(a) For each month beginning on or after January 1, 2020, a California resident shall be enrolled in and maintain minimum essential coverage for that month, except as provided in subdivision (c).

(b) For each month beginning on or after January 1, 2020, a California resident shall ensure and maintain minimum essential coverage for any person who qualifies as that California resident’s applicable spouse or applicable dependent, except as provided in subdivision (c).

(c) The following individuals shall be exempt, with respect to any month, from the requirements imposed by subdivisions (a) and (b):

(1) An individual who has in effect a certificate of exemption for hardship or religious conscience issued by the Exchange under Section 100715 for that month.

(2) An individual who is a member of a health care sharing ministry for that month. “Health care sharing ministry” has the same meaning as the term was defined in Section 5000A(d)(2)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code on January 1, 2017.

(3) An individual who is incarcerated for that month, other than incarceration pending the disposition of charges.

(4) An individual who is not a citizen or national of the United States and is not lawfully present in the United States for that month.

(5) An individual who is a member of an Indian tribe, as defined in Section 45A(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, during that month.

(6) An individual for whom that month occurs during a period described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of Section 911(d)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that is applicable to the individual.

(7) An individual who is a bona fide resident of a possession of the United States, as determined under Section 937(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, for that month.

(8) An individual who is a bona fide resident of another state for that month.

(9) An individual who is enrolled in limited or restricted scope coverage under the Medi-Cal program or another health care coverage program administered by and determined to be substantially similar to limited or restricted scope coverage by the State Department of Health Care Services for that month.

(d) The requirements of subdivisions (a) and (b) shall be referred to as the Minimum Essential Coverage Individual Mandate.

(e) An Individual Shared Responsibility Penalty shall be imposed for failure to meet the requirement of the Minimum Essential Coverage Individual Mandate pursuant to Part 32 (commencing with Section 61000) of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 38, Sec. 10. (SB 78) Effective June 27, 2019.)