Bill Commons

CA SB 535

in committee

Obesity Care Access Act.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · upper

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Quick answers

Did CA SB 535 pass?

Not yet. CA SB 535 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 535 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 sets forth specified coverage requirements for plan contracts. This bill, the Obesity Care Access Act, would require an individual or group health care service plan contract or health insurance policy that provides coverage for outpatient prescription drug benefits and is issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, to include coverage for bariatric surgery and at least one antiobesity medication approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Who sponsors CA SB 535?

Richardson is the primary sponsor of CA SB 535.

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 sets forth specified coverage requirements for plan contracts. This bill, the Obesity Care Access Act, would require an individual or group health care service plan contract or health insurance policy that provides coverage for outpatient prescription drug benefits and is issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, to include coverage for bariatric surgery and at least one antiobesity medication approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Introduced
2025-02-20
Latest action
2026-08-13 — August 13 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Richardsonauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2026-08-13

    August 13 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

  2. 2025-08-29

    August 29 hearing postponed by committee.

  3. 2025-08-20

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

  4. 2025-07-17

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

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

  5. 2025-07-16

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (July 15).

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

  6. 2025-06-05

    Referred to Com. on HEALTH.

    referral-committee

  7. 2025-05-28

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

    reading-1

  8. 2025-05-28

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 3. Page 1302.) Ordered to the Assembly.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  9. 2025-05-23

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 1203.) (May 23).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  10. 2025-05-23

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  11. 2025-05-16

    Set for hearing May 23.

  12. 2025-05-12

    May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  13. 2025-05-02

    Set for hearing May 12.

  14. 2025-05-01

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0. Page 965.) (April 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  15. 2025-04-04

    Set for hearing April 30.

  16. 2025-03-05

    Referred to Com. on HEALTH.

    referral-committee

  17. 2025-02-21

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

  18. 2025-02-20

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

    introduction,reading-1,referral-committee

Versions

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-04-30 · pass · 8-0

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

    2025-05-12 · pass · 7-0

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

    2025-05-23 · pass · 5-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Caballero: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Dahle: other
    • Seyarto: other
  • 3rd Reading

    2025-05-28 · pass · 28-3

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

    2025-07-15 · pass · 14-0

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

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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