Medical Board of California: licensee discipline: abortion.

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California. Existing law authorizes the board to take action against all persons guilty of violating the Medical Practice Act. Existing law requires the board to enforce and administer various disciplinary provisions as to physician and surgeon certificate holders. Existing law, the Osteopathic Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of osteopathic physicians and surgeons by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California. Under existing law, the board has disciplinary functions pursuant to the act. Existing law, the Nursing Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of the practice of nursing by the Board of Registered Nursing. Existing law provides for the certification of nurse-midwives by the Board of Registered Nursing. Existing law, the Physician Assistant Practice Act, establishes the Physician Assistant Board for the licensure and regulation of physician assistants. Existing law requires the Board of Registered Nursing and the Physician Assistant Board to enforce and administer various disciplinary provisions as to nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives, and physician assistants. Existing law, the Reproductive Privacy Act, provides that every individual possesses a fundamental right of privacy with respect to their personal reproductive decisions. Under existing law, an abortion is unauthorized if either the person performing the abortion is not an authorized health care provider, as specified, or the fetus is viable. Under existing law, the failure of a physician and surgeon to comply with the Reproductive Privacy Act constitutes unprofessional conduct. This bill would prohibit the Medical Board of California and the Osteopathic Medical Board of California from suspending or revoking the certificate of a physician and surgeon solely for performing an abortion if they performed the abortion in accordance with the provisions of the Medical Practice Act and the Reproductive Privacy Act. The bill would also prohibit those boards from denying an application for licensure as a physician and surgeon, or suspending, revoking, or otherwise imposing discipline upon a physician and surgeon because the person was disciplined in another state in which they are licensed or certified solely for performing an abortion in that state, or the person was convicted in that state for an offense related solely to the performance of an abortion in that state. The bill would additionally prohibit the Board of Registered Nursing and the Physician Assistant Board from suspending or revoking the certification or license of a nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife, or a physician assistant for performing an abortion if they performed the abortion in accordance with the provisions of the Nursing Practice Act or the Physician Assistant Practice Act, as applicable, and the Reproductive Privacy Act. The bill would also prohibit those boards from denying an application for certification or licensure as a nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife, or a physician assistant, or suspending, revoking, or otherwise imposing discipline upon a nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife, or a physician assistant because the person was disciplined in another state in which they are licensed or certified solely for performing an abortion in that state, or the person was convicted in that state for an offense related solely to the performance of an abortion in that state. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.