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Sen. Durazo presses committee to restore Medi‑Cal enrollment for undocumented adults
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Summary
Sen. Durazo and county and immigrant‑health advocates told the Senate Health Committee SB 1422 would restore Medi‑Cal to income‑eligible undocumented adults beginning Jan. 1, 2027, saying the 2025 enrollment freeze shifted costs to counties and safety‑net hospitals and risks widening care gaps.
Sen. Durazo introduced SB 1422 as a policy to restore Medi‑Cal enrollment for income‑eligible undocumented adults beginning Jan. 1, 2027, saying the previous budget action froze enrollment and shifted care and costs onto counties and emergency departments. "SB 1422 restores access to medical for income eligible undocumented adults beginning 01/01/2027," she told the committee.
The bill drew testimony from county and hospital officials who described the local fiscal strain from uninsured patients. David Campos, deputy county executive for Santa Clara County, said counties are seeing patients who delay care until emergencies. "We're talking about 70,000 residents," Campos said, describing the population in his county who rely on coverage. He argued the result is higher uncompensated emergency care, staffing freezes and cuts to services.
Mar Velez, policy director of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, emphasized workforce and equity consequences and cited a statewide figure the testimony described as significant: "many undocumented individuals ... could be part of the 500,000 Californians who stand to lose health care coverage by 2028 because of this freeze." Supporters including public hospitals, emergency‑room physicians, immigrant‑rights groups and labor organizations registered at the microphone.
Committee members expressed general sympathy for the policy but pressed on costs and implementation. Sen. Smallwood Cuevas, a co‑author, said the public‑health benefits of broad coverage take years to materialize and asked the committee to consider funding pathways; Sen. Perez urged caution about the recent rollout and defunding and emphasized the need for time to realize savings. The committee did not vote on SB 1422 during the hearing because a quorum had not been present earlier; the bill was moved and placed on call for final tally.
The committee's next procedural step is a formal vote once quorum and any further amendments are in place; witnesses and sponsors asked for the committee's "aye" vote to move the bill forward.
