The measures are part of the special legislative session on health care called by Governor Jerry Brown.
Democratic Senator Ed Hernandez is carrying bills that deal with insurance market rules and the expansion of Medicaid.
HERNANDEZ: "Everything has to move extremely quickly, because the exchange needs to have their contracts in place, we have to have these consumer protections in place well before 2014."
Backers of the bills would extend public health insurance to more than a million Californians, guarantee insurance to people with pre-existing conditions, and set guidelines for premium pricing.
Bills passed in the special session go into effect 90 days after it adjourns.
