Clinic corporation: licensing.

Under existing law, the State Department of Public Health is responsible for the licensing and regulation of clinics, as defined. A violation of these provisions is a crime. This bill would define "clinic corporation" as a nonprofit organization that operates one or more primary care clinics or mobile health care units as defined. Existing law allows specified primary care clinics to apply for a license to establish a primary care clinic, known as an affiliate clinic, at an additional site and allows the department to approve a license for the affiliate clinic, without the necessity of first conducting an initial onsite survey in specified conditions. This bill would allow a clinic corporation, on behalf of an eligible primary care clinic, to submit an affiliate clinic application, as specified, to license a primary care clinic or a mobile health care unit as an affiliate clinic if certain conditions are met. The bill would designate the clinic corporation as the administrative headquarters for specified purposes for all of the affiliated clinics operated by that clinic corporation and would allow the clinic corporation to submit a single report of change and a single payment for all clinic license renewal fees that are due within the same license renewal month for all of the primary care clinics operated by the clinic corporation. The bill would also require the department to create a complete corporate file for each clinic corporation that includes specified information. Because this bill would create a new crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.