Healthcare (Public Health)

Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to establish a genetic disease unit to, among other responsibilities, promote a statewide program of information, testing, and counseling services related to genetic diseases, and administer that information, testing, and counseling to each child born in the state, as specified. Existing law requires all information obtained from persons involved in hereditary disorders programs to be held strictly confidential. Existing law sets forth the grounds and procedures for the issuance of a search warrant and authorizes the issuance of a search warrant upon specified grounds, including that the property or things to be seized consist of an item or constitute evidence that tends to show a felony has been committed or that a particular person has committed a felony. This bill would authorize the department to release a portion of the newborn blood specimen card taken from a newborn pursuant to a formal request from a coroner to identify unidentified human remains or to law enforcement in response to a search warrant if the objective of the warrant is to obtain the DNA of a missing person suspected to be a victim of homicide, kidnapping, child abuse resulting in death, or manslaughter. Existing law requires the department, commencing July 1, 2026, to annually generate a report to the Legislature regarding the newborn screening program, including, among other things, the number of new residual screening specimens collected during the previous calendar year. This bill also would require the report to include the number of requests from a coroner and search warrants received by the department and the number of disclosures granted in response to those requests and warrants.

California Assembly Resolution 131 proclaims October 11 through 17, 2026, as Student Cancer Education, Detection, and Prevention Week. The resolution encourages middle schools, high schools, colleges, public health agencies, pediatricians, and community health providers to promote educational campaigns on cancer prevention and detection. These efforts aim to inform students about risk factors, warning signs, and the importance of timely screenings to support better health outcomes for young people in the state.

California House Resolution 130 recognizes March 21, 2026, as the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The resolution cites historical context and current challenges in education, employment, criminal justice, and healthcare to highlight the impact of racial bias. It formally declares racism a public health crisis and commits the Assembly to actively participating in efforts to dismantle it.

This California House Resolution proclaims September 2026 as Young Women's Reproductive Health Awareness Month to highlight the importance of early diagnosis and education for adolescent girls. The resolution urges high schools, colleges, public health agencies, and medical providers to promote educational campaigns on topics such as menstrual health, HPV vaccination, and sexual health practices. It specifically aims to address disparities in care by encouraging outreach to communities that face systemic barriers or lack culturally appropriate resources.

Existing law establishes, within the California Health and Human Services Agency, the State Department of Public Health, which has authority over various programs promoting public health, including the California Tobacco Control Program. Existing law requires the department to, among other things, establish a program on tobacco use and health to reduce tobacco use in California by conducting health education interventions and behavior change programs at the state level, in the community, and other nonschool settings. Existing law also requires the department to conduct statewide surveillance of tobacco-related behaviors, knowledge, and attitudes and evaluate the department's local and state tobacco control programs. Under existing law, the department funds the Kick It California program, which is a tobacco cessation program. Existing law, the California Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act of 2003, provides for the licensure by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration of manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, importers, and retailers of cigarette or tobacco products that are engaged in business in California. The act authorizes the department to suspend or revoke a retailer's license or impose a civil penalty for a violation of the act's provisions and requires all moneys collected under the act to be deposited in the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Compliance Fund to be available for expenditure, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for specified uses. Existing law requires a retailer to conspicuously display its license to engage in the sale of cigarettes or tobacco products at each retail location in a manner visible to the public. This bill would require the State Department of Public Health, no later than July 1, 2027, to make available signage to raise lung cancer screening awareness, as specified, which would include, among other things, eligibility criteria for lung cancer screening and the toll-free telephone number of the Kick It California tobacco cessation program. The bill would require the sign to be available at no cost on the department's internet website. The bill would require, beginning January 1, 2028, a retailer, as defined, to conspicuously display the signage at each retail location. The bill would make a retailer who violates that requirement liable for a civil penalty of $500 for each offense at a retail location and would require those penalties to be deposited into the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Compliance Fund.

Existing law, until January 1, 2028, and to the extent funds are made available for these purposes, requires the State Department of Public Health to establish a system for the collection of information determining the incidence and prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, including, but not limited to, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) , also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Existing law requires a hospital, facility, physician and surgeon, or other health care provider diagnosing or providing treatment to a patient for a neurodegenerative disease to report each case of a neurodegenerative disease to the department, as prescribed. Existing law requires the department to designate the specified neurodegenerative diseases required to be reported in the state or any part of the state. Existing law specifies that for this purpose, "neurodegenerative disease" may include, but need not be limited to, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and Huntington's disease. This bill would require the department to establish a system for the collection of information determining the incidence and prevalence of frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) . This bill would specify that "neurodegenerative disease" may also include other dementias. The bill would extend the requirements of these provisions until January 1, 2032.

This bill proclaims September 2026 as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in California to raise visibility for mental health resources and reduce stigma. The resolution highlights the severity of suicide as a public health issue, citing statistics on death rates and the increased risk faced by specific groups such as LGBTQIA+ youth and veterans. It encourages residents to openly discuss mental well-being and directs attention to existing support services like the 988 lifeline and local crisis centers.

(1) Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities, clinics, home health agencies, and hospice agencies, as defined, by the State Department of Public Health. Existing law provides for the certification of nurse assistants and home health aides by the department. A violation of these provisions by a licensee is a crime. Existing law authorizes the department to deny an application for, initiate an action to suspend or revoke a certificate for, or deny a training and examination application for a nurse assistant or home health aide under specified circumstances. Existing law requires, with some exceptions, the department to deny a training and examination application and deny, suspend, or revoke a certificate if the applicant or certificate holder has been convicted of a violation of or attempted violation of one or more specified crimes. This bill would instead authorize the department to deny an application for, a certificate for, or a training and examination application for, a nurse assistant or home health aide for various reasons, including if an applicant has been convicted of a crime, as specified, within the preceding 7 years from the date of the application that is directly and adversely related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a certified nurse assistant or home health aide, regardless of whether the applicant was incarcerated for that crime, as specified, and if the applicant has been subjected to formal discipline by the department or a licensing board in or outside California within the preceding 7 years from the date of the application for professional misconduct that would have been cause for discipline, as specified, and that is directly and adversely related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a certified nurse assistant or home health aide, as specified. The bill would authorize an applicant or certificate holder whose application to be a nurse assistant or home health aide was denied or certificate was suspended or revoked on the basis of a criminal conviction to, during a period of 2 years after the department receives the criminal record report, provide the department with evidence of good character and rehabilitation or provide the department with evidence that the criminal conviction is no longer grounds for denial, as specified. The bill would prescribe requirements for the department in requesting or acting on a nursing assistant or home health aide applicant's criminal history information, including if the department decides to deny a training and examination application or certificate. The bill would authorize the department to initiate an action to suspend or revoke a certificate for professional misconduct warranting cause for discipline, as specified. Upon a determination to revoke or suspend a certificate, the bill would prescribe the requirements for the department to notify the certificate holder in writing by certified mail, including providing information about the procedure for the certificate holder to challenge the determination or request reconsideration. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law governs the certification of a certified nurse assistant in a licensed skilled nursing or intermediate care facility. Existing law requires renewal of that certification to be conditional upon specified occurrences, including that the certificate holder submitted documentation of completion of 48 hours of in-service training every 2 years, as specified. Existing law requires at least 12 of the 48 hours of in-service training to be completed in each of the 2 years. Existing law requires that 24 of the 48 hours may be obtained through a specified online computer training program. In order to renew an unexpired certificate, existing law requires the certificate holder to, on or before the expiration date, apply for renewal on a form provided by the department and to submit documentation of the required in-service training. Existing law authorizes an expired certificate to be renewed at any time within 2 years of its expiration on the filing of an application for renewal on a form provided by the department and documentation of the required in-service education. This bill would additionally authorize the certificate holder to submit documentation of 48 hours of continuing education every 2 years. The bill would require at least 12 of the 48 hours of continuous education or in-service training to be completed in each of the 2 years. The bill would authorize the 48 continuing education or in-service hours to be obtained through in-person instructions, synchronous online instruction, asynchronous online instruction, or other distance learning formats approved by the department. This bill would require, to renew an unexpired certificate, or authorize, to renew an expired certificate within 2 years after expiration, the certificate holder to submit documentation of the continuing education or in-service training. (3) 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, in order to support ongoing public education and to encourage vaccination, screening, and linkage to care, would declare June 2026 as Hepatitis B Awareness Month in California in alignment with national and global awareness activities, and encourage state agencies, local health jurisdictions, community-based organizations, health care providers, and other stakeholders to observe this month with appropriate educational and outreach activities focused on hepatitis B prevention, testing, treatment, and health equity.

Existing federal law provides for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, 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 requires the State Department of Social Services to maximize all available food choices for CalFresh recipients, as specified. Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to adopt regulations, on or before June 1, 2028, to define "ultraprocessed foods of concern" and, when defining the term, to consider specified factors, including, among others, whether, based on reputable peer-reviewed scientific evidence, a substance or group of substances are linked to health harms or adverse health consequences. This bill, the SNAP to Thrive: Shop Nutritiously and Preventatively to Thrive Act, notwithstanding the requirement to maximize food choices, would require the State Department of Social Services on or before July 1, 2027, to seek a federal waiver from the United States Department of Agriculture to prohibit CalFresh recipients from using CalFresh benefits to purchase soft drinks, candy, and prepackaged desserts, as defined. If a food product is determined to be an ultraprocessed food of concern, as described above, the bill would require the State Department of Social Services to seek a federal waiver from the United States Department of Agriculture to prohibit CalFresh recipients from using CalFresh benefits to purchase that food product. Upon receipt of a waiver granted by the United States Department of Agriculture for purposes of prohibiting the purchase of soft drinks, candy, prepackaged desserts, or ultraprocessed foods of concern, the bill would require the State Department of Social Services to implement the prohibitions granted within 6 months.