Healing arts.

(1) Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various healing arts practitioners by boards under the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law requires the Medical Board of California, in conjunction with the Board of Registered Nursing, and in consultation with the Physician Assistant Committee and professionals in the field, to review issues and problems relating to the use of laser or intense light pulse devices for elective cosmetic procedures by their respective licensees. This bill would require the board to adopt regulations by January 1, 2013, regarding the appropriate level of physician availability needed within clinics or other settings using certain laser or intense pulse light devices for elective cosmetic procedures. (2) Existing law requires the Medical Board of California, as successor to the Division of Licensing of the Medical Board of California, to adopt standards for accreditation of outpatient settings, as defined, and, in approving accreditation agencies to perform this accreditation, to ensure that the certification program shall, at a minimum, include standards for specified aspects of the settings' operations. Existing law makes a willful violation of these and other provisions relating to outpatient settings a crime. This bill would include, among those specified aspects, the submission for approval by an accreditation agency at the time of accreditation, a detailed plan, standardized procedures, and protocols to be followed in the event of serious complications or side effects from surgery. This bill would, as part of the accreditation process, authorize the accrediting agency to conduct a reasonable investigation, as defined, of the prior history of the outpatient setting. The bill would also modify the definition of "outpatient setting" to include facilities that offer in vitro fertilization, as defined. By changing the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law also requires the Medical Board of California to obtain and maintain a list of all accredited, certified, and licensed outpatient settings, and to notify the public, upon inquiry, whether a setting is accredited, certified, or licensed, or whether the setting's accreditation, certification, or license has been revoked. This bill would, instead, require the board to obtain and maintain the list for all accredited outpatient settings, and to notify the public, by placing the information on its Internet Web site, whether the setting is accredited or the setting's accreditation has been revoked, suspended, or placed on probation, or the setting has received a reprimand by the accreditation agency. Existing law requires accreditation of an outpatient setting to be denied if the setting does not meet specified standards. Existing law authorizes an outpatient setting to reapply for accreditation at any time after receiving notification of the denial. This bill would require the accreditation agency to report within 3 business days to the Medical Board of California if the outpatient setting's certificate for accreditation has been denied. Because a willful violation of this requirement would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also apply the denial of accreditation, or the revocation or suspension of accreditation by one accrediting agency, to all other accrediting agencies. Existing law authorizes the Medical Board of California, as successor to the Division of Medical Quality of the Medical Board of California, or an accreditation agency to, upon reasonable prior notice and presentation of proper identification, enter and inspect any accredited outpatient setting to ensure compliance with, or investigate an alleged violation of, any standard of the accreditation agency or any provision of the specified law. This bill would delete the notice and identification requirements. The bill would require that every outpatient setting that is accredited be inspected by the accreditation agency, as specified, and would specify that it may also be inspected by the board and the department, as specified. The bill would require the board to ensure that accreditation agencies inspect outpatient settings. Existing law authorizes the Medical Board of California to evaluate the performance of an approved accreditation agency no less than every 3 years, or in response to complaints against an agency, or complaints against one or more outpatient settings accreditation by an agency that indicates noncompliance by the agency with the standards approved by the board. This bill would make that evaluation mandatory. Existing law authorizes the board or the local district attorney to bring an action to enjoin a violation or threatened violation of the licensing provisions for outpatient settings in the superior court in and for the county in which the violation occurred or is about to occur. This bill would require the board to investigate all complaints concerning a violation of these provisions and, with respect to any complaints relating to a violation of a specified provision, or upon discovery that an outpatient setting is not in compliance with that specified provision, would require the board to investigate and, where appropriate, the board, through or in conjunction with the local district attorney, to bring an action to enjoin the outpatient setting's operation, as specified. (3) 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.