California 2023-2024 Regular Session Status: Passed Senate 3 D cosponsors

SB 999 — Health coverage: mental health and substance use disorders.

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

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This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis.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

Summary

Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, requires the Department of Managed Health Care to license and regulate health care service plans and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law also requires the Department of Insurance to regulate health insurers. Existing law requires a health care service plan or disability insurer, as specified, to base medical necessity determinations and the utilization review criteria the plan or insurer, and any entity acting on the plan's or insurer's behalf, applies to determine the medical necessity of health care services and benefits for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders, on current generally accepted standards of mental health and substance use disorder care. This bill would require a health care service plan and a disability insurer, and an entity acting on a plan's or insurer's behalf, to ensure compliance with specific requirements for utilization review, including maintaining telephone access and other direct communication access during California business hours for a health care provider to request authorization for mental health and substance use disorder care and conducting peer-to-peer discussions regarding specific patient issues related to treatment. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, the 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.

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 14. Noes 1.) (June 11). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  4. Referred to Com. on HEALTH.

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

  6. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 31. Noes 7. Page 4062.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  7. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  8. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 3967.) (May 16).

  9. Set for hearing May 16.

  10. May 6 hearing: Placed on APPR suspense file.

  11. Set for hearing May 6.

  12. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 1. Page 3755.) (April 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  14. Set for hearing April 24.

  15. March 20 hearing postponed by committee.

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

  17. Set for hearing March 20.

  18. Referred to Com. on HEALTH.

  19. From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 3.

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

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 3 co-sponsors · 118 not signed on · 7 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (3)

Not signed on (118)

118 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 118 →

"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 14 Yea · 1 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 7000
Republican 1101
Democratic 6000
Total 14101
% of votes cast 88%6%0%6%
How each member voted (16)
Member Party Vote
Jones-Sawyer — Yea
Rodriguez — Yea
Waldron — Yea
Maienschein — Yea
Santiago — Yea
McCarty — Yea
Wendy Carrillo — Yea
Aguiar-Curry, Cecilia M. Democratic Yea
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Haney, Matt Democratic Yea
Lowenthal, Josh Democratic Yea
Pellerin, Gail Democratic Yea
Flora, Heath Republican Not Voting
Patterson, Joe Republican Yea
Sanchez, Kate Republican Nay

Official roll call →

3rd Reading SB999 Cortese et al.

Passed 31 Yea · 7 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 10100
Democratic 20002
Republican 1600
Total 31702
% of votes cast 78%18%0%5%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Roth — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Newman — Yea
Min — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Glazer — Yea
Dodd — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Wilk — Nay
Allen, Benjamin Democratic Not Voting
Archuleta, Bob Democratic Yea
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 Not Voting
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 Nay
Grove, Shannon Republican Nay
Jones, Brian W. Republican Nay
Niello, Roger W. Republican Nay
Ochoa Bogh, Rosilicie Republican Nay
Seyarto, Kelly Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

Passed 9 Yea · 1 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 7001
Unaffiliated 2000
Republican 0100
Total 9101
% of votes cast 82%9%0%9%
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 Not Voting
Rubio, Susan Democratic Yea
Smallwood-Cuevas, Lola Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Subjects

healthcare health-insurance
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 999 do?
Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, requires the Department of Managed Health Care to license and regulate health care service plans and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law also requires the Department of Insurance to regulate health insurers. Existing law requires a health care service plan or disability insurer, as specified, to base medical necessity determinations and the utilization review criteria the plan or insurer, and any entity acting on the plan's or insurer's behalf, applies to determine the medical necessity of health care services and benefits for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders, on current generally accepted standards of mental health and substance use disorder care. This bill would require a health care service plan and a disability insurer, and an entity acting on a plan's or insurer's behalf, to ensure compliance with specific requirements for utilization review, including maintaining telephone access and other direct communication access during California business hours for a health care provider to request authorization for mental health and substance use disorder care and conducting peer-to-peer discussions regarding specific patient issues related to treatment. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, the 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.
Who sponsors SB 999?
SB 999 is sponsored by Cortese, Dave (Democratic), Wiener, Scott D. (Democratic), Pellerin, Gail (Democratic), and Waldron.
What is the current status of SB 999?
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 999?
Track SB 999 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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