SACRAMENTO, CA — Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood) has introduced three bills that uplift and enhance health care access for LGBTQ+ and vulnerable communities. The Enhanced Consumer Protections for Preventive Care bill aims to close key loopholes in current law that impede access to preventive care, including medication management and lab testing for PrEP, an HIV prevention medication, and procedures like STI and HIV screening. The Increasing Access to Gender Affirming Care bill aims to increase access to health care for transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals by expediting licensing of gender-affirming health care providers. Finally, the Foster Care Cash Savings bill aims to help young adults who age out of foster care, a large portion of which are LGBTQ+, to remain eligible for the Extended Foster Care and the Independent Living Program and, at the same time, save money to become financially self-sufficient.
"LGBTQ+ Californians continue to experience significant disparities in measures of health and wellbeing compared to the general public," said Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur. "These bills – AB 2258, AB 2442, and AB 2477 – all help close those disparity gaps by increasing healthcare access for transgender and gender non-conforming people, enhancing consumer protections for preventative care for HIV and other conditions, and helping former foster youth obtain the support services they need to live independently to reduce the risk of homelessness. They are about lifting up and supporting our most vulnerable."
The bills in this package include:
AB 2258: Enhanced Consumer Protections for Preventive Care
Every Californian deserves access to preventive health care that is comprehensive, inclusive, and affordable. A recent study found that as little as $10 in cost sharing for HIV prevention medication (PrEP) doubled the rate at which patients abandon their prescriptions, leading to a higher incidence of HIV infection in those patients. Federal guidance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires health insurers and health plans to cover both recommended preventive care and health care that is integral to providing recommended preventive care ("integral services") without out-of-pocket costs. AB 2258 would codify this federal guidance into California law. These services include, but are not limited to; anesthesia and polyp removal during a colonoscopy; placement, management, and removal of long-acting reversible contraceptives; and ancillary and support services for PrEP, including HIV and other STI screening.
Sponsors: California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, APLA Health, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Los Angeles LGBT Center, Equality California
AB 2442: Increasing Access to Gender-Affirming Care
In 2023, 185 bills were passed nationwide to limit or eliminate access to gender-affirming health care. This pervasive wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has particularly harmed transgender youth, as highlighted by the Williams Institute's estimate that approximately 156,500 transgender youth live in 32 states where access to gender-affirming care has been restricted. AB 2442 ensures that licensure applications for providers of gender-affirming care are prioritized to ensure a robust network of providers in the state is able to meet the needs of out-of-state patients. By championing this initiative, California can continue to serve as a beacon of inclusivity and reinforce access to quality gender-affirming care.
Sponsors: Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, Equality California
AB 2477: Foster Care Cash Savings
Young people aging out of foster care are often not yet equipped to survive independently and become homeless. In California, there are over 60,000 children in the foster care system, with LGBTQ+ youth being highly overrepresented. This bill clarifies that foster youth are allowed to accumulate cash savings while in extended foster care, better equipping them to become self-reliant in adulthood. Specifically, foster youth can save upwards of $10,000 without losing their existing benefits or triggering redetermination of eligibility. While many foster youth may never accumulate that much in savings, having a financial safety net to account for life crises should be welcomed, not discouraged, by the state of California.
Sponsors: California Coalition for Youth, Alliance for Children's Rights, and Children Now
Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur serves as the Democratic Caucus Chair for the California State Assembly and represents the 51st Assembly District, which includes Universal City, Hollywood, Hancock Park, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Westwood, West Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and other portions of Los Angeles.
CONTACT: Vienna Montague, (916) 319-2051, Vienna.Montague@asm.ca.gov