AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 18, 2026
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 11, 2026
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 23, 2026
AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 25, 2026
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
95
Introduced by Senator Rubio
February 20, 2026
An act to amend, repeal, and add Sections 24250 and 24251 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to health care providers.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: yes Local program: yes
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
Existing law requires a health care provider entity, as defined, to designate areas where a patient is receiving treatment or care, or where a patient is discussing protected health information, as nonpublic, in order to enhance privacy available to facility users and promote a safe environment conducive to the facility’s mission and patient care. Unless required by state or federal law, existing law prohibits a health care provider entity and its personnel from allowing any person access to the nonpublic areas of the facility for immigration enforcement purposes, unless that person has a valid judicial warrant or court order that specifically grants access to the nonpublic areas of the facility.
Existing law requires a health care provider entity to inform staff and relevant volunteers on how to respond to requests relating to immigration enforcement that grants access to health care provider entity sites or to patients.
This bill would also require a health care provider entity to inform staff and relevant volunteers on how to respond to requests by a person who is in lawful custody by immigration enforcement to notify a family member or designated support person about their current location.
Existing law requires a health care provider entity, to the extent possible, to establish or amend procedures for monitoring, documenting, and receiving visitors to health care provider entities consistent with the above-described and related provisions. Under existing law, a health care provider entity is encouraged to post a “notice to authorities” at facility entrances that states that no person will be permitted to access nonpublic areas of a facility for immigration enforcement purposes unless required by state or federal law or pursuant to a valid physical judicial warrant or court order.
This bill would instead require the health care provider entity to establish or amend those procedures, without the qualification that the process be to the extent possible. The bill would also require, instead of encouraging, the entity to post the above-described notice, at the facility’s main public entrances, as defined.
The bill would repeal these changes on January 1, 2030.
To the extent that the bill would create new duties for health care provider entities administered by a county, city, or other local public jurisdiction, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 24250 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
24250.
(a) (1) A health care provider entity shall establish or amend procedures for monitoring, documenting, and receiving visitors to health care provider entities consistent with this chapter. Health care provider entities shall post a “notice to authorities” at the facility’s main public entrances. The notice shall state that no person will be permitted to access nonpublic areas of a facility for immigration enforcement purposes unless required by state or federal law or pursuant to a valid physical judicial warrant or court order.
(2) For the purposes of this subdivision, “main public entrance” means a singular entrance, as designated by the facility, that serves as a primary point of access that patients and visitors use to enter the main health facility’s building.
(b) (1) Health care provider entity personnel shall immediately notify health care provider entity management, administration, or legal counsel of any request for access to a health care provider entity site or patient for immigration enforcement.
(2) Health care provider entity personnel shall immediately provide any requests for review of health care provider entity documents, including through a lawfully issued subpoena, warrant, or court order, to health care provider entity management, administration, or legal counsel.
(3) If a request is made to access a health care provider entity site or patient, including to obtain information about a patient or their family, for immigration enforcement, health care provider entity personnel shall direct that request to the designated health care provider entity management, administrator, or legal counsel.
(c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed.
SEC. 2.
Section 24250 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:
24250.
(a) A health care provider entity shall, to the extent possible, establish or amend procedures for monitoring, documenting, and receiving visitors to health care provider entities consistent with this chapter. Health care provider entities are encouraged to post a “notice to authorities” at facility entrances.
(b) (1) Health care provider entity personnel shall immediately notify health care provider entity management, administration, or legal counsel of any request for access to a health care provider entity site or patient for immigration enforcement.
(2) Health care provider entity personnel shall immediately provide any requests for review of health care provider entity documents, including through a lawfully issued subpoena, warrant, or court order, to health care provider entity management, administration, or legal counsel.
(3) If a request is made to access a health care provider entity site or patient, including to obtain information about a patient or their family, for immigration enforcement, health care provider entity personnel shall direct that request to the designated health care provider entity management, administrator, or legal counsel.
(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2030.
SEC. 3.
Section 24251 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
24251.
(a) To enhance privacy available to facility users and promote a safe environment conducive to the facility’s mission and patient care, a health care provider entity shall designate areas where patients are receiving treatment or care, or where a patient is discussing protected health information, as nonpublic. The facility is encouraged to designate these areas through mapping, signage, key entry, policy, or a combination of those.
(b) Unless required by state or federal law, a health care provider entity and its personnel shall not allow any person access to the nonpublic areas of the facility, as described in subdivision (a), for immigration enforcement purposes, unless that person has a valid physical judicial warrant or court order that specifically grants access to the nonpublic areas of the facility.
(c) A health care provider entity and its personnel shall, to the extent possible, have the denial of permission for access to nonpublic areas of the facility pursuant to subdivision (b) witnessed and documented by at least one health care provider entity personnel.
(d) Health care provider entities shall inform staff and relevant volunteers on how to respond to requests relating to immigration enforcement that grants access to health care provider entity sites or to patients.
(e) Health care provider entities shall inform staff and relevant volunteers on how to respond to requests by a person who is in lawful
custody by immigration enforcement to notify a family
member or designated support person about their current location.
(f) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed.
SEC. 4.
Section 24251 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:
24251.
(a) To enhance privacy available to facility users and promote a safe environment conducive to the facility’s mission and patient care, a health care provider entity shall designate areas where patients are receiving treatment or care, or where a patient is discussing protected health information, as nonpublic. The facility is encouraged to designate these areas through mapping, signage, key entry, policy, or a combination of those.
(b) Unless required by state or federal law, a health care provider entity and its personnel shall not allow any person access to the nonpublic areas of the facility, as described in subdivision (a), for immigration enforcement purposes, unless that person has a valid judicial warrant or court order that specifically grants access to the nonpublic areas of the facility.
(c) A health care provider entity and its personnel shall, to the extent possible, have the denial of permission for access to nonpublic areas of the facility pursuant to subdivision (b) witnessed and documented by at least one health care provider entity personnel.
(d) Health care provider entities shall inform staff and relevant volunteers on how to respond to requests relating to immigration enforcement that grants access to health care provider entity sites or to patients.
(e) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2030.
SEC. 5.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.