Asm. Cecilia Aguiar-Curry

Existing state sales and use tax laws impose a tax on retailers measured by the gross receipts from the sale of tangible personal property sold at retail in this state, or on the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of tangible personal property purchased from a retailer for storage, use, or other consumption in this state. The Sales and Use Tax Law provides various exemptions from those taxes. This bill, the Fairground Act for Investment and Revitalization, on and after January 1, 2027, and before January 1, 2032, would exempt the gross receipts from the sale in this state of, and the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of, tangible personal property for use in the construction, development, or ongoing operation of a qualified project, defined to mean a new development project, or new phase of an existing project, that is located on the land of a fairground, undertaken pursuant to a written agreement and approved by a governing body of a fairground, as provided. The bill would require a governing body of a fairground to approve a project. By requiring additional duties be performed by the governing body of a fairground, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill also would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure. The Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law authorizes counties and cities to impose local sales and use taxes in conformity with the Sales and Use Tax Law, and existing laws authorize districts, as specified, to impose transactions and use taxes in accordance with the Transactions and Use Tax Law, which generally conforms to the Sales and Use Tax Law. Amendments to the Sales and Use Tax Law are automatically incorporated into the local tax laws. This bill would provide that the exemption created by the bill does not apply to local sales and use taxes or transactions and use taxes. Existing law imposes or dedicates certain state sales and use tax rates for local funding, including through the Local Revenue Fund 2011. This bill would provide that the exemption created by the bill does not apply to those state sales and use tax rates imposed or dedicated for local government funding, including those rates for which revenues are deposited into the Local Revenue Fund 2011. 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. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

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 or health insurer that provides prescription drug benefits and maintains one or more drug formularies to meet certain criteria for its formularies and the placement of drugs on formularies. This bill would prohibit a health care service plan or health insurer that provides prescription drug benefits and maintains one or more drug formularies from making changes to a formulary during a plan or policy year, except in specified circumstances. If a plan or insurer implements a formulary change requiring an enrollee or insured to change to a different drug in the same drug class during the plan year, the bill would authorize the individual to remain on the previously covered drug for the rest of the plan year if the drug was previously approved for coverage for the individual's medical condition, is appropriately prescribed, and is considered safe and effective for treating that condition, and would require the plan or insurer to notify the individual and their provider no less than 90 days before the change is implemented. The bill would require a plan or insurer, or its pharmacy benefit manager, to report to the appropriate department any changes made to a formulary during a plan or policy year within 30 days of the change being made. The bill would authorize the departments to investigate and take enforcement action against a plan or insurer for noncompliance with the above-described requirements and to impose, after notice and the opportunity for a hearing, administrative penalties, as specified, for a violation of these provisions. The bill would authorize the departments to conduct audits related to these provisions. Because a willful violation of the bill's provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires a health care service plan that provides prescription drug benefits to maintain an expeditious process by which prescribing providers may obtain authorization for a medically necessary nonformulary prescription drug. This bill would define "expeditious process" for the above-described purpose to require a plan to approve authorization within 72 hours for nonurgent requests, or within 24 hours if exigent circumstances exist, of a request for approval of a drug prescription. If the plan fails to meet those requirements, the bill would authorize an enrollee to request, and would require the plan to provide, 90 days of transitional coverage to the enrollee for the previously covered drug. The bill would require the Department of Managed Health Care to utilize existing data and its existing authority to collect data from plans and annually publish on its internet website and submit to the Legislature an aggregated report on information related to requests for approval of a nonformulary drug as described above. 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 California Health Facilities Financing Authority Act, establishes the California Health Facilities Financing Authority, which has authority to, among other things, make secured or unsecured loans to, or purchase secured or unsecured loans of, any participating health institution in accordance with an agreement between the authority and the participating health institution to refinance indebtedness incurred by that participating health institution, as specified, in connection with projects undertaken, for health facilities acquired, or for working capital. Existing law also authorizes the authority to award grants to eligible clinics and health facilities, as specified. Existing law establishes the California Health Facilities Financing Authority Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, to carry out the purposes of the act. This bill, the Medical Debt Relief Act of 2026, would establish the medical debt relief program, which would be administered by the authority. The bill would require the authority to enter into an interagency agreement with the Department of Health Care Access and Information to implement the program. The bill would require the authority and department to convene a stakeholder advisory group, as specified, no later than July 1, 2027, to advise on the development, implementation, and administration of the program. The bill would require the stakeholder advisory group, on or before January 1, 2028, to develop recommendations for the authority and department, including, among others, criteria for the ranking and priority of eligible recipients to receive discharge of their medical debt. This bill would authorize the authority, in consultation with the department, to, among other things, contract with a medical debt relief coordinator, as defined, for purposes of acquiring medical debt of eligible recipients either directly from a providing health institution or from a debt buyer, as specified. The bill would require the authority to, among other things, maintain books and records of all the medical debt acquired and canceled. The bill would require the authority to maintain a public internet website for information about the program. This bill would create the California Medical Debt Relief Program Account within the California Health Facilities Financing Authority Fund and would make all moneys in the account available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the authority for carrying out the purposes of the Medical Debt Relief Act of 2026. The bill would require the authority, in consultation with the department, to provide a report to the Legislature and Governor by January 1 of each year, starting January 1, 2028. Existing law requires a hospital to report specified financial and utilization data to the Department of Health Care Access and Information, including, among other things, total operating expenses, and deductions from revenue, such as bad debts and charity care. This bill would require a hospital to report to the department outstanding medical debt owed to the hospital, including debt amount, bill adjustments, source of coverage, whether charity care or discount was provided, demographic data, ZIP Code, and whether the debt led to litigation or wage garnishment.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the week of May 17 to May 24, 2026, as National Public Works Week throughout California to honor the contributions of public works professionals. It directly affects engineers, managers, and employees in government and the private sector who maintain essential infrastructure like transportation systems, water supplies, and public buildings. The resolution requests that the Governor issue a proclamation encouraging the public to observe the week with educational programs and activities that highlight the importance of these workers.

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 issued, amended, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1, 2000, or an individual or group policy of disability insurance or self-insured employee welfare benefit plan to provide coverage for mammography for screening or diagnostic purposes upon referral by specified professionals. Under existing law, mammography performed pursuant to those requirements or that meets the current recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force is provided to an enrollee or an insured without cost sharing. This bill would require a health care service plan contract, a health insurance policy, or a self-insured employee welfare benefit plan issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2028, to provide coverage without imposing cost sharing for, among other things, screening mammography and medically necessary diagnostic breast imaging, including diagnostic breast imaging following an abnormal mammography result and for an enrollee or insured indicated to have a risk factor associated with breast cancer, except as specified. 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.

This measure would proclaim the week of April 20, 2026, to April 24, 2026, inclusive, as California Home Visiting Week, and would encourage all Californians to recognize and celebrate the contributions of home visiting programs and professionals and the families they serve.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the week of April 19 to April 25, 2026, as Mosquito Awareness Week. The measure is a commemorative resolution that officially recognizes this specific time period to highlight mosquito-related issues. It does not create new laws, impose regulations, or allocate funding, but rather serves to raise public awareness through official designation.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates April 2026 as Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month in California. It requires state officials to issue a formal proclamation highlighting the importance of raising public awareness about the condition. The measure does not change laws or allocate funding but serves to recognize the month dedicated to this health issue.

This measure would proclaim March 2026 as American Red Cross Month, dedicate it to all those who continue to advance the noble legacy of the organization's founder, and encourage all Californians to reach out, support the organization's humanitarian mission, and join in their commitment to care for people in need.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates April 14 of every year as Sylvia Mendez Day to honor the civil rights activist who challenged school segregation in California. The measure is a commemorative resolution that does not change laws, allocate funding, or alter government operations. By establishing this annual observance, the state recognizes Mendez's historical contributions to education and civil rights.