AB 1400, the California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act (CalCare), has been withdrawn for consideration this year, according to bill author, Ash Kalra, Democrat from San Jose. Kalra announced that in deference to legislative colleagues, the decision had been made to work on financing for the bill before moving it forward. Because this is the first year of a two-year legislative session, the bill, introduced in February, can be brought back later in the 2021-2022 session. Click here to read Kalra’s complete statement.

Phil Kim, organizer for the California Nurses Association which sponsored the bill, said that AB 1400 is expected to be “back on the table” in eight months. Meanwhile, organizing will continue, including gathering endorsements from community groups, city councils, county boards, unions, businesses, and other entities.

A financing study for the last single payer bill, SB 562, was completed in 2017 just as the bill was clearing the Senate and entering the Assembly. The Assembly speaker refused to advance the bill, and the financing was never discussed. Presumably much of the study remains relevant. No single payer bill was introduced in the 2019-2020 session. (Bills can be introduced first in either the Senate or Assembly.)