Legislative Watch: Video Message from CEO & Lobbyist on Nursing and Healthcare Legislation in California 2026

In this blog:

• Video Update: Watch CEO Dr. Marketa Houskova and Lobbyist Roxanne Gould break down where key nursing bills stand as they move through the Legislature.

• Bill Tracker: Get a quick look at priority legislation impacting scope of practice, maternal health, AI, education, and workforce safety.

• Where We Are: Understand where we are in the legislative cycle and what to expect next.

• Political Action Day: RSVP to our free virtual conference on nursing and healthcare legislation for 2026.

Video Update🎥

ANA\California CEO, Dr. Marketa Houskova, and contracted Lobbyist, Roxanne Gould, provide a timely update on nursing and healthcare legislation in California’s 2026 legislative session, highlighting which bills are advancing, where advocacy is making an impact, and what comes next.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/22658b_8da4a0a44e9e417697bfe102c19595da/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Key Issues Highlighted

BRN Sunset Review

The hearing - led by the Assembly and Senate Business & Professions Committees - focused on how effectively the BRN is regulating nursing practice while balancing consumer protection, workforce access, and education pipeline challenges.

1. Scope of Practice: Ongoing efforts to expand and clarify roles for advanced practice nurses, alongside debates around professional titles and authority.

2. Maternal Health: New policies aimed at improving safety and transparency in prenatal care, including stronger standards for consumer protections.

3. Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Emerging legislation focused on transparency, patient protections, and appropriate use of AI in clinical settings.

4. Workforce Safety: Continued focus on protecting nurses and healthcare workers from workplace violence and unsafe conditions.

5. Education and Workforce Pipeline: Addressing barriers in nursing education, clinical placements, and long-term workforce sustainability.

Key Bills and Topics

• Access to Care & Women’s Healthcare

  ANA\California continued to support efforts to protect access to contraception in emergency settings and ensure women can access women’s healthcare in urgent situations, even as some of those bills did not advance this 2025-2026 legislative session.

• Reproductive Freedom & Patient Protections

  Several priority conversations centered on preserving timely, patient-centered reproductive healthcare and pushing back against barriers that delay or restrict care.

• Technology & AI in Healthcare

  AB 2575 (Ortega) focused on the use of artificial intelligence in patient care, including protections for healthcare workers’ professional judgment, transparency around AI tools, and accountability when AI-informed decisions affect patients.

• Nursing Education Pipeline

  SB 975 (Ochoa Bogh) addressed remediation plans for nursing faculty, directors, and assistant directors, with the goal of helping qualified educators and program leaders move into teaching and leadership roles under approved mentorship pathways.

• Medi-Cal & Basic Health Supports

  AB 636 (Ortega) aimed to expand Medi-Cal coverage for diapers for eligible children and youth with qualifying medical conditions, recognizing these supplies as a necessary health support rather than an extra burden on families.

• Air Quality & Broader Health Advocacy

  The update also touched on health-related advocacy beyond individual bills, including air quality issues and federal advocacy efforts affecting the nursing profession.

• Federal Advocacy for Nursing

  ANA\California highlighted federal comments submitted to the U.S. Department of Education to ensure the nursing profession is represented in national policy decisions that affect education, workforce development, and access to care.

Where We Are in the Legislative Cycle

California is moving through key policy committee hearings, where bills are being evaluated, amended, and either advanced or held. This stage is critical for advocacy, as legislative priorities are being shaped before moving to fiscal committees and floor votes in the coming months.

Next Legislative Deadline: April 24th - Last day for policy committees to hear and report to fiscal committees fiscal bills introduced in their house.