Californian Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation Monday that will aid the health sector. He also signed a “suite of bills” that will protect nursing homes, the elderly, and people with dependent parents in the state.
Newsom has until Friday to sign or veto bills. On Monday, Newsom signed several key bills. This included Senate Bill 650 (SB 650), which will require nursing homes to be transparent and to release annual financial reports. Further bills that Newsom signed on Monday include Assembly Bill 570 (AB 570), which will require health insurance plans to cover members of those with dependent parents.
AB 570 will also create the ability to add children under 26 years old to their family plan. This bill could potentially affect 15,000 people, especially middle-class families with undocumented parents who do not qualify for Medicare. Initially, the California Association of Health Plans opposed the bill as it could raise premiums. However, this was later dropped.
The agenda of video conferencing for people in residential care lead to the Democratic party passing a $262.6 billion budget before the September 14 recall election.
Newsom will have until October 10 to sign or veto the remaining bills. Because he already addressed the disproportionately higher mortality rates of black women, Newsom will be left to look at bills proposing schools teach mental health and bills for college graduate financial aid.
