California Healthline Highlights Recent Legislative Action

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Thursday signed four health-related bills and vetoed eight.

Schwarzenegger signed:

SB 644, by Sen. Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento), which addresses dispensation of prescription drugs (LaMar, San Jose Mercury News, 9/30). The law requires pharmacists to fill all legal prescriptions unless they previously designate in writing their religious or moral objections to certain medications, such as emergency contraception. In addition, the bill would require pharmacies to develop plans to fill prescriptions in a reasonable timeframe in the event that a pharmacist objects to a medication (California Healthline, 9/8);
AB 228, by Assembly member Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood), which bars health insurers from denying coverage for organ and tissue transplants for HIV-positive patients (Delsohn, Sacramento Bee, 9/30);
AB 1142, by Assembly member Marvyn Dymally (D-Compton), addressing HIV/AIDS among blacks; and
AB 1586, by Koretz, addressing discrimination by health insurers (Office of the Governor release, 9/29).

Schwarzenegger vetoed:

SB 18, by Ortiz, which would have addressed oversight of funding for human embryonic stem cell research (Vogel/Rau, Los Angeles Times, 9/30);
SB 363, by Sen. Don Perata (D-Oakland), which would have addressed manual lifting of patients in acute care hospitals (Berthelsen/Herron Zamora, San Francisco Chronicle, 9/30);
SB 1023, by Sen. Joe Dunn (D-Garden Grove), which would have addressed employers who refuse to pay workers' compensation claims;
AB 73, by Assembly member Dario Frommer (D-Glendale), which would have required the state to create a Web site informing California residents of pharmacies in Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom where drugs could be purchased at lower prices (Los Angeles Times, 9/30);
AB 78, by Assembly member Fran Pavley (D-Woodland Hills), which would have addressed pharmacy benefit managers;
AB 899, by Assembly member Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles), which would have addressed in-home supportive services (Office of the Governor release, 9/29);
AB 1184, by Koretz, which would have banned mandatory overtime for nurses (Los Angeles Times, 9/30); and
AB 1737, by Assembly member Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), which would have addressed workers' compensation (Office of the Governor release, 9/29).

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