AB 687: Health care coverage: colorectal cancer screening.
This bill allows for up to 35 noncommercial wildfire fuels reduction projects per year, with a maximum size of less than 1,500 acres, to prepare a timber harvesting plan without a CEQA environmental impact report. These projects must be paid for in part or whole with public funds. The bill expands the scope of a crime, creating a state-mandated local program, which will be repealed on January 1, 2031. The state will not be required to reimburse local agencies and school districts for costs associated with this bill.
| Jun. 25, 2026 | In committee: Hearing postponed by committee. |
| Jun. 22, 2026 | Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH. |
| Jun. 15, 2026 | Re-referred to Com. on RLS. |
| Jun. 15, 2026 | Withdrawn from committee. |
| Jun. 15, 2026 | From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on N.R. & W. |
| Amended IN Senate June 15, 2026 |
| Amended IN Assembly May 23, 2025 |
| Amended IN Assembly April 09, 2025 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Patterson |
February 14, 2025 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
The Z’berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973 prohibits a person from conducting timber operations unless a timber harvesting plan prepared by a registered professional forester has been submitted to, and approved by, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The act provides that any person who willfully violates any provision of the act or rule or regulation of the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection is guilty of a misdemeanor.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment.
This bill would authorize up to 35 projects per year that are exclusively for noncommercial wildfire fuels reduction in timberland, less than 1,500 acres in size, and paid for in part or in whole with public funds, to prepare a timber harvesting plan to comply with CEQA. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2031.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 1367.668 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:1367.668.
(a) Every health care service plan contract, except a specialized health care service plan contract, that is issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2022, shall provide coverage without cost sharing for a colorectal cancer screening test(b)
SEC. 2.
Section 10123.207 of the Insurance Code is amended to read:10123.207.
(a) Every health insurance policy, except a specialized health insurance policy, that is issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2022, shall provide coverage without cost sharing for a colorectal cancer screening test(b)
SEC. 3.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.(a)Notwithstanding Section 4527, up to 35 projects per year, that are each exclusively for noncommercial wildfire fuels reduction in timberland, are less than 1,500 acres in size, and are paid for in part or in whole with public funds, may prepare a timber harvesting plan pursuant to this article to comply with Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000).
(b)This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2031, and as of that date is repealed.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.