Josh Becker
- Democratic
- Senator
- District 13
Author
Existing law establishes various programs to address the needs of migrant agricultural families. Existing law also provides funding to enhance and maintain rural health services. This bill would establish the Virtual Health Hub for Rural Communities Pilot Program, and would require the State Department of Public Health to administer the program to expand access to health services for farmworkers in rural communities. The bill would require the department to distribute grants to partnerships of 2 separate community-based organizations, except as specified, to establish and deploy virtual health hubs, as defined, and to administer the program and to provide technical assistance to the grant recipients for any licensing or reporting requirements necessary to fulfill the program obligations. The bill would outline criteria for the grants and require the department to give priority to community-based organizations that meet specified criteria, including, but not limited to, a history of serving medically underserved communities. The bill would require the grant recipients, among other things, to deploy virtual health hubs in 2 rural communities based on farmworker population and access to health care and to submit specified information on the program to the department. Under the bill, the virtual health hubs would include, at a minimum, computers, Wi-Fi, cubicles for virtual visits, and exam rooms for telemedicine. The bill would create the Virtual Health Hub Fund and would condition implementation of these provisions on no General Fund moneys being used, there being a minimum of $2,000,000 in the fund, and the department posting a notice on its internet website. The bill would also require the department, 2 years after the notice is posted on the internet website, to submit a report to the Legislature and post to its internet website specified information provided by the grant recipients, including age ranges and type of health services accessed by the people served. The bill would repeal these provisions when specified conditions are met. The bill would make findings and declarations in support of its provisions.
Approved by the Governor.
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 311, Statutes of 2025.
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2830.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 3073.) Ordered to the Senate.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 29).
August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (July 1).
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 1325.) Ordered to the Assembly.
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
Ordered to special consent calendar.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1197.) (May 23).
Set for hearing May 23.
May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Set for hearing May 12.
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 868.) (April 23).
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
Set for hearing April 23.
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 15.
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
| Bill Text Versions | Format |
|---|---|
| SB338 | HTML |
| 02/12/25 - Introduced | |
| 04/08/25 - Amended Senate | |
| 04/28/25 - Amended Senate | |
| 05/06/25 - Amended Senate | |
| 06/23/25 - Amended Assembly | |
| 07/03/25 - Amended Assembly | |
| 09/12/25 - Enrolled | |
| 10/03/25 - Chaptered |
| Document | Format |
|---|---|
| 04/21/25- Senate Health | |
| 05/09/25- Senate Appropriations | |
| 05/27/25- Sen. Floor Analyses | |
| 06/27/25- Assembly Health | |
| 08/18/25- Assembly Appropriations | |
| 09/02/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS | |
| 09/09/25- Sen. Floor Analyses |
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