Healing arts: 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, with specified exceptions. A violation of those provisions is a crime. Existing law authorizes a person who is licensed under those provisions to perform certain laboratory tests. This bill, until January 1, 2021, would authorize a person with specified qualifications to perform a total protein test using a digital refractometer in a licensed plasma collection center in this state if specified circumstances are met, as determined by the department, including that the person meets certain education and training requirements. The bill would require the digital refractometer used to perform a total protein test pursuant to these provisions to meet specific criteria, including that it be used within 30 feet of the donor for whom the test is being conducted. The bill would require a participating licensed plasma collection center to make specified information available to the department. The bill would exempt the information obtained pursuant to these provisions from the California Public Records Act. Because a violation of those provisions would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. 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.