Latest News On California Legislature

Latest California Healthline Stories

California Requires Hospitals to Turn to a Patient’s Next of Kin, Closing a Longtime Loophole

A state law establishes a list of representatives who can make medical decisions for patients unable to convey their wishes. California is late to making the change; 45 other states and the District of Columbia already have next-of-kin laws.

California Senate’s New Health Chair to Prioritize Mental Health and Homelessness

California state Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman of Stockton has been appointed chair of the Senate’s influential health committee. A licensed social worker, Eggman said she will make mental health care and homelessness front-burner issues.

Listen: Noise Pollution, a Private Equity Lawsuit, and College Health Fees

California Healthline journalists report on a lawsuit against private equity-backed Envision Healthcare, the medical insurance and health service fees charged by colleges, and how our increasingly noisy lives may harm our health.

‘He Stood His Ground’: State Senator Will Leave Office as Champion of Tough Vaccine Laws

California state Sen. Richard Pan, who spearheaded some of the country’s most ambitious vaccine mandate legislation, is leaving office this year because of term limits. A pediatrician, he plans to practice medicine full time but has not ruled out a future run for office.