AB 539: Prior authorization: duration of approval

Latest action

August 3, 2026. Cleared Senate Appropriations suspense file.

What the bill does

Would require a health plan's or insurer's prior authorization for a service to remain valid for at least one year.

What it does not do

No current payer obligation arises from this bill. Later floor activity is not yet reflected in the official history recorded on this page.

Medical Board context

Not among the August Board AI items. .

KPSGILL position

No support-or-oppose position is registered on this bill. KPSGILL analysis: the KPSGILL model payer standard, drafted independently, recommends the same twelve-month duration floor this bill would enact, alongside provisions the bill does not reach — transition continuity, a named accountable clinician, and automation disclosure. On duration, the bill’s direction matches the KPSGILL recommendation; the Legislator Brief states the full package and its trade-offs.

What happens next

Next known decision point: August 31, 2026. Floor and enrollment states change quickly at session end; this page records only what the official chamber history establishes, and updates when that history does. Scheduled dates sit on the decision calendar.

Primary sources

• LegiScan — AB 539 action history

Register: data/ca-bills.json · tracker: California Legislature 2026.