Assembly Budget Committee reviews SB 100/AB 100 early‑action budget bills, including $2.8 billion for Medi‑Cal and wildfire relief

The California State Assembly Budget Committee on Thursday held an informational hearing on SB 100 and its identical companion AB 100, early‑action budget bills that would provide a multibillion‑dollar package to stabilize Medi‑Cal payments, reimburse local governments and districts affected by recent Los Angeles wildfires, and add several program‑level augmentations.

Erica Lee of the Department of Finance told the committee that "this bill includes an increase in expenditure authority of $2,800,000,000 general fund and 8,300,000,000 matching federal funds for the Medi‑Cal program." The hearing included questions from multiple Assemblymembers and comments from the Legislative Analyst's Office and stakeholder groups.

Why it matters: committee members and witnesses said the funding is intended to ensure timely payments to Medi‑Cal providers, stabilize hospitals that rely heavily on Medi‑Cal revenue, and provide one of the state's first budgetary responses to damage from the Eaton and Palisades wildfires in Los Angeles County. Committee leadership said they expect to vote on one of these early‑action bills on the Assembly floor later in the morning.

Medi‑Cal funding details and drivers

Department of Finance presenters explained that the $2.8 billion general‑fund request is ‘‘on top’’ of a $3.4 billion loan made earlier in the spring to meet cash‑flow needs. Laura Lila, Department of Finance, estimated monthly Medi‑Cal costs "between $11 billion and $15 billion per month." Finance said the combination of the $3.4 billion loan and the $2.8 billion augmentation is intended to allow the state to make timely provider…