Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed by, and funded pursuant to, federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law, the Budget Act of 2025, appropriates funds to the department to create a comprehensive hospital value strategy to advance access to high-quality inpatient and outpatient hospital services, financially incentivize appropriate care delivery, and improve health outcomes for Medi-Cal beneficiaries. In developing the comprehensive hospital value strategy described above, this bill would require the department to engage with relevant stakeholders with firsthand experience, including, but not limited to, hospitals, cities, counties, cities and counties, organizations representing these groups, and other affected stakeholders as the department deems necessary. The bill would require the department to ensure that the comprehensive hospital value strategy includes a focus on rural hospitals, critical access hospitals, and public hospitals.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySenate Resolution 82 declares February 2026 as Children's Dental Health Month in California to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. The resolution highlights that tooth decay is a major public health issue affecting many children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and notes that untreated dental problems can lead to missed school days and learning difficulties. While acknowledging recent improvements in access to Medi-Cal dental services, the bill emphasizes the need for continued efforts to prevent cavities through education and preventive care. This measure serves as a symbolic recognition rather than establishing new laws or funding, aiming to encourage policymakers and the public to focus on childhood oral health.
Existing law, the Respiratory Care Practice Act, prohibits a person from engaging in the practice of respiratory care unless the person is a licensed respiratory care practitioner, except for specified respiratory care functions, including, among others, the performance of suctioning and other basic respiratory tasks and services by a licensed vocational nurse under the supervision of a credentialed school nurse, as provided. Existing law authorizes individuals with specified qualifications and meeting certain requirements to assist an individual with exceptional needs who requires specialized physical health care services, as defined, during the regular schoolday. Existing law also authorizes a licensed vocational nurse, under the supervision of a credentialed school nurse, to assist an individual with exceptional needs who requires specialized physical health care with the basic respiratory services authorized by the Respiratory Care Practice Act. This bill would repeal the authorization for a licensed vocational nurse, under the supervision of a credentialed school nurse, to assist an individual with exceptional needs with the above-described basic respiratory services authorized by the Respiratory Care Practice Act. The bill would instead authorize individuals, if they have the qualifications and meet the requirements referenced above for providing specialized physical health care services to an individual with exceptional needs, to provide a defined set of basic respiratory services to those individuals.
Maddy summaryThis resolution designates February 6, 2026, as "Wear Red Day" in California to raise public awareness about heart health, aligning with the national Heart Disease Awareness initiative. It does not create new laws or requirements but formally recognizes the day for voluntary public observance by California residents. The measure is ceremonial and procedural, solely intended to highlight heart health awareness through state-level acknowledgment.
Existing law authorizes a dealer to charge the purchaser or lessee of a vehicle a document processing charge for the preparation and processing of documents, disclosures, and titling, registration, and information security obligations imposed by state and federal law. Existing law authorizes a dealer that has a contractual agreement with the Department of Motor Vehicles to be a private industry partner to set the document processing charge at up to $85 and authorizes all other dealers to set the document processing charge at up to $70. This bill would, until January 1, 2031, subject to specified requirements, authorize a dealer to charge a document processing charge that exceeds those amounts if the charge does not exceed 1% of the total price of the vehicle and does not exceed $260. The bill would exempt the sale of vehicles to the State of California and any local governmental entity from these provisions. The bill would make a conforming change.
Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution recognizes and celebrates school board members across California for their work in public education. It declares January 2026 as School Board Recognition Month to honor the dedication of nearly 5,000 locally elected school board members who serve on over 1,000 school districts and county offices of education. The resolution urges community members to support local school boards and work together to improve the education system for all children. This is a commemorative measure rather than a policy change, as it does not alter existing laws or regulations.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The state board is required to adopt rules and regulations to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective greenhouse gas emissions reductions to ensure that the statewide greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to at least 40% below the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit, as defined, no later than December 31, 2030. The act requires the state board to prepare and approve a scoping plan for achieving the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and to update the scoping plan at least once every 5 years. This bill would require the state board to include greenhouse gas emissions from wildlands and forest fires in the scoping plan.
Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to divide the state into air basins to fulfill the purposes of laws governing air resources and to adopt standards of ambient air quality for each air basin in consideration of the public health, safety, and welfare. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation related to clean air basins.
Existing law authorizes a member of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) who is subsequently employed to perform service subject to coverage by the Defined Benefit Program of the State Teachers' Retirement Plan to elect to retain coverage by PERS for that subsequent service. Existing law prescribes requirements for the exercise of this election, including that the election be submitted in writing, as specified, within 60 days after the member's date of hire to perform the service. Existing law authorized, until January 1, 2024, a member of PERS who provided emergency teaching services pursuant to a specified executive order to elect to retain coverage notwithstanding the failure to meet specified administrative requirements. This bill would authorize a member providing services as a substitute teacher, as defined, under certain circumstances to elect to retain coverage under PERS.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.