Healthcare

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 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 establishes the Richard Paul Hemann Parkinson's Disease Program, which, among other things, requires the State Department of Public Health to collect data on the incidence of Parkinson's disease in California, as specified. Existing law allows an individual taxpayer to contribute amounts in excess of their personal income tax liability for the support of specified funds and accounts, including, among others, to the California Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Research Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund. This bill would also allow an individual to designate on their tax return that a specified amount in excess of their tax liability be transferred to the Parkinson's Disease Research Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund, which would be created by this bill. The bill would continuously appropriate the moneys in the fund to the State Department of Public Health to support the above-referenced program relating to Parkinson's disease in California. The bill would require the Franchise Tax Board to revise the tax return form to include a space for the designation of contributions to the fund when another voluntary designation is removed from the form or there is space, whichever occurs first. By establishing a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation.

Senate Resolution 53 designates September 2025 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in California, encouraging residents, businesses, and organizations to host events that raise awareness about childhood cancer and support affected families year-round. The resolution also expresses the state's commitment to advancing research for cures and less toxic treatments, while honoring children battling cancer and thanking healthcare providers and parents who support patients. This procedural resolution does not create new laws but formally recognizes and promotes statewide engagement with childhood cancer issues.

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 or health insurance policy to provide coverage for behavioral health treatment for pervasive developmental disorder or autism. This bill would prohibit a health care service plan contract or health insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, from requiring an enrollee or insured previously diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder or autism to receive a rediagnosis to maintain coverage for behavioral health treatment for their condition. The bill would require a treatment plan to be made available to the plan or insurer upon request. Because a willful violation of this provision 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.

This measure would urge the United States Congress to avoid any cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , which could harm the state's children, older adults, and families, and impact the state's economic well-being.

Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials. Existing law requires, as a minimum requirement for a preliminary multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential, the satisfactory completion of a program of professional preparation that, among other things, has been accredited by the Committee on Accreditation on the basis of standards of program quality and effectiveness that have been adopted by the commission and provides specified experience that addresses, among other things, health education, including the study of nutrition, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the physiological and sociological effects of the abuse of alcohol, narcotics, and drugs and the use of tobacco. This bill would require that health education to also include a basic understanding of youth mental health.

The Pharmacy Law requires the California State Board of Pharmacy within the Department of Consumer Affairs to license and regulate the practice of pharmacy, including pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacies. The Pharmacy Law authorizes the board, during a declared federal, state, or local emergency, to waive application of any provision of the Pharmacy Law or the regulations adopted pursuant to it, if, in the board's opinion, the waiver will aid in the protection of public health or the provision of patient care. Existing law authorizes the board to elect to continue to waive application of any provision of the Pharmacy Law for up to 90 days following the termination of a declared public emergency if, in the board's opinion, the continued waiver will aid in the protection of public health or the provision of patient care. This bill would instead authorize the board to elect to continue to waive application of any provision of the Pharmacy Law for up to 120 days following the termination of a declared emergency.

This measure would designate the week of March 16, 2025, to March 22, 2025, inclusive, as Family Physician Week, recognize the invaluable contributions of family physicians to California's health care system, and encourage continued investment in primary care to strengthen the family medicine workforce.

This measure would designate February 28, 2025, as Rare Disease Day and, with respect to rare diseases and disorders, would recognize the importance of improving awareness, encouraging accurate and early diagnosis, and supporting national and global efforts to develop effective treatments, diagnostics, and cures.