SACRAMENTO – The Assembly Appropriations Committee today advanced Senate Bill 1023 by Senator John Laird, legislation to expand access to injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a highly effective medication used to prevent HIV infection.

SB 1023 will require health plans that already cover injectable PrEP to also reimburse it through their outpatient prescription drug benefit, helping reduce financial and administrative barriers faced by community clinics and HIV prevention providers.

“California has long been a leader in HIV prevention and public health,” said Laird. “SB 1023 helps ensure that providers and clinics can continue offering injectable PrEP to the communities that need it most by removing barriers that limit access to care.”

The bill is a California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus priority bill and is sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and the Department of Insurance, Equality California, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, AIDS Project LA Health, and LA LGBT Center. The bill now advances to the Assembly floor for consideration.