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California bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

California AB 894

General acute care hospitals: patient directories.

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

Sponsors

Cosponsors (3)

Summary

Official abstract published by the California legislature· summary

Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to license and regulate health facilities, including general acute care hospitals. Existing law makes a violation of these provisions a crime. Existing federal law, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) , authorizes a covered health care provider to use specified protected health information to maintain a directory of patients in its facility, and to disclose that information to persons who ask for the patient by name. Existing federal law requires a covered health care provider to inform an individual of its privacy practices generally and the use and disclosure of information in the directory and to provide the patient with the opportunity to restrict or prohibit that use or disclosure. Existing law, the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, prohibits a health care provider, a contractor, or a health care service plan from disclosing medical information, as defined, but does not prevent a general acute care hospital, upon an inquiry concerning a specific patient, from releasing a patient's name, address, age, and sex, and a general description of the reason for treatment, among other information, unless there is a specific written request by the patient to the contrary. This bill, beginning July 1, 2026, would require a general acute care hospital to inform a patient or the patient's representative, at the time of admission or as soon as reasonably possible in cases of patient incapacity or an emergency treatment circumstance, that the patient or the patient's representative may restrict or prohibit the use or disclosure of protected health information in the hospital's patient directory and would require the hospital to provide the patient or the patient's representative an acknowledgment of the hospital's privacy practices by using a separate document and having hospital personnel verbally inform the patient or the patient's representative, as specified. Because a violation of the bill's requirements 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.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 15, 2026, 8:06 AM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Sep 4, 2025
House		AB 894 Carrillo Concurrence in Senate AmendmentspassSet your home in California to see
Sep 3, 2025
Senate		3rd Reading AB894 Carrillo et al. By RubiopassSet your home in California to see
Jul 1, 2025
Senate		Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see
Jun 18, 2025
Senate		Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] with the recommendation: To Consent CalendarpassSet your home in California to see
May 23, 2025
House		AB 894 Carrillo Consent Calendar Second DaypassSet your home in California to see
May 14, 2025
House		Do pass. To Consent Calendar.passSet your home in California to see
Apr 22, 2025
House		Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent CalendarpassSet your home in California to see

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