Davis Signs, Vetoes More Health-Related Legislation
Gov. Gray Davis (D) this week signed more health-related bills into law. Summaries of the laws appear below:
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AB 1045: Sponsored by Assembly member Marco Firebaugh (D-East Los Angeles), the law establishes the Licensed Physicians and Dentists from Mexico pilot program. Under the program, 30 physicians and dentists from Mexico who meet certain criteria will receive nonrenewable licenses to practice medicine or dentistry in the state for a maximum of three years (Office of the Governor release, 10/1).
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AB 1634: Sponsored by Assembly member Wilma Chan (D-Alameda), the law requires the Department of Education to include nutrition education in the state's health curriculum.
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AB 2781: Sponsored by Assembly member Jenny Oropeza (D-Long Beach), the law makes statutory revisions to several state mental health programs (Office of the Governor release, 10/1).
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AB 2872: Sponsored by Assembly member Helen Thomson (D-Davis), the law requires the Medical Board of California, as well as the state's medical schools, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development and others to study proposals to restart the "Fifth Pathway Program" in the state. The program allows U.S. citizens who attended medical school abroad and completed at least one year of internship in the United States, as well as an additional year of residency, to apply for a license to practice in the state.
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AB 2935: Sponsored by Assembly member Virginia Strom-Martin (D-Duncans Mills), the law establishes the California Pharmacist Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program in the OSHPD. The law also offers scholarship and loan repayment for pharmacy students who agree to practice in underserved areas.
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AB 3006: Sponsored by the Assembly Committee on Budget, the bill restores an increase in Medi-Cal reimbursements for providers enacted last year but eliminated by Davis in May in his revised fiscal year 2002-2003 state budget plan.
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SB 1162: Sponsored by Sen. Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles), the law asks the Regents of the University of California to consider the expansion of the Charles R. Drew/University of California-Los Angeles Undergraduate Medical Education Program. The law also will assess an expansion of a physician training program; could increase the number of minority medical students in the state; and could increase the number of physicians who practice in underserved areas (Office of the Governor release, 10/1).
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SB 1868: Sponsored by Sen. Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch), the law requires the Department of Education to encourage school districts to provide "quality" physical education programs. The bill also mandates that school districts cannot waive physical education requirements for students in grades 10 through 12 who did not pass a physical education exam in grade nine.
- SB 1955: Sponsored by Sen. Liz Figueroa (D-Freemont), the bill establishes several sunset review reforms for a number of consumer regulatory agencies, such as the Dental Board, the Optometry Board, the Board of Podiatric Medicine, the Physical Therapy Board and the Respiratory Care Board (Office of the Governor release, 10/1).
Davis this week also vetoed more health-related bills. Summaries of the legislation appear below:
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AB 1156: Sponsored by Assembly member Dion Aroner (D-Berkeley), the law would have prohibited a requirement by the Department of Mental Health for 24-hour onsite nursing staff at community treatment facilities, as well as the use of mechanical restraints at community treatment facilities.
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AB 1422: Sponsored by Thomson, the law would have established the California Mental Health Advocacy Commission to provide a number of services for state residents with mental illness.
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SB 1413: Sponsored by Sen. Wesley Chesbro (D-Arcata), the bill would have made law several requirements related to Medi-Cal reimbursements for services provided by federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics.
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SB 1644: Sponsored by Sen. Charles Poochigian (R-Fresno), the law would have required the Department of Health Services to consider the adequacy of Medi-Cal reimbursement rates for physicians and dentists who serve communities with "disproportionately high" rates of Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
- SB 1734: Sponsored by Sen. John Vasconcellos (D-Santa Clara), the law would have allowed public agencies to distribute certain drug-related paraphernalia to help sterilize needles and syringes (Office of the Governor release, 10/1).