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CBS News
30-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
New round of California laws are in effect July 1: Here's what you should know
A new fiscal year in California begins on July 1, and with it comes a fresh round of laws that will impact millions across the state. The laws, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom following approval from the state legislature, tackle a variety of objectives, many of which are tied to consumer rights and public safety. Here are some of the latest laws that will affect the most Californians: Fertility treatments are now required to be covered by most insurance plans Fertility treatments, including in vitro fertilization, will be required to be covered under most insurance plans. The law also applies to diagnosis and infertility treatments. Religious employers are exempt from requirements. (SB 729) CARE Court must provide updates to family members California's CARE Court, a Newsom-backed initiative aimed at providing court-ordered services and treatments for those with mental illnesses, is receiving a new stipulation. Under the new law, courts will have to provide key updates on the case to the person who petitioned a court for CARE Act services to be provided to a family member. Those "key updates" include the reasoning behind continuances and outright dismissals. (SB 42) Subscription services are going to be simpler to cancel Ever try to cancel a subscription service just to be met with inconvenient hoops to jump through, like having to call a phone number or even go to an in-person store? That will now be a thing of the past. Subscription services will now be required to allow cancellations in the same medium that was used to sign up. For example, if you signed up for a streaming service through the internet, you can now cancel it through the internet. The law also mandates that companies make it a simple, painless process without "obstructing" the consumer from attempting the online cancellation. (AB 2863) You can request a drink lid at any bar If someone feels safer at a bar if their drink is covered, they'll have easy access to lids after July 1. Bars now have to provide the lids to customers at their request. The bar owner, however, also has the right to charge for lids at a "reasonable" fee. Signs must also be posted in a prominent place with the following phrase: "Don't get roofied! Drink lids and drink spiking drug test kits available here. Ask a staff member for details." (AB 2375) Short-term rentals must be transparent about cleaning charges No longer will owners of short-term rental properties be able to charge a mysterious "cleaning fee" without providing the reason. A new law requires an itemized list of cleaning tasks that the owners want guests to complete ahead of checking out. A cleaning fee must only be assessed if guests fail to do those tasks. Any penalties from a failure to complete tasks must be listed on the website or platform where the property was rented. (AB 2202) Pet insurers must explain premium cost increases If a company offering pet insurance raises its premiums, it must now explain the reason why to its consumers. Explanations could include the pet's age, or a change in geological location, but policies have to give a reason and provide a heads up on exclusions, medical test requirements and waiting periods. (SB 1217) Student ID cards need mental health resources printed on them All student ID cards issued to children at public and private schools in grades 7-12 will now need mental health resources printed on them. The specific resource required is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which can be contacted by dialing "998" on any phone. Schools may also print a QR code on the ID's leading to the mental health resources internet website of the county in which the school is located.
Axios
30-06-2025
- Health
- Axios
5 new California laws that take effect this week
A new set of laws — ranging from consumer protections to mental health for students — are taking effect in California tomorrow. The big picture: State lawmakers introduced nearly 5,000 bills in 2024, and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a little more than 1,000 of them into law, with dozens of those taking effect this week. Insurance coverage for fertility treatments Under SB 729, large group health insurance plans must cover the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility treatments, including three egg retrievals for in vitro fertilization. Consumer protections for subscription cancellations AB 2863 requires businesses to obtain a consumer's "affirmative consent" before renewing paid subscriptions. Previously, subscriptions continued until explicitly canceled. Now, businesses must secure permission prior to extending subscriptions after free trials or contract periods have ended. Mental health for students All California schools serving grades 7–12 must print the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on student ID cards under SB 1063. Schools can also add a QR code linking to local mental health resources. Pet insurance transparency California's SB 1217 requires pet insurers to disclose coverage exclusions, including pre-existing conditions, hereditary issues and chronic illnesses. Insurers must also provide upfront explanations of premium adjustments based on age, claims history or location. The law also prohibits waiting periods and vet exams on policy renewals and requires insurers to clearly explain how claim reimbursements are calculated. Drink lids against date-rape drug spiking To prevent drink tampering and boost safety, California bars and nightclubs with type 48 licenses must begin providing drink lids upon request, per AB 2375. Venues must also clearly display signs notifying customers about lid and drug-testing kit availability. Fees for lids are allowed but cannot exceed the cost to provide them. Minimum wage increases across the Bay Area Local ordinances mandating wage increases are also taking effect this July.
Newsweek
26-06-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Health care Coverage Expanding in California: What to Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. California is set to expand access to infertility care and in vitro fertilization (IVF) through a new health coverage law that will be implemented on July 1. The law, Senate Bill 729, requires employers with 100 or more employees and state insurance plans to cover infertility and IVF treatment for all Californians—regardless of their gender expression or identity, sexual orientation or marriage status. Newsweek has contacted Senator Caroline Menjivar, the author of the bill, outside of regular working hours via email for comment. Why It Matters As the bill explicitly includes coverage for all, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, it takes a clear stand on inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals in fertility care, meaning that for the first time in the state, these groups are given equal access to the services. According to Senator Menjivar, the bill will "ensure that queer couples no longer have to pay more out of pocket to start families than non-queer families." In the bills comments section, she also wrote the bill is "critical to achieving full-lived equality for LGBTQ+ people, as well as advancing well-rounded and comprehensive health care for all Californians." Other states have also brought similar fertility legislation into effect, but fewer have explicitly sought to include LGBTQ+ groups in the legislation. File photo: gynecologist showing a UV image of baby on a computer screen to a pregnant woman. File photo: gynecologist showing a UV image of baby on a computer screen to a pregnant woman. DragonImages/Getty Images What To Know Previous law had offered some coverage for infertility treatment but had excluded IVF treatment. The new bill will require large and small group health care service plan contracts and disability insurance policies to provide cover for diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility services. This includes a maximum of 3 oocyte retrievals—the process where eggs are removed from the ovaries as part of IVF treatment. It also mandates coverage for unlimited embryo transfers in accordance with the guidelines of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). SB 729 is also changing the definition of infertility, so testing and diagnosis of infertility can still be covered for those who have not met the criteria of: not conceiving a child after 12 months for those under 35 and not conceiving a child after six months for those over 35—where miscarriage does not restart the time period to qualify as having infertility. This would mean that earlier intervention can take place for treating and diagnosing infertility. While the law does not however explicitly mention coverage for egg freezing as part of fertility preservation, it is not clear whether some parts of egg freezing may be covered given that oocyte retrievals are covered. Violation of any these provisions by a health care service plan would also be determined a crime in the law, something which the previous law had also stated. What People Are Saying Michele Goodwin, a professor of constitutional law and global health policy at Georgetown Law, Washington D.C, told Newsweek: "SB 729 is important for reproductive health care and family planning for all Californians. Many families experience some form of infertility or other reproductive health challenges." She added: "Assisted reproductive technologies, including IVF have become an important part of family building for gay couples. This law would cushion the economic burden felt by LGBT Californians as they seek health services to grow their families." California Senator Caroline Menjivar, said when Governor Gavin Newsom approved the bill: "Today is a personal and emotional victory. And, it is a triumph for the many Californians who have been denied a path toward family-building because of the financial barriers that come with fertility treatment, their relationship status, or are blatantly discriminated against as a member of the LGBTQ+ community." She added: "When attacks on reproductive rights are occurring across the nation, Governor Newsom stood on the right side of history by expanding coverage for approximately 9 million Californians, including LGBTQ+ folks who were previously withheld equal opportunity to become parents under an archaic law that erased their rights." What Happens Next While fertility coverage will start on July 1 for state-run health insurance plans and large employers, many other plans will adopt the new ruling upon renewal, meaning for some employees, coverage may not be available until later this year and into 2026.
San Francisco Chronicle
17-06-2025
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
California's IVF coverage mandate may be delayed until 2026, leaving many in limbo
California lawmakers are poised to delay the state's much-ballyhooed new law mandating in vitro fertilization insurance coverage for millions, set to take effect July 1. Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked lawmakers to push the implementation date to January 2026, leaving patients, insurers, and employers in limbo. The law, SB 729, requires state-regulated health plans offered by large employers to cover infertility diagnosis and treatment, including IVF. Nine million people will qualify for coverage under the law. Advocates have praised the law as ' a major win for Californians,' especially in making same-sex couples and aspiring single parents eligible, though cost concerns limited the mandate's breadth. People who had been planning fertility care based on the original timeline are now 'left in a holding pattern facing more uncertainty, financial strain, and emotional distress,' Alise Powell, a director at Resolve: The National Infertility Association, said in a statement. During IVF, a patient's eggs are retrieved, combined with sperm in a lab, and then transferred to a person's uterus. A single cycle can total around $25,000, out of reach for many. The California law requires insurers to cover up to three egg retrievals and an unlimited number of embryo transfers. Not everyone's coverage would be affected by the delay. Even if the law took effect July 1, it wouldn't require IVF coverage to start until the month an employer's contract renews with its insurer. Rachel Arrezola, a spokesperson for the California Department of Managed Health Care, said most of the employers subject to the law renew their contracts in January, so their employees would not be affected by a delay. She declined to provide data on the percentage of eligible contracts that renew in July or later, which would mean those enrollees wouldn't get IVF coverage until at least a full year from now, in July 2026 or later. The proposed new implementation date comes amid heightened national attention on fertility coverage. California is now one of 15 states with an IVF mandate, and in February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking policy recommendations to expand IVF access. It's the second time Newsom has asked lawmakers to delay the law. When the Democratic governor signed the bill in September, he asked the legislature to consider delaying implementation by six months. The reason, Newsom said then, was to allow time to reconcile differences between the bill and a broader effort by state regulators to include IVF and other fertility services as an essential health benefit, which would require the marketplace and other individual and small-group plans to provide the coverage. Newsom spokesperson Elana Ross said the state needs more time to provide guidance to insurers on specific services not addressed in the law to ensure adequate and uniform coverage. Arrezola said embryo storage and donor eggs and sperm were some examples of services requiring more guidance. Celeste Jale, a spokesperson for state Sen. Caroline Menjivar, a Democrat who authored the original IVF mandate, acknowledged a delay could frustrate people yearning to expand their families, but requested patience 'a little longer so we can roll this out right.' Sean Tipton, a lobbyist for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, contended that the few remaining questions on the mandate did not warrant a long delay. Lawmakers appear poised to advance the delay to a vote by both houses of the Legislature, likely before the end of June. If a delay is approved and signed by the governor, the law would immediately be paused. If this does not happen before July 1, Arrezola said, the Department of Managed Health Care would enforce the mandate as it exists. All plans were required to submit compliance filings to the agency by March. Arrezola was unable to explain what would happen to IVF patients whose coverage had already begun if the delay passes after July 1. The California Association of Health Plans, which opposed the mandate, declined to comment on where implementation efforts stand, although the group agrees that insurers need more guidance, spokesperson Mary Ellen Grant said. Kaiser Permanente, the state's largest insurer, has already sent employers information that they can provide to their employees about the new benefit, company spokesperson Kathleen Chambers said. She added that eligible members whose plans renew on or after July 1 would have IVF coverage if implementation of the law is not delayed. Employers and some fertility care providers appear to be grappling over the uncertainty of the law's start date. Amy Donovan, a lawyer at insurance brokerage and consulting firm Keenan & Associates, said the firm has fielded many questions from employers about the possibility of delay. Reproductive Science Center and Shady Grove Fertility, both major clinics serving different areas of California, posted on their websites that the IVF mandate had been delayed until January 2026, which is not yet the case. They did not respond to requests for comment. Some infertility patients confused over whether and when they will be covered have run out of patience. Ana Rios and her wife, who live in the Central Valley, had been trying to have a baby for six years, dipping into savings for each failed treatment. Although she was 'freaking thrilled' to learn about the new law last fall, Rios could not get clarity from her employer or health plan on whether she was eligible for the coverage and when it would go into effect, she said. The couple decided to go to Mexico to pursue cheaper treatment options. 'You think you finally have a helping hand,' Rios said of learning about the law and then, later, the requested delay. 'You reach out, and they take it back.'
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oregon bill to fix gap in developmental disability care heads to Kotek's desk
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – After passing in the Oregon House, a bill that aims to improve healthcare access for Oregonians with developmental disabilities is now headed to the governor's desk. will mandate that public bodies never deny mental health assessments or treatment to patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Raspberries arrive a few weeks early at U-Pick farm in Canby 'For too long, people with I/DD have faced gaps in care and fragmented services,' Rep. Rob Nosse (D-Inner SE Portland) said. 'This bill ensures we finally hold our system accountable for delivering the care these Oregonians deserve.' This bill would apply to the Oregon Health Authority, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Education, the Oregon Medical Board, and other health licensing agencies. It would not apply to the Oregon Youth Authority, the Department of Corrections, or the Department of Education. Ex-military father at large after 3 daughters found dead in central Washington say people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have long faced challenges while seeking much-needed mental health care. 'Access to mental health care is a basic human right. No one should be excluded from treatment simply because of a disability, this bill is about equity, dignity, and doing what's right,' Rep. Travis Nelson (D-N & NE Portland) said. SB 729 is headed to Gov. Tina Kotek's desk, where it awaits her signature. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
