Quality
SB 1339 by Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) was amended to require the Emergency Medical Service Authority, rather than the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, to create a working group to study the state's emergency and trauma care systems. The bill would require EMSA by March 1, 2008, to provide a report assessing the emergency and trauma systems. The legislation would use private funding to conduct the study (Bill text, 5/23). An Assembly Health Committee hearing for the legislation is scheduled for June 13 (Bill status, 5/23).
The Senate passed SB 1301 by Sen. Elaine Alquist (D-San Jose), and the bill now moves to the Assembly (StateNet, Subscription required). The bill would require the Department of Health Services annually to provide information related to health facility licensing and renewal fees to the Legislature by Feb. 17 of each year. The bill also would revise the inspection process for health facilities and would require health care facilities to report adverse events within five days of their discovery or within 24 hours in some instances. The bill would authorize DHS to fine health care facilities for not reporting adverse events within the time limits (Bill text, 5/1).
SB 1659 by Sen. Dave Cox (R-Roseville) was amended to allow hospitals to electronically submit permit applications for seismic safety retrofits to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (Bill text, 5/24). The bill will be read for the second time in the Senate (Bill Status, 5/24).
AB 2360 by Assembly member Ted Lieu (D-El Segundo) was amended to allow an educational facility to purchase an ultrasound machine for training or research purposes. The bill would ban the sale, lease or distribution of ultrasound machines to anyone other than a licensed medical professional (Bill text, 5/25). The bill was re-referred to the Senate Health Committee (Bill status, 5/25).