CaliforniaGeneral acute care hospitals: patient directories.
What it does
Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to license and regulate health facilities, including general acute care hospitals. Existing law makes a violation of these provisions a crime.
More detail
Existing federal law, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), authorizes a covered health care provider to use specified protected health information to maintain a directory of patients in its facility, and to disclose that information to persons who ask for the patient by name. Existing federal law requires a covered health care provider to inform an individual of its privacy practices generally and the use and disclosure of information in the directory and to provide the patient with the opportunity to restrict or prohibit that use or disclosure.
Existing law, the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, prohibits a health care provider, a contractor, or a health care service plan from disclosing medical information, as defined, but does not prevent a general acute care hospital, upon an inquiry concerning a specific patient, from releasing a patient's name, address, age, and sex, and a general description of the reason for treatment, among other information, unless there is a specific written request by the patient to the contrary.
This bill, beginning July 1, 2026, would require a general acute care hospital to inform a patient or the patient's representative, at the time of admission or as soon as reasonably possible in cases of patient incapacity or an emergency treatment circumstance, that the patient or the patient's representative may restrict or prohibit the use or disclosure of protected health information in the hospital's patient directory and would require the hospital to provide the patient or the patient's representative an acknowledgment of the hospital's privacy practices by using a separate document and having hospital personnel verbally inform the patient or the patient's representative, as specified. Because a violation of the bill's requirements would be a crime, this 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.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Oct 6Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 384, Statutes of 2025.Latest
- Oct 6Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 11Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 4Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 2920.).Major
- Vote recorded AB 894 Carrillo Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Sep 3In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB894 Carrillo et al. By Rubio. Result: pass.Upper
- Sep 3Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2448.).Passed Senate
- Aug 28Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 27Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Jul 15Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Jul 14From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.Minor
- Jul 2From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jul 1
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 19From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (June 18). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Jun 18
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 9From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.Major
- Jun 4Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.Minor
- May 23In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 894 Carrillo Consent Calendar Second Day. Result: pass.Lower
- May 23Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 71. Noes 0. Page 1663.)Passed Assembly
- May 15Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- May 14From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 28Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 24Read second time and amended.Major
- Apr 23From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (April 22).Major
- Apr 22
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 25Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.Minor
- Mar 24From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 24Referred to Com. on HEALTH.Minor
- Feb 20From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.
- Feb 19Read first time. To print.Introduced