Clinical laboratories.

Existing law provides for the licensure, registration, and regulation of clinical laboratories and various clinical laboratory personnel by the State Department of Public Health. Existing law allows the State Department of Public Health to adopt, amend, or repeal regulations necessary for the administration of clinical laboratories. Existing law makes a violation of the provisions governing clinical laboratories and clinical laboratory personnel a crime. This bill would require the State Department of Public Health to promulgate regulations to require hospitals and health care facilities that employ clinical laboratory scientists and medical laboratory technicians to provide training to those individuals and any other employees charged with supervising those individuals on specified subject matters. Since a violation of the provisions governing clinical laboratory technology is a misdemeanor under existing law, this bill would expand the definition of a crime, thereby imposing 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.