The California Legislature before adjourning on Wednesday passed a bill (AB 1429) that would require every individual or group health care plan that covers cervical cancer treatment also to provide coverage for human papillomavirus vaccination, the Los Angeles Times reports (Vogel, Los Angeles Times, 9/16).

The bill states that every health care plan that is issued, amended or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2008, and that includes coverage for treatment or surgery of cervical cancer also must cover HPV vaccination in compliance with the recommendations of CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The plan must cover a Pap test, an FDA-approved HPV screening test and an FDA-approved cervical cancer screening test. The measure exempts specialized health care service plans from the requirement (AB 1429 text, 9/17).

The Legislature also passed a bill (AB 34) that would create a statewide system to collect and store umbilical cord blood. The Legislature passed 962 bills before adjourning Wednesday. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has acted on some of the bills and has until Oct. 21 to sign or veto the remainder of them (Los Angeles Times, 9/16).

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