Mia Bonta
- Democratic
- Assemblymember
- District 18
Author
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various types of clinics, including alternative birth centers, by the State Department of Public Health, and makes a violation of those provisions a crime. Existing law defines an alternative birth center as a clinic that is not part of a hospital and that provides comprehensive perinatal services and delivery care to pregnant women who remain less than 24 hours at the facility. Existing law requires a licensed alternative birth center specialty clinic, and a licensed primary care clinic that provides services as an alternative birth center, to meet certain criteria, including, among others, being located in proximity to a facility with the capacity for management of obstetrical and neonatal emergencies, as specified. Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law sets forth certain criteria for Medi-Cal reimbursement to alternative birth centers for facility-related delivery costs. Under existing law, as a criterion under both the licensing provisions and the Medi-Cal reimbursement provisions described above, the facility is required to be a provider of comprehensive perinatal services as defined in the Medi-Cal provisions. This bill would remove, under both sets of criteria, the certification condition of being a provider of comprehensive perinatal services as defined in the Medi-Cal provisions. The bill would require the facility to provide perinatal services that are comprehensive in nature, as specified, consistent with certain standards. The bill would remove the above-described proximity requirement and would instead require a written policy for hospital transfer. The bill would require the policy to include certain requirements relating to, among other things, arrangements for the referral of a complication, arrangements for the transfer of care, provision of medical records, information about the estimated transfer time, and a clear explanation of the facility's overall emergency transfer plan, as specified. The bill would also make a technical change to an obsolete reference within a related provision. By creating new requirements for an alternative birth center or a primary care clinic that provides services as an alternative birth center, the violation of which is a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 595, Statutes of 2025.
Approved by the Governor.
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 3099.).
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2602.).
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 11). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 1317.)
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 23).
Read second time and amended.
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 8).
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended.
From printer. May be heard in committee January 2.
Read first time. To print.
| Bill Text Versions | Format |
|---|---|
| AB55 | HTML |
| 12/02/24 - Introduced | |
| 02/25/25 - Amended Assembly | |
| 04/10/25 - Amended Assembly | |
| 05/29/25 - Amended Senate | |
| 09/02/25 - Amended Senate | |
| 09/11/25 - Enrolled | |
| 10/11/25 - Chaptered |
| Document | Format |
|---|---|
| 04/09/25- Assembly Health | |
| 04/21/25- Assembly Appropriations | |
| 04/25/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS | |
| 06/09/25- Senate Health | |
| 06/27/25- Senate Appropriations | |
| 08/29/25- Sen. Floor Analyses | |
| 09/03/25- Sen. Floor Analyses | |
| 09/09/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS |
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