SB 1323 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Health care providers: patient access: immigration enforcement.

Summary

Existing law requires a health care provider entity, as defined, to designate areas where a patient is receiving treatment or care, or where a patient is discussing protected health information, as nonpublic, in order to enhance privacy available to facility users and promote a safe environment conducive to the facility's mission and patient care. Unless required by state or federal law, existing law prohibits a health care provider entity and its personnel from allowing any person access to the nonpublic areas of the facility for immigration enforcement purposes, unless that person has a valid judicial warrant or court order that specifically grants access to the nonpublic areas of the facility. Existing law requires a health care provider entity to inform staff and relevant volunteers on how to respond to requests relating to immigration enforcement that grants access to health care provider entity sites or to patients. This bill would also require a health care provider entity to inform staff and relevant volunteers on how to respond to requests by a person who is in custody by immigration enforcement to notify a family member or designated support person about their current location. Existing law requires a health care provider entity, to the extent possible, to establish or amend procedures for monitoring, documenting, and receiving visitors to health care provider entities consistent with the above-described and related provisions. Under existing law, a health care provider entity is encouraged to post a "notice to authorities" at facility entrances that states that no person will be permitted to access nonpublic areas of a facility for immigration enforcement purposes unless required by state or federal law or pursuant to a valid physical judicial warrant or court order. This bill would instead require the health care provider entity to establish or amend those procedures, without the qualification that the process be to the extent possible. The bill would also require, instead of encouraging, the entity to post the above-described notice, at the facility's main public entrances, as defined. The bill would repeal these changes on January 1, 2030. To the extent that the bill would create new duties for health care provider entities administered by a county, city, or other local public jurisdiction, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Aug 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

Assembly Passage

Aug 2026

Governor

Introduced Feb 20, 2026 Last action Aug 26, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 6 comparisons

What changed between versions

08/28/26 - Enrolled → SB1323 · 1 edit

MINOR

No substantive policy changes occurred between these two versions. The bill text is identical in content; the only difference is that the document was reformatted from a formal enrolled bill layout (with page numbers, signature blocks, and legislative formatting) into a web-based viewing format with navigation menus and site elements.

TECHNICAL

The document was converted from a formal enrolled bill format (with page numbers, Secretary of the Senate and Chief Clerk signatures, Governor approval line) to a web page presentation format with navigation links, search tools, and version history sidebar.

04/23/26 - Amended Senate → 06/11/26 - Amended Assembly · 6 edits · Jun 11, 2026

MODERATE

The Assembly amended SB 1323 to add a sunset date of January 1, 2030, after which the bill's stronger protections automatically revert to weaker pre-existing standards. The notice-posting requirement was narrowed from all facility entrances to a single designated 'main public entrance.' After the sunset, the law reverts to permissive language ('to the extent possible' and 'encouraged') and drops the requirement to train staff on responding to family notification requests from detained individuals.

Scope change

The bill's protections are now time-limited, expiring on January 1, 2030. After that date, the law reverts to weaker pre-existing standards: procedures become optional ('to the extent possible'), notice posting becomes merely encouraged, and the family notification training requirement is eliminated entirely.

TIMELINE

A sunset provision was added: Sections 24250 and 24251 as amended by this bill will be repealed on January 1, 2030, and replacement versions with weaker language become operative that same day.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement to post a 'notice to authorities' was narrowed from all 'facility entrances' to the facility's 'main public entrance,' newly defined as a single designated entrance serving as the primary point of access for patients and visitors.

After the 2030 sunset, the replacement Section 24251 drops subdivision (e), which required health care provider entities to inform staff and volunteers on how to respond to requests by a person in lawful immigration custody to notify a family member or designated support person about their location.

DEFINITION

A new definition of 'main public entrance' was added: a singular entrance, as designated by the facility, that serves as a primary point of access that patients and visitors use to enter the main health facility's building.

SCOPE

After the 2030 sunset, the replacement Section 24250 reverts to weaker language: procedures are only required 'to the extent possible' and posting the notice is merely 'encouraged' rather than mandatory.

TECHNICAL

Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez was added as coauthor of the bill.

03/25/26 - Amended Senate → 04/23/26 - Amended Senate · 5 edits · Apr 23, 2026

MODERATE

The April 23 amendment strengthens obligations on health care provider entities by making previously conditional or encouraged actions mandatory, adds specific content requirements for a posted notice to authorities, and removes a separate legislative intent statement about hospitals. The bill now requires (rather than merely encourages) facilities to post a notice stating that immigration enforcement cannot access nonpublic areas without a valid physical judicial warrant or court order, and removes the 'to the extent possible' qualifier from the requirement to establish visitor monitoring procedures.

Scope change

The bill's title and framing shifted from specifically relating to hospitals to more broadly relating to health care providers, though the underlying statutory sections (24250 and 24251) already applied to health care provider entities generally. The removal of the separate legislative intent section about hospitals suggests a deliberate effort to avoid limiting the bill's perceived scope to hospitals only.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the phrase 'to the extent possible' from Section 24250(a), making it mandatory for health care provider entities to establish or amend procedures for monitoring, documenting, and receiving visitors rather than only doing so when feasible.

Changed Section 24250(a) from 'are encouraged to post' a notice to authorities to 'shall post,' making the posting of the notice a legal requirement rather than a recommendation.

Added new language in Section 24250(a) specifying that the posted notice must state that no person will be permitted to access nonpublic areas for immigration enforcement purposes unless required by state or federal law or pursuant to a valid physical judicial warrant or court order.

SCOPE

Removed the final section of the bill that stated 'It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to hospitals,' along with the reference to hospitals in the bill title and digest, narrowing the framing from hospitals specifically to health care providers generally.

FISCAL

The fiscal committee and state-mandated local program designations changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now imposes costs on local agencies that may require state reimbursement under the state mandates process.

02/20/26 - Introduced → 03/25/26 - Amended Senate · 6 edits · Mar 25, 2026

MODERATE

SB 1323 was transformed from a bare legislative intent statement about hospitals into a substantive amendment of Health and Safety Code Sections 24250 and 24251. The amended bill strengthens protections against immigration enforcement access to health care facilities by making previously optional or 'to the extent possible' requirements mandatory, adding new staff notification and documentation duties, and requiring facilities to train staff on how to handle requests from detained individuals to contact family members.

Scope change

The bill expanded from a non-binding legislative intent statement to binding amendments of two specific code sections, imposing concrete duties on health care provider entities regarding immigration enforcement interactions at their facilities.

SCOPE

The bill changed from a simple statement of legislative intent to actually amending Sections 24250 and 24251 of the Health and Safety Code, giving it real legal effect on health care provider entities.

REQUIREMENT

Section 24250(a): Removed the qualifier 'to the extent possible' from the requirement to establish or amend visitor monitoring procedures, making it a firm obligation. Also changed 'encouraged to post' a notice to authorities at facility entrances to 'shall post,' making it mandatory.

New Section 24250(b): Requires health care provider entity personnel to immediately notify management, administration, or legal counsel of any immigration enforcement access request, any document review request (subpoena, warrant, court order), and to direct any immigration enforcement access requests to designated management or legal counsel.

New Section 24251(c): Requires that denials of immigration enforcement access to nonpublic areas be witnessed and documented by at least one health care provider entity personnel, to the extent possible.

New Section 24251(e): Requires health care provider entities to inform staff and volunteers on how to respond to requests by a person in lawful immigration custody to notify a family member or designated support person about their current location.

FISCAL

Fiscal committee review changed from 'no' to 'yes,' state-mandated local program changed from 'no' to 'yes,' and a new Section 3 was added providing for state reimbursement of costs mandated on local agencies if the Commission on State Mandates determines such costs exist.

Floor votes · Senate May 19, 2026 · Assembly Aug 25, 2026

How they voted

30–9

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 40

May 19, 2026

D Democratic30

30 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican10

9 Nay 1

90% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 26, 2026

Upper · Passed

Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 30. Noes 10.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

upper

Aug 25, 2026

Introduced

In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

upper

Aug 25, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate.

lower

Aug 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (August 5).

lower

Jun 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Jun 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

lower

Jun 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

lower

Jun 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (June 9).

lower

May 26, 2026

Committee

Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.

lower

May 19, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 30. Noes 9. Page 4349.) Ordered to the Assembly.

upper

May 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 4273.) (May 14).

upper

Apr 23, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Apr 22, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 2. Page 3980.) (April 21).

upper

Apr 16, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 2. Page 3902.) (April 15). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

upper

Apr 8, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.

upper

Mar 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Mar 4, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Feb 20, 2026

Introduced

Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

upper

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor