Don Thompson
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — This yr, Gov. Gavin Newsom affirmed abortion entry, calling California “a proud reproductive freedom state” and criticizing Republicans throughout the nation for making an attempt to remove households’ rights.
He signed laws mandating that insurance coverage corporations cowl in vitro fertilization. He supported limiting college students’ cellphone use in colleges and signed a nation-leading ban on meals dye at school snacks and drinks. And he endorsed a invoice permitting companies to function Amsterdam-style hashish cafés.
Still, in a heated election cycle with Vice President Kamala Harris, a Californian, on the presidential ticket, the Democratic governor was noticeably reluctant to impose further trade laws.
Newsom vetoed a number of well being and security payments, often citing value considerations. But many of those proposals risked perpetuating California stereotypes trumpeted by presidential nominee Donald Trump and different Republicans. The governor rejected gas stove warning labels, in addition to speeding alerts for brand new vehicles, even drawing tepid praise on social media from GOP Assembly chief James Gallagher, who credited Newsom for vetoing “some pretty bad/stupid bills.”
Most of the legal guidelines Newsom authorized take impact Jan. 1, 2025, whereas some have longer phase-in occasions. Here are the governor’s actions on key well being payments:
Health Care
Group well being care service plans and incapacity insurance coverage should cowl infertility and fertility providers underneath SB 729, together with for LGBTQ+ folks, typically beginning in mid-2025. The California Association of Health Plans warns of upper premiums consequently.
Local well being officers can examine non-public detention amenities, together with six immigration detention facilities, underneath SB 1132.
And the governor signed AB 869, permitting small, rural, or “distressed” hospitals to get an extension of as much as three years on a 2030 authorized deadline for earthquake retrofits. But he vetoed SB 1432, which might have allowed all hospitals to use for an extension of the deadline for as much as 5 years.
Newsom additionally vetoed SB 966, which might have regulated the middlemen often called pharmacy profit managers and banned some enterprise practices that critics say improve prices and restrict shoppers’ decisions. He additionally rejected AB 2467, which might have mandated well being care protection for menopause, and AB 3129, which might have required the state attorney general’s approval for transactions involving well being care suppliers and personal fairness corporations. And he vetoed AB 2104 and SB 895, which might have allowed some neighborhood faculty districts to supply bachelor’s levels in nursing.
Medical Debt
Credit reporting businesses can be prohibited from together with medical debt in shoppers’ credit score stories underneath SB 1061, however last-minute amendments weakened the protections. Earlier this yr, the Biden administration proposed federal rules barring unpaid medical payments from affecting sufferers’ credit score scores.
Medi-Cal
Medi-Cal, which supplies well being take care of about 15 million low-income folks, will cowl hospital emergency rooms’ therapy of psychiatric emergencies underneath AB 1316.
But Newsom rejected AB 1975, which might have made medically supportive meals and diet a Medi-Cal profit, and AB 2339, which might have expanded Medi-Cal protection of telehealth.
Mental Health
Newsom signed more than a dozen bills aimed toward boosting behavioral well being care, together with by way of California’s new court-ordered therapy program.
But citing costs, Newsom rejected an annual scholarship fund for college students pursuing a psychological well being career in the event that they labored for 3 years in that new therapy program. Critics say SB 26 ought to have broadened the scholarship to all county behavioral well being packages.
Abortion
California will improve penalties for obstructing or impeding entry to reproductive well being care providers, and for posting private info or pictures of a affected person or supplier. These are at present misdemeanors; AB 2099 would make them punishable as misdemeanors or felonies.
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California additionally backed AB 2085, smoothing approval of latest well being facilities, and SB 1131, supporting California’s Family PACT (Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment) program for folks with household incomes beneath 200% of the federal poverty stage.
Aging
Newsom authorized a dozen bills associated to getting older, together with measures requiring elevated coaching for legislation enforcement (AB 2541) and well being care professionals (SB 639) in serving to folks with dementia. AB 1902 requires higher entry to prescription labels for many who have bother seeing or who want translated directions. And he signed one other bundle of payments aimed extra broadly at serving to people with disabilities.
Violence Prevention
Assault or battery towards a health care provider, doctor, nurse, or different well being care employee inside an ER might deliver as much as a yr in county jail, a $2,000 positive, or each underneath AB 977. That makes it the same maximum punishment as for assaulting a medical employee within the discipline. California legislation beforehand set a lesser penalty for assault inside an ER.
The state is taking extra steps to discourage gun violence with two dozen new legal guidelines. Among them, SB 53 will increase necessities for safely storing firearms, consistent with a push from the White House. AB 2621 will improve legislation enforcement coaching and revise insurance policies on utilizing gun violence restraining orders, whereas AB 2917 expands when courts can impose gun violence restraining orders.
And hospitals will finally need to display screen sufferers, relations, and guests for weapons at entrances underneath AB 2975.
Substance Use
AB 1976 would require office first-aid kits to incorporate naloxone or different medicine that may reverse opioid overdoses, whereas defending those that administer the naloxone from civil legal responsibility.
Under AB 1775, native jurisdictions will enable retailers to promote noncannabis meals and drinks and have stay music and different performances in areas the place hashish consumption is allowed. Assembly member Matt Haney, a Democrat from San Francisco, mentioned his intent is to permit Dutch-style hashish coffeehouses. Newsom authorized the measure regardless of vetoing Haney’s related invoice final yr, amid critics’ concern that the measure would undermine California’s nation-leading effort outlawing indoor smoking.
And AB 3218 furthers enforcement of California’s ban on flavored tobacco, handed in 2020.
Youth Welfare
California is the primary state to typically bar public colleges from offering meals containing crimson dye 40 or any of 5 different artificial meals dyes utilized in merchandise together with Froot Loops and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. AB 2316 is Democratic Assembly member Jesse Gabriel’s follow-up to his legislation last year that banned a chemical present in Skittles sweet.
A invoice to extend transparency with the usage of restraints and seclusion rooms in state-licensed short-term residential therapeutic packages turned legislation with some high-profile help from superstar Paris Hilton. She backed SB 1043, which will even require the state Department of Social Services to put up the data on a public dashboard.
And faculty districts’ intercourse training curricula should embrace menstrual well being underneath AB 2229.
But Newsom vetoed AB 2442, which might have sped licensing for suppliers of gender-affirming care, and SB 954, which might have offered free condoms in excessive colleges.
Women’s Health
Selling menstrual merchandise with deliberately added PFAS, also referred to as “forever chemicals,” can be banned underneath AB 2515. PFAS, quick for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been linked to severe well being issues.
AB 2319 was handed in an effort to improve enforcement of a 2019 legislation aimed toward lowering the disproportionate price of maternal mortality among Black women and different pregnant ladies of colour.
AB 2527 is aimed toward bettering therapy of pregnant ladies who’re incarcerated. Critics wished the unique model, which banned solitary confinement, and had been upset when it was amended to permit as much as 5 days of confinement if jail officers discover a security or safety menace.
AB 518 is aimed toward growing participation within the CalContemporary diet program, a part of a package of healthy-food bills.
And underneath SB 1300, the general public will get extra discover when hospitals plan to shut their maternity wards. The measure will improve the discover requirement to 120 days, up from the present 90.
But Newsom rejected AB 1895, which might have required six months’ discover to state businesses of potential maternity ward closures. The businesses would then have been required to conduct a neighborhood affect evaluation.
Social Media
SB 1504 broadens California’s Cyberbullying Protection Act regulating social media platforms to use to minors as a substitute of pupils. Social media platforms that deliberately violate the legislation might face civil penalties of as much as $10,000, together with compensatory and punitive damages. Those damages may very well be sought by a father or mother, a authorized guardian, or varied prosecutors. Under present legislation, damages are capped at $7,500 and could also be pursued solely by the state legal professional common.
SB 976 restricts “addictive feeds” to minors, together with banning social media notifications to minors throughout faculty hours.
And AB 3216 will restrict the usage of smartphones in colleges.
This article was produced by KFF Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially unbiased service of the California Health Care Foundation.