Healthcare Coverage & Access

Expands pharmacists' authority to prescribe devices and adjust drug treatments without physician oversight. Requires nonresident pharmacies to employ California-licensed pharmacists and undergo regular board inspections. Increases pharmacy technician ratios from 2:1 to 4:1 per supervising pharmacist. Establishes a Pharmacy Technician Advisory Committee to advise the state board on technician-related matters.

Extends the California Veterinary Medical Board's authority through January 2030 and adds a second veterinary technician member. Requires veterinarians to complete 36 hours of continuing education every two years to maintain licensure. Establishes new requirements for veterinary telehealth services including client consent and practice limitations. Creates tiered registration fees for veterinary premises based on the number of practicing veterinarians.

Extends operation of the Podiatric Medical Board and Physician Assistant Board until January 1, 2030. Increases licensing fees significantly for both podiatrists and physician assistants. Prohibits classification of podiatrists as ancillary providers in healthcare settings. Removes the requirement for podiatrists to pass licensing exams within the past 10 years.

Requires unclaimed class action settlement funds to be transferred to the state instead of returning to defendants. Deems settlement payments abandoned if unclaimed after 180 days or if recipients cannot be located. Mandates transfer of abandoned settlement funds to the state within 90 days of being deemed unclaimed. Applies to all court-approved class action settlements in California, including eligible federal cases.

Establishes private regulatory organizations to certify and monitor the safety of artificial intelligence systems in California. Requires AI developers to meet safety standards and best practices to receive certification from designated organizations. Provides legal protection to certified AI developers in civil lawsuits through a rebuttable presumption of reasonable care. Mandates annual audits and reporting on AI risks, benefits, and compliance to ensure ongoing safety and transparency.

Requires health plans to cover mental health and substance use treatment at youth drop-in centers for patients under 26. Prohibits health plans from requiring prior authorization or charging copays for these services. Establishes a statewide fee schedule and provider network for youth mental health services. Mandates reimbursement at the higher of contracted rates or state-published fee schedule rates.

Establishes a research program to study psilocybin therapy for veterans and former first responders with mental health disorders. Creates pilot programs in five California counties under University of California oversight through 2031. Requires participants to be 21 or older and undergo medical screening before receiving supervised psilocybin treatment. Establishes a special fund for program costs including staff training, data collection, and counseling services.

Prohibits the sale of charged-off consumer debt after one year from the charge-off date. Requires creditors to notify consumers when their debt is sold to a debt buyer. Limits debt buyers to one year after charge-off to take legal action for debt collection. Mandates creditors to pursue debt collection within 90 days of charging off the debt.

Establishes a new registration system for chiropractors to legally treat animals without veterinary supervision. Requires chiropractors to obtain certification from approved organizations to practice animal chiropractic. Mandates practitioners to maintain medical records and obtain signed consent forms from animal owners. Exempts registered animal chiropractors from veterinary regulations while protecting vets from liability.

Requires healthcare facilities to report annual data on physician terminations and privileges by race and gender. Mandates the Civil Rights Department to publish aggregated, anonymous data on its website by September 1 yearly. Protects individual privacy by requiring all published data to be de-identified and aggregated. Establishes March 1 annual deadline for facilities to submit detailed staffing reports.

Requires California to maintain a comprehensive abortion and reproductive health website with quarterly updates. Mandates partnership with a nonprofit expert organization to combat healthcare misinformation. Establishes community workgroups to ensure the website serves diverse population needs. Requires translation into five languages and annual reporting on the website's impact.

Establishes a state cannabis task force to coordinate enforcement between state, local, and tribal authorities. Requires biannual meetings led by the Department of Cannabis Control to address illegal markets and regulations. Includes representatives from seven state agencies and participating local jurisdictions. Exempts task force meetings from public access laws to protect sensitive law enforcement information.

Requires animal shelters to list all adoptable animals on their websites to increase transparency. Mandates microchipping of dogs by breeders before eight weeks of age and registration with microchip registry. Expands breeder regulations to cover those selling two litters or ten dogs annually, down from three litters or twenty. Requires state study of shelter overcrowding solutions with findings due by January 2028.

Establishes a statewide healthcare cost control system to make medical care more affordable for Californians. Requires cost targets to be adjusted when prescription drug costs grow faster than overall healthcare costs. Creates sector-specific cost targets for different healthcare providers and regions starting in 2026. Mandates public reporting of healthcare cost performance data to increase transparency.

Prohibits drug manufacturers from discriminating against 340B community clinics in their drug purchasing practices. Requires community clinics to conduct annual independent audits of contract pharmacies. Mandates clinics to report how 340B program savings are used to support patient care. Allows manufacturers to request claims data annually to prevent duplicate discounts and verify eligibility.

Authorizes licensed physical therapists to provide animal physical therapy after completing specialized training. Requires physical therapists to work under direct veterinary supervision or through veterinary referral. Mandates 140 hours of animal-specific training and 125 hours of supervised clinical experience. Establishes clear liability guidelines and disciplinary procedures for animal physical therapy practice.

Expands the California Children's Services Program to include nurse practitioners and physician assistants as authorized providers. Requires advanced practice providers to complete paneling before treating patients in the program. Allows approved providers to deliver care and bill Medi-Cal directly without physician cosignatures. Mandates the health department to process provider applications within 10 business days.

Requires health plans to reimburse patients for out-of-pocket behavioral health care costs from non-plan providers. Mandates reimbursement within 60 days of expense documentation submission. Imposes a $5,000 fine per incident plus 10% interest for late or denied reimbursements. Requires plans to submit monthly reports tracking reimbursement requests and processing times.

Makes technical changes to health facility clinic licensing requirements without substantive modifications.

Expands Covered California's automatic enrollment options to include family-based health plans starting July 2026. Requires enrollment in health coverage before current insurance ends to prevent coverage gaps. Mandates clear notices explaining plan options and enrollment instructions before coverage starts. Sets premium due dates no earlier than the last day of the first month of coverage.

Requires healthcare facilities to report employee health coverage waiting periods starting January 2027. Mandates annual state reporting on healthcare worker coverage trends and policy recommendations. Directs facilities to specify which employee classes face delays in receiving health benefits.

Expands oversight of healthcare costs by requiring hedge funds and private equity groups to report major transactions. Establishes new reporting requirements for management services organizations that handle medical billing and operations. Requires the Office of Healthcare Affordability to monitor market trends and enforce penalties for non-compliance. Mandates 90-day advance notice of significant healthcare entity ownership or operational changes.

Authorizes production of hemp drinks containing up to 5mg THC per container starting January 2026. Requires independent laboratory testing and clear THC labeling on all hemp drink containers. Prohibits sales to anyone under 21 years of age. Imposes a 10% excise tax on retail sales of hemp drinks to fund regulatory oversight.

Requires all general acute care hospitals to provide perinatal services as a basic medical service. Mandates hospitals without perinatal services to submit detailed compliance plans to state health officials. Requires hospitals to establish transfer agreements with facilities that provide perinatal care if unable to offer services. Expands criminal penalties to include violations of the new perinatal service requirements.

Prohibits the sale of genetically modified pets unless the changes benefit animal health or human interaction. Bans cosmetic genetic modifications like novel fur colors or removal of natural features like claws. Imposes a minimum $5,000 civil penalty for each violation of the pet sale restrictions. Allows genetic modifications that make pets disease-resistant or hypoallergenic.