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SB-588 • 2026

Health facilities: freestanding emergency center study.

Health facilities: freestanding emergency center study.

Healthcare
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Ochoa Bogh
Last action
2026-02-02
Official status
Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Study of Freestanding Emergency Departments in Rural Areas

This law requires the Department of Health Care Access and Information to study the feasibility of setting up freestanding emergency departments in rural, disadvantaged, and underserved areas with limited access to emergency care.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Health Care Access and Information to conduct a study on the feasibility of implementing freestanding emergency departments.
  • Specifies that the study should focus on rural, disadvantaged, and underserved areas lacking easy access to emergency care.
  • Recommends collaboration with certain stakeholders for the study.
  • Sets a deadline of January 1, 2027, for the department to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature.
  • Allocates an unspecified amount from the General Fund to support the study.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Health Care Access and Information
  • Rural, disadvantaged, and underserved communities with limited emergency care access

Terms To Know

Freestanding Emergency Departments
Emergency medical facilities that are not part of a hospital but can provide urgent care services.
General Fund
A fund used by the government to pay for various programs and services, including health studies.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact amount of money allocated from the General Fund is not specified.
  • The study will be repealed on January 1, 2031, after which its provisions will no longer apply.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-02 California Legislative Information

    Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

  2. 2026-01-06 California Legislative Information

    January 14 set for second hearing canceled at the request of author.

  3. 2026-01-06 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing January 14.

  4. 2025-05-01 California Legislative Information

    April 30 set for first hearing. Testimony taken. Further hearing to be set.

  5. 2025-04-22 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 30.

  6. 2025-04-21 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

  7. 2025-04-21 California Legislative Information

    April 23 hearing postponed by committee.

  8. 2025-04-08 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 23.

  9. 2025-04-02 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

  10. 2025-03-26 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  11. 2025-03-05 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on RLS.

  12. 2025-02-21 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.

  13. 2025-02-20 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 588, as amended, Ochoa Bogh.
Health facilities: freestanding emergency center study.
Existing law authorizes a general acute care hospital, as defined, to offer special services, including, but not limited to, emergency medical services. Existing law establishes the Department of Health Care Access and Information to oversee and administer various health programs related to health care infrastructure, such as health policy and planning, health professions development, and facilities design review and construction, among others.
This bill would require the Department of Health Care Access and Information to conduct a feasibility study on the implementation of freestanding emergency
departments
departments, as defined,
in rural,
disadvantaged, and underserved areas with limited access to emergency care. The bill would require that the study be conducted in collaboration with certain stakeholders and that the department issue a report to the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2027, with its findings and recommendations. The bill would appropriate an unspecified amount from the General Fund to the department for those purposes. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2031.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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