As California's legislative session drew to a close on Tuesday, some health-related bills made their way to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), while others failed to advance, the Los Angeles Times reports (McGreevy/Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 9/1).
A summary of legislative action on health-related bills is provided below.
Regulation of Insurers
The Senate gave final approval to SB 1163, by Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), which would require health insurers to provide consumers with 60 days' notice before increasing premiums. The bill now is before the governor, who has praised the legislation (Office of the Governor release, 8/31).
The Senate failed to advance another bill (AB 2578), by Assembly member Dave Jones (D-Sacramento), which would have required insurers to obtain state approval before increasing premiums. The bill stalled in the Senate earlier this week and was defeated in a final vote on Tuesday (California Healthline, 8/31).
Pension Reform
The Assembly approved AB 827, by Assembly member Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate), which would ban local government officials from receiving automatic pay raises that exceed cost-of-living increases. The bill now goes to the governor.
The Assembly also passed AB 1987, by Assembly member Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco), which aims to curb the practice of "pension spiking" by prohibiting public workers' pension calculations from including payments that would artificially inflate retirement pay. The bill now goes to the governor (Los Angeles Times, 9/1).
Other Health-Related Measures
The Senate voted 21-14 to pass SB 1399, by Leno, which would create a medical parole program for inmates who are permanently medically incapacitated and require 24-hour care. Supporters estimate that the legislation would reduce state spending by approximately $30 million annually. The bill now goes to the governor (Smith, "Capitol Alert," Sacramento Bee, 8/31).
The Senate rejected SB 797, by Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills), which would have banned the use of bisphenol-A in children's feeding products (Ferriss, "Capitol Alert," Sacramento Bee, 8/31).
For additional coverage of legislative action on health care bills, see today's Capitol Desk post.