Gov. Davis Signs, Vetoes Health Legislation This Week

Gov. Gray Davis (D) this week signed several health-related measures. Those bills include:

AB 275: Sponsored by Assembly member Dion Aroner (D-Berkeley), the bill requires the Department of Health Services and the Department of Developmental Services to provide the state Legislature with information regarding dental services provided to Medi-Cal beneficiaries who are also eligible for coverage under the Lanterman Developmental Disability Services Act.
AB 1867: Sponsored by Assembly member Juan Vargas (D-San Diego), the bill prohibits smoking within 25 feet of any sandbox or playground area. Fines for noncompliance will be consistent with current littering fines.
AB 2045: Sponsored by Assembly member Barbara Matthews (D-Tracy), the bill requires the Board of Pharmacy to consider the actions of a pharmacist under the supervision of a pharmacist-in-charge as mitigating circumstances while considering disciplinary action against the pharmacist-in-charge (Office of the Governor release, 9/16).
AB 2165: Sponsored by Assembly member Virginia Strom-Martin (D-Duncans Mills), the bill notes the shortage of pharmacists in California and the need to adopt a national pharmacy licensing exam in the state. In addition, the bill asks the Joint Legislative Sunset Review Committee to address alleviating the pharmacist shortage as part of the Board of Pharmacy's 2002-03 sunset review (Office of the Governor release, 9/17).
AB 2202: Sponsored by Assembly member Elaine Alquist (D-Santa Clara), the bill requires students in the California State University system who intend to work with seniors in professions such as gerontology, nursing, physical therapy, psychology or social work to complete a curriculum in gerontology. In addition, the bill requires students in these fields to provide courses and training in their field and requires that each university in the system designate guidelines for gerontology training and a plan for recruiting students into the field.
AB 2459: Sponsored by Assembly member Manny Diaz (D-San Jose), the bill requires the Department of Health Services to approve and distribute a copy of the written summary on standards of alternative treatment to the Medical Board of California every time the document is updated. The bill also requires the Medical Board to distribute the updated document to its physicians and surgeons and requires the DHS and the Board to update their Web sites each time they receive a new set of standards.
AB 3049: Sponsored by the Assembly Committee on Health, the bill establishes an exemption to a law under which day care centers licensed by the Department of Social Services must obtain proof of childhood immunizations. The bill also adds Marin and Yolo counties to the list of counties that are exempt from a requirement prohibiting incorporating services that are covered by the California Children's Services into Medi-Cal managed care contracts.
AB 3054: Sponsored by the Assembly Committee on Aging, the bill requires the Department of Health Services to consult with an advisory committee to establish more than one alternative model to the Long Term Care Integration Pilot Program (Office of the Governor release, 9/16).
SB 492: Sponsored by Sen. Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles), the bill extends the ending date, from Jan. 1, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2008, of an exemption to a law prohibiting corporate medical practice. The bill also extends the ending date on clinic licensure requirements for not-for-profit clinics that meet certain requirements.
SB 1447: Sponsored by Sen. Wes Chesbro (D-Arcata), the bill eliminates dosing limits on two medications given to patients who are addicted to opiates and establishes the reimbursement rate to be paid for narcotic replacement therapy under Medi-Cal.
SB 1633: Sponsored by Sen. Nell Soto (D-Pomona), the bill mandates that the Department of Health Services must provide earlier notice to elderly blind or disabled people who are applying for Medi-Cal coverage that any interest they have in an exempt home may be transferred for less than fair market value without affecting their Medi-Cal eligibility.
SB 1852: Sponsored by the Senate Committee on Public Safety, the bill makes several "technical, minor or nonsubstantive changes" to the Health and Safety, Penal, Vehicle and Welfare and Institutions Codes (Office of the Governor release, 9/16).

Meanwhile, Gov. Davis vetoed the following pieces of health legislation:

AB 2010: Sponsored by Assembly member Keith Richman (R-Northridge), the bill would have required the Department of Health Services to develop by July 1, 2003 two consolidated application forms for primary care clinics seeking licensing.
AB 2296: Sponsored by Assembly member S. Joseph Simitian (D-Palo Alto), the bill would have required the Department of Mental Health to examine "problematic" reporting requirements of several mental health service programs and to bring together a workshop to recommend changes to such requirements that would reduce "unnecessary" paperwork.
AB 2740: Sponsored by Assembly member Wilma Chan (D-Alameda), the bill would have required the Department of Mental Health to develop and run a grant program to encourage each county to initiate a plan to identify and address children's mental health needs.
SB 1418: Sponsored by Sen. Maurice Johannessen (R-Redding), the bill would have required the Department of Health Services to approve or deny within 120 days any completed Medi-Cal application and pay "reasonable costs" of the applicant if a provider wins in appeal.
SB 2097: Sponsored by the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, the bill would have expanded the membership and responsibilities of the Lyme Disease Advisory Committee within the Department of Health Services (Office of the Governor release, 9/16).

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