California AB 1649: Computer crimes.

Bill Text

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 
 Bill Text - AB-1649 Medi-Cal: monthly maintenance amount: personal and incidental needs.

• 

• skip to content

• home

• accessibility

• FAQ

• feedback

• sitemap

• login

• x

 Quick Search:

 Bill Number
 Bill Keyword

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• Home

• Bill Information

• California Law

• Publications

• Other Resources

• My Subscriptions

• My Favorites

• Bill Information
 >>

• Bill Search
 >>

• Text

 Bill Text

 PDF2
 Bill PDF

 |Add To My Favorites |Track Bill | Version: 01/28/26 - Introduced

 AB-1649 Medi-Cal: monthly maintenance amount: personal and incidental needs.(2025-2026)

 Text

 >>

 Votes

 >>

 History
 >>

 Bill Analysis
 >>

 Today's Law As Amended
 >>

 Compare Versions
 >>

 Status
 >>

 Comments To Author

 >>

 Track Bill
 >>

 Add To My Favorites
 >>

 SHARE THIS:

 Date Published: 01/28/2026 09:00 PM

AB1649:v99#DOCUMENTBill Start

 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

 Assembly Bill

No. 1649

Introduced by Assembly Member Ahrens

January 28, 2026

 An act to amend Section 14005.12 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to Medi-Cal.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1649, as introduced, Ahrens.
 Medi-Cal: monthly maintenance amount: personal and incidental needs.

Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid provisions. Qualified individuals under the Medi-Cal program include medically needy persons and medically needy family persons who meet the required eligibility criteria, including applicable income requirements.

Existing law requires the department to establish income levels for maintenance need at the lowest levels that reasonably permit a medically needy person to meet their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter, and for which federal financial participation will still be provided under applicable federal law. In calculating the income of a medically needy person in a
 medical institution or nursing facility, or a person receiving institutional or noninstitutional services from a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly organization, the required monthly maintenance amount includes an amount providing for personal and incidental needs in the amount of not less than $35 per month while a patient. Existing law authorizes the department to increase, by regulation, this amount as necessitated by increasing costs of personal and incidental needs.

This bill would increase the monthly maintenance amount for personal and incidental needs from $35 to $50, and would require that the amount be increased annually, as specified. The bill would make these changes subject to receipt of necessary federal approvals.

Digest Key

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

Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 14005.12 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as amended by Section 71 of Chapter 42 of the Statutes of 2023, is amended to read:

14005.12.

 (a) For the purposes of Sections 14005.4 and 14005.7, the department shall establish the income levels for maintenance need at the lowest levels that reasonably permit medically needy persons to meet their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter, and for which federal financial participation will still be provided under Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act. It is the intent of the Legislature that the income levels for maintenance need for medically needy aged, blind, and disabled adults, in particular, shall be based upon amounts that adequately reflect their needs.

(1) Subject to paragraph (2), reductions in the maximum aid payment levels set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 11450 in the 1991–92 fiscal year, and thereafter, shall not result in a
 reduction in the income levels for maintenance under this section.

(2) (A) The department shall seek any necessary federal authorization for maintaining the income levels for maintenance at the levels in effect June 30, 1991.

(B) If federal authorization is not obtained, medically needy persons shall not be required to pay the difference between the spend down of excess income as determined based on the payment levels in effect on June 30, 1991, under Section 11450, and the spend down of excess income as determined based on the payment levels in effect on July 1, 1991, and thereafter.

(3) Any medically needy person who was eligible for benefits under this chapter as categorically needy for the calendar month immediately preceding the effective date of the reductions in the minimum basic
 standards of adequate care for the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program as set forth in Section 11452.018 made in the 1995–96 Regular Session of the Legislature shall not be responsible for paying their spen