AB 2435: California Health Benefit Exchange.

Existing federal law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), requires each state to establish an American Health Benefit Exchange to facilitate the purchase of qualified health benefit plans by qualified individuals and qualified small employers. Existing state law creates the California Health Benefit Exchange, also known as Covered California, governed by an executive board, to facilitate the enrollment of qualified individuals and qualified small employers in qualified health plans as required under PPACA. Existing law specifies the powers of the executive board. Existing law authorizes the executive board to adopt necessary rules and regulations by emergency regulations until January 1, 2025, with the exception of regulations implementing prescribed provisions relating to criminal background history checks for persons with access to confidential, personal, or financial information. Existing law authorizes the Office of Administrative Law to approve more than 2 readoptions of emergency regulations until January 1, 2030. Existing law provides that these extensions apply to a regulation adopted before January 1, 2022.

This bill would extend the authority of the executive board to adopt necessary rules and regulations by emergency regulations until January 1, 2030, and would extend the authority of the Office of Administrative Law to approve more than 2 readoptions of emergency regulations until January 1, 2035. The bill would provide that these prescribed time extensions apply to a regulation adopted before January 1, 2025.