California 2023-2024 Regular Session Status: Passed Senate Bipartisan · 18 D · 7 R cosponsors

SB 980 — The Smile Act.

Last action — August 15 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed Assembly
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2023-2024 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there are no live odds of enactment. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

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, including certain dental services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Under existing law, early and periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment (EPSDT) services are covered under Medi-Cal for an individual under 21 years of age in accordance with certain federal provisions. Under existing law, for persons 21 years of age or older, laboratory-processed crowns on posterior teeth are a covered benefit when medically necessary to restore a posterior tooth back to normal function based on the criteria specified in the Medi-Cal Dental Manual of Criteria. This bill, The Smile Act, for purposes of the above-described Medi-Cal coverage for laboratory-processed crowns, would remove the condition that the tooth be posterior and would apply the coverage to persons 13 years of age or older. The bill would also add, as a covered Medi-Cal benefit for persons of any age, subject to prior authorization, a dental implant if tooth extraction or removal is medically necessary or if the corresponding tooth is missing. The bill would condition this coverage on there being no other covered functional alternatives for prosthetic replacement to correct the person's dental condition, as specified, on the person being without medical conditions for which dental implant surgery would be contraindicated, on receipt of any necessary federal approvals, and on the availability of federal financial participation. Under the bill, the above-described provisions would not be construed to exclude Medi-Cal coverage for laboratory-processed crowns on teeth or dental implants if otherwise required under EPSDT services.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. August 15 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

  2. August 7 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.

  3. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (June 18). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  4. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

  5. Referred to Com. on HEALTH.

  6. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  7. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 4208.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  8. Ordered to special consent calendar.

  9. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  10. Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

  11. From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 3966.) (May 16).

  12. Set for hearing May 16.

  13. April 8 hearing: Placed on APPR suspense file.

  14. Set for hearing April 8.

  15. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  16. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 3380.) (March 20).

  17. Set for hearing March 20.

  18. Referred to Com. on HEALTH.

  19. From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 29.

  20. Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 34 co-sponsors · 87 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (34)

Not signed on (87)

87 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 87 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

Passed 16 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 3000
Democratic 7000
Unaffiliated 6000
Total 16000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (16)
Member Party Vote
Santiago — Yea
Rodriguez — Yea
McCarty — Yea
Jones-Sawyer — Yea
Maienschein — Yea
Waldron — Yea
Aguiar-Curry, Cecilia M. Democratic Yea
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Haney, Matt Democratic Yea
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
Schiavo, Pilar Democratic Yea
Weber Pierson, M.D., Akilah Democratic Yea
Flora, Heath Republican Yea
Patterson, Joe Republican Yea
Sanchez, Kate Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Special Consent SB980 Wahab et al.

Passed 38 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 11000
Democratic 20002
Republican 7000
Total 38002
% of votes cast 95%0%0%5%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Roth — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Newman — Yea
Min — Yea
Wilk — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Glazer — Yea
Dodd — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Allen, Benjamin Democratic Not Voting
Archuleta, Bob Democratic Not Voting
Ashby, Angelique V. Democratic Yea
Becker, Josh Democratic Yea
Blakespear, Catherine S. Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Yea
Cortese, Dave Democratic Yea
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Gonzalez, Lena A. Democratic Yea
Hurtado, Melissa Democratic Yea
Laird, John Democratic Yea
Limón, Monique Democratic Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Menjivar, Caroline Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Rubio, Susan Democratic Yea
Smallwood-Cuevas, Lola Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wahab, Aisha Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Alvarado-Gil, Marie Republican Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Yea
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea
Niello, Roger W. Republican Yea
Ochoa Bogh, Rosilicie Republican Yea
Seyarto, Kelly Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]

Passed 11 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 8000
Unaffiliated 2000
Republican 1000
Total 11000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Roth — Yea
Glazer — Yea
Gonzalez, Lena A. Democratic Yea
Hurtado, Melissa Democratic Yea
Limón, Monique Democratic Yea
Menjivar, Caroline Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Rubio, Susan Democratic Yea
Smallwood-Cuevas, Lola Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

healthcare health-insurance
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 980 do?
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, including certain dental services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Under existing law, early and periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment (EPSDT) services are covered under Medi-Cal for an individual under 21 years of age in accordance with certain federal provisions. Under existing law, for persons 21 years of age or older, laboratory-processed crowns on posterior teeth are a covered benefit when medically necessary to restore a posterior tooth back to normal function based on the criteria specified in the Medi-Cal Dental Manual of Criteria. This bill, The Smile Act, for purposes of the above-described Medi-Cal coverage for laboratory-processed crowns, would remove the condition that the tooth be posterior and would apply the coverage to persons 13 years of age or older. The bill would also add, as a covered Medi-Cal benefit for persons of any age, subject to prior authorization, a dental implant if tooth extraction or removal is medically necessary or if the corresponding tooth is missing. The bill would condition this coverage on there being no other covered functional alternatives for prosthetic replacement to correct the person's dental condition, as specified, on the person being without medical conditions for which dental implant surgery would be contraindicated, on receipt of any necessary federal approvals, and on the availability of federal financial participation. Under the bill, the above-described provisions would not be construed to exclude Medi-Cal coverage for laboratory-processed crowns on teeth or dental implants if otherwise required under EPSDT services.
Who sponsors SB 980?
SB 980 is sponsored by Wahab, Aisha (Democratic), Allen, Benjamin (Democratic), Alvarado-Gil, Marie (Republican), Archuleta, Bob (Democratic), Atkins, Becker, Josh (Democratic), Blakespear, Catherine S. (Democratic), Bradford, Caballero, Anna M. (Democratic), Cortese, Dave (Democratic), Dodd, Grove, Shannon (Republican), Hurtado, Melissa (Democratic), Laird, John (Democratic), Limón, Monique (Democratic), Newman, Ochoa Bogh, Rosilicie (Republican), Padilla, Stephen C. (Democratic), Roth, Stern, Henry I. (Democratic), Umberg, Thomas J. (Democratic), Wiener, Scott D. (Democratic), Wilk, Bryan, Isaac G. (Democratic), Chen, Phillip (Republican), Davies, Laurie (Republican), Lackey, Tom (Republican), Mathis, Ortega, Liz (Democratic), Luz Rivas, Schiavo, Pilar (Democratic), Ting, Waldron, Rubio, Susan (Democratic), and Dahle, Megan (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 980?
This bill died with 2023-2024 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track SB 980?
Track SB 980 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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