Ok, Sacramento is finally done for the time being (Or are they? See below)! Governor Newsom completed his final actions on the 1,166 bills sent to him in 2022. He signed 997 bills and vetoed 169 bills, for a veto rate of 14.5%. The following bills were signed and released in the Governor’s final batch of bills last Friday, September 30, after the last newsletter was sent.
AB 2098 (Low) Physicians and surgeons: unprofessional conduct
Designates the dissemination or promotion of misinformation or disinformation related to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, or “COVID-19,” by a physician or surgeon as unprofessional conduct, allowing the Medical Board to take action against such physician or surgeon.
AB 2275 (Wood) Mental health: involuntary commitment
Strengthens California’s efforts to support people with mental illness by increasing oversight and accountability of involuntary detentions while ensuring due process protections.
AB 2870 (Santiago) Firearms: gun violence restraining orders
Expands access to a Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO) to an individual who has a child in common with the subject, an individual who has a dating relationship with the subject, or a roommate of the subject of the petition. The bill also expands the family members who can file a petition to include any person related by consanguinity or affinity within the 4th degree who has had substantial and regular interactions with the subject for at least one year.
SB 858 (Wiener) Health care service plans: discipline: civil penalties
Updates and increases the penalty amount for health plans that violate state law in denying or delaying timely access to care.
SB 1184 (Cortese) Confidentiality of Medical Information Act: school-linked services coordinators
Authorizes a provider of health care or a health care service plan to disclose medical information to a school-linked services coordinator and defines the term “school-linked services coordinator” as an individual located on a school campus or under contract by a county behavioral health provider agency for the treatment and health care operations and referrals of students and their families that holds any of certain credentials, including a services credential with a specialization in pupil personnel services.
You may view a full list of bills tracked by CSAP and enacted in 2022 here.
When we say, “Or are they?” – here’s why: the Governor has stated that in his quest to punish companies that produce oil in California that he may call a special session of the Legislature to consider an oil severance or “gross profits” tax. This would mainly affect Chevron but some other, smaller, oil producing companies too. If the Governor calls such a special session (only the Governor can do it, the Legislature cannot call itself back into session), we will devote space in a future newsletter to the rules that apply. For now, know this: a special session must be called for a unique purpose. In other words, you would not expect behavioral health related legislation to be introduced in a special session called to address the processes and profits of oil companies.