AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 19, 2026

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 3, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

97

Introduced by Assembly Member Tangipa

February 2, 2026

An act to add Section 1179.2 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to health care.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law establishes the Office of Rural Health within the California Health and Human Services Agency to promote a strong working relationship between state government and local and federal agencies, universities, private and public interest groups, rural consumers, health care providers, foundations, and other offices of rural health, as well as to develop health initiatives and maximize the use of existing resources without duplicating existing effort. Existing law requires the office to serve as a key information and referral source to promote coordinated planning for the delivery of health services in rural California.

This bill would require the office to develop and administer, upon appropriation by the Legislature, a competitive grant program for the delivery of, or the support, sustenance, or expansion of the delivery of, medical services, as defined, to individuals who reside in rural areas, as defined. The bill would authorize the office upon that appropriation to expend up to $3,000,000 annually and would authorize a qualified provider, as defined, to apply to the office once per year for a grant of up to $10,000 for those purposes. The bill would require the office to establish specified standards and procedures, including criteria and standards for eligibility and the measurement of outcomes achieved, and and, on or before January 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, to publish this information on its internet website.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 1179.2 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

1179.2.

(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) (A) “Medical services” means the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illness, injury, or other physical or mental conditions performed by a qualified provider who is physically present while providing those services. “Medical services” includes, but is not limited to, doctor visits, hospital care, surgeries, mental health therapy, telehealth services, and rehabilitative treatments.

(B) “Medical services” does not include either of the following: elective cosmetic procedures.

(2) “Qualified provider” means an individual licensed in the state as any of the following:

(A) A dental hygienist licensed pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 1900) of Chapter 4 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(B) A certified nurse-midwife licensed pursuant to Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 2746) of Chapter 6 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(C) A chiropractor licensed pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 1000) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(D) A dentist, including a dentist that performs oral and maxillofacial surgery, licensed pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 1600) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(E) A doctor of podiatric medicine licensed pursuant to Article 22 (commencing with Section 2460) of Chapter 5 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(F) An optometrist licensed pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 3000) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(G) An osteopathic physician and surgeon licensed pursuant to Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 2099.5) of Chapter 5 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(H) A pharmacist licensed pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 4000) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(I) A physical therapist licensed pursuant to Chapter 5.7 (commencing with Section 2600) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(J) A physician and surgeon licensed pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(K) A physician assistant licensed pursuant to Chapter 7.7 (commencing with Section 3500) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(L) A psychologist licensed pursuant to Chapter 6.6 (commencing with Section 2900) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(M) A registered nurse or nurse practitioner licensed pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 2700) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(N) A speech-language pathologist or audiologist licensed pursuant to Chapter 5.3 (commencing with Section 2530) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

(3) “Rural area” has the same meaning as in Section 50199.21.

(4) “Support, sustenance, or expansion of the delivery of medical services” includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(A) Workforce support.

(B) Equipment.

(C) Operational costs.

(D) Infrastructure improvements.

(E) Other expenses necessary to increase access to care.

(b) (1) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the Office of Rural Health shall develop and administer a competitive grant program to compensate qualified providers for the delivery of medical services, or the support, sustenance, or expansion of the delivery of medical services, to individuals who reside in rural areas of California.

(2) Upon the appropriation described in paragraph (1), the office may expend up to three million dollars ($3,000,000) annually for the purposes of this section.

(3) A qualified provider may apply to the office once per year for a grant of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for the purposes described in paragraph (1).

(c) (1) The office shall establish the criteria and standards for the grant program for all of the following:

(A) Eligibility requirements for applicants, including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(i) Proof of an active license in good standing in this state.

(ii) Proof that the applicant provides in-person medical services throughout the year, either part-time or full-time, in a rural area.

(iii) A description of how the grant funding will improve, sustain, or expand medical services in rural areas.

(B) The application review process.

(C) Compliance monitoring.

(D) The measurement of outcomes achieved, including, but not limited to, both of the following:

(i) The impact on access to in-person medical care in rural areas of the state.

(ii) The impact on provider recruitment and retention in rural areas of the state.

(2) The On or before January 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, the office shall publish the information described in paragraph (1) on its internet website.