---
type: "Bill"
title: "Health care coverage: out-of-network coverage."
description: "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. A willful violation of the act is a crime. Existing law requires a health care service plan to reimburse providers for emergency services and care provided to its enrollees, until the care results in stabilization of the enrollee. Existing law prohibits a health care service plan from requiring a provider to obtain authorization prior to the provision of emergency services and care necessary to stabilize the enrollee's emergency medical care, as specified."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20152016"
identifier: "AB 72"
citation: "California AB 72 (20152016)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Health care coverage: out-of-network coverage."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bonta"]
version_count: 11
action_count: 57
vote_count: 12
first_action: "2014-12-18"
last_action: "2016-09-23"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/3ef6b890-c3c1-452a-814e-63ced6997768"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB72"
source_hash: "dc0de63d65c639a8161f84dd318c3113b28ee062d23f3cd1a21b89c0a1e04267"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ca"]
---

# California AB 72 (20152016) — Health care coverage: out-of-network coverage.

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. A willful violation of the act is a crime. Existing law requires a health care service plan to reimburse providers for emergency services and care provided to its enrollees, until the care results in stabilization of the enrollee. Existing law prohibits a health care service plan from requiring a provider to obtain authorization prior to the provision of emergency services and care necessary to stabilize the enrollee's emergency medical care, as specified.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **12/18/14 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB72&version=20150AB7299INT)
2. **06/15/16 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB72&version=20150AB7296AMD)
3. **08/01/16 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB72&version=20150AB7295AMD)
4. **08/04/16 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB72&version=20150AB7294AMD)
5. **08/19/16 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB72&version=20150AB7293AMD)
6. **08/25/16 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB72&version=20150AB7292AMD)
7. **09/04/15 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB72&version=20150AB7298AMD)
8. **09/09/15 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB72&version=20150AB7297AMD)
9. **09/23/16 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB72&version=20150AB7290CHP)
10. **AB72** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB72)
11. **09/02/16 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB72&version=20150AB7291ENR)

## Votes

- Do pass — **4–3** (pass) · upper
- Do pass — **6–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] — **7–1** (pass) · upper
- AB 72 BONTA Concurrence in Senate Amendments — **79–0** (pass) · lower
- AB 72 BONTA Consent Calendar Second Day — **78–0** (pass) · lower
- Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar — **9–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass. To Consent Calendar. — **16–0** (pass) · lower
- Placed on suspense file — **7–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] — **18–0** (pass) · lower
- 3rd Reading AB72 Bonta By Hernandez — **35–1** (pass) · upper
- With recommendation: That Senate amendments be concurred in. — **15–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Bonta — primary (person)
- Bonilla — author (person)
- Dahle — author (person)
- Gonzalez — author (person)
- Maienschein — author (person)
- Santiago — author (person)
- Wood — author (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2014-12-18** Introduced. To print. `introduction`
- **2014-12-19** From printer. May be heard in committee January 18.
- **2015-01-05** Read first time. `reading-1`
- **2015-01-22** Referred to Com. on HEALTH. `referral-committee`
- **2015-04-08** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 18. Noes 0.) (April 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `referral-committee, committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage`
- **2015-04-15** From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (April 15). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage`
- **2015-04-16** Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2015-04-23** Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 1107.). `reading-3, passage, reading-1`
- **2015-04-23** In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. `reading-1`
- **2015-05-07** Referred to Com. on HEALTH. `referral-committee`
- **2015-06-04** In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
- **2015-07-16** From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `referral-committee, committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage`
- **2015-08-18** From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (August 17). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage`
- **2015-08-19** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2015-08-24** Ordered to inactive file at the request of Senator Hernandez.
- **2015-09-02** From inactive file.
- **2015-09-02** Ordered to second reading.
- **2015-09-03** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2015-09-04** Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading. `reading-3, amendment-passage, reading-1`
- **2015-09-08** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2015-09-08** Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(c). `referral-committee`
- **2015-09-09** Joint Rule 61(a) suspended. (Ayes 27. Noes 6. Page 2645.)
- **2015-09-09** Joint Rule 62(a) suspended. (Ayes 27. Noes 6. Page 2646.)
- **2015-09-09** Re-referred to Com. on GOV. & F. `referral-committee`
- **2015-09-09** From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on GOV. & F. `referral-committee, reading-2, amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, reading-1`
- **2015-09-10** From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 4. Noes 3.) (September 10). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage`
- **2015-09-10** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2015-09-11** Ordered to inactive file at the request of Senator Hancock.
- **2016-06-15** From inactive file.
- **2016-06-15** Ordered to second reading.
- **2016-06-15** Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading. `amendment-passage, reading-2, reading-1`
- **2016-06-16** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2016-06-20** Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(c). `referral-committee`
- **2016-06-21** Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH. `referral-committee`
- **2016-06-30** From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 1.) (June 29). `amendment-introduction, committee-passage, amendment-passage`
- **2016-08-01** Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `referral-committee, reading-2, amendment-passage, reading-1`
- **2016-08-04** From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR. `referral-committee, reading-2, amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, reading-1`
- **2016-08-08** Referred to APPR. suspense file. `referral-committee`
- **2016-08-11** From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (August 11). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage`
- **2016-08-15** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2016-08-19** Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading. `reading-3, amendment-passage, reading-1`
- **2016-08-22** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2016-08-25** Re-referred to Com. on RLS. `referral-committee`
- **2016-08-25** Senate Rule 29.3(b) suspended. (Page 5433.)
- **2016-08-25** From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on RLS. `referral-committee, reading-2, amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, reading-1`
- **2016-08-26** Withdrawn from committee.
- **2016-08-26** (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 5451.)
- **2016-08-26** Ordered to third reading.
- **2016-08-29** Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 35. Noes 1. Page 5488.). `reading-3, passage, reading-1`
- **2016-08-30** In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- **2016-08-30** Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2. `referral-committee`
- **2016-08-30** Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 6474.)
- **2016-08-30** From committee: That the Senate amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 30). `committee-passage`
- **2016-08-31** Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 6534.). `committee-passage-favorable, amendment-passage`
- **2016-09-09** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2:30 p.m.
- **2016-09-23** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2016-09-23** Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 492, Statutes of 2016.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/3ef6b890-c3c1-452a-814e-63ced6997768`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).