial, or modification.   

Assembly Health Committee Support Letter

AB 512 (Harabedian, D-Pasadena)

Support

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 22. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 512 would shorten the timeline for prior authorization and concurrent review requests — from within five business days to no more than 48 hours for standard requests or from 72 hours to 24 hours for urgent requests — from when the plan or insurer received the reasonably necessary information it requests to make the determination.

Assembly Health Committee Support Letter

AB 539 (Schiavo, D-Santa Clarita)

Support

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 22. May 7 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 539 would require that a health care service plan’s or health insurer’s prior authorization for a health care service remain valid for a period of at least one year from the date of approval, or throughout the course of prescribed treatment if less than one year.

AB 669 (Haney, D-San Francisco)

Support

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 22. May 7 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 669 would require health plans, starting in 2027, to cover medically necessary prescription drugs; outpatient services; and the first 28 days of inpatient, intensive outpatient, or partial hospitalization treatment for substance use disorders without prior authorization. The bill specifies a concurrent review with an appeal process for in-network inpatient substance use treatment that lasts longer than 28 days.

Assembly Health Committee Support Letter

AB 682 (Ortega, D-Hayward)

Support

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 29. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 682 would mandate that health plans collect and publicly report health insurance claims denial information. The information collected and reported would include the number of claims processed, adjudicated, denied, or partially denied.

Assembly Health Committee Support Letter

SB 32 (Weber Pierson, D-San Diego)

Support

Passed the Senate Health Committee on April 30. May 12 hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 32 would require the Department of Health Care Services, Department of Managed Health Care, and Department of Insurance to develop and adopt, by July 1, 2027, time or distance accessibility standards for hospitals with perinatal units, which health plans would be required to meet. The bill would require that the perinatal unit time or distance standards not be longer than Medi-Cal managed care plans. SB 32 would also require that the departments consult with stakeholders in developing the standards, and it would allow for alternative access standards. These provisions would become inoperative on July 1, 2033, and be repealed on Jan. 1, 2034.

Senate Health Committee Support Letter

Senate Appropriations Committee Support Letter

SB 306 (Becker, D-Menlo Park)

Support

Passed the Senate Health Committee on April 23. May 12 hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 306 would prohibit a health care plan, health insurer, or an entity with which the plan or insurer contracts for prior authorization from imposing prior authorizations on a covered health care service for certain conditions for one year — including if, in the prior year, the plan approved 90% or more of the same requests for a covered service.

Senate Health Committee Support Letter

SB 660 (Menjivar, D-Van Nuys)

Concerns

Passed the Senate Health Committee on April 30. May 12 hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 660 would require the California Health and Human Services (HHS) Agency’s Center for Data Insights and Innovation to — on or before Jan. 1, 2026, and subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act — take over the establishment, implementation, and all functions related to the HHS Data Exchange Framework.

Senate Health Committee Concerns Letter

Senate Appropriations Committee Concerns Letter

AB 325 (Aguiar-Curry, D-Davis)

Oppose Through Coalition

Passed the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee on May 1. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 325 would prohibit the use or distribution of a common pricing algorithm with intent to set or recommend prices for services, and would impose joint and several liability on violators.

SB 763 (Hurtado, D-Bakersfield)

Oppose Through Coalition

Passed the Senate Public Safety Committee on April 29. May 12 hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 763 is an antitrust enforcement bill that would increase criminal penalties and add civil penalties for corporations that violate California’s Cartwright Act.

AB 237 (Patel, D-San Diego)

Support

Passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee on March 4. Placed on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on April 9.

AB 237 would make it a crime for a person to willfully threaten to commit a crime that will result in death or great bodily injury to another person at specified locations, including medical facilities.

AB 339 (Ortega, D-Hayward)

Follow

Passed the Assembly Public Employment and Retirement Committee on March 19. Placed on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on April 9.

AB 339 would require local public agencies to provide recognized employee organizations with a minimum of 120 days’ written notice before issuing requests for proposals or renewing or extending existing contracts that affect job classifications represented by these organizations.

AB 340 (Ahrens, D-Cupertino)

Oppose Through Coalition

Placed on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on April 23.

AB 340 would prohibit a public agency employer from asking any employee or their union representative about communications concerning workplace matters that are made in confidence between the employee and their representative.

AB 485 (Ortega, D-Hayward)

Oppose

Passed the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee on March 19. Placed on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on April 9.

AB 485 would require the California Department of Public Health to deny a new license or renewal of an existing license for any hospital that has an outstanding judgment for nonpayment of wages.

Assembly Labor and Employment Committee Oppose Letter

AB 692 (Kalra, D-San Jose)

Oppose Through Coalition

Passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee on April 22. May 7 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 692 would make employment-related contracts entered into on or after Jan. 1, 2026 — in which an employer requires an employee to pay for work-related training programs if the employment relationship ends before an agreed upon time — unlawful and void.

AB 1221 (Bryan, D-Culver City)

Oppose Through Coalition

Passed the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee on May 1. To be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 1221 would require an employer to provide its workers with a detailed written notice at least 30 days before introducing a workplace surveillance tool. The bill would also prohibit employers from using workplace surveillance tools — including any that incorporate facial, gait, or emotion recognition — and place restrictions on transferring, selling, or licensing worker data to a third party.

AB 1331 (Elhawary, D-Los Angeles)

Oppose Through Coalition

Passed the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee on April 22. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 1331 would limit the use of workplace surveillance tools by prohibiting an employer from monitoring or surveilling workers in off-duty areas, including employee cafeterias and lounges. It would also give workers the right to disable or leave behind workplace surveillance tools that are either on their person or in their possession during off-duty hours.

Assembly Labor and Employment Committee Chamber Coalition Oppose Letter

AB 1371 (Sharp-Collins, D-La Mesa)

Oppose Through Coalition

Failed to pass the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee by the deadline and is now a two-year bill.

AB 1371 would allow an employee, acting in good faith, to refuse to perform an assigned task if it would violate a health or safety standard or if the employee has a reasonable apprehension that performing the assigned task would result in injury or illness to self or to other employees. The author does not intend to move the bill this year.

SB 7 (McNerney, D-Stockton)

Oppose Through Coalition

Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 29. To be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 7 would require an employer or contracted vendor that uses automated decision systems (ADS) for purposes of making employment-related decisions to provide written notice to its employees about how the ADS is used. This bill would also prohibit an employer or its vendor from relying primarily on an ADS when making employment-related decisions, and would provide both an appeal process for employment-related decisions involving the use of ADS and a private right of action — including civil penalties in the amount of $500 per violation.

SB 238 (Smallwood-Cuevas, D-Los Angeles)  

Oppose Through Coalition

Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 29. To be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 238 would require an employer to annually provide a detailed notice to the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) of all workplace surveillance tools in use. The bill would also require DIR to make the notice public on its website.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chamber Coalition Oppose Letter

SB 294 (Reyes, D-San Bernardino)

Oppose Through Coalition

Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 29. To be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 294 would require an employer to provide a written notice of workers’ rights under federal and state law to new employees upon hire and annually to each current employee, in addition to existing posting requirements of the same rights. The bill would also permit an employee’s designated emergency contact to collect all wages owed to the employee if an employee is arrested or detained.

SB 310 (Wiener, D-San Francisco)

Oppose Through Coalition

Placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 5.

SB 310 would allow workers to recover penalties through an independent civil action when their employer either fails to pay wages on time or doesn’t pay wages at all.

Senate Labor Committee Chamber Coalition Oppose Letter

SB 747 (Wiener, D-San Francisco)

Oppose Through Coalition

Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 29. To be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 747 would require a covered employer to report to the Department of Industrial Relations the confidential compensation it provides to behavioral health and medical-surgical employees.Any associated data would be shared with the Department of Health Care Access and Information and Department of Managed Health Care; this data would be confidential and not made publicly available.The bill would also allow a court to impose civil penalties on employers: up to $100 per employee for the first violation and up to $200 per employee for any subsequent violations.

Senate Labor Committee Coalition Oppose Letter

AB 1215 (Flora, R-Ripon)

Follow

Failed to pass the Assembly Business and Professions Committee by the deadline and is now a two-year bill.

AB 1215 would expand medical staff membership under Section 2282 of the Business and Professions Code to dentists, podiatrists, clinical psychologists, nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives.  

SB 679 (Weber Pierson, D-San Diego)

Neutral if Amended

Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 29. May 12 hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 679 would require health care facilities or peer review bodies to annually report data on physician and medical resident terminations, staff privilege applications, approvals, and revocations — stratified by race and gender — to the Civil Rights Department and Medical Board of California. The Civil Rights Department would then be required to publish this information on its website, not disclose the names of the health care facilities, and remove any personally identifiable information.

AB 348 (Krell, D-Sacramento)

Support

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 22. Pending an Assembly floor vote.

AB 348 would require counties to enroll specified target populations into their full-service partnership programs, such as individuals who have been detained on involuntary 5150 holds five or more times over the last five years.

Assembly Health Committee Support Letter

AB 416 (Krell, D-Sacramento)

Support

Passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee on May 6. Pending an Assembly floor vote.

AB 416 would add emergency physicians to the list of individuals who are authorized to place people who are gravely disabled or are a danger to self or others on a 72-hour hold. The bill would also exempt an emergency physician who is responsible for detaining a person under those provisions from criminal and civil liability.

Assembly Health Committee Support Letter

AB 440 (Ramos, D-San Bernardino)

Support

Placed on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on April 23.

AB 440 would require the California Office of Suicide Prevention to work with Caltrans to identify bridges and roadways that are considered suicide “hot spots” and provide recommendations to the Legislature on potential solutions to reduce the risk of future incidents.

Assembly Health Committee Support Letter

Assembly Appropriations Committee Support Letter

SB 800 (Reyes, D-San Bernardino)

Support

Passed the Senate Transportation Committee on April 28. May 12 hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 800 would require the California Department of Transportation to establish a pilot program that would install suicide deterrents on 10 freeway overpasses in San Bernardino County.  

AB 876 (Flora, R-Ripon)

Follow

Passed the Assembly Business and Professions Committee on April 22. May 7 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 876 would authorize credentialed nurse anesthetists to provide direct and indirect patient care services as specified, and would construe an order entered in a patient’s medical record as authorization for the nurse anesthetist to select, abort, or modify the modality of the patient’s anesthesia during the course of care. This bill would also provide that, in an acute care or outpatient setting, anesthesia services may encompass those performed outside of the perioperative period as specified. Recent amendments eliminate the bill’s original prohibitions on requiring nurse anesthetists to work pursuant to standard procedures or under the supervision of a physician, among other things.

AB 1400 (Soria, D-Merced)

Support

Passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee on April 29. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 1400 would establish a pilot program allowing 15 California community college districts to offer a Bachelor of Science in nursing. The bill would require that the California Community Colleges Chancellor prioritize developing these programs at community college districts in underserved or high-poverty areas. The pilot would run through Jan. 1, 2035, and the Legislative Analyst’s Office must complete an evaluation by Jan. 1, 2033.

Assembly Higher Education Committee Support Letter

SB 596 (Menjivar, D-Van Nuys)

Oppose

Passed the Senate Health Committee on April 23. May 12 hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 596 would define an on-call list as at least 10% of the hospital’s registered nurse staff and would require that all nurses on the list maintain verified competencies specific to their assigned unit. The bill was amended to include float pool nurses as part of the on-call list. 

Senate Health Oppose Letter

AB 45 (Bauer-Kahan, D-San Ramon)

Support

Introduced on Dec. 2. To be heard in the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee.

AB 45 would prohibit the use of geofencing technology around health care facilities. This bill would also shield research records from disclosure in response to subpoenas or law enforcement requests issued under another state’s laws that seek to interfere with a person’s legal right to obtain an abortion in California.

Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee Support Letter

AB 302 (Bauer-Kahan, D-San Ramon)

Oppose Unless Amended

Passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee on April 29. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 302 would make changes to the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act to prohibit a health care provider, health care service plan, contractor, or corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliates from intentionally selling medical information or using medical information for marketing purposes. Additionally, the bill prohibits a health care provider, health care service plan, or contractor from complying with a court order that constitutes a foreign subpoena, absent a California court order issued pursuant to the Interstate and International Depositions and Discovery Act.

Assembly Health Committee Oppose Unless Amended Letter

Assembly Judiciary Committee Oppose Unless Amended Letter

SB 44 (Umberg, D-Santa Ana)

Follow

Placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 5.

SB 44 would require a covered provider business to use neural data only for its intended purpose. The bill would also require that a covered provider business delete neural data when the purpose for which it was collected is complete. Recent amendments removed CHA’s concerns.

SB 354 (Limón, D-Santa Barbara)

Oppose Unless Amended

Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 29. May 12 hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 354 would enact the Insurance Consumer Privacy Protection Act of 2025 to establish new standards for the collection, processing, retaining, or sharing of consumers’ personal information by insurance licensees and their third-party service providers.

Senate Insurance Committee Oppose Unless Amended Letter

Senate Judiciary Committee Oppose Unless Amended Letter

SB 468 (Becker, D-Menlo Park)

Oppose Unless Amended

Placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on May 5.

SB 468 would require a covered deployer, defined as a business that deploys a high-risk artificial intelligence system that processes personal information, to protect personal information held by the covered deployer, subject to certain requirements.

Senate Judiciary Committee Oppose Unless Amended Letter

Senate Appropriations Oppose Unless Amended Letter

SB 691 (Wahab, D-Silicon Valley)

Follow

Passed the Senate Public Safety Committee on April 29. May 12 hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 691 would require a law enforcement agency to update its body-worn camera policy to provide guidance to personnel who wear body-worn cameras. This guidance would cover the circumstances in which personnel are required to reasonably and temporarily limit recording medical or psychological evaluations, procedures, or treatment performed by emergency service personnel that may cause embarrassment or humiliation to the patient. “Emergency service personnel” is limited to state or local fire agency employees, such as firefighters and paramedics.

Senate Public Safety Committee Support if Amended Letter

SB 297 (Hurtado, D-Bakersfield)

Follow

Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 29. May 12 hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 297 would require that, starting Jan. 1, 2028, adults receiving primary care in regions with a high incidence of valley fever be offered a screening test, unless specific exceptions apply — such as prior testing, inability to consent, or emergency department treatment. Beginning June 1, 2027, most health insurance plans must cover these tests at no cost to patients in high-incidence areas. This bill would also task the California Department of Public Health with identifying high-incidence regions, standardizing screening protocols, and providing training materials for providers. Local health departments would also be required to conduct public outreach, track compliance, and report data to strengthen valley fever prevention efforts.

AB 257 (Flora, R-Ripon)

Follow

Passed the Assembly Health Committee March 25. Placed on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file on April 9.

AB 257 would establish a demonstration project and grant program, working with the Department of Health Care Access and Information and the Department of Health Care Services, for a telehealth and other virtual services specialty care network focused on increasing access to behavioral and maternal health services in rural areas.

AB 356 (Patel, D-San Diego)

Under Review

Passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 29. May 14 hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 356 was amended to remove the provisions related to facility fees and would now require the California Department of Health Care Access and Information to convene a working group to make recommendations on the provision of health care services in northern San Diego County. 

SB 669 (McGuire, D-San Rafael)

Follow

Placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on April 28.

SB 669 would require the California Department of Public Health to establish a five-year pilot program allowing qualified critical access hospitals and individual, small system rural hospitals to operate standby perinatal units. To qualify for participation in the pilot program, hospitals must be greater than 60 minutes from the nearest hospital providing full maternity services, not have closed a full maternity or labor and delivery unit on or after Jan. 1, 2025, and agree to provide level 1 basic and neonatal services. CHA is actively working with Pro Tem Mike McGuire’s office to ensure the policy effectively addresses the complex factors driving maternity ward closures while facilitating practical implementation for hospitals.

SB 43 (Umberg, D-Santa Ana)

Support

Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 29. May 12 hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 43 would require individuals or companies that sell referrals to substance use disorder treatment programs to obtain a certificate of compliance with the Department of Justice (DOJ), which includes, among other information, a declaration that the certificate holder will not have any financial interest in any facility doing business with the referral agency. The bill also places limitations on referral agencies operating group advertising and gives DOJ enforcement authority.

Senate Health Committee Support Letter

SB 548 (Reyes, D-San Bernardino)

Support

Passed the Senate Health Committee on April 30. To be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 548 would require the California Health and Human Services Agency to convene an advisory group and create a five-year plan for reducing alcohol- and drug-related addiction deaths. This bill would also bring leaders and experts together to review existing health plan requirements and data, identify opportunities that would improve access to care for substance use disorders, and make recommendations to save lives.

Senate Health Committee Support Letter

SB 632 (Arreguín, D-Oakland)

Oppose

Placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file on April 28.

SB 632 would create a series of workers’ compensation rebuttable presumptions for hospital employees for a variety of infectious and respiratory diseases, including COVID-19 and severe acute respiratory syndrome, and extend the presumptions after the employee’s termination.

Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee Oppose Letter

Senate Appropriations Committee Oppose Letter