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California bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

California AB 546

Health care coverage: portable HEPA purifiers.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed House
  4. Passed Senate
  5. To Governor
  6. Vetoed

Sponsors

Cosponsors (2)

Summary

Official abstract published by the California legislature· summary

Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act's requirements a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law sets forth specified coverage requirements for plan contracts and insurance policies, and limits the copayment, coinsurance, deductible, and other cost sharing that may be imposed for specified health care services. This bill would require a large group health care service plan contract or large group health insurance policy, except a specialized health care service plan contract or health insurance policy, that is issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, to include coverage for one portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifier for an enrollee or insured who is pregnant or diagnosed with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease if the enrollee or insured is residing in or displaced from a county where a local or state emergency has been declared due to wildfires and the HEPA purifier is prescribed by the enrollee's or insured's health care provider. The bill would prohibit the cost of the HEPA purifier from exceeding $500, adjusted for inflation, as specified. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, this 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 15, 2026, 8:04 PM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Sep 9, 2025
House		AB 546 Caloza Concurrence in Senate AmendmentspassSet your home in California to see
Sep 8, 2025
Senate		3rd Reading AB546 Caloza et al. By Limón Urgency ClausepassSet your home in California to see
Aug 29, 2025
Senate		Do pass as amendedpassSet your home in California to see
Aug 18, 2025
Senate		Placed on suspense filepassSet your home in California to see
Jul 2, 2025
Senate		Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see
May 27, 2025
House		AB 546 Caloza Third Reading UrgencypassSet your home in California to see
May 21, 2025
House		Do pass.passSet your home in California to see
Apr 29, 2025
House		Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see

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