Healing arts.

Existing law requires a board under the Business and Professions Code, including the Medical Board of California, to provide legal representation to any person hired or under contract who provides expertise to the board in the evaluation of an applicant or the conduct of a licensee when that person is named as a defendant in a civil action arising out of the evaluation or any opinions rendered, statements made, or testimony given to the board. Existing law also provides immunity from civil liability to any person providing testimony to the Medical Board of California, the California Board of Podiatric Medicine, or the Department of Justice indicating that a licensee may be guilty of unprofessional conduct or may be impaired because of drug or alcohol abuse or mental illness. This bill would require the Office of the Attorney General, with approval by the Medical Board of California, to provide representation to any licensed physician and surgeon who provides expertise to the board in the evaluation of the conduct of an applicant or a licensee when, as a result of providing that expertise, the physician and surgeon is subject to a disciplinary proceeding undertaken by a specialty board of which the physician and surgeon is a member. Existing law requires the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development to establish a nonprofit public benefit corporation known as the Health Professions Education Foundation to perform various duties with respect to implementing health professions scholarship and loan programs. Under existing law, the foundation is governed by 13 members, including, until January 1, 2011, 2 members of the Medical Board of California appointed by the board. This bill would extend the 2 foundation board appointments to January 1, 2016.