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Appropriations Committee advances bills on wildfire insurance, health access, cybersecurity and data privacy
Summary
On April 29 the California Assembly Appropriations Committee advanced a package of bills, including extensions to home-insurance protections for wildfire victims (AB 2038), rules to allow home delivery of enteral nutrition (AB 1794), nurse-midwife scope clarifications (AB 1696), and measures on election cybersecurity (AB 2281) and reproductive-health data protections (AB 2448). Many bills passed on roll calls with limited debate.
The Assembly Appropriations Committee on April 29 moved a broad set of bills forward, clearing measures on housing and insurance, health-care access, procurement, election cybersecurity, and data privacy. Committee action came after sponsor presentations and brief testimony from industry, local governments and advocacy groups. The clerk also read and the committee approved a lengthy suspense calendar.
Key measures advanced included:
- AB 2038 (Harbidian): Extends the moratorium on nonrenewals and cancellations of home-insurance policies for fire victims (from two to three years for total-loss claims; from one to two years for non-total-loss). The Department of Insurance estimated modest fiscal impacts; the sponsor described the change as a modest investment to prevent wildfire-driven displacement. The motion passed with Republicans not voting and one member recorded voting no.
- AB 1794 (Ransom): Allows enteral nutrition formulas to be shipped directly to patients’ homes; proponents said the change ensures medically fragile patients—especially in rural or pharmacy-desert areas—receive essential nutrition without burdensome travel. Supporters said the bill imposes minimal Medi-Cal cost and includes pharmacist oversight amendments.
- AB 1696 (Krell): Clarifies that certified nurse midwives may practice without physician supervision within the scope of their licenses; sponsors said the measure aligns law with current hospital care models and reduces administrative barriers. The California chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians registered an opposed-if-amended position to clarify emergency-department supervision.
- AB 1860 (McKenna): Authorizes county offices of education to use design-build and progressive procurement for construction projects; sponsors and trades councils supported the bill.
- AB 1876 (Addis, presented by Pellerin): The Fair Care for All Act would codify federal nondiscrimination protections to ensure health coverage is not denied based on protected characteristics; Planned Parenthood affiliates and other advocates supported it.
- AB 2281 (Berman, presented by Pellerin): Would authorize the Office of Election Cybersecurity to consult with academic researchers and assess resource needs after federal support was reduced. A committee member asked whether the proposal risks politicizing cybersecurity work and whether volunteer experts could perform the work at lower cost; proponents said federal funding shortfalls make an office assessment necessary.
- AB 2448 (Berman, presented by Pellerin): Would reinforce existing state law on privacy and require implementation of technology to protect sensitive medical and reproductive health data; the Attorney General’s office joined as a supporter and Planned Parenthood was listed as a cosponsor.
- AB 1994 (Gonzales for Alvarez): Would require local law enforcement to provide victims with information on immigration relief options and local accredited immigration legal service providers; the author offered an amendment to reduce fiscal impacts to the Department of Justice.
- AB 1829 (Fong): Strengthens financial support for student parents in community college CalWORKs programs to cover basic needs and allows local programs to waive the 25% employer match for work-study in certain cases; the Chancellor's Office said the change uses existing funds with no new state cost.
Most measures were described by authors and supporters as having minimal or absorbable state fiscal impact and passed on committee motions and roll calls. The committee also approved the suspense calendar as read by the clerk. Public comment on nonpresented bills produced no in-room speakers and the committee adjourned.
