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, until January 1, 2021, authorizes 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, performs the total protein test under the supervision of certain individuals, and records the results of the test in a federally approved computer system. Existing law requires a participating licensed plasma collection center to make specified information available to the department. Existing law exempts the information obtained pursuant to these provisions from the California Public Records Act. This bill would extend the operation of these provisions until January 1, 2023, thereby extending the application of a crime and the provisions that make the records described above confidential. By expanding that crime, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. The bill would authorize a total protein test to be performed under the supervision of a clinical laboratory scientist. 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.