(1) Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health to, among other things, implement and administer various programs relating to public health. Existing law, the Valley Fever Education, Early Diagnosis, and Treatment Act, states the intent of the Legislature to raise awareness of the symptoms, tests, and treatments for valley fever among the general public, primary health care providers, and health care providers who care for persons at higher risk for getting valley fever. This bill, the Valley Fever Screening and Prevention Act of 2025, would require the department, in consultation with subject matter experts, to the extent feasible and using available data and resources, including public health surveillance data, to annually analyze and identify regions with elevated rates of valley fever. The bill would require the department to publish its first list of high-incidence regions for valley fever on or before March 1, 2027. The bill would require the department to provide local health departments in high-incidence regions with detailed infection data and standardized screening protocols that align with the current national clinical practice recommendations for valley fever. The bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2030, and every 2 years thereafter, to evaluate the effectiveness of the valley fever screening and prevention program and report its findings to the Legislature. This bill would require local health departments in high-incidence areas to conduct outreach to health care providers and the general public to raise awareness of valley fever risks, symptoms, and prevention strategies. The bill would require local health departments to annually report the number of confirmed cases of valley fever to the department, as specified. By imposing duties on local health departments, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities and clinics by the State Department of Public Health. A violation of these provisions is a crime. This bill, commencing January 1, 2028, would require an adult patient receiving primary care services in a facility, clinic, unlicensed clinic, center, office, or other setting, and in a high-incidence region for valley fever, to be screened for valley fever, to the extent the services are covered under the patient's health insurance, unless specified circumstances exist. If the results of a screening suggest that testing should be considered, the bill would require the health care provider to offer the patient diagnostic testing. If the test result is positive, the health care provider shall offer care, as specified, for valley fever management. The bill would prohibit a health care provider who, based on their professional judgment, determines it is not appropriate to screen, offer to screen, or consider or offer a patient testing for valley fever from being subject to any disciplinary action related to their licensure, certification, or privileges in relation to that determination. The bill would also prohibit a violation of these provisions from being the basis of civil or criminal liability. By expanding the scope of a crime applicable to the health care settings described above, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) 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. This bill would prohibit a health care service plan contract or health insurance policy, except as specified, from imposing a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or other requirement on a valley fever screening or test, as specified, in high-incidence regions for valley fever. Because a violation of this requirement relative to health care service plans would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (4) 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law requires the Director of Pesticide Regulation to adopt regulations relating to worker health in areas where pesticides are used so that pesticide residue levels are not a significant factor in cholinesterase depression or other health effects. Existing law requires that an employer who has an employee who regularly handles pesticides have an agreement with a medical supervisor who is registered with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) . Existing law requires that a laboratory that performs tests ordered by a medical supervisor report specified information to the Department of Pesticide Regulation on, at a minimum, a monthly basis. Existing law requires that the reports be submitted via electronic media and formatted in a manner approved by the director. Existing law requires the Department of Pesticide Regulation to share information from cholinesterase reports with the OEHHA and the State Department of Public Health on an ongoing basis, in an electronic format. Existing law requires the registered medical supervisor ordering a cholinesterase test to note in the test order the name of the medical supervisor and the purpose of the test, and ensure that the person tested and the employer receive a copy of the cholinesterase test results and any recommendations from the medical supervisor based upon those results within 14 days of the medical supervisor's receipt of the results. Existing law requires the medical supervisor to report any worker with cholinesterase depression indicating pesticide exposure to the local health officer within 24 hours. These provisions are operative until January 1, 2027. This bill would extend these provisions until January 1, 2030.
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 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 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.
Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to establish a program for the development, provision, and evaluation of genetic disease testing. Existing law establishes the continuously appropriated Genetic Disease Testing Fund (GDTF) , consisting of fees paid for newborn screening tests, and states the intent of the Legislature that all costs of the genetic disease testing program be fully supported by fees paid for newborn screening tests, which are deposited in the GDTF. Existing law also authorizes moneys in the GDTF to be used for the expansion of the Genetic Disease Branch Screening Information System to include cystic fibrosis, biotinidase, severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) , adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) , and any other disease that is detectable in blood samples, as specified, and exempts the expansion of contracts for this purpose from certain provisions of the Public Contract Code, the Government Code, and the State Administrative Manual, as specified. This bill would require the department to expand statewide screening of newborns to include screening for Duchenne muscular dystrophy as soon as possible, but no later than January 1, 2027. By expanding the purposes for which moneys from the GDTF may be expended, this bill would make an appropriation.
(1) Existing federal law provides for 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 establishes a statewide electronic benefits transfer (EBT) system, administered by the State Department of Social Services, for the purpose of providing financial and food assistance benefits, including CalFresh benefits. Existing law establishes the California Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot Project and requires the department, in consultation with specified entities, to include within the EBT system a supplemental benefits mechanism that allows an authorized retailer to deliver and redeem supplemental benefits and to provide grants for pilot projects to implement and test the mechanism in existing retail settings. Existing law requires the department to evaluate the pilot projects and make recommendations to further refine and expand the supplemental benefits mechanism, as specified. This bill would require the department to evaluate the pilot projects that operated pursuant to the above-described provisions between February 1, 2023, and January 31, 2025, as specified. Existing federal law, through Disaster SNAP, provides for short-term food assistance benefits to families suffering in the wake of a major disaster. Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services and the county human services agency, if the President of the United States issues a major disaster declaration for individual assistance, to request to operate a federal Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) for the regions affected by the major disaster. Existing uncodified law, in the event of a declaration by the Governor or the President of the United States of a major disaster, continuously appropriates to the department from the General Fund an amount necessary to cover specified costs relating to the administration of disaster assistance services, but not to exceed $300,000 per disaster declaration. This bill would codify that funding provision. (2) Existing law requires each county to provide cash assistance and other social services for needy families through the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program using federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) block grant program, state, and county funds. Under existing law, a county is required to annually redetermine eligibility for CalWORKs benefits and, at the time of redetermination, require the family to complete a certificate of eligibility. Existing law additionally requires the county to redetermine recipient eligibility and grant amounts on a semiannual basis and requires the recipient to submit a semiannual report form during the first semiannual reporting period following the application or annual redetermination of eligibility. Existing law requires, to the extent permitted by federal law, the State Department of Social Services to implement the semiannual reporting system, including the use of the semiannual report form, in the CalFresh program. Existing law requires the department to work with specified entities to develop and implement system changes that would prepopulate the semiannual report. Existing law requires counties to provide recipients with a prepopulated semiannual report form instead of a blank form. This bill would instead, to the extent permitted by federal law, require counties to provide recipients with a prepopulated semiannual report, either via mail or electronically, at the election of the recipient, instead of a blank form. The bill would require the department to complete final policy guidance for changes to the prepopulated semiannual report by August 15, 2025. To the extent that this bill would expand county responsibilities under the CalWORKs program, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) Existing federal law, the Community First Choice Option (CFCO) program, authorizes states to provide home- and community-based attendant services and supports to eligible Medicaid enrollees, as specified. Existing federal law provides federal financial participation for a state that provides services under the CFCO program. Existing state law establishes the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, administered by the State Department of Social Services and counties, under which qualified aged, blind, and disabled persons are provided with services in order to permit them to remain in their own homes. Existing law requires the state and counties to share the annual cost of providing IHSS pursuant to a specified cost ratio. Existing law requires all counties to have a rebased County IHSS Maintenance of Effort (MOE) and requires the rebased MOE to be adjusted for the annualized cost of increases in provider wages, health benefits, or other benefits, as prescribed. If the state ceases to receive federal financial participation for the provision of services, existing law requires the rebased County IHSS MOE to be adjusted to require a county to pay a 35% share of the enhanced federal financial participation that would have been received. This bill would, commencing July 1, 2026, require a county to pay, separate from the rebased County IHSS MOE payment, a 100% share of the enhanced federal financial participation that would have been received if the state ceases to receive that funding for the provision of services due to noncompliance of timely case reassessment for the federal CFCO program. The bill would, for the 2025–26 fiscal year, require the state and county to each pay 50% of the amount of that lost enhanced federal financial participation. The bill would require the department to develop guidance to implement these provisions. (4) Existing law requires the state, through the State Department of Social Services and county welfare departments, to establish and support a public system of statewide child welfare services to be developed as rapidly as possible and to be available in each county of the state. Existing law requires family maintenance services to be provided or arranged for by county welfare department staff, in order to maintain a child in their own home. Existing law identifies the categories of families to which these services are available. Existing law defines a "child and family team" as a group of individuals who are convened by the placing agency and who are engaged through a variety of team-based processes to identify the strengths and needs of the child or youth and their family, and to help achieve positive outcomes for safety, permanency, and well-being. Existing law defines a "child and family team meeting" as a convening of all or some members of the child and family team that may be requested by any member of the child and family team. This bill would require, beginning July 1, 2025, all county child welfare agencies to convene child and family team meetings for children and youth receiving family maintenance services. By increasing the duties of county child welfare agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law establishes the Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) , administered by the State Department of Social Services, to benefit children residing in foster homes by providing the stability and security of permanent homes. Existing law requires the department or the county, whichever is responsible for determining the child's AAP eligibility, to assess the needs of the child and the circumstances of the family, with the amount of a cash benefit being determined based on those factors. Existing law authorizes payment to be made on behalf of an otherwise eligible child in a state-approved group home, short-term residential therapeutic program, or residential care treatment facility if the department or county responsible for determining payment has confirmed that the placement is necessary, and, if the placement is out-of-state, requires the facility to be eligible for Title IV-E funded placements in the state in which it is situated. This bill would authorize AAP payments for placement in an out-of-state residential treatment facility, as defined, if one or more of the adoptive parents reside in the state in which the residential treatment facility is located and the responsible public agency, as defined, has confirmed that placement is necessary. The bill would require counties, commencing September 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, to provide specified information to the department regarding out-of-state residential treatment facilities and the children placed in those facilities, and would require the department to provide guidance to counties regarding steps necessary to document the requirements of these provisions. By imposing duties on counties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law prohibits the AAP rate paid on behalf of the child for these placements from exceeding the rate paid for a short-term residential therapeutic program. Existing law establishes a Tiered Rate Structure, as specified, upon which the per child per month rate for every child in foster care is based, which includes 3 components, including an amount paid to the foster care provider for care and supervision of the child, a strengths building allocation to provide for a child's strengths building objectives, and an immediate needs allocation to provide for the child's immediate needs, and establishes payment tiers, as specified. Existing law requires the 3 components of the Tiered Rate Structure to become operative on July 1, 2027, or the date that the department notifies the Legislature that the California Statewide Automated Welfare System can perform the necessary automation to implement the Tiered Rate Structure, whichever is later. The bill would prohibit the AAP rate for an out-of-state residential treatment facility from exceeding the lesser of the rate paid for a foster care placement in a short-term residential therapeutic program or the rate determined by the ratesetting authority in the state in which the out-of-state residential treatment facility is located. Upon the 3 components of the Tiered Rate Structure becoming operative, this bill would instead prohibit the AAP payment rate from exceeding the lesser of the sum of the 3 components of the Tiered Rate Structure or the rate determined by the ratesetting authority in the state in which the out-of-state residential treatment facility is located. (5) Existing law establishes the Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant program to provide county-based custody, care, and supervision of youth who are realigned from the Division of Juvenile Justice or who would have otherwise been eligible for commitment to the division. Existing law appropriates moneys from the General Fund for the 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, and 2025–26 fiscal years in specified amounts for these purposes, and specifies how those funds are to be allocated to counties based on specified criteria. Existing law requires the Governor and the Legislature to work with stakeholders to establish a distribution methodology. This bill would make an appropriation for the 2025–26, 2026–27, 2027–28, and 2028–29 fiscal years from the General Fund in the amount of $208,800,000 each year and specify the by-county distribution methodology for each fiscal year, as specified. The bill would require, by January 10, 2030, the Office of Youth and Community Restoration to review the formula within these provisions and report to the Legislature with an assessment of the formula's efficacy in meeting the Legislature's intent to implement public health approaches to support positive youth development and outcomes, build the capacity of a continuum of community-based approaches, and reduce recidivism. In order to be eligible for funding under the Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant program, existing law requires a county to create a subcommittee of the multiagency juvenile justice coordinating council, as specified, to develop a plan describing facilities, programs, placements, services, supervision and reentry strategies needed to provide appropriate rehabilitation and supervision services for youth who were eligible for commitment to the division. Under existing law, the plan is required to include specified information, including a detailed facility plan. This bill would additionally require the plan to include a description of less restrictive programs used by the county and an accounting of all expenditures for funding during the prior fiscal year, as specified. Existing law establishes the Board of State and Community Corrections, with the mission of providing statewide leadership, coordination, and technical assistance to promote effective state and local efforts and partnerships in California's adult and juvenile criminal justice system. Existing law requires the judge of the juvenile court of a county to inspect any jail, juvenile hall, lockup, special purpose juvenile hall, camp, ranch, or secure youth treatment facility that was used for the confinement of a juvenile for more than 24 hours in the preceding calendar year, as specified. Existing law requires the court to notify the operator of the facility of any observed noncompliance, and make a finding of suitability of the facility for the confinement of juveniles. Existing law requires the board to conduct a biennial inspection of each jail, juvenile hall, lockup, special purpose juvenile hall, camp, ranch, or secure youth treatment facility, as specified, and notify the operator of the facility of any noncompliance. This bill would prohibit a county board of supervisors from allocating funding pursuant to the Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant to any juvenile hall, camp, ranch, or secure youth treatment facility that is, or at any time during the prior fiscal year was, unsuitable and used for the confinement of youth on any day when the facility was prohibited by law from being used for the confinement of youth. The bill would authorize the county board of supervisors to withhold funding from any entity that is, or at any time during the prior fiscal year was, operating an unsuitable juvenile hall, camp, ranch, or secure youth treatment facility and is confining or did confine one or more youth in the unsuitable facility on any day when the facility was prohibited by law from being used for confinement of youth, as specified. (6) 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. (7) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.
(1) The Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) prohibits a provider of health care, a health care service plan, a contractor, or a corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliates from intentionally sharing, selling, using for marketing, or otherwise using any medical information, as defined, for any purpose not necessary to provide health care services to a patient, except as provided. The CMIA prohibits a provider of health care, health care service plan, or contractor from disclosing medical information regarding a patient of the provider of health care or an enrollee or subscriber of a health care service plan without first obtaining authorization from the patient, except if the disclosure is compelled by, among other things, a search warrant lawfully issued to a governmental law enforcement agency or a court order. Existing law makes a violation of these provisions that results in economic loss or personal injury to a patient punishable as a misdemeanor. This bill would revise the definition of "medical information" to include immigration status, including current and prior immigration status, and place of birth, if that information is known or collected, as specified, and would define "immigration enforcement" to mean any and all efforts to investigate, enforce, or assist in the investigation or enforcement of any federal civil immigration law, and also includes any and all efforts to investigate, enforce, or assist in the investigation or enforcement of any federal criminal immigration law that penalizes a person's presence in, entry or reentry to, or employment in, the United States. The bill would specify that a provider of health care, health care service plan, or contractor shall disclose medical information regarding a patient of the provider of health care or an enrollee or subscriber or a health care service plan pursuant to a valid search warrant issued by a judicial officer, including a magistrate, to a governmental law enforcement agency, or pursuant to a state or federal court order issued by a court of this state or a federal court. The bill would also prohibit, except to the extent expressly authorized by a patient, enrollee, or subscriber, or as otherwise permitted or required, a provider of health care, health care service plan, contractor, or corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliates from disclosing medical information for immigration enforcement. Because the bill would expand the scope of a crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Under existing law, the State Department of Public Health is responsible for the licensing and regulation of various facilities and settings that provide health care services, as specified. Existing law makes a willful violation of these provisions a crime. This bill would require health care provider entities, as defined, to establish or amend procedures for monitoring, documenting, and receiving visitors to health care provider entities to the extent possible. The bill would require health care provider entity personnel to immediately notify health care provider entity management, administration, or legal counsel of any request for access to a health care provider entity site or patient for immigration enforcement, and to provide any requests for review of health care provider entity documents, as prescribed. The bill would prohibit, unless required by state or federal law, a health care provider entity and its personnel from allowing any person access to nonpublic areas of the provider's facilities for immigration enforcement purposes, except as specified. The bill would require health care provider entities 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. The bill would require that health care provider entities comply with these provisions within 45 days from their effective date. By expanding the scope of a crime and increasing duties on local health officials, 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law establishes the Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, and Intersex Wellness and Equity Fund under the administration of the State Department of Public Health, for purposes of funding grants, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to create programs, or funding existing programs, focused on coordinating trans-inclusive health care for individuals who identify as transgender, gender nonconforming, or intersex (TGI) . Existing law makes the grants available to TGI-serving organizations, as specified. Existing law defines terms, including "health care" and "gender nonconforming," for purposes of these provisions. This bill would rename the fund as the Two-Spirit, Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, and Intersex (2TGI) Wellness and Equity Fund and would make a conforming change to a related provision. The bill would expand the availability of grant funds to 2TGI-serving organizations, as defined, for purposes of providing workforce development training for 2TGI individuals, resettlement and social integration programs for 2TGI asylees and immigrants, and diversion programs for, and outreach to, transitional-age 2TGI youth. Under the bill, an organization that serves tribal populations would also be eligible for a grant for any of the specified purposes if that organization applies in partnership with a 2TGI-serving organization. The bill would revise the definition of "health care" to include mental health services and would define "Two-Spirit" and "transitional-age 2TGI youth" for purposes of these provisions. The bill would make related legislative findings.
