Davis Signs Health Bills Into Law

Facing an Oct. 14 deadline to sign into law bills passed in the most recent legislative session, Gov. Gray Davis (D) has signed the following health-related legislation:

• AB 87: Sponsored by Assembly member Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), the measure allocates $5 million for the California Community Colleges system to increase the capacity of existing nurse training programs and to develop specialized training curricula for registered nurses. Colleges seeking grants would have to identify hospital partners that would provide matching contributions (Office of the Governor release, 10/5).
  
• AB 453: Sponsored by Assembly member Lou Correa (D-Anaheim), the measure allows laboratory personnel who conduct forensic blood tests to petition the court to test the samples for blood-borne diseases if they "accidentally come into direct contact with the blood" (Office of the Governor release, 10/4).
  
• AB 487: Sponsored by Assembly member Dion Aroner (D-Berkeley), the measure requires all physicians to complete a continuing education course in pain management and treatment for the terminally ill. The bill also requires the Medical Board to develop a protocol for investigating complaints about inadequate pain treatment.
  
• AB 548: Sponsored by Assembly member George Runner (R-Lancaster), the measure requires the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development to create a program to defray the cost of care provided by pediatric and adult specialty care providers for low-income residents in underserved areas. The office would be required to contract with a not-for-profit organization to raise funds for a new Specialty Care Fund to defray service costs and state administrative costs (Office of the Governor release, 10/5).
  
• AB 586: Sponsored by Assembly member Joe Nation (D-San Rafael), the measure allows pharmacists to perform "simple and routine" lab tests without "direct orders" from a physician (Office of the Governor release, 10/5).
  
• AB 945: Sponsored by Assembly member Roderick Wright (D-Los Angeles), the measure allows certified industrial hygienists or Department of Health Services-certified professionals to perform environmental investigations as part of the case management of children who suffer from lead poisoning.
  
• AB 951: Sponsored by Assembly member Dean Florez (D-Shafter), the measure requires the centralized applications unit within DHS' Licensing and Certification Division to review new applications for clinic licensure within two weeks and to schedule an on-site survey at the clinic within 30 days of receipt of a completed application. The measure requires DHS to designate at least one surveyor in each of the four state regions to specialize in clinic licensing surveys.
  
• AB 963: Sponsored by Assembly member Dennis Cardoza (D-Merced), the measure allows six Stanislaus County-operated clinics to be reimbursed for services provided to Medi-Cal beneficiaries under the same reimbursement methods used for a licensed surgical center. The bill allows the county to bill separately for its treatment and examination rooms and permits clinic physicians to continue to bill on their own.
  
• AB 1049: Sponsored by Assembly member Robert Pacheco (R-Walnut), the measure allows a "broader segment" of individuals with health care expertise to serve on the Technical Advisory Committee of the Los Angeles Care Health Plan Board of Governors. The bill also establishes a Children's Health Consultant Advisory Committee to provide the board with "a source of expertise" on children's health issues (Office of the Governor release, 10/5).
  
• AB 1424: Sponsored by Assembly member Helen Thomson (D-Davis), the measure broadens the types of information regarding a person's mental history that must be considered when determining "grave disability or danger to self or others." The bill requires that the criteria include information on a patient's medical and psychiatric records and information provided by mental health providers, family members and patients.
  
• AB 1428: Sponsored by Assembly member Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley), the measure authorizes the Dental Board to issue a license to certain qualified applicants who are licensed to practice dentistry in another state without requiring them to complete the state's licensure examination (Office of the Governor release, 10/5).
  
• AB 1490: Sponsored by Thomson, the measure permits electronic access to most clinical laboratory test results with patient consent "if arranged by the patient's physician." Patient confidentiality would be maintained through the use of a secure ID number. Online test results for HIV, hepatitis, substance abuse, cancer tests and Pap smears would not be permitted.
  
• AB 1503: Sponsored by Nation, the measure mandates that all HMOs or health plans that offer mental health services provide to the Department of Managed Health Care with a written policy describing how the plan would "facilitate continuity of care" for a new enrollee with a mental illness who loses his or her provider when an employer changes HMOs. The bill requires the plans to allow new enrollees to continue their treatment with their former provider for a "reasonable transition period" (Office of the Governor release, 10/5).
  
• AB 1586: Sponsored by Assembly member Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-Chino), the measure requires licensed doctors to inform the state medical board of their practice status and whether they hold any specialty certifications at the time of their license renewal (Office of the Governor release, 10/5).
  
• SB 134: Sponsored by Sen. Liz Figueroa (D-Fremont), the measure would revise the appointment procedures for the state Dental Board and would provide that the current board would be repealed on Jan. 1, 2002. The bill would provide that a new board, with the same powers as the previous board, would be created on January 1, 2002 and would become inoperative on July 1, 2004 (SB 134 text).
  
• SB 702: Sponsored by Sen. Martha Escutia (D-Whittier), the measure requires DHS and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to establish a working group to create "possible approaches to establishing an Environmental Health Surveillance System" to track and evaluate data on chronic diseases and exposures to potential pathogens.
• SB 1058: Sponsored by Escutia, the measure extends the state Department of Education Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Grant Program until July 1, 2003 (Office of the Governor release, 10/5).