Bill Commons

CA SB 278

enacted

Health data: HIV test results.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · upper

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Quick answers

Did CA SB 278 pass?

Yes. CA SB 278 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2025-10-13): Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 748, Statutes of 2025.

What is CA SB 278 about?

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law generally imposes penalties on a person who negligently, willfully, or maliciously discloses the results of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test to a third party in a manner that identifies or provides identifying characteristics of the person to whom the test results apply, as specified. Existing law, notwithstanding the above-described restrictions, authorizes the recording of the HIV test results by the physician who ordered the test in the test subject's medical record and authorizes other disclosure of the results without written authorization of the test subject, or the subject's representative, to the test subject's providers of health care, excluding a regulated health care service plan, for purposes of diagnosis, care, or treatment of the patient. This bill would authorize a provider of health care to disclose the results of an HIV test that identifies or provides identifying characteristics of a Medi-Cal beneficiary without written authorization of the test subject, or the subject's representative, to the Medi-Cal managed care plan to which the beneficiary is assigned, if applicable, and to external quality review organizations conducting external quality reviews of Medi-Cal managed care plans, for the purpose of administering quality improvement programs, including, but not limited to, value-based payment programs and healthy behavior incentive programs, designed to improve HIV care for Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Under the bill, HIV test results that do not identify or provide identifying characteristics of the test subjects would be authorized for disclosure without written authorization by the Medi-Cal managed care plan to departmental staff for the above-described purpose. The bill would make certain clarifying or declaratory statements with regard to related provisions.

Who sponsors CA SB 278?

Cabaldon is the primary sponsor of CA SB 278, joined by 9 cosponsors.

Description

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law generally imposes penalties on a person who negligently, willfully, or maliciously discloses the results of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test to a third party in a manner that identifies or provides identifying characteristics of the person to whom the test results apply, as specified. Existing law, notwithstanding the above-described restrictions, authorizes the recording of the HIV test results by the physician who ordered the test in the test subject's medical record and authorizes other disclosure of the results without written authorization of the test subject, or the subject's representative, to the test subject's providers of health care, excluding a regulated health care service plan, for purposes of diagnosis, care, or treatment of the patient. This bill would authorize a provider of health care to disclose the results of an HIV test that identifies or provides identifying characteristics of a Medi-Cal beneficiary without written authorization of the test subject, or the subject's representative, to the Medi-Cal managed care plan to which the beneficiary is assigned, if applicable, and to external quality review organizations conducting external quality reviews of Medi-Cal managed care plans, for the purpose of administering quality improvement programs, including, but not limited to, value-based payment programs and healthy behavior incentive programs, designed to improve HIV care for Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Under the bill, HIV test results that do not identify or provide identifying characteristics of the test subjects would be authorized for disclosure without written authorization by the Medi-Cal managed care plan to departmental staff for the above-described purpose. The bill would make certain clarifying or declaratory statements with regard to related provisions.

Introduced
2025-02-04
Latest action
2025-10-13 — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 748, Statutes of 2025.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Cabaldonauthor
  • Cervantescoauthor
  • Lairdcoauthor
  • Padillacoauthor
  • Wienercoauthor
  • Mark Gonzálezcoauthor
  • Jacksoncoauthor
  • Leecoauthor
  • Solachecoauthor
  • Wardcoauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2025-10-13

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 748, Statutes of 2025.

    became-law

  2. 2025-10-13

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  3. 2025-09-16

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  4. 2025-09-09

    Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2711.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

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

  5. 2025-09-08

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  6. 2025-09-08

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 2999.) Ordered to the Senate.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  7. 2025-09-03

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  8. 2025-09-02

    Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  9. 2025-08-29

    From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (August 29).

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

  10. 2025-08-20

    August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  11. 2025-07-17

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

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

  12. 2025-07-17

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (July 16).

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

  13. 2025-07-17

    Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 49. Noes 15. Page 2578.)

  14. 2025-06-19

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

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

  15. 2025-06-17

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (June 17). Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.

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

  16. 2025-06-05

    Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and P. & C.P.

    referral-committee

  17. 2025-05-29

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

    reading-1

  18. 2025-05-29

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 1324.) Ordered to the Assembly.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  19. 2025-05-27

    Ordered to special consent calendar.

  20. 2025-05-23

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1194.) (May 23).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  21. 2025-05-23

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  22. 2025-05-16

    Set for hearing May 23.

  23. 2025-04-21

    April 21 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  24. 2025-04-10

    Set for hearing April 21.

  25. 2025-04-09

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0. Page 706.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  26. 2025-04-01

    Set for hearing April 8.

  27. 2025-03-28

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

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

  28. 2025-03-26

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 10. Noes 0. Page 566.) (March 26). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

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

  29. 2025-03-17

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

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

  30. 2025-03-17

    Set for hearing March 26.

  31. 2025-02-14

    Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.

    referral-committee

  32. 2025-02-05

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 7.

  33. 2025-02-04

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

    introduction,reading-1,referral-committee

Versions

  • 02/04/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-04Compare
  • 03/17/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-03-17Compare
  • 03/28/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-03-28Compare
  • 06/19/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-06-19Compare
  • 07/17/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-07-17Compare
  • 09/02/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-09-02Compare
  • 09/12/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-12Compare
  • 10/13/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-13Compare
  • SB278Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2025-03-26 · pass · 10-0

    Member-level votes (11)
    • Durazo: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Grove: other

  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2025-04-08 · pass · 13-0

    Member-level votes (13)
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • Caballero: yes

  • Placed on suspense file

    2025-04-21 · pass · 6-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Grayson: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Dahle: other

  • Do pass

    2025-05-23 · pass · 6-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Caballero: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Dahle: other

  • Special Consent SB278 Cabaldon et al.

    2025-05-29 · pass · 38-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Grove: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Jones: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Strickland: yes
    • Choi: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Alvarado-Gil: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Limón: other
    • Reyes: other

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Privacy and Consumer Protection] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2025-06-17 · pass · 15-0

    Member-level votes (16)
    • Patterson: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Stefani: other

  • Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2025-07-16 · pass · 15-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Bryan: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • McKinnor: yes

  • Do pass as amended.

    2025-08-29 · pass · 11-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Sanchez: other
    • Ta: other
    • Tangipa: other
    • Dixon: other

  • SB 278 Cabaldon Senate Third Reading By Mark González

    2025-09-08 · pass · 79-0

    Member-level votes (80)
    • Addis: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Johnson: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Nguyen: other

  • Unfinished Business SB278 Cabaldon et al. Concurrence

    2025-09-09 · pass · 40-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Richardson: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Jones: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Alvarado-Gil: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Grove: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Strickland: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Reyes: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Choi: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Blakespear: yes

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB278

Attribution

Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-10-31T02:16:45.909673Z

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