AB 28339 (Villapudua) Proposes New Requirements for Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Regarding Responsible Small Dollar Loans Program

By Summer M. Bosse AB 2839 (Villapudua), as amended March 17, 2022, would amend section 22370 of the Financial Code as it relates to the California Financing Law’s Pilot Program for Increased Access to Responsible Small Dollar Loans. The Pilot Continue reading

Passage of SB 245 Expands Abortion Access for Californians 

By Allison Plette SB 245 (Gonzalez), known as Abortion Accessibility Act, as amended February 14, 2022, and as it relates to the Department of Insurance, adds section 10123.1961 to the Insurance Code to expand access to reproductive health care by Continue reading

The Patient Transparency and Protection Act Seeks to Address Medical Board’s Legislative Request

By Tala Hughes SB 920 (Hurtado), as amended on March 29, 2022, would amend sections 2220.5 and 2330 of, and add section 2220.8 to the Business and Professions Code regarding the Medical Board of California’s (MBC) ability to request records Continue reading

Department of Managed Health Care’s Health Equity and Quality Committee Convenes its First Meeting

By Hunter W. Collins On February 24, 2022, the Department of Managed Health Care’s (DMHC) Health Equity and Quality Committee (Committee) held its first meeting via Zoom. AB 133 (Committee on Budget) (Chapter 143, Statutes of 2021), which became effective Continue reading

Safeco Insurance Company Faces Class-Action Lawsuit over Automobile Insurance Rates During COVID-19 Pandemic

By Jackson Sullivan On November 23, 2021, in Jimmy Monge v. Safeco Insurance Company of America et al., Case No. 2:21-cv-09175-MWF-AFM (C.D. Cal.)., plaintiffs filed a class action complaint in the Central District of California on behalf of the putative Continue reading

Department of Managed Health Care and Department of Health Care Services Issue $55 Million in fines to L.A. Care Health Plan in Enforcement Action to Protect Consumers

By William Espinosa On March 4, 2022, the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) released a statement detailing its enforcement action against Local Initiative Health Authority for Los Angeles County (L.A. Care), the state’s largest Medi-Cal plan. The action is Continue reading

California Public Utilities Commission Issues First Autonomous Vehicle Drivered Deployment Permits

By Andrew D. Kent On February 28, 2022, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced the issuance of Drivered Deployment permits to Cruise LLC (Cruise) and Waymo LLC (Waymo) to allow for passenger service in autonomous vehicles (AVs). The Drivered Continue reading

State Bar Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Changes to Adjudication Procedures for Provisionally Licensed Lawyers

By James Lanham At its February 25, 2022 meeting, the Board of Trustees of the State Bar of California voted to make available for a 45-day public comment period proposed new rules 5.480–5.486 of the Rules of Procedure of the Continue reading

AB 2060 Aims to Address Medical Board Criticisms with Public Member Majority Board

By Divya Sriharan On February 14, 2022, California Assemblymember Quirk introduced AB 2060, a bill sponsored by the Medical Board of California (MBC) that would establish a public member majority on the Board. Specifically, the bill would amend sections 2001, Continue reading

Contractors State License Board Proposes Amendments to SB 216 after Years of Ineffectively Enforcing Workers’ Compensation Insurance Requirement

By Thomas A.T. Ferrari At its January 26, 2022 meeting, the Contractors State License Board’s (CSLB) Legislative Committee, heard an update on SB 216 (Dodd), a Board-sponsored bill pertaining to workers’ compensation.  Staff reported that the bill has become a Continue reading