On June 29, 2024, California’s Governor signed Senate Bill (SB) 159, a budget bill pertaining to healthcare. Within this budget bill were revisions to California’s health care worker minimum wage, further delaying the implementation. On the last day of May, the Governor signed an urgency bill to delay the implementation of California’s health care worker minimum wage until July 1, 2024.

SB 159 delays the implementation of the minimum wage until at least October 15, 2024.

The amendments put in place by SB 159, delay the implementation of the health care minimum wage until one of the following occurs:

• The Department of Finance finds that the agency cash receipts for the period from July 1 through September 30, 2024, are at least three percent higher than projected at the time of the enactment of the 2024 Budget Act. If this occurs the health care minimum wage would be effective October 15, 2024.
• The Department of Health Care Services has initiated the data retrieval necessary to implement an increase to the hospital quality assurance fee beginning January 1, 2025. If this notification occurs the health care minimum wage would be effective the earlier of January 1, 2025, or 15 days after the notification to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.

As a budget bill, these amendments take effect immediately.