As the California legislative session closed on September 30, Governor Gavin Newsom addressed several key healthcare bills, including initiatives on AI, food as medicine, public health data collection, and telehealth.

Fall Policy Corner: Governor Newsom Takes Legislative Action

As the California legislative session came to a close on September 30, Governor Gavin Newsom faced a significant number of bills from the legislature, including several key health care initiatives tracked by the BluePath Health team. This year’s session highlighted several pressing issues, including artificial intelligence (AI), food as medicine, data collection and exchange, and telehealth. While many health care bills were vetoed, several notable measures were signed into law, particularly in the areas of AI and public health data collection.

Artificial Intelligence

AI emerged as a prominent theme in the 2024 legislative session, with multiple bills reaching the Governor’s desk. Among these were AB 2013 (Irwin), AB 3030 (Calderon), and SB 1120 (Becker), all focused on increasing transparency and establishing guardrails for the use of AI in healthcare settings. Governor Newsom signed all three bills, emphasizing the importance of oversight in this rapidly evolving field. However, he did veto SB 1047 (Wiener), which aimed to implement safety protocols for AI development, signaling a nuanced approach to AI regulation.

Public Health Data Collection

In a significant move towards more equitable data practices, Governor Newsom signed two bills aimed at improving public health data collection. SB 957 (Wiener) and SB 1016 (Gonzalez) were designed to advance the disaggregation of health data to better reflect the diverse populations in California. Supported by Connecting for Better Health, SB 957 mandates the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to enhance the collection of sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics/intersex status (SOGISC) data. Meanwhile, SB 1016 requires CDPH to utilize standardized, separate collection categories for each major Latino group and Mesoamerican Indigenous Nation in California, ensuring a more comprehensive understanding of health disparities.

Food as Medicine

Despite the growing recognition of the importance of nutrition in health care, two bills related to food as medicine were vetoed by the Governor. AB 922 (Wicks), which sought to establish a Prepared Meals Delivery pilot program in Alameda County, and AB 1975 (Bonta), which aimed to make medically supportive food and nutrition interventions a covered benefit under the Medi-Cal program, both failed to gain the Governor’s approval. These vetoes highlight ongoing challenges in integrating food as medicine initiatives into California’s healthcare framework.

Telehealth

The realm of telehealth also faced setbacks, particularly with the veto of AB 2339 (Aguiar-Curry). This bill sought to expand the use of asynchronous telehealth for sensitive services, such as reproductive health care, and aimed to bridge the gap between Medi-Cal and commercial insurance regarding telehealth access. Sponsored by Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, the veto was disappointing for advocates seeking to enhance telehealth services. However, we expect similar legislation to emerge in 2025, reflecting the ongoing demand for improved telehealth access.

Looking Ahead

As we look forward to the next legislative session, which begins in January 2025, California legislators will introduce new bills in January and February. The actions taken by Governor Newsom this session reveal critical areas of focus in health care policy, setting the stage for ongoing discussions about the integration of technology, equitable data practices, and comprehensive health care access for all Californians. Stay tuned for further updates as we continue to track these important developments in health care policy.