SB 1039

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law requires the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development to establish the Health Professions Education Foundation to, among other things, solicit and receive funds for the purpose of providing scholarships, as specified. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that would establish a Dental Corps Scholarship Program, as specified, to increase the supply of dentists serving in medically underserved areas. (2) Existing law, the Dental Practice Act, requires the Dental Hygiene Committee of California to establish by resolution the amount of the fees that relate to the licensing of a registered dental hygienist, a registered dental hygienist in alternative practice, and a registered dental hygienist in extended functions. Existing law prohibits the biennial renewal fee from exceeding $160. Existing law requires these fees to be deposited in the State Dental Hygiene Fund and makes these moneys subject to appropriation by the Legislature. This bill would instead prohibit the biennial renewal fee from exceeding $500. (3) Existing law makes the State Board of Optometry responsible for the regulation of nonresident contact lens sellers, registered dispensing opticians, spectacle lens dispensers, and contact lens dispensers. Existing law authorizes the State Board of Optometry to issue a citation containing an order of abatement, an order to pay an administrative fine not to exceed $50,000, or both, as specified, for a violation of a specific section of law governing the permitted relationship of an optometrist with any registered dispensing optician or any optical company. This bill would make that $50,000 limit a limit per investigation. Existing law establishes regulatory fees for the regulation of nonresident contact lens sellers, registered dispensing opticians, spectacle lens dispensers, and contact lens dispensers, including, but not limited to, an initial registration fee, a renewal fee, and a delinquency fee. Existing law requires these fees to be deposited in the Dispensing Opticians Fund and makes these fees available, subject to appropriation, to the State Board of Optometry. This bill would establish a specified minimum and maximum application fee amount for nonresident contact lens sellers, registered dispensing opticians, and spectacle lens dispensers. The bill would also establish increased minimum and maximum amounts for those already established fees. The bill would authorize the State Board of Optometry to periodically revise and fix these fees, as specified. Existing law authorizes the State Board of Optometry to inspect any premises at which the business of a registered dispensing optician is colocated with the practice of an optometrist for the purposes of determining compliance with the aforementioned written lease agreement provisions. This bill would authorize the State Board of Optometry at any time to inspect the premises registered with the board in which optometry is being practiced or in which spectacle or contact lenses are fitted or dispensed. (4) The Nursing Practice Act provides for the licensure and regulation of nurse practitioners by the Board of Registered Nursing, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs, and requires the board to adopt regulations establishing standards for continuing education for licensees, as specified. That act requires providers of continuing education programs approved by the board to make records of continuing education courses given to registered nurses available for board inspection. That act also prescribes various fees to be paid by licensees and applicants for licensure, and requires these fees to be credited to the Board of Registered Nursing Fund, which is a continuously appropriated fund as it pertains to fees collected by the board. This bill would require that the content of a continuing education course be based on generally accepted scientific principles. The bill would also require the board to audit continuing education providers, at least once every 5 years, to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements, and to withhold or rescind approval from any provider that is in violation of regulatory requirements. The bill would raise specified fees, and would provide for additional fees, to be paid by licensees and applicants for licensure pursuant to that act. By increasing fees deposited into a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation. (5) The Pharmacy Law provides for the licensure and regulation of pharmacists by the California State Board of Pharmacy within the Department of Consumer Affairs. That law prescribes various fees to be paid by licensees and applicants for licensure, and requires all fees collected on behalf of the board to be credited to the Pharmacy Board Contingent Fund, which is a continuously appropriated fund as it pertains to fees collected by the board. This bill would, on and after July 1, 2017, modify specified fees to be paid by licensees and applicants for licensure pursuant to that act. By increasing fees deposited into a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation. (6) The Veterinary Medicine Practice Act provides for the licensure and regulation of veterinarians by the Veterinary Medical Board, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Under the act, it is unlawful and a misdemeanor for any person to practice veterinary medicine in this state unless he or she holds a valid, unexpired, and unrevoked license issued by the board, except under specified circumstances, including regularly licensed veterinarians in actual consultation from other states, regularly licensed veterinarians actually called from other states to attend cases in this state who do not open an office or appoint a place to do business within the state, or veterinarians employed by the University of California or the Western University of Health Sciences while engaged in the performance of specified duties. This bill would replace those exceptions with an exception for veterinarians holding a current, valid license in good standing in another state or country who provide assistance to a California licensed veterinarian and attend on a specific case, subject to specified conditions, and an exception for veterinarians called into the state by a law enforcement agency or animal control agency. By requiring additional persons to be licensed under the act that were previously exempt, the bill would expand the definition of an existing crime and, therefore, would result in a state-mandated local program. (7) Existing law requires businesses that employ, or contract or subcontract with, the full-time equivalent of 5 or more persons functioning as health care professionals, as defined, whose primary function is to provide telephone medical advice, that provide telephone medical advice services to a patient at a California address to be registered with the Telephone Medical Advice Services Bureau and further requires telephone medical advice services to comply with the requirements established by the Department of Consumer Affairs, as specified. This bill would discontinue the requirement that those businesses be registered with the bureau, would instead make the respective healing arts licensing boards responsible for enforcing those requirements and any other laws and regulations affecting those health care professionals licensed in California, and would make conforming and related changes. (8) The Contractors' State License Law provides for the licensure and regulation of contractors by the Contractors' State License Board within the Department of Consumer Affairs. That law also prescribes various fees to be paid by licensees and applicants for licensure, requires the board to set the fees by regulation, and requires fees and civil penalties received under that law to be deposited in the Contractors' License Fund, which is a continuously appropriated fund as it pertains to fees collected by the board. This bill, on and after July 1, 2017, would raise specified fees, would instead authorize the board to set the fees by regulation, and would require the board to establish criteria for the approval of expedited processing of applications, as specified. By increasing fees deposited into a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation. (9) Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of structural pest control operators and registered companies by the Structural Pest Control Board, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs, and requires a licensee to pay a specified license fee. Existing law makes any violation of those provisions punishable as a misdemeanor. Existing law places certain requirements on a registered company or licensee with regards to wood destroying pests or organisms, including that a registered company or licensee is prohibited from commencing work on a contract until an inspection has been made by a licensed Branch 3 field representative or operator, that the address of each property inspected or upon which work was completed is required to be reported to the board, as specified, and that a written inspection report be prepared and delivered to the person requesting the inspection or his or her agent. Existing law requires the original inspection report to be submitted to the board upon demand. Existing law requires that written report to contain certain information, including a foundation diagram or sketch of the structure or portions of the structure inspected, and requires the report, and any contract entered into, to expressly state if a guarantee for the work is made, and if so, the terms and time period of the guarantee. Existing law establishes the Structural Pest Control Fund, which is a continuously appropriated fund as it pertains to fees collected by the board. This bill would require the operator who is conducting the inspection prior to the commencement of work to be employed by a registered company, except as specified. The bill would not require the address of an inspection report prepared for use by an attorney for litigation to be reported to the board or assessed a filing fee. The bill would require instead that the written inspection report be prepared and delivered to the person requesting it, the property owner, or the property owner's designated agent, as specified. The bill would allow an inspection report to be a complete, limited, supplemental, or reinspection report, as defined. The bill would require all inspection reports to be submitted to the board and maintained with field notes, activity forms, and notices of completion until one year after the guarantee expires if the guarantee extends beyond 3 years. The bill would require the inspection report to clearly list the infested or infected wood members or parts of the structure identified in the required diagram or sketch. By placing new requirements on a registered company or licensee, this bill would expand an existing crime and would, therefore, impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires a registered company to prepare a notice of work completed to give to the owner of the property when the work is completed. This bill would make this provision applicable only to work relating to wood destroying pests and organisms. (10) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.