Senate Approves Sen. Dodd’s Hospital Pandemic and Emergency Response Bill

SACRAMENTO – The California Senate today voted unanimously to approve legislation from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that would help California hospitals respond to public health crises including pandemics and other emergencies

 “When a public emergency strikes, hospitals need to be able to respond,” Sen. Dodd said.  “The pandemic, destructive wildfires and other natural disasters have been hard on California hospitals. This bill will help them adapt to fast-changing conditions, serving patients as quickly as possible. I appreciate my fellow senators for approving this commonsense measure.”

Sen. Dodd's bill, Senate Bill 979, relaxes insurance restrictions for patients seeking treatment outside of their network coverage areas, ensuring they get medical coverage wherever an emergency hits. It is sponsored by the California Hospital Association.

SB 979 heads next to the Assembly.

“As COVID-19 cases surge again throughout the nation, California’s Senate took an important step this week by supporting legislation that will help ensure California will be better prepared to respond not only to this ongoing pandemic but also any future health care emergencies,” said Carmela Coyle, president and CEO of the California Hospital Association. “SB 979 will give the state greater authority to compel insurance companies to provide vital health care services in times of crisis, giving health care providers the resources they rely upon to care for all in need.”

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Senator Bill Dodd represents the 3rd Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Solano, Yolo, Sonoma, Contra Costa, and Sacramento counties. You can learn more about the district and Senator Dodd at www.sen.ca.gov/dodd.