AB 1419: California Health Benefit Exchange: automatic health care coverage enrollment.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law creates the California Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange), also known as Covered California, to facilitate the enrollment of qualified individuals and qualified small employers in qualified health plans as required under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Existing law requires the Exchange to enroll an individual in the lowest cost silver plan or another plan, as specified, upon receiving the individual’s electronic account from an insurance affordability program. Existing law requires enrollment to occur before coverage through the insurance affordability program is terminated, and prohibits the premium due date from being sooner than the last day of the first month of enrollment.

This bill would, commencing July 1, 2026, additionally authorize the Exchange to enroll an individual in the plan in which other members of the individual’s household are enrolled, as specified, or the lowest cost plan available to an Indian who is eligible for specified reduced cost sharing, as determined by the Exchange, and would require the Exchange to enroll an individual in any of the plans described above upon receipt of a complete application for an insurance affordability program submitted through the Statewide Automated Welfare System. The bill would require the Exchange to enroll the individual either before coverage through the insurance affordability program is terminated as described above or upon the receipt of a complete application for an insurance affordability program through the Statewide Automated Welfare System as described above.

Existing law requires the Exchange to provide an individual who is enrolled in a plan described above with a notice that includes specified information, including a statement that services received during the first month of enrollment will only be covered by the plan if the premium is paid by the due date.

This bill would require the Exchange to provide the notice described above prior to the individual’s effective date of coverage, and to provide, instead of the statement described above, instructions on how to effectuate coverage in the selected plan, including by paying the premium on or before the due date, or, if there is no premium due, instructions on how to opt into the selected plan.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 2

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. August 29, 2025In committee: Held under submission.
2. August 18, 2025In committee: Referred to suspense file.
3. July 17, 2025From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (July 16). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
4. July 3, 2025From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
5. June 18, 2025Referred to Com. on HEALTH.
6. June 4, 2025In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
7. June 3, 2025Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1996.)
8. May 27, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
9. May 23, 2025From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).
10. May 21, 2025In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
11. May 21, 2025Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 1627.)
12. May 14, 2025In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.