AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 5, 2025

AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 29, 2025

AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 2, 2025

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 23, 2025

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

93

CHAPTER 398

Statutes of 2025

[ Approved by Governor October 6, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 6, 2025. ]

Introduced by Assembly Member Schiavo

February 21, 2025

An act to add Section 127286 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to public health.

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

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law requires the Department of Health Care Access and Information to establish a health care workforce research and data center to serve as the central source of health care workforce and educational data in the state. Existing law requires the department to prepare an annual report to the Legislature that, among other things, identifies education and employment trends in the health care profession and describes the health care workforce program outcomes and effectiveness. Existing law requires health facilities and clinics, among others, to annually report to the department specified information on forms supplied by the department.

This bill would require health facilities, clinics, home health agencies, and hospices, as defined, to additionally report whether their health care employees eligible for employer-sponsored health care are eligible for health care coverage at the commencement of employment without a waiting period, as defined. If not all employees are eligible without a waiting period, the bill would require the entities listed above to report the length of the waiting period if it applies to all eligible employees, and, if different waiting periods apply to different classifications of employees, as specified, the length of the waiting period for each classification. The bill would require the department to integrate this reporting obligation with existing reports and would not require those specified entities to report if they are not required to file reports with the department. The bill would require the department to post this information on its internet website on at least an annual basis.

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

SECTION 1.

Section 127286 is added to the Health and Safety Code, immediately following Section 127285, to read:

127286.

(a) Commencing on January 1, 2027, health facilities, clinics, home health agencies, and hospices shall annually report to the department, on forms supplied by the department, whether all of their health care employees eligible for employer-sponsored health care coverage are eligible to receive coverage at the commencement of employment without a waiting period. If not all health care employees eligible for employer-sponsored health care coverage are eligible without a waiting period, the health facilities, clinics, home health agencies, and hospices shall additionally report the following on forms supplied by the department:

(1) If the same waiting period applies to all eligible health care employees, the length of the waiting period.

(2) If different waiting periods apply to different classifications of eligible health care employees, the length of the waiting period for each classification employed by the health facility, clinic, home health agency, or hospice.

(b) The information required by paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) shall be collected for the following employee classifications:

(1) Physicians.

(2) Physician interns, residents, and fellows.

(3) Registered nurses.

(4) Licensed vocational nurses.

(5) Aides and orderlies.

(8) Technicians and specialists.

(9) Clerical and other administrative staff.

(10) Environmental services and food staff.

(11) Management and supervision.

(12) All other employee classifications.

(c) The department shall provide the health facilities, clinics, home health agencies, and hospices the ability to report the waiting period information required under subdivision (a) in the following date ranges:

(1) Zero days.

(2) 1 to 14 days.

(3) 15 to 30 days.

(4) 31 to 60 days.

(5) 61 to 90 days.

(6) More than 90 days.

(d) The department shall, to the extent feasible, integrate the reporting obligation imposed pursuant to this section with existing reports that health facilities, clinics, home health agencies, and hospices are required to submit to the department to minimize any additional burden. Notwithstanding subdivision (a), this section shall not apply to health facilities, clinics, home health agencies, and hospices that are not required to file reports with the department.

(e) The department shall post the information reported pursuant to this section on its internet website on at least an annual basis.

(f) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Health facilities, clinics, home health agencies, and hospices” means all of the following:

(A) “Health facilities,” as defined by Section 1250, except that “health facilities” does not include facilities within the meaning of subdivisions (e), (h), (j), or (m) of Section 1250.

(B) “Clinics,” as defined by Section 1200.

(C) “Home health agencies,” as defined by Section 1727.

(D) “Hospices,” as defined by Section 1746.

(2) “Waiting period” means the number of days between the date of commencement of employment and the start date of employer-sponsored health care coverage eligibility.