SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) -- A new law that bans gender discrimination in health insurance  prices will bring a welcome end to a lawsuit filed by San Francisco against  the state, San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said Tuesday.

The new law is one of 478 bills signed by Gov. Arnold  Schwarzenegger before Sunday's deadline.

It prohibits California health insurance companies from charging  women higher rates than men for individual health insurance policies. The  practice of charging members of one gender a higher premium is known as  gender rating.

Herrera had sued state officials in San Francisco Superior Court  in January, contending that gender rating violates the California  Constitution.

The lawsuit cited a report by the National Women's Law Center that  found that California women under the age of 55 paid up to 39 percent more  for individual health insurance than men, even if the insurance didn't  include maternity coverage.

The lawsuit was put in abeyance while state Sen. Mark Leno, D-San  Francisco, and Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento, pursued the bill that  has now been signed by Schwarzenegger.

"This law will end discriminatory treatment of women in the  individual health insurance market, and help more than a million Californians  obtain affordable coverage," Herrera said.

The city attorney said lawyers from his office will seek dismissal  of the lawsuit within the next few days.

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