California SB 402: Multipayer Payment Reform Collaborative.

Bill Text

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 
 Bill Text - SB-402 Health care coverage: autism.

• 

• 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: 10/06/25 - Chaptered
 09/16/25 - Enrolled
 09/05/25 - Amended Assembly
 08/27/25 - Amended Assembly
 02/14/25 - Introduced

 SB-402 Health care coverage: autism.(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: 10/07/2025 02:00 PM

SB402:v95#DOCUMENTBill Start

 Senate Bill

 No. 402

 CHAPTER 413

 An act to amend Section 2290.5 of, and to add Chapter 17 (commencing with Section 4999.200) to Division 2 of, the Business and Professions Code, to amend Sections 1367.27, 1374.72, and 1374.73 of the Health and Safety Code, to amend Sections 10133.15, 10144.5, and 10144.51 of the Insurance Code, and to amend Section 11165.7 of the Penal Code, relating to health care coverage.

 [
 Approved by

 Governor
 October 06, 2025.

 Filed with

 Secretary of State
 October 06, 2025.
 ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 402, Valladares.
 Health care coverage: autism.

Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a health care service plan contract or a health insurance policy to provide coverage for behavioral health treatment for pervasive developmental disorder or autism and defines “behavioral health treatment” to mean specified services and treatment programs, including treatment provided pursuant to a treatment plan that is prescribed by a qualified autism service provider and administered either by a qualified autism service provider or by a qualified autism service professional or qualified autism service paraprofessional. Existing law defines
 “qualified autism service provider,” “qualified autism service professional,” and “qualified autism service paraprofessional” for those purposes. Those definitions are contained in the Health and Safety Code and the Insurance Code.

This bill would move those definitions to the Business and Professions Code. The bill would also make technical and conforming changes.

This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 1367.27 of the Health and Safety Code and Section 10133.15 of the Insurance Code proposed by AB 280 to be operative only if this bill and AB 280 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 1374.73 of the Health and Safety Code and Section 10144.51 of the
 Insurance Code proposed by AB 951 to be operative only if this bill and AB 951 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 11165.7 of the Penal Code proposed by AB 653 and SB 848, to be operative only if this bill and either or both of those bills are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

Digest Key

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

Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 2290.5 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2290.5.

 (a) For purposes of this division, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Asynchronous store and forward” means the transmission of a patient’s medical information from an originating site to the health care provider at a distant site.

(2) “Distant site” means a site where a health care provider who provides health care services is located while providing these services via a telecommunications system.

(3) “Health care provider” means any of the following:

(A) A person who is licensed under this division.

(B) An associate marriage and family therapist or marriage and family therapist trainee functioning pursuant to Section 4980.43.3.

(C) A qualified autism service provider certified by a national entity as defined in Section 4999.200 or a qualified autism service professional as defined in Section 4999.201.

(D) An associate clinical social worker functioning pursuant to Section 4996.23.2.

(E) An associate professional clinical counselor or clinical counselor trainee functioning pursuant to Section 4999.46.3.

(4) “Originating site” means a site where a patient is located at the time health care services are
 provided via a telecommunications system or where the asynchronous store and forward ser