Bill Commons

CA SB 1284

in committee

Medi-Cal benefits: employer reports.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · upper

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Quick answers

Did CA SB 1284 pass?

Not yet. CA SB 1284 is in committee and has not come to a final vote. Latest recorded action (2026-08-13): August 13 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

What is CA SB 1284 about?

Existing law establishes the California Health and Human Services Agency, headed by the Secretary of California Health and Human Services. Existing law further establishes, within the agency, a number of departments and other entities, including the State Department of Health Care Services. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, and under which qualified low-income persons receive health care benefits. This bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services, after obtaining specified information from the Employment Development Department (EDD) , to prepare a report that includes information regarding employers in California that employ 100 or more employees and have any employees who receive benefits from the Medi-Cal program, including, among other things, the estimated total annual cost of Medi-Cal services provided to employees, and the dependents of those employees, of each employer, and submit that report to the Legislature no later than September 1, 2027, and annually thereafter. The bill would provide that individually identifiable information about employees or Medi-Cal enrollees contained in the report is exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act, and would authorize the department and EDD to enter into data-sharing agreements, as provided. The bill would also repeal an obsolete reporting requirement. Under existing law, the information obtained in the administration of the Unemployment Insurance Code is for the exclusive use and information of the Director of Employment Development in the discharge of their duties and is not open to the public. However, existing law permits the use of the information for specified purposes, and allows the director to require reimbursement for direct costs incurred. Existing law provides that a person who knowingly accesses, uses, or discloses this confidential information without authorization is guilty of a misdemeanor. The bill would require the Director of Employment Development to permit the use of specified information in their possession by the State Department of Health Care Services to prepare and submit the above-described report. By requiring this information to be provided to the department for these purposes, this bill would expand the crime of unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of this information, and would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law, subject to certain exceptions, also requires all types of information concerning a person, made or kept by any public officer or agency in connection with the administration of the Medi-Cal program, to be confidential, and makes knowingly releasing or possessing this confidential information punishable as a misdemeanor. The bill would make individually identifiable information about employees or Medi-Cal enrollees contained in the above-described report subject to these confidentiality requirements. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law establishes within the Department of Industrial Relations the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, headed by the Labor Commissioner, for the purposes of enforcing labor laws. Existing law prohibits an employer from discharging or in any manner discriminating against an employee for specified actions, including, among other things, taking time off to serve on a jury or because of an employee's status as a victim of crime or abuse, as specified. This bill would additionally prohibit an employer from discharging or in any manner discriminating or retaliating against an employee who applies for, or is enrolled in, the Medi-Cal program. The bill would also prohibit an employer from refusing to hire a person because that person is enrolled in the Medi-Cal program. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. 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 SB 1284?

Smallwood-Cuevas is the primary sponsor of CA SB 1284, joined by 11 cosponsors.

Description

Existing law establishes the California Health and Human Services Agency, headed by the Secretary of California Health and Human Services. Existing law further establishes, within the agency, a number of departments and other entities, including the State Department of Health Care Services. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, and under which qualified low-income persons receive health care benefits. This bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services, after obtaining specified information from the Employment Development Department (EDD) , to prepare a report that includes information regarding employers in California that employ 100 or more employees and have any employees who receive benefits from the Medi-Cal program, including, among other things, the estimated total annual cost of Medi-Cal services provided to employees, and the dependents of those employees, of each employer, and submit that report to the Legislature no later than September 1, 2027, and annually thereafter. The bill would provide that individually identifiable information about employees or Medi-Cal enrollees contained in the report is exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act, and would authorize the department and EDD to enter into data-sharing agreements, as provided. The bill would also repeal an obsolete reporting requirement. Under existing law, the information obtained in the administration of the Unemployment Insurance Code is for the exclusive use and information of the Director of Employment Development in the discharge of their duties and is not open to the public. However, existing law permits the use of the information for specified purposes, and allows the director to require reimbursement for direct costs incurred. Existing law provides that a person who knowingly accesses, uses, or discloses this confidential information without authorization is guilty of a misdemeanor. The bill would require the Director of Employment Development to permit the use of specified information in their possession by the State Department of Health Care Services to prepare and submit the above-described report. By requiring this information to be provided to the department for these purposes, this bill would expand the crime of unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of this information, and would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law, subject to certain exceptions, also requires all types of information concerning a person, made or kept by any public officer or agency in connection with the administration of the Medi-Cal program, to be confidential, and makes knowingly releasing or possessing this confidential information punishable as a misdemeanor. The bill would make individually identifiable information about employees or Medi-Cal enrollees contained in the above-described report subject to these confidentiality requirements. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law establishes within the Department of Industrial Relations the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, headed by the Labor Commissioner, for the purposes of enforcing labor laws. Existing law prohibits an employer from discharging or in any manner discriminating against an employee for specified actions, including, among other things, taking time off to serve on a jury or because of an employee's status as a victim of crime or abuse, as specified. This bill would additionally prohibit an employer from discharging or in any manner discriminating or retaliating against an employee who applies for, or is enrolled in, the Medi-Cal program. The bill would also prohibit an employer from refusing to hire a person because that person is enrolled in the Medi-Cal program. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. 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
2026-02-20
Latest action
2026-08-13 — August 13 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Smallwood-Cuevasauthor
  • Arreguíncoauthor
  • Beckercoauthor
  • Cortesecoauthor
  • Durazocoauthor
  • Gonzalezcoauthor
  • McNerneycoauthor
  • Weber Piersoncoauthor
  • Bontacoauthor
  • Elhawarycoauthor
  • Kalracoauthor
  • Leecoauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2026-08-13

    August 13 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

  2. 2026-08-05

    August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.

  3. 2026-06-25

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  4. 2026-06-25

    Coauthors revised.

  5. 2026-06-17

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on L. & E. (Ayes 12. Noes 2.) (June 16). Re-referred to Com. on L. & E.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  6. 2026-06-08

    Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and L. & E.

    referral-committee

  7. 2026-05-27

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

    reading-1

  8. 2026-05-27

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 30. Noes 9. Page 4500.) Ordered to the Assembly.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  9. 2026-05-18

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  10. 2026-05-14

    Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  11. 2026-05-14

    From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 4271.) (May 14).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  12. 2026-05-08

    Set for hearing May 14.

  13. 2026-05-04

    May 4 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  14. 2026-04-28

    Set for hearing May 4.

  15. 2026-04-23

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  16. 2026-04-22

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 1. Page 4013.) (April 22).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  17. 2026-04-16

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on L., P.E. & R. (Ayes 8. Noes 1. Page 3901.) (April 15). Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  18. 2026-04-15

    Set for hearing April 22 in L., P.E. & R. pending receipt.

  19. 2026-04-09

    Set for hearing April 15.

  20. 2026-04-08

    Re-referred to Coms. on HEALTH and L., P.E. & R.

    referral-committee

  21. 2026-03-25

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  22. 2026-03-04

    Referred to Com. on RLS.

    referral-committee

  23. 2026-02-23

    Read first time.

    reading-1

  24. 2026-02-23

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.

  25. 2026-02-20

    Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

    introduction,referral-committee

Versions

  • 02/20/26 - Introduced — 2026-02-20Compare
  • 03/25/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-03-25Compare
  • 04/23/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-04-23Compare
  • 05/14/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-05-14Compare
  • SB1284Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Labor, Public Employment and Retirement ]

    2026-04-15 · pass · 8-1

    Member-level votes (11)
    • Caballero: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Grove: no
    • Menjivar: other
    • Valladares: other
  • Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2026-04-22 · pass · 4-1

    Member-level votes (5)
    • Cortese: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Strickland: no
  • Placed on suspense file

    2026-05-04 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Dahle: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Grayson: yes
  • Do pass as amended

    2026-05-14 · pass · 5-2

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Wahab: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Dahle: no
    • Seyarto: no
  • 3rd Reading SB1284 Smallwood-Cuevas

    2026-05-27 · pass · 30-9

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Grayson: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Reyes: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: no
    • Niello: no
    • Valladares: no
    • Strickland: no
    • Choi: no
    • Alvarado-Gil: no
    • Grove: no
    • Seyarto: no
    • Jones: no
    • Dahle: other
  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Labor and Employment]

    2026-06-16 · pass · 12-2

    Member-level votes (16)
    • Patel: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Patterson: no
    • Sanchez: no
    • Johnson: other
    • Chen: other
  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2026-06-24 · pass · 5-2

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Ward: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Alanis: no
    • Chen: no

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z

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