Health care professionals.

(1) Existing law prohibits a physician and surgeon, licensed medical corporation, or any audiologist who is not a licensed hearing aid dispenser from employing a licensed hearing aid dispenser for the purpose of fitting or selling hearing aids. This bill would prohibit a licensed hearing aid dispenser from employing a physician and surgeon or any audiologist who is not a licensed dispensing audiologist or hearing aid dispenser, or contracting with a licensed medical corporation, for the purpose of fitting or selling hearing aids. (2) Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California. Existing law requires the Medical Board of California to review issues and problems surrounding the use of laser or intense light pulse devices for elective cosmetic procedures, in conjunction with the Board of Registered Nursing and in consultation with other specified groups. Existing law requires the board and the Board of Registered Nursing to adopt regulations, by January 1, 2009, with regard to the use of laser or intense pulse light devices for elective cosmetic procedures, as specified. Existing law requires the board to adopt regulations, by January 1, 2013, regarding the appropriate level of physician availability needed within clinics or other settings using laser or intense pulse light devices for elective cosmetic procedures. This bill would delete the provisions that require the board to adopt regulations by January 1, 2009, and January 1, 2013. (3) Existing law requires a physician and surgeon who performs a scheduled medical procedure outside of a general acute care hospital that results in the death of any patient on whom that medical treatment was performed by the physician and surgeon, or by a person acting under the physician and surgeon's orders or supervision, to report, in writing on a form prescribed by the board, that occurrence to the board within 15 days after the occurrence. A person who violates this requirement is guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would make that provision applicable without regard to whether the procedure was scheduled. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law provides for the licensing and regulation of persons who are engaged in the practice of speech-language pathology or audiology, as specified, and vests the enforcement of these provisions in the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board. Among other requirements, an applicant for licensure as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist is required to submit transcripts from an educational institution approved by the board evidencing completion of specified coursework, and submit evidence of the satisfactory completion of supervised clinical practice with individuals representative of a wide spectrum of ages and communication disorders. Existing law requires the board to establish by regulation the required number of clock hours, not to exceed 300 clock hours, of supervised clinical practice necessary for the applicant. This bill would delete the requirement that the applicant submit transcripts from an educational institution approved by the board evidencing completion of specified coursework and would increase the maximum number of clock hours that the board may establish by regulation to 375. (5) Existing law, the Psychology Licensing Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of psychologists by the Board of Psychology. Under certain circumstances, existing law authorizes the board to issue a fictitious-name permit to a psychologist, as specified. This bill would repeal the provision that authorizes the issuance of a fictitious-name permit, and would make conforming changes with regard to that repeal. The bill would make other changes to update a provision related to consumer notices, as specified. (6) Existing law, the Pharmacy Law, governs the regulation of the practice of pharmacy and establishes the California State Board of Pharmacy to administer and enforce these provisions. The law authorizes the board to issue a license to an individual to serve as a designated representative to provide sufficient and qualified supervision in a wholesaler or veterinary food-animal drug retailer, as specified, and requires the licensee to protect the public health and safety in the handling, storage, and shipment of dangerous drugs and dangerous devices in the wholesaler or veterinary food-animal drug retailer. The law also defines a correctional pharmacy to mean a pharmacy, licensed by the board, located within a state correctional facility, as specified. This bill would require an individual who applies for a designated representative license to be at least 18 years of age. The bill would also revise the definition of a correctional pharmacy to mean a pharmacy, licensed by the board, located within a correctional facility, without regard to whether the facility is a state or local correctional facility. (7) Existing law, the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of marriage and family therapists by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. Existing law sets forth the educational and training requirements for licensure as a marriage and family therapist. Existing law, among other requirements, requires an applicant for licensure as a marriage and family therapist to complete 75 hours of client centered advocacy or face-to-face counseling, as specified. This bill would authorize an applicant for licensure as a marriage and family therapist to meet this requirement by completing 75 hours of client centered advocacy or face-to-face counseling, or any combination thereof. (8) Existing law, the Educational Psychologist Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of educational psychologists by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. Existing law authorizes an applicant for examination who has passed the standard written examination to take a clinical vignette written examination for licensure if that applicant is the subject of a complaint or under investigation by the board, as specified. This bill would eliminate the clinical vignette written examination for those purposes, and would make conforming changes to other provisions. (9) Existing law requires an applicant for licensure as a marriage and family therapist, clinical social worker, or professional clinical counselor to participate in and obtain a passing score on a board-administered California law and ethics examination in order to qualify for licensure or renewal of a license. This bill would permit an applicant who holds a registration eligible for renewal, with an expiration date no later than June 30, 2016, and who applies for renewal of that registration between January 1, 2016, and June 30, 2016, if eligible, to renew the registration without first participating in the California law and ethics examination. The bill would require the applicant to pass that examination prior to licensure or issuance of a subsequent registration number. The bill would also permit an applicant who holds or has held a registration, with an expiration date no later than January 1, 2017, and who applies for a subsequent registration number between January 1, 2016, and January 1, 2017, if eligible, to obtain the subsequent registration number without first passing the California law and ethics examination, if he or she passes the law and ethics examination during the next renewal period or prior to licensure, whichever occurs first. This bill would make other changes relating to licensure as a marriage and family therapist, clinical social worker, or professional clinical counselor. The bill would also make other technical, conforming, and clarifying changes. (10) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 4980.72, 4980.78, 4999.58, 4999.59, and 4999.60 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by AB 2213, to be operative only if AB 2213 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2015, and this bill is chaptered last. (11) 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.