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California 20252026

SB 331

Health care coverage: hearing aids.

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Source: Open States / PluralUpdated 2026-09-12 13:12:55 UTC.

Official record

Measure details

Jurisdiction
California
Session
20252026
Chamber
upper
Classification
bill
Subjects
Healthcarecoverage, hearingaids
Introduced / first action
2025-02-12 00:00:00

Alternate titles

  • Substance abuse.
  • State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission: certification of facilities: electrical transmission projects.

Source-supplied abstracts

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 an individual or small group health care service plan contract or health insurance policy to include, at a minimum, coverage for essential health benefits, as specified. Commencing January 1, 2027, if the United States Department of Health and Human Services approves a new essential health benefits benchmark plan for the state, existing law requires essential health benefits to include an annual hearing exam and one hearing aid per ear every three years. This bill, the Let California Kids Hear Act, would require a large group health care service plan contract or health insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2028, to include coverage for hearing aids, as defined, and related services for enrollees and insureds under 21 years of age, if medically necessary. The bill would authorize a large group health care service plan contract or health insurance policy to limit the dollar coverage for each individual hearing aid device to $3,000, as specified. Because a willful violation of these requirements by a health care service plan would be a crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Sponsors

Source-supplied history

Actions

  1. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  2. Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

    amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable

  3. From committee: That the Assembly amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.)

    committee-passage

  4. From committee: Be re-referred to Com. on HEALTH pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d). (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

    committee-passage, referral-committee

  5. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d).

    referral-committee

  6. In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  7. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 6515.) Ordered to the Senate.

    passage, reading-1, reading-3

  8. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1, reading-3

  9. Read third time and amended.

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-3

  10. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1, reading-2, reading-3

  11. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 5).

    committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable

  12. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable, referral-committee

  13. Coauthors revised.

  14. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

    amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee

  15. July 8 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.

  16. Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.

    referral-committee

  17. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

    reading-1

  18. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 27. Noes 0. Page 1514.) Ordered to the Assembly.

    passage, reading-1, reading-3

  19. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1, reading-2, reading-3

  20. Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2

  21. From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 1196.) (May 23).

    amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable

  22. Set for hearing May 23.

  23. May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  24. Set for hearing May 12.

  25. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee

  26. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0. Page 939.) (April 29).

    amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable, referral-committee

  27. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee

  28. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 8. Noes 0. Page 737.) (April 9).

    amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable, referral-committee

  29. Set for hearing April 29 in JUD. pending receipt.

  30. Set for hearing April 9.

  31. Re-referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.

    referral-committee

  32. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

    referral-committee

  33. Withdrawn from committee.

    withdrawal

  34. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E., U & C.

    amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee

  35. Referred to Coms. on E., U & C. and E.Q.

    referral-committee

  36. From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 15.

  37. Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

    introduction, reading-1, referral-committee

Documents and versions

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Related measures

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