California Assembly Bill AB165

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/8/25
• Refer: 2/3/25
• Engrossed: 3/20/25
• Refer: 3/20/25
• Refer: 4/2/25

Caption

An act relating to the Budget Act of 2025. An act to amend Sections 1324.29 and 1324.30 of the Health and Safety Code, and to amend Section 14126.033 of, and to amend and repeal Section 14126.036 of, the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to health and care facilities, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

Summary

AB 165 is a budget-related measure introduced as part of the 2025-26 legislative session. As introduced, the bill is extremely short and only states the Legislature’s intent to enact statutory changes relating to the Budget Act of 2025. On its face, the introduced text does not itself make substantive policy changes, appropriate funds, or amend any code sections; it functions as a placeholder or vehicle bill tied to the budget process. The bill context indicates that AB 165 is associated with later substantive changes affecting health and care facilities, including amendments to the Health and Safety Code and the Welfare and Institutions Code, and an urgency clause for immediate effect. That suggests the bill ultimately serves as a budget-related legislative vehicle for policy changes in the health care and long-term care regulatory space, even though those details are not present in the introduced text provided here.

Impact

In its introduced form, AB 165 would not directly change state law beyond expressing legislative intent, so its immediate legal effect is minimal. However, the bill’s caption and later context show that it is tied to amendments affecting health and care facilities and related welfare provisions, meaning it is intended to operate as part of the Budget Act of 2025 and to support statutory revisions in those areas. If enacted in its later form, it would affect the Health and Safety Code and Welfare and Institutions Code, likely altering rules for regulated care facilities and related oversight.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill moved with majority support, passing Assembly third reading 53-17. That vote pattern indicates generally favorable sentiment among the majority party and enough bipartisan or cross-party support to advance. Because there are no committee transcripts provided, there is little direct evidence of debate, but the vote and the bill’s budget-vehicle character suggest it was treated as a routine but important measure within the budget process.

Contention

The main point of contention appears to be the broader policy changes associated with the bill’s later caption, which involve health and care facilities and amendments to social services law. Those kinds of provisions can raise concerns about regulatory burden, facility standards, implementation costs, and the use of the budget bill as a vehicle for substantive policy. The 17 no votes suggest some opposition, likely from members skeptical of the policy direction, the urgency treatment, or the inclusion of substantive changes in a budget-related measure.