CSR Legislative Report: March 20, 2025
Support
AB 53 (Ramos D) Personal income taxes: exclusion: Military Services Retirement and Surviving Spouse
Benefit Payment Act.
Current Text: Amended: 2/24/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 12/2/2024
Last Amend: 2/24/2025
Status: 3/17/2025-In committee: Set, second hearing. Referred to Rev. & Tax. suspense file.
Location: 3/17/2025-A. REV. & TAX SUSPENSE FILE
Summary: The Personal Income Tax Law, in modified conformity with federal income tax law, generally
defines “gross income” as income from whatever source derived, except as specifically excluded,
including an exclusion for combat-related special compensation. This bill, for taxable years beginning on
or after January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2030, would exclude from gross income retirement pay
received by a qualified taxpayer, as defined, during the taxable year, not to exceed $20,000, from the
federal government for service performed in the uniformed services, as defined. The bill, for taxable
years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2030, would also exclude from
gross income annuity payments received during the taxable year, not to exceed $20,000, by a qualified
taxpayer, as defined, pursuant to a United States Department of Defense Survivor Benefit Plan. The bill
would make related findings and declarations. This bill contains other related provisions and other
existing laws.
AB 280 (Aguiar-Curry D) Health care coverage: provider directories.
Current Text: Introduced: 1/21/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 1/21/2025
Status: 1/22/2025-From printer. May be heard in committee February 21.
Location: 2/10/2025-A. HEALTH
Calendar: 4/1/2025 Upon adjournment of Session - 1021 O Street, Room 1100
ASSEMBLY HEALTH, BONTA, MIA, Chair
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the
licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care, and
makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by
the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a health care service plan and a health insurer that
contracts with providers for alternative rates of payment to publish and maintain a provider directory or
directories with information on contracting providers that deliver health care services enrollees or
insureds, and requires a health care service plan and health insurer to regularly update its printed and
online provider directory or directories, as specified. Existing law authorizes the departments to require
a plan or insurer to provide coverage for all covered health care services provided to an enrollee or
insured who reasonably relied on materially inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading information contained
in a plan’s or insurer’s provider directory or directories. This bill 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 required percentage accuracy benchmarks
to be met each year until the directories are 95% accurate on or before 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 health plan or policy’s provider directory or directories and to reimburse the provider the
out-of-network amount for those services. The bill would prohibit a provider from collecting an additional
amount from an enrollee or insured other than the applicable in-network cost sharing. The bill would
require a plan or insurer to provide information about in-network providers to enrollees and insureds
upon request, and would limit the cost-sharing amounts an enrollee or insured is required to pay for
services from those providers under specified circumstances. The bill would require the health care
service plan or the insurer, as applicable, to ensure the accuracy of a request to add back a provider
who was previously removed from a directory and approve the request within 10 business days of
receipt, if accurate. Because a violation of the bill’s requirements by a health care service plan would be
a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related
provisions and other existing laws.
AB 371 (Haney D) Dental coverage.
Current Text: Amended: 3/13/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/3/2025
Last Amend: 3/13/2025
Status: 3/17/2025-Re-referred to Com. on Health.
Location: 2/18/2025-A. HEALTH
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the
licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and
makes a willful violation of the act’s requirements a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of
health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law prohibits a contract between a plan or
insurer and a dentist from requiring a dentist to accept an amount set by the plan or insurer as
payment for dental care services provided to an enrollee or insured that are not covered services under
the enrollee’s contract or the insured’s policy. Existing law requires a plan or insurer to make specified
disclosures to an enrollee or insured regarding noncovered dental services. Existing law requires a
health care service plan or health insurer to comply with specified timely access requirements. For a
specified plan or insurer offering coverage for dental services, existing law requires urgent dental
appointments to be offered within 72 hours of a request, nonurgent dental appointments to be offered
within 36 business days of a request, and preventive dental care appointments to be offered within 40
business days of a request, as specified. Existing law requires a contract between a health care service
plan and health care provider to ensure compliance with network adequacy standards and to require
reporting by providers to plans to ensure compliance. Under existing law, a health care service plan is
required to annually report to the Department of Managed Health Care on this compliance. Existing law
authorizes the Department of Insurance to issue guidance to insurers regarding annual timely access
and network reporting methodologies. If a health care service plan or health insurer pays a contracting
dental provider directly for covered services, this bill would require the plan or insurer to pay a
noncontracting dental provider directly for covered services if the noncontracting provider submits to
the plan or insurer a written assignment of benefits form signed by the enrollee or insured. The bill
would require the plan or insurer to provide a predetermination or prior authorization to the dental
provider and to reimburse the provider for not less than that amount, except as specified. The bill would
require the plan or insurer to notify the enrollee or insured that the provider was paid and that the outof-
network cost may count towards their annual or lifetime maximum. The bill would require a
noncontracting dental provider to make specified disclosures to an enrollee or insured before accepting
an assignment of benefits. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
SB 23 (Valladares R) Property taxation: exemption: disabled veteran homeowners.
Current Text: Amended: 3/5/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 12/2/2024
Last Amend: 3/5/2025
Status: 3/12/2025-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on M. & V.A. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (March 12). Re-referred to Com. on M. & V.A.
Location: 3/12/2025-S. M. & V. A. Summary: The California Constitution provides that all property is taxable, and requires that it be
assessed at the same percentage of fair market value, unless otherwise provided by the California Constitution or federal law. The California C
onstitution and existing property tax law provide various exemptions from taxation, including, among others, a disabled veterans’ exemption
and a veterans’ organization exemption. This bill would exempt from taxation, property owned by, and that constitutes the principal place of
residence of, a veteran, the veteran’s spouse, or the veteran and the veteran’s spouse jointly, if the veteran is 100% disabled.
The bill would provide an unmarried surviving spouse a property exemption in the same amount that they would have been
entitled to if the veteran was alive and if certain conditions are met. The bill would require certain documentation to be provided to the county
assessor to receive the exemption and would prohibit any other real property tax exemption from being granted to the claimant if receiving the exemption
provided by the provisions of this bill. The bill would make these exemptions applicable for property tax lien dates occurring on or after January 1, 2025,
but occurring before January 1, 2035. By imposing additional duties on local tax officials, the bill would impose a
state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other
existing laws. (Seyarto R) Property taxation: disabled veterans’ exemption: household income.
SB 56 (Seyarto R) Property taxation: disabled veterans’ exemption: household income.
Current Text: Amended: 3/5/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 1/7/2025
Last Amend: 3/5/2025
Status: 3/12/2025-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on M. & V.A. with recommendation: To
consent calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (March 12). Re-referred to Com. on M. & V.A.
Location: 3/12/2025-S. M. & V. A.
Summary: The California Constitution provides that all property is taxable, and requires that it be
assessed at the same percentage of fair market value, unless otherwise provided by the California
Constitution or federal law. The California Constitution and existing property tax law provide various
exemptions from taxation, including, among others, a disabled veterans’ exemption. Under existing law,
the disabled veterans’ exemption exempts from taxation part of the full value of property that
constitutes the principal place of residence of a veteran, the veteran’s spouse, or the veteran and
veteran’s spouse jointly, and the unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran, as provided, if the veteran
incurred specified injuries or died while on active duty in military service, as described. Existing law
exempts that part of the full value of the residence that does not exceed $100,000, or $150,000 if the
household income of the claimant does not exceed $40,000, as adjusted for inflation, as specified. This
bill would exclude service-connected disability payments from the definition of “household income” for
purposes of the disabled veterans’ exemption. The bill would also correct an erroneous cross-reference
in the above-described provisions. By imposing additional duties on local tax officials, the bill would
impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing
laws.
SB 351 (Cabaldon D) Health facilities.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/12/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/12/2025
Status: 3/18/2025-Set for hearing April 21.
Location: 2/26/2025-S. B., P. & E.D.
Calendar: 4/21/2025 10 a.m. and upon adjournment of Session, if necessary - 1021 O Street, Room
2100 SENATE BUSINESS, PROFESSIONS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ASHBY, ANGELIQUE, Chair
Summary: Existing law generally regulates the licensing and operation of health facilities and other
facilities providing health care in this state. Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, creates the Medical
Board of California to license and regulate physicians and surgeons. Under existing law, the Dental
Practice Act, the Dental Board of California licenses and regulates dentists. Existing law, the Nonprofit
Public Benefit Corporation Law, generally requires a nonprofit public benefit corporation to give written
notice to the Attorney General before it sells, leases, conveys, exchanges, transfers, or disposes of its
assets, except as specified. Existing law provides specific procedures for health facilities and
additionally requires these facilities to obtain the consent of the Attorney General prior to entering into
a specified agreement or transaction. This bill would prohibit a private equity group or hedge fund, as
defined, involved in any manner with a physician or dental practice doing business in this state from
interfering with the professional judgment of physicians or dentists in making health care decisions and
exercising power over specified actions, including, among other things, making decisions regarding
coding and billing procedures for patient care services. The bill would prohibit a private equity group or
hedge fund from entering into an agreement or arrangement with a physician or dental practice if the
agreement or arrangement would enable the person or entity to engage in the prohibited actions
described above. The bill would render void and unenforceable specified types of contracts between a
physician or dental practice and a private equity group or hedge fund that explicitly or implicitly include
any clause barring any provider in that practice from competing with that practice in the event of a
termination or resignation, or from disparaging, opining, or commenting on that practice in any manner
as to any issues involving quality of care, utilization of care, ethical or professional challenges in the
practice of medicine or dentistry, or revenue-increasing strategies employed by the private equity group
or hedge fund, as specified. This bill would entitle the Attorney General to injunctive relief and
attorney’s fees and costs for the enforcement of these provisions, as specified.
Watch
AB 83 (Pacheco D) Department of Financial Protection and Innovation: elder abuse prevention plan.
Current Text: Introduced: 12/20/2024 html pdf
Introduced: 12/20/2024
Status: 1/6/2025-Read first time.
Location: 12/20/2024-A. PRINT
Summary: Existing law establishes in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency a
Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the direction of the Commissioner of Financial
Protection and Innovation. Under existing law, the department has charge of the execution of specified
laws relating to various financial institutions and financial products and services. This bill would direct
the department to require companies to submit to the department an elder abuse prevention plan.
AB 92 (Gallagher R) Patient visitation.
Current Text: Introduced: 1/6/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 1/6/2025
Status: 2/3/2025-Referred to Com. on Health.
Location: 2/3/2025-A. HEALTH
Summary: Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation by the State Department of Public
Health of health facilities, as defined. Existing law requires a health facility to allow a patient’s domestic
partner, the children of the patient’s domestic partner, and the domestic partner of the patient’s parent
or child to visit unless no visitors are allowed, the facility reasonably determines that the presence of a
particular visitor would endanger the health or safety of a patient, member of the health facility staff, or
other visitor to the health facility, or would significantly disrupt the operations of a facility, or the patient
has indicated to the health facility staff that the patient does not want this person to visit. A violation of
this provision is a misdemeanor. This bill, Dianne’s Law, would require a health facility to allow specified
persons to visit, including the patient’s children and grandparents. The bill would require the health
facility to develop alternate visitation protocols, if circumstances require the health facility to restrict
visitor access to the facility due to health or safety concerns, that allow visitation to the greatest extent
possible while maintaining patient, visitor, and staff health and safety. Notwithstanding the requirement
mentioned above, the bill would prohibit a health facility from prohibiting in-person visitation in end-oflife
situations unless the patient has indicated to the health facility staff that the patient does not want
this person to visit, as specified, and would authorize a health facility to require visitors to adhere to
personal protective equipment and testing protocols not greater than those required of facility staff for
the duration of their visit. The bill would also require the facility to provide personal protective
equipment and testing resources to each visitor for a patient in an end-of-life situation, to the extent
that those resources have been made readily available to the facility by state or local entities for that
purpose. By expanding an existing crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill
contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
AB 224 (Bonta D) Health care coverage: essential health benefits.
Current Text: Introduced: 1/9/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 1/9/2025
Status: 2/3/2025-Referred to Com. on Health.
Location: 2/3/2025-A. HEALTH
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, requires the Department
of Managed Health Care to license and regulate health care service plans. Existing law requires the
Department of Insurance to regulate health insurers. Existing law requires an individual or small group
health care service plan contract or health insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after
January 1, 2017, to include, at a minimum, coverage for essential health benefits pursuant to the
federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Existing law requires a health care service plan
contract or health insurance policy to cover the same health benefits that the benchmark plan, the
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Small Group HMO 30 plan, offered during the first quarter of 2014, as
specified. This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to review California’s essential health
benefits benchmark plan and establish a new benchmark plan for the 2027 plan year. The bill would limit
the applicability of the current benchmark plan benefits to plan years on or before the 2027 plan year.
AB 227 (Gabriel D) Budget Act of 2025.
Current Text: Introduced: 1/10/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 1/10/2025
Status: 2/3/2025-Referred to Com. on Budget.
Location: 2/3/2025-A. BUDGET
Summary: This bill would make appropriations for the support of state government for the 2025–26
fiscal year. This bill contains other related provisions.
AB 278 (Ransom D) Health care affordability.
Current Text: Introduced: 1/21/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 1/21/2025
Status: 1/22/2025-From printer. May be heard in committee February 21.
Location: 1/21/2025-A. PRINT
Summary: Existing law establishes the Office of Health Care Affordability within the Department of
Health Care Access and Information to analyze the health care market for cost trends and drivers of
spending, develop data-informed policies for lowering health care costs for consumers and purchasers,
and create a state strategy for controlling the cost of health care. Existing law establishes the Health
Care Affordability Board to establish, among other things, a statewide health care cost target and the
standards necessary to meet exemptions from health care cost targets or submitting data to the office.
Existing law authorizes the office to establish advisory or technical committees, as necessary, in order
to support the board’s decisionmaking. This bill would require the board, on or before June 1, 2026, to
establish a Patient Advocate Advisory Standing Committee, as specified, that is required to publicly
meet, and receive public comments, at least 4 times annually. The bill would require the committee to
include specified data from the meetings to the board as part of its annual report.
AB 290 (Bauer-Kahan D) Emergency services and care.
Current Text: Amended: 2/18/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 1/22/2025
Last Amend: 2/18/2025
Status: 2/19/2025-Re-referred to Com. on Health.
Location: 2/10/2025-A. HEALTH
Calendar: 4/1/2025 Upon adjournment of Session - 1021 O Street, Room 1100
ASSEMBLY HEALTH, BONTA, MIA, Chair
Summary: Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health (department) to license and
regulate each health facility, defined to mean a facility, place, or building that is organized, maintained,
and operated for the diagnosis, care, prevention, and treatment of human illness, and includes, among
others, a general acute care hospital and an acute psychiatric hospital. Existing law, the Unruh Civil
Rights Act (Unruh Act), specifies that all persons within the jurisdiction of the state are free and equal,
and no matter their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition,
genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, primary language, or immigration
status are entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in
all business establishments of every kind. Existing law requires a health facility that maintains and
operates an emergency department to provide emergency services and care, as defined, to any person
requesting the services or care for any condition in which the person is in danger of loss of life, or
serious injury or illness, as specified. Existing law prohibits the provision of emergency services and
care from being based on or affected by, among other characteristics, a person’s ethnicity, citizenship,
age, preexisting medical condition, insurance status, economic status, or a characteristic identified in
the Unruh Act, as specified. Existing law requires a hospital to adopt a policy prohibiting discrimination
in the provision of emergency services and care, and to prohibit physicians and surgeons who serve on
an “on-call” basis to the hospital’s emergency room from refusing to respond to a call, based on the
characteristics described above. If a hospital fails to timely adopt the required policies and protocols, in
addition to denial or revocation of any of its licenses, existing law subjects the hospital to a fine not to
exceed $1,000 for each day after 60 days’ written notice from the department that the hospital’s
policies or protocols are inadequate, as specified. This bill would increase the fine for a hospital’s failure
to adopt the policies and protocols required for the provision of emergency services and care to
$1,000,000 per day. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
AB 298 (Bonta D) Health care coverage cost sharing.
Current Text: Introduced: 1/23/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 1/23/2025
Status: 1/24/2025-From printer. May be heard in committee February 23.
Page 2/6
Location: 1/23/2025-A. PRINT
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the
licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and
makes a willful violation of the act’s requirements a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of
disability insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law limits the copayment, coinsurance,
deductible, and other cost sharing that may be imposed for specified health care services. This bill
would prohibit a health care service plan contract or disability insurance policy issued, amended, or
renewed on or after January 1, 2026, from imposing a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or other
cost-sharing requirement for services provided to an enrollee or insured under 21 years of age, except
as otherwise specified. The bill would prohibit an individual or entity from billing or seeking
reimbursement for services provided to an enrollee or insured under 21 years of age, except as
otherwise specified. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would
be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related
provisions and other existing laws.
AB 302 (Bauer-Kahan D) Confidentiality of Medical Information Act.
Current Text: Introduced: 1/23/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 1/23/2025
Status: 1/24/2025-From printer. May be heard in committee February 23.
Location: 1/23/2025-A. PRINT
Summary: Existing law, the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, prohibits a provider of health
care, a health care service plan, or a contractor from disclosing medical information, as defined,
regarding a patient of the provider of health care or an enrollee or subscriber of the health care service
plan without first obtaining an authorization, except as prescribed. The act punishes a violation of its
provisions that results in economic loss or personal injury to a patient as a misdemeanor. Existing law
requires a provider of health care, a health care service plan, or a contractor to disclose medical
information when specifically required by law or if the disclosure is compelled by, among other things, a
court order or a search warrant lawfully issued to a governmental law enforcement agency. This bill
would instead require a provider of health care, a health care service plan, or a contractor to disclose
medical information when specifically required by California law. The bill would revise the disclosure
requirement relating to a court order to require disclosure if compelled by a California state court
pursuant to an order of that court or a court order from another state based on another state’s law so
long as that law does not interfere with California law, as specified. The bill would revise the disclosure
requirement relating to a search warrant to require disclosure if compelled by a warrant from another
state based on another state’s law so long as that law does not interfere with California law. By
narrowing the exceptions for disclosing medical information, and thereby expanding the crime of
violating the act, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related
provisions and other existing laws.
AB 489 (Bonta D) Health care professions: deceptive terms or letters: artificial intelligence.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/10/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/10/2025
Status: 3/17/2025-Referred to Coms. on B. & P. and P. & C.P.
Location: 3/17/2025-A. B.&P.
Summary: Existing law establishes various healing arts boards within the Department of Consumer
Affairs that license and regulate various healing arts licensees. Existing laws, including, among others,
the Medical Practice Act and the Dental Practice Act, make it a crime for a person who is not licensed as
a specified health care professional to use certain words, letters, and phrases or any other terms that
imply that they are authorized to practice that profession. Existing law requires, with certain
exemptions, a health facility, clinic, physician’s office, or office of a group practice that uses generative
artificial intelligence, as defined, to generate written or verbal patient communications pertaining to
patient clinical information, as defined, to ensure that those communications include both (1) a
disclaimer that indicates to the patient that a communication was generated by generative artificial
intelligence, as specified, and (2) clear instructions describing how a patient may contact a human
health care provider, employee, or other appropriate person. Existing law provides that a violation of
these provisions by a physician shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California or
the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, as appropriate. This bill would make provisions of law that
prohibit the use of specified terms, letters, or phrases to falsely indicate or imply possession of a license
or certificate to practice a health care profession, as defined, enforceable against an entity who
develops or deploys artificial intelligence technology that uses one or more of those terms, letters, or
phrases in its advertising or functionality. The bill would prohibit the use by AI technology of certain
terms, letters, or phrases that indicate or imply that the advice or care being provided through AI is
being provided by a natural person with the appropriated health care license or certificate. This bill
would make a violation of these provisions subject to the jurisdiction of the appropriate health care
profession board, and would make each use of a prohibited term, letter, or phrase punishable as a
separate violation. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
AB 510 (Addis D) Health care coverage: utilization review: appeals and grievances.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/10/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/10/2025
Status: 2/24/2025-Referred to Com. on Health.
Location: 2/24/2025-A. HEALTH
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the
licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care, and
makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of disability insurers
by the Department of Insurance. Existing law generally authorizes a health care service plan or
disability insurer to use prior authorization and other utilization review or utilization management
functions, under which a licensed physician or a licensed health care professional who is competent to
evaluate specific clinical issues may approve, modify, delay, or deny requests for health care services
based on medical necessity. Existing law requires a health care service plan or disability insurer to
include in a response regarding decisions to deny, delay, or modify health care services, among other
things, information on how the provider, enrollee, or insured may file a grievance or appeal with the
plan or insurer. Existing law requires a health care service plan’s grievance system to resolve
grievances within 30 days, except as specified. Existing law requires a contract between a health
insurer and a provider to contain provisions requiring a dispute resolution mechanism, and requires an
insurer to resolve each provider dispute within 45 working days, as specified. This bill would, upon
request, require that an appeal or grievance regarding a decision by a health care service plan or
disability insurer delaying, denying, or modifying a health care service based in whole or in part on
medical necessity, be reviewed by a licensed physician who is competent to evaluate the specific clinical
issues involved in the health care service being requested, and of the same or similar specialty as the
requesting provider. The bill, notwithstanding the above-described timelines, would require these
reviews to occur within 2 business days, or if an enrollee or insured faces an imminent and serious
threat to their health, within a timely fashion appropriate for the nature of the enrollee’s or insured’s
condition, as specified. If a health care service plan or disability insurer fails to meet those timelines, the
bill would deem the prior authorization request as approved and supersede any prior delay, denial, or
modification. The bill would make conforming changes to related provisions. Because a violation of these
provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local
program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
AB 539 (Schiavo D) Health care coverage: prior authorizations.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/11/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/11/2025
Status: 2/24/2025-Referred to Com. on Health.
Location: 2/24/2025-A. HEALTH
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the
licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and
makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by
the Department of Insurance. Existing law provides that a health care service plan or a health insurer
that authorizes a specific type of treatment by a health care provider shall not rescind or modify this
authorization after the provider renders the health care service in good faith and pursuant to the
authorization. This bill would require a prior authorization for a health care service by a health care
service plan or a health insurer to remain valid for a period of at least one year from the date of
approval. Because a violation of the bill by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would
impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing
laws.
AB 569 (Stefani D) California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013: exceptions: supplemental
defined benefit plans.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/12/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/12/2025
Status: 2/24/2025-Referred to Com. on P. E. & R.
Location: 2/24/2025-A. P.E. & R.
Summary: Existing law, the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA), on and
after January 1, 2013, requires a public retirement system, as defined, to modify its plan or plans to
comply with PEPRA, as specified. Among other things, PEPRA prohibits a public employer from offering a
defined benefit pension plan exceeding specified retirement formulas, requires new members of public
retirement systems to contribute at least a specified amount of the normal cost, as defined, for their
defined benefit plans, and prohibits an enhancement of a public employee’s retirement formula or
benefit adopted after January 1, 2013, from applying to service performed prior to the operative date of
the enhancement. PEPRA prohibits a public employer from offering a supplemental defined benefit plan
if the public employer did not do so before January 1, 2013, or, if it did, from offering that plan to an
additional employee group after that date. This bill would, notwithstanding that prohibition, authorize a
public employer, as defined, to bargain over contributions for supplemental retirement benefits
administered by, or on behalf of, an exclusive bargaining representative of one or more of the public
employer’s bargaining units.
AB 682 (Ortega D) Health care coverage reporting.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/14/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/14/2025
Status: 3/3/2025-Referred to Com. on Health.
Location: 3/3/2025-A. HEALTH
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the
licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and
makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law requires a plan to submit financial statements to
the Director of Managed Health Care at specified times. Existing law provides for the regulation of
health insurers by the Department of Insurance and requires a health insurer or multiple employer
welfare arrangement to annually report specified information to the department. This bill would require
the above-described reports to include specified information for each month, including the total number
of claims processed, adjudicated, denied, or partially denied. Because a violation of this requirement by
a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. The
bill would require each department to publish on its internet website monthly claims denial information
for each plan or insurer. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
AB 756 (Calderon D) State public employment: memorandum of understanding: State Bargaining Unit 6.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2025
Status: 2/19/2025-From printer. May be heard in committee March 21.
Location: 2/18/2025-A. PRINT
Summary: Existing law provides that a provision of a memorandum of understanding reached between
the state employer and a recognized employee organization representing state civil service employees
that requires the expenditure of funds does not become effective unless approved by the Legislature in
the annual Budget Act. This bill, notwithstanding the above-described statutory provisions, would
approve a memorandum of understanding entered into between the state employer and State
Bargaining Unit 6, as of an unspecified date. The bill would provide that the provisions of the
memorandum of understanding requiring the expenditure of funds will not take effect unless funds for
those provisions are specifically appropriated by the Legislature. The bill would require the state
employer and State Bargaining Unit 6 to meet and confer to renegotiate the affected provisions if funds
for these provisions are not specifically appropriated by the Legislature. The bill would specify that the
provisions of the memorandum of understanding requiring the expenditure of funds will become
effective even if these provisions are approved by the Legislature in legislation other than the annual
Budget Act.
AB 787 (Papan D) Provider directory disclosures.
Current Text: Amended: 3/17/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2025
Last Amend: 3/17/2025
Status: 3/18/2025-Re-referred to Com. on Health.
Location: 3/17/2025-A. HEALTH
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the
licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care, and
makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by
the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires specified health care service plans and health
insurers to publish and maintain a provider directory or directories with information on contracting
providers that deliver health care services to enrollees or insureds, and requires a health care service
plan or health insurer to regularly update its printed and online provider directory or directories, as
specified. Existing law requires provider directories to include specified information and disclosures. This
bill would require a full service health care service plan, specialized mental health plan, health insurer,
or specialized mental health insurer to include in its provider directory or directories a statement at the
top of the directory advising an enrollee or insured to contact the plan or insurer for assistance in
finding an in-network provider. The bill would require the plan or insurer to respond within 24 hours if
contacted for that assistance, and to provide a list of in-network providers confirmed to be accepting
new patients within 2 business days. Because a violation of these provisions by a health care service
plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
AB 789 (Bonta D) Health care coverage: unreasonable rate increases.
Current Text: Amended: 3/17/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2025
Last Amend: 3/17/2025
Status: 3/18/2025-Re-referred to Com. on Health.
Location: 3/17/2025-A. HEALTH
Summary: Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the
Department of Managed Health Care and the regulation of health insurers by the Department of
Insurance. For these purposes, existing law defines “unreasonable rate increase” to have the same
meaning as in the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is that an unreasonable
rate increase exists when the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services makes a
determination that a rate increase is excessive, unjustified, or unfairly discriminatory, among other
things. This bill would instead provide that an “unreasonable rate increase” exists if the Director of the
Department of Managed Health Care or the Insurance Commissioner, as applicable, makes a
determination that a rate increase is excessive, unjustified, unfairly discriminatory, or otherwise
unreasonable.
AB 814 (Schiavo D) Personal Income Tax Law: exclusions: law enforcement retirement.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/19/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/19/2025
Status: 3/10/2025-Referred to Com. on Rev. & Tax.
Location: 3/10/2025-A. REV. & TAX
Calendar: 3/24/2025 2:30 p.m. - State Capitol, Room 126 ASSEMBLY REVENUE AND TAXATION, GIPSON,
MIKE, Chair
Summary: The Personal Income Tax Law, in conformity with federal income tax law, generally defines
“gross income” as income from whatever source derived, except as specifically excluded, and provides
various exclusions from gross income. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025,
and before January 1, 2030, would exclude from gross income qualified payments received by a
taxpayer during the taxable year. The bill would define qualified payments to mean either amounts
received from a pension plan the taxpayer is the beneficiary of based on services performed as a peace
officer, as defined, or amounts received as the beneficiary of an annuity plan set up for the surviving
spouse or dependent of a person that lost their life in services as a peace officer, as specified. This bill
contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
AB 871 (Stefani D) Mandated reporters of suspected financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/19/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/19/2025
Status: 2/20/2025-From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.
Location: 2/19/2025-A. PRINT
Summary: Existing law, the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, establishes
procedures for the reporting, investigation, and prosecution of elder and dependent adult abuse.
Existing law requires a mandated reporter of suspected financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult,
as defined, to report financial abuse in a specified manner. Existing law deems specified persons to be
mandated reporters of suspected financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult, including, among
others, all officers and employees of a financial institution. A mandated reporter who fails to report
financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult is liable for civil penalties, as specified. This bill would
require a financial institution to provide annual training to its mandated reporters on how to report
suspected financial abuse of an elder or a dependent adult to both local and federal authorities, as
specified. The bill would require a financial institution to share information on reporting mechanisms
with clients immediately upon discovering potential financial abuse and would require the financial
institution to encourage clients to submit complaints within 24 to 48 hours. Under the bill, a violation of
the requirement to share that information upon discovering potential financial abuse would not incur
the above-described civil liability.
AB 909 (Schiavo D) Financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult: mandated reporters.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/19/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/19/2025
Status: 2/20/2025-From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.
Location: 2/19/2025-A. PRINT
Summary: Existing law requires all officers and employees of a financial institution to report known or
suspected instances of financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult, as specified. This bill would make
nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.
AB 910 (Bonta D) Pharmacy benefit management.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/19/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/19/2025
Status: 2/20/2025-From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.
Location: 2/19/2025-A. PRINT
Summary: Existing law provides for the regulation of health care service plans by the Department of
Managed Health Care. A willful violation of those provisions is a crime. Existing law requires health care
service plans that cover prescription drug benefits and contract with pharmacy providers and pharmacy
benefit managers to meet specified requirements, including requiring pharmacy benefit managers with
whom they contract to register with the department and exercise good faith and fair dealing, among
other requirements. This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to that provision.
AB 980 (Arambula D) Health care service plan: managed care entity: duty of care.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/20/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/20/2025
Status: 3/10/2025-Referred to Coms. on Health and JUD.
Location: 3/10/2025-A. HEALTH
Calendar: 4/1/2025 Upon adjournment of Session - 1021 O Street, Room 1100
ASSEMBLY HEALTH, BONTA, MIA, Chair
Summary: Under existing law, a health care service plan or managed care entity has a duty of ordinary
care to arrange for the provision of medically necessary health care services to its subscribers or
enrollees and is liable for all harm legally caused by its failure to exercise that ordinary care when the
failure resulted in the denial, delay, or modification of the health care service recommended for, or
furnished to, a subscriber or enrollee and the subscriber or enrollee suffers substantial harm, as
defined. This bill would define “medically necessary health care service” for purposes of the abovedescribed
provision to mean legally prescribed medical care that is reasonable and comports with the
medical community standard.
AB 1054 (Gipson D) Public employees’ retirement.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/20/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/20/2025
Status: 2/21/2025-From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
Location: 2/20/2025-A. PRINT
Summary: Existing law, the Public Employees’ Retirement Law, establishes the Public Employees’
Retirement System for the purpose of providing pension benefits to specified public employees. This bill
would make nonsubstantive changes to the provision naming that law.
AB 1067 (Quirk-Silva D) Public employees’ retirement: felony convictions.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/20/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/20/2025
Status: 2/21/2025-From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
Location: 2/20/2025-A. PRINT
Summary: Existing law, the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013, requires a public
employee who is convicted of any state or federal felony for conduct arising out of, or in the
performance of, the public employee’s official duties in pursuit of the office or appointment, or in
connection with obtaining salary, disability retirement, service retirement, or other benefits, to forfeit all
accrued rights and benefits in any public retirement system from the earliest date of the commission of
the felony to the date of conviction, and prohibits the public employee from accruing further benefits in
that public retirement system.This bill would require a public employer that is investigating a public
employee for misconduct arising out of the actions described above, to continue the investigation even
if the public employee retires while under investigation. The bill would require a public employer, if the
investigation indicates that the public employee may have committed a crime, to refer the matter to the
appropriate law enforcement agency. Under the bill, if a felony conviction results arising out of any
conduct described above, the public employee would forfeit all accrued rights and benefits in any public
retirement system pursuant to the provisions described above. This bill contains other related
provisions and other existing laws.
AB 1309 (Flora R) State employees: compensation: firefighters.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/21/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/21/2025
Status: 3/13/2025-Referred to Com. on P. E. & R.
Location: 3/13/2025-A. P.E. & R.
Summary: Existing law provides that in order for the state to recruit skilled firefighters for the
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, it is the policy of the state to consider prevailing salaries
and benefits prior to making salary recommendations. Existing law requires the Department of Human
Resources, in order to provide comparability in pay, to take into consideration the salary and benefits of
other jurisdictions employing 75 or more full-time firefighters who work in California. This bill would
require the state to pay firefighters who are rank-and-file members of State Bargaining Unit 8,
employed by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, within 15% of the average salary for
corresponding ranks in 20 listed California fire departments. The bill would require the state and the
exclusive representative for State Bargaining Unit 8 to jointly survey annually and calculate the
estimated average salaries for those fire departments. The bill would also require the Department of
Human Resources, on or before January 1, 2027, to conduct and report to the Department of Forestry
and Fire Protection a cursory survey on the salaries and benefits for the prior year of each of the fire
chiefs for 5 listed California fire departments.
The bill would provide that when determining
compensation for uniformed classifications of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, it is the
policy of the state to consider the salary of corresponding ranks within the comparable jurisdictions
listed, as well as other factors, including internal comparisons. The bill would require any salary increase
for firefighters under these provisions to be implemented through a memorandum of understanding, in
accordance with specified procedures governing collective bargaining agreements. The bill would include
legislative findings and declarations related to its provisions.
AB 1415 (Bonta D) California Health Care Quality and Affordability Act.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/21/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/21/2025
Status: 3/13/2025-Referred to Com. on Health.
Location: 3/13/2025-A. HEALTH
Summary: Existing law, the California Health Care Quality and Affordability Act, establishes within the
Department of Health Care Access and Information the Office of Health Care Affordability to analyze the
health care market for cost trends and drivers of spending, develop data-informed policies for lowering
health care costs for consumers and purchasers, set and enforce cost targets, and create a state
strategy for controlling the cost of health care and ensuring affordability for consumers and purchasers.
Existing law defines multiple terms relating to these provisions, including a health care entity to mean a
payer, provider, or a fully integrated delivery system and a provider to mean specified entities delivering
or furnishing health care services.
This bill would update the definitions applying to these provisions to
include a management services organization, as defined, as a health care entity. The bill would also
update a provider to mean specified private or public health care providers and would include a health
system, as defined, and an entity that owns, operates, or controls an entity specified in the existing
definition, regardless of whether it is currently operating, providing services, or has a pending or
suspended license. The bill would include additional definitions, including, but not limited to, a health
system to mean specified entities under common ownership or control and a hedge fund to mean a pool
of funds managed by investors for the purpose of earning a return on those funds, regardless of
strategies used to manage the funds, subject to certain exceptions. This bill contains other related
provisions and other existing laws.
AB 1431 (Tangipa R) Personal income taxes: credit: medical services: rural areas.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/21/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/21/2025
Status: 3/13/2025-Referred to Com. on Rev. & Tax.
Location: 3/13/2025-A. REV. & TAX
Calendar: 4/7/2025 2:30 p.m. - State Capitol, Room 126 ASSEMBLY REVENUE AND TAXATION, GIPSON,
MIKE, Chair
Summary: The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the taxes imposed by that law.
This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2032, would
allow a credit against the taxes imposed by that law to a qualified taxpayer in an amount equal to the
qualified income earned by the qualified taxpayer for medical services performed in a rural area in the
state, not to exceed $5,000 per taxable year, as specified. This bill contains other related provisions
and other existing laws.
AB 1450 (Hoover R) Air ambulance services.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/21/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/21/2025
Status: 2/24/2025-Read first time.
Location: 2/21/2025-A. PRINT
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the
licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care.
Existing law also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing
law requires that health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies provide coverage for
certain services and treatments, including emergency medical transportation services. Existing law
requires a health care service plan contract or a health insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed
on or after January 1, 2020, to provide, among other things, that if an enrollee, insured, or subscriber
receives covered services from a noncontracting air ambulance provider, the individual will pay no more
than the same cost sharing that the individual would pay for the same covered services received from a
contracting air ambulance provider, referred to as the in-network cost-sharing amount. This bill would
make a technical, nonsubstantive change to those provisions.
ABX1 1 (Gabriel D) Budget Act of 2024.
Current Text: Amended: 1/10/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 12/2/2024
Last Amend: 1/10/2025
Status: 2/3/2025-From committee without further action.
Location: 1/9/2025-A. BUDGET
Summary: The Budget Act of 2024 made appropriations for the support of state government for the
2024–25 fiscal year.This bill would amend the Budget Act of 2024 by making changes to existing
appropriations, as provided. This bill contains other related provisions.
ACA 1 (Valencia D) Public finance.
Current Text: Introduced: 12/2/2024 html pdf
Introduced: 12/2/2024
Status: 1/29/2025-Introduced measure version corrected.
Location: 12/2/2024-A. PRINT
Summary: The California Constitution prohibits the total annual appropriations subject to limitation of
the State and of each local government from exceeding the appropriations limit of the entity of
government for the prior year adjusted for the change in the cost of living and the change in
population. The California Constitution defines “appropriations subject to limitation” of the State for
these purposes. This measure would change the 1.5% required transfer to an undetermined
percentage of the estimated amount of General Fund revenues for that fiscal year. The measure would
change the 10% limit on the balance in the Budget Stabilization Account to 20% of the amount of the
General Fund proceeds of taxes for the fiscal year estimate, as specified. The measure would specify
that funds transferred under these provisions to the Budget Stabilization Account do not constitute
appropriations subject to the above-described annual appropriations limit. This bill contains other
existing laws.
ACA 2 (Jackson D) Legislature: retirement.
Current Text: Introduced: 12/2/2024 html pdf
Introduced: 12/2/2024
Status: 12/3/2024-From printer. May be heard in committee January 2.
Location: 12/2/2024-A. PRINT
Summary: The California Constitution prohibits Members of the Legislature from accruing any pension
or retirement benefit other than participation in the federal Social Security program as a result of
legislative service. This measure, the Legislative Diversification Act, would repeal that prohibition and
instead require the Legislature to establish a retirement system for Members elected to or serving in
the Legislature on or after November 1, 2010. The measure would require a Member to serve at least
10 years in the Legislature to be eligible to receive benefits under the retirement system. The measure
would authorize a Member who serves fewer than 10 years to transfer the service credit earned as a
result of service in the Legislature to any other public employees’ pension or retirement system in which
the Member participates.
ACA 5 (Schiavo D) Property taxation: veterans’ exemption.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/3/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/3/2025
Status: 2/4/2025-From printer. May be heard in committee March 6.
Location: 2/3/2025-A. PRINT
Summary: The California Constitution declares that all property is taxable and establishes or
authorizes various exemptions from tax for real property, including a homeowners’ exemption in the
amount of $7,000 of the full value of a dwelling unless the dwelling receives another real property
exemption. If the Legislature increases the homeowners’ exemption, the California Constitution
requires that the Legislature provide a benefit increase to qualified renters comparable to the average
increase in benefits to homeowners. The California Constitution and existing property tax law establish
a veterans’ exemption in the amount of $4,000 for a veteran who meets certain military service
requirements and generally exempts from property taxation the same value of property of a deceased
veteran’s unmarried spouse and parents. The California Constitution authorizes, and existing property
tax law establishes, a disabled veterans’ exemption in the amount of $100,000 or $150,000 for the
principal place of residence of a veteran or a veteran’s spouse, including an unmarried surviving
spouse, if the veteran, because of an injury incurred in military service, is blind in both eyes, has lost
the use of 2 or more limbs, or is totally disabled, as those terms are defined, or if the veteran has, as a
result of a service-connected injury or disease, died while on active duty in military service. Existing law
prohibits receiving the veterans’ exemption on property owned by an unmarried person who owns
more than $5,000 of property or a married person who owns more than $10,000 of property. Existing
law prohibits receiving the deceased veterans’ exemption on property owned by a deceased veteran’s
unmarried spouse who owns more than $10,000 of property, a deceased veteran’s unmarried parent
who owns more than $5,000 of property, or a deceased veteran’s married parent who owns more than
$10,000 of property. This measure would allow a dwelling that receives the veterans’ exemption or the
disabled veterans’ exemption to also receive the homeowners’ exemption. The measure would
authorize the Legislature to exempt property eligible for the veterans’ exemption in an amount up to
the full value of the property. If the Legislature increases the homeowners’ exemption, the measure
would require that the Legislature provide the same increase in the veterans’ exemption, except as
limited by the full value of the property. The bill would remove the above-described prohibitions on a
property receiving the veterans’ or deceased veterans’ exemption based on the amount of property
that a veteran or veteran’s parent or spouse owns.
SB 1 (Seyarto R) Personal income taxes: exclusion: Military Services Retirement and Surviving Spouse
Benefit Payment Act.
Current Text: Amended: 2/20/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 12/2/2024
Last Amend: 2/20/2025
Status: 3/12/2025-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on M. & V.A. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (March
12). Re-referred to Com. on M. & V.A.
Location: 3/12/2025-S. M. & V. A.
Summary: The Personal Income Tax Law, in conformity with federal income tax laws, defines “gross
income” as income from whatever source derived, except as specifically excluded, and provides various
exclusions from gross income, including an exclusion for combat-related special compensation. This bill,
for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2035, would exclude
from gross income retirement pay received by a qualified taxpayer, as defined, during the taxable year,
not to exceed $20,000, from the federal government for service performed in the uniformed services, as
defined. The bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2035,
would also exclude from gross income annuity payments received by a qualified taxpayer, as defined,
during the taxable year, not to exceed $20,000, pursuant to a United States Department of Defense
Survivor Benefit Plan. The bill would make related findings and declarations. This bill contains other
related provisions and other existing laws.
SB 40 (Wiener D) Health care coverage: insulin.
Current Text: Introduced: 12/3/2024 html pdf
Introduced: 12/3/2024
Status: 1/29/2025-Referred to Com. on HEALTH.
Location: 1/29/2025-S. HEALTH
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the
licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and
makes a willful violation of the act’s requirements a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of
health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a health care service plan
contract or disability insurance policy issued, amended, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1,
2000, that covers prescription benefits to include coverage for insulin if it is determined to be medically
necessary. This bill would generally prohibit a health care service plan contract or disability insurance
policy issued, amended, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, from imposing a copayment
of more than $35 for a 30-day supply of an insulin prescription drug or imposing a deductible,
coinsurance, or any other cost sharing on an insulin prescription drug, except as specified. On and after
January 1, 2026, the bill would prohibit a health care service plan or disability insurer from imposing
step therapy protocols as a prerequisite to authorizing coverage of insulin. Because a willful violation of
these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a statemandated
local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
SB 41 (Wiener D) Pharmacy benefits.
Current Text: Introduced: 12/3/2024 html pdf
Introduced: 12/3/2024
Status: 1/29/2025-Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.
Location: 1/29/2025-S. HEALTH
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the
licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care, and
makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law requires a pharmacy benefit manager under
contract with a health care service plan to, among other things, register with the Department of
Managed Health Care. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of
Insurance. This bill would additionally require a pharmacy benefit manager to apply for and obtain a
license from the Department of Insurance to operate as a pharmacy benefit manager no later than
January 1, 2027. The bill would establish application qualifications and requirements, and would require
initial license and renewal fees to be collected into the newly created Pharmacy Benefit Manager
Account in the Insurance Fund to be available to the department for use, upon appropriation by the
Legislature, as specified, for costs related to licensing and regulating pharmacy benefit managers. The
bill would impose specified duties on pharmacy benefit managers and requirements for pharmacy
benefit manager services and pharmacy benefit manager contracts, including requiring a pharmacy
benefit manager to file specified reports with the department, the contents of which are not to be
disclosed to the public. The bill would require the department, at specified intervals, to submit reports
to the Legislature based on the reports submitted by pharmacy benefit managers, and would require
the department to post the reports on the department’s internet website. This bill would make a
violation of these provisions subject to specified civil penalties. The bill would create the Pharmacy
Benefit Manager Fines and Penalties Account in the General Fund, into which fines and administrative
penalties would be deposited. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
SB 65 (Wiener D) Budget Act of 2025.
Current Text: Introduced: 1/10/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 1/10/2025
Status: 1/13/2025-Read first time.
Location: 1/10/2025-S. BUDGET & F.R.
Summary: This bill would make appropriations for the support of state government for the 2025–26
fiscal year. This bill contains other related provisions.
SB 296 (Archuleta D) Property taxation: exemption: disabled veteran homeowners.
Current Text: Amended: 3/19/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/10/2025
Last Amend: 3/19/2025
Status: 3/19/2025-From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Rereferred
to Com. on REV. & TAX.
Location: 2/19/2025-S. REV. & TAX
Calendar: 3/26/2025 9:30 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1200 SENATE REVENUE AND
TAXATION, MCNERNEY, JERRY, Chair
Summary: The California Constitution provides that all property is taxable, and requires that it be
assessed at the same percentage of fair market value, unless otherwise provided by the California
Constitution or federal law. The California Constitution and existing property tax law provide various
exemptions from taxation, including, among others, a disabled veterans’ exemption and a veterans’
organization exemption. This bill would exempt from taxation, as provided, property owned by, and that
constitutes the principal place of residence of, a veteran, the veteran’s spouse, or the veteran and the
veteran’s spouse jointly, if the veteran is 100% disabled. The bill would provide an unmarried surviving
spouse a property exemption in the same amount that they would have been entitled to if the veteran
was alive and if certain conditions are met. The bill would require certain documentation to be provided
to the county assessor to receive the exemption and would prohibit any other real property tax
exemption from being granted to the claimant if receiving the exemption provided by the provisions of
this bill. The bill would make these exemptions applicable for property tax lien dates occurring on or
after January 1, 2026, but occurring before January 1, 2036. By imposing additional duties on local tax
officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related
provisions and other existing laws.
SB 306 (Becker D) Health care coverage: prior authorizations.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/10/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/10/2025
Status: 2/19/2025-Referred to Com. on HEALTH.
Location: 2/19/2025-S. HEALTH
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the
licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care, and
makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by
the Department of Insurance. Existing law generally authorizes a health care service plan or health
insurer to use prior authorization and other utilization review or utilization management functions,
under which a licensed physician or a licensed health care professional who is competent to evaluate
specific clinical issues may approve, modify, delay, or deny requests for health care services based on
medical necessity. Existing law requires a health care service plan or health insurer, including those
plans or insurers that delegate utilization review or utilization management functions to medical groups,
independent practice associations, or to other contracting providers, to comply with specified
requirements and limitations on their utilization review or utilization management functions. Existing law
requires the criteria or guidelines used to determine whether or not to authorize, modify, or deny health
care services to be developed with involvement from actively practicing health care providers. This bill
would prohibit a health care service plan or health insurer from imposing prior authorizations, as
defined, on a covered health care service for a period of one year beginning on April first of the current
calendar year, if specified conditions exist, including that the health care service plan approved 90% or
more of the requests for a covered service in the prior calendar year. The bill would also require a
health care service plan or health insurer to list any covered services exempted from prior authorization
on their internet website by March 15 of each calendar year. The bill would also clarify how to calculate
a plan or insurer’s approval rate for purposes of determining whether a service may be exempted from
prior authorization. Because a willful violation of the bill’s requirements relative to health care service
plans would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other
related provisions and other existing laws.
SB 344 (Weber Pierson D) Health care service plans: financial risk requirement.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/12/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/12/2025
Status: 2/19/2025-Referred to Com. on RLS.
Location: 2/12/2025-S. RLS.
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the
licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care, and
makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law requires a health care service plan to
demonstrate that it has a fiscally sound operation and adequate provision against the risk of
insolvency, that it assumes full financial risk on a prospective basis for the provision of covered health
care services, and that it has a procedure for the prompt payment or denial of provider and subscriber
or enrollee claims. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.
SB 363 (Wiener D) Health care coverage: independent medical review.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/13/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/13/2025
Status: 3/17/2025-Set for hearing April 2.
Location: 2/26/2025-S. HEALTH
Calendar: 4/2/2025 1:30 p.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1200 SENATE HEALTH, MENJIVAR, CAROLINE,
Chair
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the
licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care, and
makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by
the Department of Insurance. Existing law establishes the Independent Medical Review System within
each department, under which an enrollee or insured may seek review if a health care service has been
denied, modified, or delayed by a health care service plan or health insurer and the enrollee or insured
has previously filed a grievance that remains unresolved after 30 days. This bill would require a health
care service plan or health insurer to annually report its number of treatment denials or modifications,
separated by type of care and disaggregated by age, to the appropriate department, commencing on
or before June 1, 2026. The bill would require the departments to compare the number of a health care
service plan’s or health insurer’s treatment denials and modifications to (1) the number of successful
independent medical review overturns of the plan’s or insurer’s treatment denials or modifications and
(2) the number of treatment denials or modifications reversed by a plan or insurer after an independent
medical review for the denial or modification is requested, filed, or applied for. The bill would make a
health care service plan or health insurer liable for an administrative penalty, as specified, if more than
half of the independent medical reviews filed with a health care service plan or health insurer result in
an overturning or reversal of a treatment denial or modification in any one individual category of the
specified types of care. The bill would make a health care service plan or health insurer liable for
additional administrative penalties for each independent medical review resulting in an additional
overturned or reversed denial or modification in excess of that threshold. The bill would specify that
these provisions do not apply to Medi-Cal managed care plan contracts. Because a willful violation of
these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, this bill would impose a statemandated
local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
SB 386 (Limón D) Dental providers: fee-based payments.
Current Text: Amended: 3/18/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/14/2025
Last Amend: 3/18/2025
Status: 3/18/2025-From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Rereferred
to Com. on HEALTH.
Location: 2/26/2025-S. HEALTH
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the
licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and
makes a willful violation of the act’s requirements a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of
health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law imposes specified coverage and disclosure
requirements on health care service plans and health insurers, including specialized plans and insurers,
that cover dental services. This bill would require a health care service plan contract or health insurance
policy, as defined, issued, amended, or renewed on and after January 1, 2026, that provides payment
directly or through a contracted vendor to a dental provider to have a non-fee-based default method of
payment, as specified. The bill would require a health care service plan, health insurer, or contracted
vendor to obtain written authorization from a dental provider opting in to a fee-based payment method
before the plan or vendor provides a fee-based payment method to the provider and would authorize
the dental provider to opt out of the fee-based payment method at any time by providing written
authorization to the health care service plan, health insurer, or contracted vendor. The bill would require
a health care service plan, health insurer, or contracted vendor that obtains written authorization to opt
in or opt out of fee-based payment to apply the decision to include both the dental provider’s entire
practice and all products or services covered pursuant to a contract with the dental provider, as
specified. The bill would specify that its provisions do not apply if a health care service plan or health
insurer has a direct contract with a provider that allows the provider to choose payment methods,
including a non-fee-based payment method for services rendered. This bill contains other related
provisions and other existing laws.
SB 401 (Hurtado D) State employees and officers: conflicts of interest.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/14/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/14/2025
Status: 2/26/2025-Referred to Com. on RLS.
Location: 2/14/2025-S. RLS.
Summary: The Political Reform Act of 1974 regulates conflicts of interest of public officials and requires
specified elected and appointed officers at the state and local levels of government to disclose specified
financial interests by filing periodic statements of economic interests. Existing law also prohibits a state
officer or employee from engaging in any employment, activity, or enterprise that is clearly inconsistent,
incompatible, in conflict with, or inimical to their duties as a state officer or employee and requires each
appointing power to determine those activities. If those provisions are in conflict with a memorandum of
understanding, existing law provides that the memorandum of understanding is controlling, except as
specified. This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation relating
to conflicts of interest for all state employees and officers, as specified.
SB 418 (Menjivar D) Health care coverage: nondiscrimination.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2025
Status: 2/26/2025-Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.
Location: 2/26/2025-S. HEALTH
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the
licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and
makes a willful violation of the act’s requirements a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of
health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires health care service plans and
health insurers, as specified, within 6 months after the relevant department issues specified guidance,
or no later than March 1, 2025, to require all of their staff who are in direct contact with enrollees or
insureds in the delivery of care or enrollee or insured services to complete evidence-based cultural
competency training for the purpose of providing trans-inclusive health care for individuals who identify
as transgender, gender diverse, or intersex. This bill would prohibit a subscriber, enrollee, policyholder,
or insured from being excluded from participation in, being denied the benefits of, or being subjected to
discrimination by, any health care service plan or health insurer licensed in this state, on the basis of
race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. The bill would define discrimination on the basis of sex
for those purposes to include, among other things, sex characteristics, including intersex traits,
pregnancy, and gender identity. The bill would prohibit a health care service plan or health insurer from
taking specified actions relating to providing access to health programs and activities, including, but not
limited to, denying or limiting health services to an individual based upon the individual’s sex assigned
at birth, gender identity, or gender otherwise recorded. The bill would prohibit a health care service
plan or health insurer, in providing or administering health insurance coverage or other health-related
coverage, from taking various actions, including, but not limited to, denying, canceling, limiting, or
refusing to issue or renew health insurance coverage or other health-related coverage, or denying or
limiting coverage of a claim, or imposing additional cost sharing or other limitations or restrictions on
coverage, on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, as specified. Because a
violation of the bill’s requirements by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose
a state-mandated local program. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
SB 443 (Rubio D) Retirement: joint powers authority: Cities of La Verne and Covina.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2025
Status: 3/18/2025-Set for hearing March 26.
Location: 2/26/2025-S. L., P.E. & R.
Calendar: 3/26/2025 9:30 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 SENATE LABOR, PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT AND
RETIREMENT, SMALLWOOD-CUEVAS, LOLA, Chair
Summary: The California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) requires a public
retirement system, as defined, to modify its plan or plans to comply with the act and, among other
provisions, establishes new retirement formulas that may not be exceeded by a public employer
offering a defined benefit pension plan for employees first hired on or after January 1, 2013. Existing
law, the Joint Exercise of Powers Act, generally authorizes 2 or more public agencies, by agreement, to
jointly exercise any common power, which may include hiring employees and establishing retirement
systems. This bill would authorize the City of La Verne and the City of Covina, if on or after January 1,
2026, they form a joint powers authority, to provide employees the defined benefit plan or formula that
those employees received from their respective employers prior to the exercise of a common power. The
bill would specify that these provisions would apply to an employee who is not a new member and
subsequently is employed by the joint powers authority within 180 days of the city providing for the
exercise of a common power, as specified. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as
to the necessity of a special statute for the City of La Verne and the City of Covina.
SB 449 (Valladares R) Health care service plan requirements.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2025
Status: 2/26/2025-Referred to Com. on RLS.
Location: 2/18/2025-S. RLS.
Summary: Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the
licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care.
Existing law requires a health care service plan to meet specified requirements, and requires a health
care service plan contract to provide to subscribers and enrollees specified basic health care services.
This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.
SB 538 (Dahle R) Public Employees’ Retirement System: teaching service.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/20/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/20/2025
Status: 3/5/2025-Referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.
Location: 3/5/2025-S. L., P.E. & R.
Summary: Existing law authorizes a member of the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) who is
subsequently employed to perform service subject to coverage by the Defined Benefit Program of the
State Teachers’ Retirement Plan to elect to retain coverage by PERS for that subsequent service.
Existing law prescribes requirements for the exercise of this election, including that the election be
submitted in writing, as specified, within 60 days after the member’s date of hire to perform the service.
Existing law authorized, until January 1, 2024, a member of PERS who provided emergency teaching
services pursuant to a specified executive order to elect to retain coverage notwithstanding the failure
to meet specified administrative requirements. This bill would authorize a member providing services as
a substitute teacher, as defined, under certain circumstances to elect to retain coverage under PERS.
SB 605 (Cortese D) State attorneys and administrative law judges: compensation.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/20/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 2/20/2025
Status: 3/18/2025-Set for hearing March 26.
Location: 3/5/2025-S. L., P.E. & R.
Calendar: 3/26/2025 9:30 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 SENATE LABOR, PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT AND
RETIREMENT, SMALLWOOD-CUEVAS, LOLA, Chair
Summary: Existing law requires the Department of Human Resources to establish and adjust salary
ranges for each class of position in the state civil service. This bill would require that the salaries of
state attorneys and administrative law judges in State Bargaining Unit 2 be no less than the average
salaries of public sector attorneys, as specified. The bill would require the Department of Human
Resources to annually conduct a survey of salary structures by March 1 of each year, as specified, and
determine the average salary of public sector attorneys for each attorney classification, including the
minimum salaries for entry-level attorneys, intermediate classifications, and the most senior
nonmanagerial attorneys, noninclusive of negotiated differentials. The bill would require that state
administrative law judges have salaries not less than the maximum salary of state attorneys classified
at a specified level. The bill would require the department to make a good faith offer of parity in salary
with respect to public sector agency attorneys’ and administrative law judges’ salaries in any
negotiations with the exclusive bargaining representative. The bill would provide that no state attorney
or administrative law judge classification shall be reduced in salary as a result of these provisions. This
bill contains other related provisions.
SB 853 (Committee on Labor, Public Employment and Retirement) Public employees’ retirement.
Current Text: Introduced: 3/4/2025 html pdf
Introduced: 3/4/2025
Status: 3/12/2025-Referred to Coms. on L., P.E. & R. and JUD.
Location: 3/12/2025-S. L., P.E. & R.
Summary: Existing law, the Teachers’ Retirement Law, establishes the State Teachers’ Retirement
System (STRS) and creates the Defined Benefit Program of the State Teachers’ Retirement Plan, which
provides a defined benefit to members of the program, based on final compensation, creditable service,
and age at retirement, subject to certain variations. STRS is administered by the Teachers’ Retirement
Board. Existing law requires employers and employees to make contributions to the system based on
the member’s creditable compensation. Existing law defines terms for the purposes of STRS. Existing
law defines “employer” or “employing agency” to mean the state or any agency or political subdivision
thereof, including a joint powers authority, as specified. Existing law also defines “membership” under
the Teachers’ Retirement Law to mean membership in the Defined Benefit Program, except as specified.
This bill would provide that the board has final authority for determining an “employer” or “employing
agency” for purposes of the Teachers’ Retirement Law and related provisions governing teachers’
health care benefits. The bill would also provide that the board has final authority for determining
membership in STRS, as specified. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.