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California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Senate Bill

SB 944: Medi-Cal: acupuncture.

Vetoed Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted
  6. Vetoed

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

SB 944 is a senate bill introduced in the California Senate on February 2, 2026. According to its official title, it concerns: Medi-Cal: acupuncture. Primary sponsor: Scott Wiener (D). It lists 12 additional sponsors. Most recent recorded action (September 30, 2026): In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

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

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is in part governed by, and funded pursuant to, federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law sets forth a schedule of benefits covered under the Medi-Cal program, including acupuncture, but only to the extent that federal matching funds are provided for acupuncture.

Under this bill, acupuncture would instead be a covered Medi-Cal benefit subject to utilization controls and the availability of federal financial participation. The bill would, if federal financial participation is not available for coverage of acupuncture services, make acupuncture a covered benefit subject to an appropriation and utilization controls.

This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 14132 of the Welfare and Institutions Code proposed by AB 1949 and AB 350 to be operative only if this bill and either or both AB 1949 and AB 350 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 12 · Republican 1

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Scott WienerPrimary sponsorDemocraticSenate11
Patrick AhrensCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly26
Benjamin AllenCo-sponsorDemocraticSenate24
Mia BontaCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly18
Jessica CalozaCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly52
Mike FongCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly49
Matt HaneyCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly17
John HarabedianCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly41
Natasha JohnsonCo-sponsorRepublicanAssembly63
Stephanie NguyenCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly10
Darshana R. PatelCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly76
LaShae Sharp-CollinsCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly79
Catherine StefaniCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly19

“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. In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
  2. Vetoed by the Governor.
  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
  4. Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
  5. Ordered to special consent calendar.
  6. In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
  7. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 74. Noes 1. Page 6494.) Ordered to the Senate.
  8. Ordered to third reading.
  9. Read third time and amended.
  10. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
  11. Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
  12. From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (August 13).

Sources

  1. California Legislative Information — pubinfo database export
  2. Official bill page