The following discusses the California Newborns’ and Mothers’ Health Act of 1997, the State law requiring minimum hospital stays for mothers and their newborns. Also discussed below are laws requiring appropriate care for mental health patients after hospital discharge. For information on laws governing length of stay for mastectomies and lymph node dissections, see CMA ON-CALL document #7000, “Coverage Requirements and Related Health Insurance Market Reforms,” and Question 6 below.