New California Laws 2026
health care coverage. AB 1172, Nguyen. Adult day programs: adminis- tration of intranasal emergency anti-seizure medica- tions. Permits a licensed adult day program or adult residential facility (ARF), upon receipt of a request, to authorize any employee volunteer to administer intranasal emergency antiseizure medication to an individual diagnosed with seizures or epilepsy during a seizure emergency and requires California Department of Social Services (CDSS) to adopt min- imum training standards for recognizing; requires a licensed facility to provide notice to employee volun- teers on their right to rescind an offer to volunteer at any time, and requires a licensed facility to develop a seizure action plan for each individual diagnosed with seizures or epilepsy. An act to add Article 2.6 (commencing with Sec- tion 1528) to Chapter 3 of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to health and care facilities. AB 1312, Schiavo. Hospital pricing. Requires a hos- pital to prescreen a patient for presumptive eligibility for participation under the hospital’s charity care pol- icy and discount payment policy, if the patient meets specific criteria, including, among others, that the patient is enrolled in CalFresh or CalWORKs. An act to add Section 127406 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to health care. AB 1415, Bonta. California Health Care Quality and Affordability Act. Adds private equity groups, hedge funds, and “management services organi- zations” (MSOs) to the types of entities required to report to the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) on pending health care transactions. Autho- rizes OHCA to collect data from MSOs as necessary to carry out its functions. An act to amend Sections 127500.2, 127501, and 127507 of, and to add Section 127501.5 to, the Health and Safety Code, relating to health care. AB 1495, Valencia. Home health aides: training and certification. This bill (1) establishes requirements and standards for online training, distance learning training, or in-service training for certified home health aides (HHAs). (2) Requires a person who pro- vides classroom and supervised practical training for an HHA to be either: a) a registered nurse (RN) who possesses at least two years nursing experience (with at least one year in home health care); or, b) a licensed vocational nurse under the general supervi- sion of the RN. An act to amend Section 1736.2 of, and to add Sec- tions 1736.15 and 1736.16 to, the Health and Safety Code, relating to home health agencies. AB 1501, Berman. Physician assistants and podia- trists. Extends the operation of the Podiatric Medical Board of California (PMBC) and the Physician As- sistant Board (PAB) by four years to January 1, 2030, and makes other changes recommended as part of the boards’ sunset review. An act to amend Sections 2460, 2470, 2472, 2474, 2488, 2499.5, 3504, 3509, 3513, 3514.1, 3516, 3521.1, 3523, and 3537.45 of, to add Sections 3502.35 and 3504.2 to, to add, amend, and renumber Section 2460.1 of, and to repeal Section 3521.2 of, the Busi-
ness and Professions Code, relating to healing arts. AB 1503, Berman. Pharmacy. Extends the sun- set date for the California State Board of Pharmacy (BOP) until January 1, 2030 and makes additional technical changes, statutory improvements, and pol- icy reforms in response to issues raised during the BOP’s sunset review oversight process. An act to amend Sections 4001, 4003, 4016.5, 4036, 4037, 4038, 4040, 4050, 4051, 4052, 4052.04, 4052.6, 4064, 4064.5, 4067, 4076, 4081, 4105, 4111, 4113, 4113.1, 4113.6, 4115, 4115.5, 4118.5, 4174, 4200.5, 4202.6, 4210, 4211, 4233, 4303, 4317.5, and 4400 of, to amend and renumber Section 4052.7 of, to amend, re- peal, and add Section 4112 of, to add Sections 4001.5, 4014, 4040.6, 4102, and 4317.6 to, and to repeal Sec- tions 4052.01, 4052.02, 4052.03, 4052.3, 4052.8, 4052.9, and 4119.3 of, the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts. AB 1504, Berman. California Massage Therapy Council. Extends the sunset date for the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) until January 1, 2030 and makes additional technical changes, stat- utory improvements, and policy reforms in response to issues raised during CAMTC’s sunset review over- sight process. An act to amend Sections 4600.5, 4602, 4604, 4608, 4609, 4610, 4615, and 4621 of the Business and Pro- fessions Code, and to amend Section 94934.5 of the Education Code, relating to healing arts. 2025 Senate Health Care Laws SB 40, Wiener. Health care coverage: insulin. This bill prohibits a health plan contract and health insurance policy from imposing a copayment, coin- surance, deductible, or any other cost-sharing on an insulin prescription drug that exceeds $35 for a 30- day supply. Requires at least one insulin for a given drug type in all forms and concentrations to be on the prescription drug formulary. Prohibits a health plan from imposing step therapy as a prerequisite to authorizing coverage of at least one insulin drug type, as specified. An act to amend Section 1367.51 of the Health and Safety Code, and to amend Section 10176.61 of the Insurance Code, relating to health care coverage. SB 41, Wiener. Pharmacy benefits. This bill pro- hibits pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from retaining the difference in payment to a pharmacy compared to the amount paid by the health plan or insurer (spread pricing); requires 100% pass through of rebates to health plans and insurers that PBMs negotiate with drug manufacturers; bans PBM and drug manufacturer contracts that require exclusivity for a manufacturer’s drugs, medical devices, or other products unless low premiums and cost-sharing can be demonstrated; bans PBM and pharmacy or phar- macy services administration organization contracts that restrict or impose exclusivity on a nonaffiliat- ed pharmacies’ ability to contract with employers, health insurers, and health plans; prohibits numer- ous additional PBM activities impacting pharmacies. An act to amend Section 4441 of the Business
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