Healthcare

SCR 7 is a Senate resolution (not a law) that formally acknowledges the health benefits of adopting permanent standard time instead of changing clocks for daylight saving time. It cites medical evidence linking biannual time changes to health issues like medical errors, heart attacks, and sleep disruption, particularly affecting shift workers and students. The resolution notes support from medical associations and references how Arizona, Hawaii, and other regions already use permanent standard time. It does not change timekeeping laws but urges consideration of permanent standard time as a health and safety measure.

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.

The Capital Programs and Climate Financing Authority Act establishes the Capital Programs and Climate Financing Authority, consisting of the Director of Finance, the Treasurer, and the Controller. Among other things, the act authorizes the authority to establish one or more small business assistance funds to do various things, including fund a capital access program for small businesses pursuant to specified law, provide various forms of financial assistance, and make or acquire loans or guarantee commercial loans to participating parties eligible for assistance from those funds. The act requires any moneys repaid or returned to the authority in connection with or as a result of any loan or financial assistance made pursuant to these provisions to be deposited in the small business assistance fund from which the loan or assistance was originally provided. For the purpose of establishing and maintaining small business assistance funds, the act authorizes the authority to levy fees or other charges on, or require deposits from, participating parties receiving financing for a project under the act, as specified. The act requires the authority to establish the California Investment and Innovation Program for the purpose of providing grants to enhance the capacity of community development financial institutions to provide technical assistance and capital access to economically disadvantaged communities in the state, as specified. Existing law defines various terms for these purposes. This bill would authorize the authority to establish one or more small business assistance funds to fund a grant program for community development financial assistance pursuant to the California Investment and Innovation Program. The bill would include in the list of allowed financial assistance that the authority may provide under the act grants made to community development financial institutions in furtherance of that program. By expanding the purposes for which moneys in a continuously appropriated fund may be used, this bill would make an appropriation.

Existing law establishes various public social services programs under the jurisdiction of the State Department of Social Services, including, among others, the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, the CalFresh program, the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) , the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, and the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) . 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. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, requires a health care service plan to provide an enrollee who has been displaced or whose health may otherwise be affected by a state of emergency, as declared by the Governor, or a health emergency, as declared by the State Public Health Officer, with access to medically necessary health care services, as specified. This bill would require the State Department of Social Services, for purposes of CalWORKs, CalFresh, CFAP, IHSS, and CAPI, and the State Department of Health Care Services, for Medi-Cal purposes, to provide continuous eligibility for the applicable programs to a recipient or beneficiary who has been affected by a state of emergency, including through displacement. For Medi-Cal purposes, the bill would specify additional qualifying circumstances, including certain disruptions in providers, infrastructure, or other services, and would also require this continuous eligibility in the case of effect an by a health emergency. The bill would authorize the State Department of Health Care Services to implement these Medi-Cal provisions by providing continuous eligibility to all Medi-Cal beneficiaries within a geographic region where the department finds that multiple Medi-Cal beneficiaries within the geographic region have experienced any of these circumstances due to a state of emergency or health emergency. Under the bill, the continuous eligibility would maintain a recipient's or beneficiary's current scope of benefits under the applicable program for certain timelines. The bill would require the 2 departments to implement the continuous eligibility through automated programming of eligibility systems, with notifications, as specified. The bill would require a county to immediately restore eligibility for the applicable program for any recipient or beneficiary whose eligibility was discontinued and who informs the county that they have been impacted as described above, without requesting any further verifications from the recipient or beneficiary. In the case of CalWORKs, CalFresh, CFAP, IHSS, and CAPI, if a recipient fails to submit a semiannual report or an annual redetermination or recertification of eligibility, if applicable, the bill would require the county to determine that the recipient had good cause for failing to submit that information. The bill would set forth related provisions for the county, the State Department of Social Services, and the Director of Social Services. Under the bill, these provisions would be implemented only to the extent not in conflict with federal law. The bill would authorize the Director of Social Services to waive, subject to receipt of any necessary federal approvals, the enforcement of specific federal requirements, regulations, or standards necessary to implement the above-described applicable provisions. Under the bill, implementation of the Medi-Cal provisions would be conditioned on receipt of any necessary federal approvals and the availability of federal financial participation. The bill would authorize the Director of Social Services or the Director of Health Care Services to issue county directives regarding compliance with the respective provisions. By creating new duties for counties with regard to eligibility for the above-described programs, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law continuously appropriates moneys from the General Fund to defray a portion of county costs under the CalWORKs program. This bill would instead provide that the continuous appropriation would not be made for purposes of implementing these provisions. 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.

Existing law establishes a workers' compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers' Compensation, to compensate an employee, as defined, for injuries sustained in the course of employment. Existing law requires an employer to provide medical treatment that is reasonably required to cure or relieve an employee from the effects of the injury. Existing law allows employers to create networks of medical treatment providers to send employees to for treatment. Existing law sets out criteria for these networks and exceptions for when an employee may be treated outside of the network. This bill would require the administrative director to establish a statewide medical provider network database, consisting of physicians who are willing and able to treat injured employees in the San Joaquin Valley region. The bill would require an employee to first seek treatment within their employer's or insurer's network, unless the employer's or insurer's network is unable to treat the employee within 30 days of the request for medical treatment. The bill would require physicians, in order to be included in the network, to, among other things, be in good standing with the Medical Board of California and agree to comply with the official medical fee schedule, as specified. The bill would require the administrative director to implement the network on or before January 1, 2027. The bill would state the Legislature's intent to address the shortage of available medical treatment for workplace injuries in the central valley region. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare.

Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to establish a genetic disease unit to, among other responsibilities, promote a statewide program of information, testing, and counseling services related to genetic diseases, and administer that information, testing, and counseling to each child born in the state, as specified. Existing law requires all information obtained from persons involved in hereditary disorders programs to be held strictly confidential. Existing law sets forth the grounds and procedures for the issuance of a search warrant and authorizes the issuance of a search warrant upon specified grounds, including that the property or things to be seized consist of an item or constitute evidence that tends to show a felony has been committed or that a particular person has committed a felony. This bill would authorize the department to release a physical blood test taken from a newborn to law enforcement in response to a search warrant only if the objective of the warrant is to obtain the DNA of a missing person suspected to be a victim of homicide, child abuse resulting in death, or manslaughter in order to compare the DNA to other samples in the Department of Justice Missing Persons DNA Database and to upload the sample for future identification of the person. Existing law requires the department, commencing July 1, 2026, to annually generate a report to the Legislature regarding the newborn screening program, including the number of new residual screening specimens collected during the previous calendar year, until the department has provided 5 annual reports. The bill would require the department, as part of its annual report, to report to the Legislature the number of search warrants received by and the number of disclosures granted by the department.

Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health within the California Health and Human Services Agency. Existing law requires the department to license and regulate clinical laboratories and various clinical laboratory personnel, including medical laboratory technicians. Existing law prohibits a person from operating a training program or course for the purpose of training clinical laboratory scientists or medical laboratory technicians without the prior approval of the department. Existing law imposes on the department specified duties related to the approval and regulation of training programs for instruction in clinical laboratory techniques. Existing law establishes a Department of Health Care Access and Information within the California Health and Human Services Agency. Existing law authorizes the department to make grants to develop training for new types of health professions personnel, as specified. This bill would require the Department of Health Care Access and Information, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to establish a grant program to provide funding for qualified training programs, as defined, that are approved by the State Department of Public Health, as specified. The bill would also require a grantee to expend funds within 3 years of receiving the grant. The bill would make related findings and declarations.

Existing law, the End of Life Option Act, until January 1, 2031, authorizes an adult who meets certain qualifications, including, among other things, being a resident of the State of California, and who has been determined by their attending physician to be suffering from a terminal disease, as defined, to make a request for an aid-in-dying drug for the purpose of ending their life. Existing law makes specified violations of the act a crime, including knowingly coercing or exerting undue influence on an individual to request or ingest an aid-in-dying drug for the purpose of ending their life. This bill would repeal the January 1, 2031, expiration date of the act, thereby extending the operation of the act indefinitely. By extending the operation of crimes within the act, 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 provides funding for homelessness prevention and mental health services through various state programs, such as Housing First, and the Early Psychosis Intervention Plus Program. Existing law establishes the State Department of Health Care Services and, among other things, requires the department to implement certain mental health services through contracts with a county or counties acting jointly. Existing law requires the Governor to create a California Interagency Council on Homelessness to serve as a statewide facilitator, coordinator, and policy development resource on ending homelessness in California, among other things. Existing law requires the council to create a statewide data system with a goal of matching data on homelessness to programs impacting homeless recipients of state programs. This bill would require the Controller, by January 1, 2027, in collaboration with the department and the council to develop, publish, and maintain an online search portal that contains specified information relating to state funding for programs as described above. The bill would require the portal to include funding amounts provided in the current fiscal year and the previous 10 fiscal years, as well as specified information about the state program that received the funds and the department or agency that administers the program. The bill would require the Controller, the department and the council to each include a link to the online portal on their internet websites. The bill would authorize the Controller, the department and the portal to request any relevant information from a state agency or department for the purpose of reporting accurate information within the portal.

Existing law states that it is the intent of the Legislature to maintain an ongoing program of birth defects monitoring statewide, and requires the State Public Health Officer to maintain a system for the collection of information related to birth defects, as specified. Existing law requires the officer to require general acute care hospitals and physician-owned or physician-operated clinics that regularly provide services for the diagnosis or treatment of birth defects, genetic counseling, or prenatal diagnostic services to make available to the department the medical records of children suspected or diagnosed as having birth defects, as specified. Existing law authorizes the department to enter into a contract for the establishment and implementation of the birth defects monitoring program. This bill would state that it is additionally the intent of the Legislature to authorize local health jurisdictions to initiate and maintain programs to monitor birth conditions, as defined, that are present during the 12-month period after an individual's birth in their local health jurisdictions. The bill would authorize a local health officer to maintain a system for the collection of specified information within their local health jurisdiction related to birth conditions. The bill would authorize a local health officer to issue a written order to providers and laboratories, as specified, in addition to the facilities listed above, within their local health jurisdiction to either make available or to report to the local health department information related to birth conditions, as specified. Existing law limits access to confidential information related to birth defects to authorized program staff and persons with a valid scientific interest, as specified, and prohibits that information from being admissible, disclosed, discoverable, or compelled to be produced in any civil, criminal, administrative, or other proceeding, as specified. Existing law provides that, except as otherwise provided by statute, all relevant evidence is admissible. The California Constitution provides for the Right to Truth-In-Evidence, which requires a 23 vote of the Legislature to exclude any relevant evidence from any criminal proceeding, as specified. This bill would expand the scope of the confidentiality provisions described above to include additional conditions, thereby prohibiting the use of additional information in criminal proceedings. Because that prohibition would affect the admissibility of relevant evidence in criminal proceedings, the bill would require a 23 vote of the Legislature.