Health & Public Health

Makes technical changes to privacy provisions, recasting rules with only nonsubstantive edits.

Extends the Board of Psychology and Board of Behavioral Sciences operations until January 1, 2030. Establishes new training requirements in human sexuality, child abuse reporting, and substance abuse for licensees. Allows out-of-state mental health providers to treat existing clients in California for up to 30 days annually. Updates supervision requirements to permit videoconferencing and revises disciplinary procedures for licensees.

Strengthens death reporting requirements for drug and alcohol treatment facilities in California. Requires facilities to submit initial death reports within one day and follow-up details within 30 days. Mandates the state to issue written notices when facilities violate licensing requirements. Authorizes the health department to implement changes through administrative bulletins without formal rulemaking.

Makes technical changes to optometry licensing and regulation by extending board operations and updating fee structures.

Establishes new heavy-metal testing and public disclosures for prenatal vitamins. Requires testing each lot for heavy metals starting January 1, 2027. Mandates brand owners publicly disclose heavy-metal data by lot and shelf life. Enforces a new crime for noncompliance with penalties to be determined.

Authorizes counties with fewer than 2,000 residents to designate another county to run their children's services program. Requires both counties to meet state healthcare standards and not be Whole Child Model participants. Mandates written agreements between participating counties and state oversight of the program transition.

Requires healthcare facilities to report employee health insurance waiting periods starting January 2027. Mandates annual public disclosure of waiting periods for 12 different healthcare worker classifications. Integrates new reporting requirements with existing systems to minimize administrative burden.

Removes human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) from California's list of controlled substances. Eliminates prescription and dispensing restrictions previously required for hCG medication. Maintains controls on other forms of chorionic gonadotropin except when used by veterinarians.

Requires public schools to provide free water safety and drowning prevention materials to students and parents. Mandates drowning prevention organizations to verify their materials align with CDC guidelines. Establishes an online state repository of water safety education resources for schools. Authorizes the Department of Public Health to review and update drowning prevention regulations.

Requires health plans to cover 12 behavioral health visits for wildfire victims experiencing trauma or displacement. Mandates coverage without utilization review and allows patients to see any provider, including out-of-network. Limits patient costs to in-network rates regardless of provider network status. Takes effect in 2026 for large group health plans and requires notification to affected members within 30 days.

Requires schools and childcare programs to stock emergency epinephrine delivery systems for treating severe allergic reactions. Expands authorization for trained staff and childcare workers to administer emergency epinephrine medication. Mandates annual staff training on recognizing anaphylaxis and using epinephrine delivery systems. Requires restocking used epinephrine devices within two weeks and maintaining three years of records.

Establishes a state working group to improve firefighter protective equipment for lithium-ion battery fires. Requires recommendations for specialized protective gear and decontamination practices by September 2026. Includes health experts, academics, and labor representatives in the advisory working group. Expires automatically on January 1, 2031 after recommendations are implemented.

Expands the CARE Court Program to include referrals from felony cases and bipolar disorder with psychotic features. Requires courts to make faster initial determinations on CARE petitions without requiring full hearings. Authorizes nurse practitioners and physician assistants to provide supporting affidavits for CARE petitions. Mandates comprehensive data collection and annual reporting on program outcomes and demographic impacts.

Allows radiologic technologists to perform venipuncture under remote physician supervision via audio and video. Requires technologists to complete 10 hours of training and perform 10 supervised venipunctures before certification. Mandates facilities to maintain safety protocols and have licensed medical staff onsite during remote supervision. Limits venipuncture procedures to upper extremities for contrast material administration only.

Increases penalties up to $125,000 for hospital safety violations that put patients at immediate risk. Establishes strict rules for how hospitals must handle nurse staffing shortages to avoid fines. Requires violations occurring on different days to be treated as separate infractions with separate fines. Mandates hospitals exhaust their official on-call nurse list before seeking outside staff coverage.

Requires healthcare providers to offer medical chaperones during sensitive ultrasound examinations starting January 2027. Mandates staff training on proper patient draping, observation techniques, and reporting of inappropriate behavior. Allows providers to decline performing sensitive examinations if they determine a chaperone must be present. Requires documentation of chaperone presence in patient health records when requested.

Requires social media platforms to display health warning labels to users under age 18 starting January 2027. Mandates a 10-second warning when users first log in daily and a 30-second warning after three hours of use. Displays the Surgeon General's warning about mental health risks in black text on white background. Exempts email, messaging apps, and platforms primarily used for shopping or cloud storage.

Extends the supervision period for environmental health specialist trainees from 3 to 5 years. Requires a 90-day waiting period between failed examination attempts for environmental health specialists. Expands the scope of practice to include body art and medical waste regulation. Mandates quarterly committee meetings and public posting of specialist registry within 90 days of exams.

Makes California's End of Life Option Act permanent by removing its 2031 expiration date. Maintains existing criminal penalties for coercing someone to request or use aid-in-dying medication. Preserves current eligibility requirements for terminally ill California residents seeking aid-in-dying drugs.

Establishes a 10-year pilot program allowing up to five rural hospitals to provide emergency birthing services. Requires participating hospitals to maintain 24/7 medical staff coverage within 30 minutes for emergency births. Prioritizes nonprofit hospitals in Humboldt and Plumas counties for the first two pilot program spots. Mandates specific equipment and training for maternal and newborn emergencies including cesarean sections.

Establishes a targeted framework banning certain hair relaxer ingredients. Requires DTSC to adopt implementing regulations by 2030. Mandates DTSC identify and publish lab accreditations by 2028, and may publish testing methods. Imposes a $10,000 minimum penalty and creates a dedicated fund with injunctive relief.

Authorizes involuntary antipsychotic medication for jail inmates found mentally incompetent in misdemeanor cases. Requires court approval and clear evidence of medical necessity for involuntary medication beyond 72 hours. Mandates court reviews every 60 days to continue involuntary medication orders. Expires January 1, 2030 unless extended by future legislation.

Establishes the Two-Spirit, Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, and Intersex Wellness and Equity Fund for healthcare grants. Requires healthcare providers to partner with 2TGI-serving organizations when applying for program grants. Expands grant funding to include workforce training and support programs for 2TGI immigrants and youth. Extends grant eligibility to tribal organizations that partner with 2TGI-serving organizations.

Establishes parental birthplace in confidential birth data by July 1, 2027. Keeps confidential medical and social data protected under existing privacy rules. Allows parents to object to race, occupation, or education data in the confidential portion. Requires physicians to use a separate confidential worksheet and State Registrar oversight.

Modernizes the state cancer registry system by requiring maintenance of both statewide and regional data collection networks. Mandates electronic reporting of cancer diagnoses by pathologists using standardized formats. Imposes daily fines up to $500 on facilities that refuse access to cancer patient records. Requires submission of a new implementation and funding schedule to the Legislature by January 2027.