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 its provisions a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires every health care service plan contract and health insurance policy to provide coverage for screening for, diagnosis of, and treatment for, breast cancer, including coverage for prosthetic devices or reconstructive surgery to restore and achieve symmetry for the patient incident to a mastectomy. Existing law requires every health care service plan contract and health insurance policy that provides coverage for mastectomies and lymph node dissections to allow the length of any hospital stay to be determined by the attending physician and surgeon in consultation with the patient, to cover prosthetic devices or reconstructive surgery, and to cover all complications from a mastectomy. Existing law defines mastectomy for those purposes as the removal of all or part of the breast for medically necessary reasons, as determined by a licensed physician and surgeon.
California SB 255 (20112012) — Health care coverage: breast cancer.
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 its provisions a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires every health care service plan contract and health insurance policy to provide coverage for screening for, diagnosis of, and treatment for, breast cancer, including coverage for prosthetic devices or reconstructive surgery to restore and achieve symmetry for the patient incident to a mastectomy. Existing law requires every health care service plan contract and health insurance policy that provides coverage for mastectomies and lymph node dissections to allow the length of any hospital stay to be determined by the attending physician and surgeon in consultation with the patient, to cover prosthetic devices or reconstructive surgery, and to cover all complications from a mastectomy. Existing law defines mastectomy for those purposes as the removal of all or part of the breast for medically necessary reasons, as determined by a licensed physician and surgeon.
Version chain
The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.
Do pass, but re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations. — 7–0 (pass) · upper
SB 255 Pavley Senate Third Reading By ATKINS — 71–7 (pass) · lower
Unfinished Business SB255 Pavley By Alquist Concurrence — 38–0 (pass) · upper
3rd Reading — 27–6 (pass) · upper
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations. — 17–1 (pass) · lower
Sponsors
Pavley — primary (person)
Atkins — coauthor (person)
Bonnie Lowenthal — coauthor (person)
Evans — coauthor (person)
Mitchell — coauthor (person)
Timeline
The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.
2011-02-10 Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. introduction, reading-1
2011-02-11 From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 13.
2011-02-24 Referred to Com. on HEALTH. referral-committee
2011-03-31 Set for hearing April 27.
2011-04-25 From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH. reading-2, reading-1, committee-passage, amendment-passage, referral-committee
2011-04-27 Set, first hearing. Testimony taken. Further hearing to be set.
2011-12-15 Set for hearing January 11.
2012-01-12 From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 2648.) (January 11). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. referral-committee, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable
2012-01-13 From committee: Be placed on second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8. committee-passage
2012-01-17 Read second time. Ordered to third reading. reading-2, reading-1
2012-01-23 Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 27. Noes 6. Page 2696.) Ordered to the Assembly. reading-3, reading-1, passage
2012-01-23 In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. reading-1
2012-04-19 Referred to Com. on HEALTH. referral-committee
2012-06-20 From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 17. Noes 1.) (June 19). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. referral-committee, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable
2012-08-06 From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. reading-2, reading-1, committee-passage, amendment-passage, referral-committee
2012-08-09 From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (August 8). committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable
2012-08-13 Read second time. Ordered to third reading. reading-2, reading-1
2012-08-23 Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 71. Noes 7. Page 6173.) Ordered to the Senate. reading-3, reading-1, passage
2012-08-24 In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
2012-08-31 Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 5061.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. committee-passage-favorable, amendment-passage
2012-09-10 Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 9:45 a.m.
2012-09-22 Approved by the Governor. executive-signature
2012-09-22 Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 449, Statutes of 2012.
Source
OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/5ff59491-4745-4a2e-8bc7-3027f4c4fd85. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).
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