(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 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, subject to implementation of the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative, requires the department to implement an enhanced care management (ECM) benefit designed to address the clinical and nonclinical needs on a whole-person-care basis for certain target populations of Medi-Cal beneficiaries enrolled in Medi-Cal managed care plans. Under existing law, target populations include, among others, high utilizers with frequent hospital admissions, short-term skilled nursing facility stays, or emergency room visits, and individuals experiencing homelessness. Existing law, subject to CalAIM implementation, authorizes a Medi-Cal managed care plan to elect to cover community supports, as specified. Under existing law, community supports that the department is authorized to approve include, among others, housing transition navigation services and medically supportive food and nutrition services. This bill would require a Medi-Cal managed care plan, for purposes of covering the ECM benefit, or if it elects to cover a community support, to contract with community providers, as defined, that can demonstrate that they are capable of providing access and meeting quality requirements in accordance with Medi-Cal guidelines. In determining which community providers to contract with, the bill would authorize Medi-Cal managed care plans to take into consideration whether those providers are available in the respective county and have experience in providing the applicable ECM or community support. The bill would require the department, for purposes of enforcing these provisions, to require Medi-Cal managed care plans to set goals every other year for the level of contracting and utilization of community providers and local entities, as defined. The bill would require these goals to be established in consultation with the department, as specified. If a community provider contracted to provide ECM services or community supports submits a referral or authorization request for the applicable service on behalf of an eligible member, the bill would require a Medi-Cal managed care plan to assign the member to the contracted referring provider if the plan determines that the provider can appropriately meet the needs of the member. The bill would prohibit the above-described provisions from being construed to limit the department's authority to grant eligibility for presumptive authorization for categories of ECM providers that have extensive experience and expertise in serving certain ECM populations of focus. Existing law requires the department to develop, in consultation with Medi-Cal managed care plans and other appropriate stakeholders, a monitoring plan and reporting template for the implementation of ECM or community supports. Existing law requires the department to annually publish a public report on reported ECM or community support utilization data, populations served, and demographic data, stratified by age, sex, race, ethnicity, and languages spoken, to the extent that statistically reliant data are available. This bill would expressly include providers of ECM or community supports within the consultation process. The bill would require the department to publish the public report on a quarterly basis instead and would require additional demographic data. The bill would also require the department to develop standardized and streamlined templates to be used by Medi-Cal managed care plans or their contracted providers, as specified, and to develop guidance to allow community providers to act as a primary subcontractor with Medi-Cal managed care plans and to subcontract with other community providers as a 3rd-tier subcontractor, as specified.
Existing law authorizes the court to grant pretrial diversion to a defendant diagnosed with a mental disorder if the defendant satisfies certain eligibility requirements and if the court determines that the defendant is suitable for diversion. Existing law defines "pretrial diversion" as the postponement of prosecution to allow the defendant to undergo mental health treatment, subject to certain requirements, such as the court is satisfied that the recommended program will meet the specialized needs of the defendant, among others. Existing law provides that a defendant is suitable for pretrial diversion if certain criteria are met, including that the defendant agrees to comply with the treatment as a condition of diversion and they will not pose an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety, among others. Existing law defines "unreasonable risk of danger to public safety" as an unreasonable risk that the defendant will commit a new violent felony, as specified. This bill would additionally require that the defendant agree that the recommended treatment plan will meet their specialized needs and would redefine "pretrial diversion" to require that the court is also satisfied that the recommended program is consistent with the underlying purpose of mental health diversion, as described. The bill would state that, notwithstanding the court's determination whether a defendant may pose an unreasonable risk that the defendant will commit a new violent felony, the court retains discretion to deny pretrial diversion if it concludes that the defendant poses an unreasonable risk to the physical safety of another.
Existing law establishes various food assistance programs, including 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 declares that it is the established policy of the state that every human being has the right to access sufficient affordable and healthy food. Existing law requires all relevant state agencies to consider this state policy when revising, adopting, or establishing policies, regulations, and grant criteria when those policies, regulations, and grant criteria are pertinent to the distribution of sufficient affordable food. This bill would revise that declaration to provide that every human being has the right to access sufficient affordable and healthy food that is locally grown and raised. The bill would require all relevant state agencies to consider that policy when revising, adopting, or establishing policies, regulations, and grant criteria that are pertinent to that policy. The bill would require specified state agencies to report to the Legislature by January 1, 2027, at a minimum, their progress on revising, adopting, or establishing those pertinent policies, regulations, and grant criteria.
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. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law generally requires a health care service plan contract or a health insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2022, to provide coverage without cost sharing for a colorectal cancer screening test assigned either a grade of A or a grade of B by the United States Preventive Services Task Force and for a required colonoscopy for a positive result on a test with those grades. This bill would additionally require that coverage if the screening test is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration and either meets requirements for coverage established by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as specified, or is included in the most recently published guidelines from the American Cancer Society.
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 specified health care service plans and health insurers to publish and maintain a provider directory or directories with information on contracting providers that deliver health care services to enrollees or insureds, and requires a health care service plan or health insurer to regularly update its printed and online provider directory or directories, as specified. Existing law requires provider directories to include specified information and disclosures. This bill would require a full service health care service plan, specialized mental health or dental plan, health insurer, or specialized mental health or dental insurer to include in its provider directory or directories a statement advising an enrollee or insured to contact the plan or insurer for assistance finding an in-network provider and for an explanation of their rights regarding out-of-network coverage, and would specify the format of the statement. The bill would require the plan or insurer to acknowledge the request within one business day if contacted for that assistance, and to provide a list of in-network providers confirmed to be accepting new patients within 2 business days for a request deemed urgent by the enrollee or insured and 5 business days for a request deemed nonurgent by an enrollee or insured. Because a violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, 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 prohibits, except as specified, a person from performing a clinical laboratory test or examination classified as of moderate or high complexity under the federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) unless the test or examination is performed under the overall operation and administration of the laboratory director, as specified. A violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law authorizes unlicensed laboratory personnel who have earned a high school diploma or its equivalent and who meet specified training requirements to perform specified activities under the supervision and control of a physician and surgeon or licensed person. This bill would authorize a person to assist, as defined, in the performance of moderate or high complexity testing in a clinical laboratory if the person, in addition to the above requirements, meets the requirements under CLIA for moderate or high complexity testing. Prior to assisting in the performance of the specified activities, the bill would require the person, under direct and constant supervision, to demonstrate the skills and ability to satisfactorily perform the task. The bill would require the laboratory director to designate the supervisor and to maintain overall responsibility for the supervision and performance of the unlicensed laboratory personnel. By expanding the application of an existing crime, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. This bill would define supervision and control, as used above, to mean direction, management, and awareness of the activity of unlicensed laboratory personnel by a physician and surgeon or licensed person, who must be physically present in the laboratory and readily available for consultation during the entire time that the unlicensed laboratory personnel are engaged in the duties. 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 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 generally authorizes a health care service plan or health insurer to use prior authorization and other utilization management functions, under which a licensed physician or a licensed health care professional who is competent to evaluate specific clinical issues may approve, modify, delay, or deny requests for health care services based on medical necessity. Existing law requires health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies that provide hospital, medical, or surgical coverage and are issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2021, to provide coverage for medically necessary treatment of mental health and substance use disorders under the same terms and conditions applied to other medical conditions, as specified. On and after January 1, 2027, this bill would prohibit concurrent or retrospective review of medical necessity of in-network health care services and benefits (1) for the first 28 days of a treatment plan for inpatient or residential substance use disorder stay at a specified licensed facility during each plan or policy year or (2) for outpatient services provided by specified certified programs for substance use disorder visits, except as specified. The bill would authorize, after the 29th day, in-network health care services and benefits for inpatient or residential substance use disorder care to be subject to concurrent review. On and after January 1, 2027, the bill would prohibit retrospective review of medical necessity for the first 28 days of intensive outpatient or partial hospitalization services for substance use disorder, but would authorize concurrent or retrospective review for day 29 and days thereafter of that stay or service. With respect to health care service plans, the bill would specify that its provisions do not apply to Medi-Cal behavioral health delivery systems or Medi-Cal managed care plan contracts. Because a willful violation of the bill's requirements by a health care service plan would be a crime, 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, the Mello-Granlund Older Californians Act, establishes, among others, the California Department of Aging in the California Health and Human Services Agency, also known as CalHHS and headed by the Secretary of CalHHS, and sets forth its mission to provide leadership to the area agencies on aging in developing systems of home- and community-based services that maintain individuals in their own homes or least restrictive homelike environments. Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of long-term health care facilities, including skilled nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities, by the State Department of Public Health. Existing law requires, among other things, the department to administer the Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) program. No later than July 1, 2026, this bill would require the Secretary of CalHHS, in coordination with various state departments, offices, and other entities, as specified, to develop a working group to make recommendations regarding the evacuation and sheltering needs of older adults and persons with disabilities living in long-term care facilities during natural, technological, or manmade disasters and emergencies. The bill would require the Secretary of CalHHS to submit the recommendations no later than July 1, 2027, and would repeal that requirement on January 1, 2030.
Existing law creates the California Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) , also known as Covered California, to facilitate the enrollment of qualified individuals and qualified small employers in qualified health plans as required under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Existing law requires the Exchange to enroll an individual in the lowest cost silver plan or another plan, as specified, upon receiving the individual's electronic account from an insurance affordability program. Existing law requires enrollment to occur before coverage through the insurance affordability program is terminated, and prohibits the premium due date from being sooner than the last day of the first month of enrollment. This bill would, commencing July 1, 2026, additionally authorize the Exchange to enroll an individual in the plan in which other members of the individual's household are enrolled, as specified, or the lowest cost plan available to an Indian who is eligible for specified reduced cost sharing, as determined by the Exchange, and would require the Exchange to enroll an individual in any of the plans described above upon receipt of a complete application for an insurance affordability program submitted through the Statewide Automated Welfare System. The bill would require the Exchange to enroll the individual either before coverage through the insurance affordability program is terminated as described above or upon the receipt of a complete application for an insurance affordability program through the Statewide Automated Welfare System as described above. Existing law requires the Exchange to provide an individual who is enrolled in a plan described above with a notice that includes specified information, including a statement that services received during the first month of enrollment will only be covered by the plan if the premium is paid by the due date. This bill would require the Exchange to provide the notice described above prior to the individual's effective date of coverage, and to provide, instead of the statement described above, instructions on how to effectuate coverage in the selected plan, including by paying the premium on or before the due date, or, if there is no premium due, instructions on how to opt into the selected plan.
