Existing law authorizes the court to grant pretrial diversion to a defendant diagnosed with a mental disorder if the defendant satisfies certain eligibility requirements and if the court determines that the defendant is suitable for diversion. Existing law defines "pretrial diversion" as the postponement of prosecution to allow the defendant to undergo mental health treatment, subject to certain requirements, such as the court is satisfied that the recommended program will meet the specialized needs of the defendant, among others. Existing law provides that a defendant is suitable for pretrial diversion if certain criteria are met, including that the defendant agrees to comply with the treatment as a condition of diversion and they will not pose an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety, among others. Existing law defines "unreasonable risk of danger to public safety" as an unreasonable risk that the defendant will commit a new violent felony, as specified. This bill would additionally require that the defendant agree that the recommended treatment plan will meet their specialized needs and would redefine "pretrial diversion" to require that the court is also satisfied that the recommended program is consistent with the underlying purpose of mental health diversion, as described. The bill would state that, notwithstanding the court's determination whether a defendant may pose an unreasonable risk that the defendant will commit a new violent felony, the court retains discretion to deny pretrial diversion if it concludes that the defendant poses an unreasonable risk to the physical safety of another.
Existing law establishes various food assistance programs, including the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , known in California as CalFresh, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county. Existing law declares that it is the established policy of the state that every human being has the right to access sufficient affordable and healthy food. Existing law requires all relevant state agencies to consider this state policy when revising, adopting, or establishing policies, regulations, and grant criteria when those policies, regulations, and grant criteria are pertinent to the distribution of sufficient affordable food. This bill would revise that declaration to provide that every human being has the right to access sufficient affordable and healthy food that is locally grown and raised. The bill would require all relevant state agencies to consider that policy when revising, adopting, or establishing policies, regulations, and grant criteria that are pertinent to that policy. The bill would require specified state agencies to report to the Legislature by January 1, 2027, at a minimum, their progress on revising, adopting, or establishing those pertinent policies, regulations, and grant criteria.
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 or dental plan, health insurer, or specialized mental health or dental insurer to include in its provider directory or directories a statement advising an enrollee or insured to contact the plan or insurer for assistance finding an in-network provider and for an explanation of their rights regarding out-of-network coverage, and would specify the format of the statement. The bill would require the plan or insurer to acknowledge the request within one business day if contacted for that assistance, and to provide a list of in-network providers confirmed to be accepting new patients within 2 business days for a request deemed urgent by the enrollee or insured and 5 business days for a request deemed nonurgent by an enrollee or insured. 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. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law prohibits, except as specified, a person from performing a clinical laboratory test or examination classified as of moderate or high complexity under the federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) unless the test or examination is performed under the overall operation and administration of the laboratory director, as specified. A violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law authorizes unlicensed laboratory personnel who have earned a high school diploma or its equivalent and who meet specified training requirements to perform specified activities under the supervision and control of a physician and surgeon or licensed person. This bill would authorize a person to assist, as defined, in the performance of moderate or high complexity testing in a clinical laboratory if the person, in addition to the above requirements, meets the requirements under CLIA for moderate or high complexity testing. Prior to assisting in the performance of the specified activities, the bill would require the person, under direct and constant supervision, to demonstrate the skills and ability to satisfactorily perform the task. The bill would require the laboratory director to designate the supervisor and to maintain overall responsibility for the supervision and performance of the unlicensed laboratory personnel. By expanding the application of an existing crime, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. This bill would define supervision and control, as used above, to mean direction, management, and awareness of the activity of unlicensed laboratory personnel by a physician and surgeon or licensed person, who must be physically present in the laboratory and readily available for consultation during the entire time that the unlicensed laboratory personnel are engaged in the duties. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
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 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 health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies that provide hospital, medical, or surgical coverage and are issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2021, to provide coverage for medically necessary treatment of mental health and substance use disorders under the same terms and conditions applied to other medical conditions, as specified. On and after January 1, 2027, this bill would prohibit concurrent or retrospective review of medical necessity of in-network health care services and benefits (1) for the first 28 days of a treatment plan for inpatient or residential substance use disorder stay at a specified licensed facility during each plan or policy year or (2) for outpatient services provided by specified certified programs for substance use disorder visits, except as specified. The bill would authorize, after the 29th day, in-network health care services and benefits for inpatient or residential substance use disorder care to be subject to concurrent review. On and after January 1, 2027, the bill would prohibit retrospective review of medical necessity for the first 28 days of intensive outpatient or partial hospitalization services for substance use disorder, but would authorize concurrent or retrospective review for day 29 and days thereafter of that stay or service. With respect to health care service plans, the bill would specify that its provisions do not apply to Medi-Cal behavioral health delivery systems or Medi-Cal managed care plan contracts. Because a willful 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. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law creates the California Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) , also known as Covered California, to facilitate the enrollment of qualified individuals and qualified small employers in qualified health plans as required under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Existing law requires the Exchange to enroll an individual in the lowest cost silver plan or another plan, as specified, upon receiving the individual's electronic account from an insurance affordability program. Existing law requires enrollment to occur before coverage through the insurance affordability program is terminated, and prohibits the premium due date from being sooner than the last day of the first month of enrollment. This bill would, commencing July 1, 2026, additionally authorize the Exchange to enroll an individual in the plan in which other members of the individual's household are enrolled, as specified, or the lowest cost plan available to an Indian who is eligible for specified reduced cost sharing, as determined by the Exchange, and would require the Exchange to enroll an individual in any of the plans described above upon receipt of a complete application for an insurance affordability program submitted through the Statewide Automated Welfare System. The bill would require the Exchange to enroll the individual either before coverage through the insurance affordability program is terminated as described above or upon the receipt of a complete application for an insurance affordability program through the Statewide Automated Welfare System as described above. Existing law requires the Exchange to provide an individual who is enrolled in a plan described above with a notice that includes specified information, including a statement that services received during the first month of enrollment will only be covered by the plan if the premium is paid by the due date. This bill would require the Exchange to provide the notice described above prior to the individual's effective date of coverage, and to provide, instead of the statement described above, instructions on how to effectuate coverage in the selected plan, including by paying the premium on or before the due date, or, if there is no premium due, instructions on how to opt into the selected plan.
Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services, through fee-for-service or managed care delivery systems. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Under existing Medi-Cal provisions, behavioral health services, including specialty mental health services and substance use disorder treatment, are provided under the Medi-Cal Specialty Mental Health Services Program, the Drug Medi-Cal Treatment Program, and the Drug Medi-Cal organized delivery system (DMC-ODS) program, as specified. This bill would require each Medi-Cal managed care plan, county specialty mental health plan, Drug Medi-Cal certified program, and DMC-ODS program to electronically provide data for members of the respective entities to support member care. The bill would require the department to determine minimum data elements and the frequency and format of data sharing through a stakeholder process and guidance, with final guidance to be published by the department by January 1, 2027, in compliance with privacy laws.
Existing law establishes the Richard Paul Hemann Parkinson's Disease Program, which, among other things, requires the State Department of Public Health to collect data on the incidence of Parkinson's disease in California, as specified. Existing law allows an individual taxpayer to contribute amounts in excess of their personal income tax liability for the support of specified funds and accounts, including, among others, to the California Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Research Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund. This bill would also allow an individual to designate on their tax return that a specified amount in excess of their tax liability be transferred to the Parkinson's Disease Research Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund, which would be created by this bill. The bill would continuously appropriate the moneys in the fund to the State Department of Public Health to support the above-referenced program relating to Parkinson's disease in California. The bill would require the Franchise Tax Board to revise the tax return form to include a space for the designation of contributions to the fund when another voluntary designation is removed from the form or there is space, whichever occurs first. By establishing a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation.
Senate Resolution 53 designates September 2025 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in California, encouraging residents, businesses, and organizations to host events that raise awareness about childhood cancer and support affected families year-round. The resolution also expresses the state's commitment to advancing research for cures and less toxic treatments, while honoring children battling cancer and thanking healthcare providers and parents who support patients. This procedural resolution does not create new laws but formally recognizes and promotes statewide engagement with childhood cancer issues.
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 contract or health insurance policy to provide coverage for behavioral health treatment for pervasive developmental disorder or autism. This bill would prohibit a health care service plan contract or health insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, from requiring an enrollee or insured previously diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder or autism to receive a rediagnosis to maintain coverage for behavioral health treatment for their condition. The bill would require a treatment plan to be made available to the plan or insurer upon request. Because a willful violation of this provision by a health care service plan would be a crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
