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California bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

California SB 439

California Health Benefit Review Program: extension.

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

Sponsors

Summary

Official abstract published by the California legislature· summary

Existing law establishes the Health Care Benefits Fund to support the University of California's implementation of the California Health Benefit Review Program. Under the program, the University of California assesses legislation proposing to repeal or mandate a benefit or service requirement on health care insurance plans or health insurers. Under the program, the University of California provides a written analysis that includes, among other data, financial impacts of legislation on publicly funded state health insurance programs, including the Medi-Cal program and the Healthy Families Program. Existing law imposes an annual charge on health care service plans and health insurers for the 2022–23 to 2026–27 fiscal years, inclusive, as specified, to be deposited into the fund. Existing law prohibits the total annual assessment on health care service plans and health insurers from exceeding $2,200,000. Under existing law, the fund and the program become inoperative on July 1, 2027, and are repealed as of January 1, 2028. This bill would extend the operation of the California Health Benefit Review Program and the Health Care Benefits Fund through July 1, 2033, and would authorize the continued assessment of the annual charge on health care service plans and health insurers for that purpose for the 2026–27 to 2032–33 fiscal years, inclusive. The bill would increase the allowable total annual assessment on health care service plans and health insurers to $3,200,000. The bill would remove the Healthy Families Program as an example of the publicly funded state health insurance programs within an analysis of financial impacts of legislation. This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2033, and would repeal it as of January 1, 2034. This bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of 23 of the membership of each house of the Legislature.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

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

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Sep 3, 2025
House		SB 439 Weber Pierson Senate Third Reading By FlorapassSet your home in California to see
Aug 29, 2025
House		Do pass.passSet your home in California to see
Jun 17, 2025
House		Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see
Jun 2, 2025
Senate		3rd Reading SB439 Weber PiersonpassSet your home in California to see
May 23, 2025
Senate		Do passpassSet your home in California to see
Apr 28, 2025
Senate		Placed on suspense filepassSet your home in California to see
Apr 9, 2025
Senate		Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent CalendarpassSet your home in California to see

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