Capitol Corner | March 2025

As this message comes to you, the State Legislature’s bill introduction deadline has just passed with hundreds of legislative proposals introduced on the last day of the introduction period which ran from December 3, 2024 to February 21, 2025.  During that period, a total of 2,350 bills were introduced with 1,500 in the Assembly and 850 in the Senate.  This total number reflects a 10 percent increase in the number of bills introduced this year as opposed to last year.

While most of these measures are substantive in scope, scores if not hundreds of them are so-called “spot” bills which are essentially placeholder measures to be “fleshed out” in the days, weeks, and months to come.  

The next step for these measures is for them to be assigned to policy and fiscal committees (if necessary) in their house of origin.  That means that we are getting ready for a virtual marathon of committee hearings in both houses that often run through entire days and sometimes late into the evening.  Not all bills will be set for hearings, but legislators fight vigilantly with legislative and committee leadership to ensure that their bills get at least a fair hearing and that these Assembly Members and Senators have at least a shot at making the case for their proposals with their colleagues serving on various committees.

While this internal legislative process proceeds, CAHSAH staff is reviewing and analyzing every bill introduced and those amended to assess their impact on home care, home health, and hospice.  That information is then presented to three individual subcommittees of CAHSAH’s Policy, Advocacy, and Public Affairs (aka: PAPA) Committee.  Those three subcommittees cover the following areas: State Funded Programs, Regulations & Best Practices, and Labor & General Business.  Our PAPA Committee members serving on those subcommittees consider all measures impacting our industry and determine what CAHSAH’s position should be on each and every one of them.  Once that process is completed, the full PAPA Committee meets to consider the recommendations of the subcommittees and takes official positions on those measures.

CAHSAH advocacy efforts on all of these measures actually began in earnest during the bill introduction period and kicks into high gear when policy and fiscal committee hearings are scheduled.  So please be sure to register with CAHSAH’s Quorum grassroots platform, and watch your email inboxes for CAHSAH Action Alerts so you can communicate with your legislators in support or opposition to bills affecting home care, home health, and hospice.