SB 528: Health care: maintenance and expansion.

Official summary

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

(1)Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions.

Existing law establishes, under the Medi-Cal program, the Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment (Family PACT) Program. If Family PACT becomes inoperative, existing law requires all persons who have received, or are eligible to receive, comprehensive clinical family planning services pursuant to Family PACT to receive family planning services under other specified provisions of the Medi-Cal program or under the State-Only Family Planning Program, which is also established within the department for purposes of family planning services.

This bill would require the department, subject to an appropriation, to develop a new program or to expand any existing state-only-funded health programs, in order to provide to Medi-Cal beneficiaries certain services or benefits that are otherwise covered under the Medi-Cal program but for any lack of, elimination of, reduction in, or limitation on, federal financial participation.

For purposes of the expansion above, the bill would require the department to determine the services or benefits, which may include, but are not limited to, abortion and gender-affirming care, based on the levels of federal financial participation, as specified.

(2)This bill would, subject to an appropriation, require the California Health and Human Services Agency to develop a new program, or to expand an existing state program, as applicable, to provide certain services or benefits that are otherwise covered under the Medi-Cal program but for any lack of, elimination of, reduction in, or limitation on, federal financial participation. Under the bill, these services or benefits would not be limited to the population of Medi-Cal beneficiaries.

The bill would require the agency to determine the services or benefits, which may include, but are not limited to, abortion, family planning, and gender-affirming care, based on the needs of target populations and the levels of federal financial participation, as specified.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

“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. February 2, 2026Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
2. May 23, 2025May 23 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
3. May 20, 2025Set for hearing May 23.
4. May 19, 2025May 19 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
5. May 9, 2025Set for hearing May 19.
6. May 5, 2025Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
7. May 1, 2025From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 2. Page 965.) (April 30).
8. April 4, 2025Set for hearing April 30.
9. April 2, 2025Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
10. March 25, 2025From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
11. March 5, 2025Referred to Com. on RLS.
12. February 21, 2025From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.