Health care coverage: autism.

The bill was assigned Chapter 413 and the header changed from 'Senate Bill No. 402' with blank signature lines to 'CHAPTER 413' with the notation '[Approved by Governor October 6, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 6, 2025.]'

Legislative passage dates (Senate September 11, 2025; Assembly September 9, 2025), the governor's receipt date block, and the Private Secretary of the Governor signature line were removed as they are no longer needed in the enacted statute.

The header 'STATE OF CALIFORNIA AUTHENTICATED ELECTRONIC LEGAL MATERIAL' was added to identify this as the official authenticated text of law.

Page headers and footers changed from 'SB 402' with page numbers to 'Ch. 413' with renumbered pages, and line wrapping was adjusted to fit the new layout width.

A new Section 3.5 was added that rewrites Health and Safety Code Section 1367.27 with enhanced provider directory requirements, including a compliance date of July 1, 2026 for plans to conform to the updated section as it read on January 1, 2026.

Provider directories must now display the date of the most recent update, and printed directories must be dated with the date of their last update.

The reporting mechanism for directory inaccuracies was expanded: plans must now display a dedicated email address, telephone number, AND a reporting hyperlink (not just email and phone as before), and must state that enrollees may submit a complaint if they believe they reasonably relied upon inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading directory information.

Plans must include prominent disclosure in both print and online provider directories of their duty to arrange coverage when behavioral health benefits are not available in-network within applicable geographic and timely access standards, placed in the 'Timely Access to Care' section required by Section 1367.031.

Online directory search results must now be verified and accurate, consistent with the section's requirements (new language added to subdivision (c)(2)).

'Contracting providers' was added to the list of parties who can easily identify networks and plan products in subdivision (b), expanding transparency obligations.

The legislative counsel's digest was removed, which is standard procedural formatting when a bill becomes enrolled and is assigned a chapter number.

Added a provision incorporating additional changes to Section 1367.27 of the Health and Safety Code and Section 10133.15 of the Insurance Code proposed by AB 280, operative only if both bills are enacted and SB 402 is enacted last.

Added a provision incorporating additional changes to Section 11165.7 of the Penal Code proposed by AB 653 and SB 848, operative only if SB 402 and either or both of those bills are enacted and SB 402 is enacted last.

Page numbers corrected from 98 to 97 throughout the bill, and the legislative counsel's digest was reformatted with repositioned text about where definitions are currently contained.

Section 2290.5(a)(3)(C) of the Business and Professions Code was simplified: the definition of 'health care provider' no longer cross-references Section 1374.73 of the Health and Safety Code or Section 10144.51 of the Insurance Code for autism service provider definitions. It now points solely to Sections 4999.200 and 4999.201 of the Business and Professions Code.

Section 1367.27(h)(8)(B) of the Health and Safety Code was updated so that 'qualified autism service providers' are referenced as defined in Section 4999.200 of the Business and Professions Code only, removing the prior dual reference to Section 1374.73.

A new conditional coordination provision was added: the bill would incorporate additional changes to Health and Safety Code Section 1374.73 and Insurance Code Section 10144.51 as proposed by AB 951, but only if both bills are enacted and SB 402 is enacted last. This creates a legislative sequencing dependency between the two bills.

Numerous formatting and typo corrections throughout, including standardizing 'Internet Web site' to 'internet website,' adjusting indentation, and renumbering page references from 99 to 98.