AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 26, 2025
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 28, 2025
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 9, 2025
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 17, 2025
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
95
Introduced by Assembly Member Patel
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Boerner)
January 30, 2025
An act to add and repeal Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 127575) of Part 2 of Division 107 of 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, The Local Health Care District Law, authorizes the organization, incorporation, and management of local health care districts. Existing law establishes the Department of Health Care Access and Information to oversee and administer various health programs related to health care infrastructure, such as health policy and planning, health professions development, and facilities design review and construction, among others.
This bill would require the department to convene a working group to study and make recommendations regarding the provision of health care services in the northern San Diego region. The bill would require that the working group include representatives of certain health care districts, among other entities, and that it issue a report to the Legislature, on or before June 1, 2026, with its findings and recommendations. The bill would repeal these provisions on June 1, 2030.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the northern region of the County of San Diego.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 127575) is added to Part 2 of Division 107 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:
Chapter 3. Health Care Districts: County of San Diego
This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Health Care Districts: County of San Diego Act.
(a) The Department of Health Care Access and Information shall convene a working group to study and make recommendations regarding the provision of health care services in health care districts in the northern region of the County of San Diego.
(b) The working group shall include representatives of each of the following areas:
(1) The Palomar Health Care District.
(2) The Fallbrook Health Care District.
(3) The Tri-City Health Care District.
(4) The San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission.
(5) The San Diego Delegation of the California Legislature.
(6) Hospitals operating in the County of San Diego.
(7) Trade associations representing health care districts.
(8) Trade associations representing hospitals.
(9) Trade associations representing special districts.
(10) Those representing labor interests engaged in health care in the northern region of the County of San Diego and any other relevant stakeholder interests, as determined by the department.
(c) This chapter does not affect or limit any other statutory, regulatory, or contractual obligations of public health care providers or health care districts operating in the San Diego region.
The working group established pursuant to Section 127576 shall do both of the following:
(a) Review and discuss the statutory or other responsibilities of each health care district to provide health care services to the communities they serve and evaluate their capacity to meet those responsibilities.
(b) Examine whether current resources, funding, and organizational structures in the northern region of the County of San Diego can fulfill the goal of providing adequate health care access to all residents, including underserved and vulnerable communities.
(a) The working group shall convene as soon as practicable following the operative date of this chapter.
(b) On or before June 1, 2026, the working group shall submit its findings and recommendations to the California Legislature, and shall make these findings available to any relevant county or state agencies upon request.
(c) (1) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(2) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this chapter is repealed on June 1, 2030.
SEC. 2.
The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the uniquely integrated services provided by the local health districts of the northern region of the County of San Diego.