Signed
AB 3 by Assembly member Karen Bass (D-Baldwin Vista) will expand the number of physician assistants that doctors can supervise from two to four. The bill also will allow physician assistants who have completed specified educational requirements to prescribe certain medications without a supervising doctor's approval (Bill Text, 7/17).
AB 253 by Assembly member Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park) will reduce the membership of the Medical Board of California from 21 to 15 and eliminate the two divisions of the board -- licensing and medical quality. The board as a whole will handle both functions (Bill Text, 8/30).
A bill (AB 632) by Assembly member Mary Salas (D-Chula Vista) will extend existing whistleblower protections to physicians who report wrongdoing or file grievances against health care facilities (Bill Text, 9/5).
AB 1559 by Assembly member Tom Berryhill (R-Modesto) will require community colleges with more applications than available slots in their nursing programs to adopt a new selection system that is based at least partly on the merit of the applications, including academic performance, work or volunteer experience (Bill Text, 8/29).
Legislation (SB 139) by Sen. Jack Scott (D-Pasadena) would prohibit a registered nursing program at California State University or a community college from requiring students with bachelor's degrees to complete general education requirements as part of the nursing program. These students only will have to complete classes needed to prepare for a registered nursing license (Bill Text, 8/20).
