CA AB 1629
enactedDental coverage.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
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Quick answers
Did CA AB 1629 pass?
Yes. CA AB 1629 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-09-27): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 535, Statutes of 2026.
What is CA AB 1629 about?
Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act's requirements a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law prohibits a contract between a plan or insurer and a dentist from requiring a dentist to accept an amount set by the plan or insurer as payment for dental care services provided to an enrollee or insured that are not covered services under the enrollee's contract or the insured's policy. Existing law requires a plan or insurer to make specified disclosures to an enrollee or insured regarding noncovered dental services. Existing law requires a health care service plan or health insurer to comply with specified timely access requirements. Under existing law, a health care service plan is required to annually report to the Department of Managed Health Care on this compliance. Existing law authorizes the Department of Insurance to issue guidance to insurers regarding annual timely access and network reporting methodologies. This bill would require a plan or insurer, including a specialized plan or insurer, covering dental services, to pay a noncontracting dental provider, which includes a registered dental hygienist in alternative practice, directly for covered services rendered to the enrollee or insured in accordance with the benefit provided in the contract or policy when the noncontracting dental provider submits to the plan or insurer an assignment of benefits. The bill would require a noncontracting dental provider to obtain a signed and dated consent to collect an assignment of benefits from an enrollee or insured. The bill would prohibit a noncontracting dental provider collecting an enrollee's or insured's assignment of benefits from charging an enrollee or insured, prior to the plan or insurer payment, more than an estimate of the enrollee's or the insured's cost sharing for the treatment or a deposit that approximates that cost share. Because a willful violation of these provisions relative to health care service plans would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require a plan or insurer to certify, under penalty of perjury, that specified information submitted to its regulator regarding network adequacy is true and correct, thus creating a crime and imposing a state-mandated local program. Existing law, the Dental Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of dentists and dental assistants by the Dental Board of California and the licensure and regulation of dental hygienists by the Dental Hygiene Board of California, and defines unprofessional conduct by a licensee, including, among other things, the violation of any provision of the act. Existing law authorizes the respective board to discipline a licensee under the act by placing the licensee on probation under various specified terms and conditions. This bill would require a noncontracting dental provider, including a registered dental hygienist in alternative practice, to make specified disclosures to a patient before collecting the patient's signed and dated consent to an assignment of benefits. The bill would expand the definition of unprofessional conduct under the act to include the failure to comply with that disclosure requirement and the above-described prohibition relating to the charging of a patient more than an estimate of their cost sharing and the failure to maintain a signed and dated copy of the patient's consent. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Who sponsors CA AB 1629?
Haney is the primary sponsor of CA AB 1629, joined by 1 cosponsor.
Description
Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act's requirements a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law prohibits a contract between a plan or insurer and a dentist from requiring a dentist to accept an amount set by the plan or insurer as payment for dental care services provided to an enrollee or insured that are not covered services under the enrollee's contract or the insured's policy. Existing law requires a plan or insurer to make specified disclosures to an enrollee or insured regarding noncovered dental services. Existing law requires a health care service plan or health insurer to comply with specified timely access requirements. Under existing law, a health care service plan is required to annually report to the Department of Managed Health Care on this compliance. Existing law authorizes the Department of Insurance to issue guidance to insurers regarding annual timely access and network reporting methodologies. This bill would require a plan or insurer, including a specialized plan or insurer, covering dental services, to pay a noncontracting dental provider, which includes a registered dental hygienist in alternative practice, directly for covered services rendered to the enrollee or insured in accordance with the benefit provided in the contract or policy when the noncontracting dental provider submits to the plan or insurer an assignment of benefits. The bill would require a noncontracting dental provider to obtain a signed and dated consent to collect an assignment of benefits from an enrollee or insured. The bill would prohibit a noncontracting dental provider collecting an enrollee's or insured's assignment of benefits from charging an enrollee or insured, prior to the plan or insurer payment, more than an estimate of the enrollee's or the insured's cost sharing for the treatment or a deposit that approximates that cost share. Because a willful violation of these provisions relative to health care service plans would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require a plan or insurer to certify, under penalty of perjury, that specified information submitted to its regulator regarding network adequacy is true and correct, thus creating a crime and imposing a state-mandated local program. Existing law, the Dental Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of dentists and dental assistants by the Dental Board of California and the licensure and regulation of dental hygienists by the Dental Hygiene Board of California, and defines unprofessional conduct by a licensee, including, among other things, the violation of any provision of the act. Existing law authorizes the respective board to discipline a licensee under the act by placing the licensee on probation under various specified terms and conditions. This bill would require a noncontracting dental provider, including a registered dental hygienist in alternative practice, to make specified disclosures to a patient before collecting the patient's signed and dated consent to an assignment of benefits. The bill would expand the definition of unprofessional conduct under the act to include the failure to comply with that disclosure requirement and the above-described prohibition relating to the charging of a patient more than an estimate of their cost sharing and the failure to maintain a signed and dated copy of the patient's consent. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
- Introduced
- 2026-06-03
- Latest action
- 2026-09-27 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 535, Statutes of 2026.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Haneyauthor
- Addiscoauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-09-27
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 535, Statutes of 2026.
became-law
2026-09-27
Approved by the Governor.
executive-signature
2026-09-03
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
executive-receipt
2026-08-26
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 10.).
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-08-26
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2026-08-26
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 62. Noes 5.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-26
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 62. Noes 5. Page 6631.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-24
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-20
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-13
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-13
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 13).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-03
In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2026-06-29
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 2.) (June 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2026-06-25
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-06-25
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on B. P. & E.D. (Ayes 9. Noes 2.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2026-06-10
Re-referred to Coms. on HEALTH and B. P. & E.D.
referral-committee
2026-06-03
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on RLS.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-06-03
Referred to Com. on RLS.
referral-committee
2026-05-22
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2026-05-22
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 61. Noes 0. Page 5254.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-05-18
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-05-14
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (May 14).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-04-08
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2026-03-18
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (March 17). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2026-03-18
Coauthors revised.
2026-02-09
Referred to Com. on HEALTH.
referral-committee
2026-01-27
From printer. May be heard in committee February 26.
2026-01-26
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
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Votes
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2026-03-17 · pass · 12-0
Member-level votes (16)
- Rogers: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Addis: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Patel: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Patterson: other
- Johnson: other
- Chen: other
- Sanchez: other
Do pass.
2026-05-14 · pass · 11-0
Member-level votes (15)
- Krell: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Fong: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Solache: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Tangipa: other
- Ta: other
- Dixon: other
- Hoover: other
AB 1629 Haney Assembly Third Reading
2026-05-22 · pass · 61-0
Member-level votes (80)
- Calderon: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Berman: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Bains: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Papan: yes
- Krell: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Fong: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Addis: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Haney: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Solache: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Lee: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Flora: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Patel: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Wallis: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Hart: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Soria: yes
- Ward: yes
- DeMaio: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Castillo: other
- Dixon: other
- Ellis: other
- Gallagher: other
- Hoover: other
- Sanchez: other
- Arambula: other
- Chen: other
- Gabriel: other
- Ta: other
- Tangipa: other
- Celeste Rodriguez: other
- Hadwick: other
- Patterson: other
- Jeff Gonzalez: other
- Johnson: other
- Macedo: other
- Davies: other
- Lackey: other
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Business, Professions and Economic Development]
2026-06-24 · pass · 9-2
Member-level votes (11)
- Pérez: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
- Rubio: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Padilla: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Grove: no
- Valladares: no
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2026-06-29 · pass · 8-2
Member-level votes (11)
- Caballero: yes
- Archuleta: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Strickland: no
- Niello: no
- Choi: other
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-09-29T17:00:51.461294Z
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