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 Bill Text - AB-2077 Protect the Promise Act.

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 |Add To My Favorites |Track Bill | Version: 02/18/26 - Introduced

 AB-2077 Protect the Promise Act.(2025-2026)

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 Date Published: 02/18/2026 02:00 PM

AB2077:v99#DOCUMENTBill Start

 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

 Assembly Bill

No. 2077

Introduced by Assembly Member Macedo

February 18, 2026

 An act to add Article 1.2 (commencing with Section 14042.5) to Chapter 7 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to Medi-Cal.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2077, as introduced, Macedo.
 Protect the Promise Act.

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is in part governed by, and funded pursuant to, federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law establishes procedures for counties in making Medi-Cal eligibility determinations and redeterminations.

Existing federal law, enacted on July 4, 2025, sets forth various changes to Medicaid eligibility with regard to community engagement reporting, redeterminations, cost sharing, and retroactive coverage, among other factors, for certain Medicaid populations pursuant to a specified implementation timeline.

This bill, the Protect the Promise Act, would require the department, in coordination with
 counties, to verify Medi-Cal eligibility before enrollment approval whenever reliable data sources are available. The bill, subject to any exceptions under federal law, would prohibit self-attestation alone for Medi-Cal eligibility purposes from being accepted for the eligibility factors of income, residency, identity, household composition, or citizenship or immigration status.

The bill would require the department and the county to fully utilize certain data sets and verification systems. The bill would require the department to cross-reference beneficiary data with certain databases, complete a one-time submission of enrollment data to the federal government, and review information from specified federal and state sources. The bill would require the department to maintain a continuous process to identify changes in residency.

The bill would require the department to require regular and systematic eligibility
 redeterminations, as specified. The bill would require the department and the county to identify eligibility errors, correct errors, and recover improper payments. The bill would require the department to establish enforceable accountability mechanisms, including, among others, reports to the Legislature and designation of officials.

By creating new duties for counties relating to Medi-Cal eligibility determinations and redeterminations, the 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made
 pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Digest Key

 Vote:
 MAJORITY 
 Appropriation:
 NO 
 Fiscal Committee:
 YES 
 Local Program:
 YES 

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Californians have entrusted the state with taxpayer dollars to provide health care services to individuals who are legally eligible for the Medi-Cal program. That trust constitutes a public promise to both taxpayers and beneficiaries.

(b) The California State Auditor has repeatedly documented systemic failures in Medi-Cal eligibility determinations, including overreliance on self-attestation, failure to use available data, and weak redetermination practices. These failures have resulted in billions of dollars in improper or questionable payments and have placed the program at high fiscal risk under federal
 improper payment standards.

(c) The intent of this act is to restore integrity, accountability, and accuracy to Medi-Cal eligibility processes by requiring verification, data use, and enforcement consistent with federal law. This act strengthens the Medi-Cal p