Healing arts: reports: claims against licensees.
Summary
Existing law makes failure of a licensee of the Medical Board of California, the Podiatric Medical Board of California, the Board of Psychology, the Dental Board of California, the Dental Hygiene Board of California, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, the Board of Registered Nursing, the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians of the State of California, the State Board of Optometry, the Veterinary Medical Board, the Board of Behavioral Sciences, the Physical Therapy Board of California, the California State Board of Pharmacy, the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board, the California Board of Occupational Therapy, the Acupuncture Board, or the Physician Assistant Board, a claimant, or their counsel to report a settlement, judgment, or arbitration award over $3,000 of a claim or action for damages for death or personal injury caused by negligence, error or omission in practice, or by the unauthorized rendering of professional services, by a person who holds a license, certificate, or other similar authority from one of those boards, who does not possess professional liability insurance as to the claim, within 30 days to the agency that issued the license, certificate, or similar authority, punishable by a fine of not less than $50 or more than $500, as specified. This bill would increase the minimum fine for a violation of that provision to $100. Existing law makes failure of a marriage and family therapist, clinical social worker, professional clinical counselor, a claimant, or their counsel to report a settlement, judgment, or arbitration award over $10,000 of a claim or action for damages for death or personal injury caused by negligence, error or omission in practice, or by the unauthorized rendering of professional services, by a marriage and family therapist, a clinical social worker, or a professional clinical counselor who does not possess professional liability insurance as to that claim, within 30 days to the agency that issued the license, certificate, or similar authority, punishable by a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $500, as specified. This bill would increase the minimum fine for a violation of that provision to $100.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 18, 2026
Last action Apr 10, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
02/18/26 - Introduced
→
AB2140
·
2 edits
MINOR
AB 2140 increases the minimum fine for failing to report settlements, judgments, or arbitration awards involving uninsured healthcare licensees from $50 to $100 in both subdivisions of Business and Professions Code Section 802. The bill also updates gendered pronouns to gender-neutral language throughout the section. These changes strengthen enforcement of existing reporting requirements without altering who must report or what must be reported.
ENFORCEMENT
The minimum fine for failure to report a qualifying settlement, judgment, or arbitration award is increased from $50 to $100 in both subdivision (a) (most healthcare licensees with claims over $3,000) and subdivision (b) (marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, and professional clinical counselors with claims over $10,000). The maximum fine of $500 is unchanged.
TECHNICAL
Gendered pronouns throughout Section 802 are updated to gender-neutral language (e.g., 'his or her' changed to 'their,' 'he or she' changed to 'they,' 'himself or herself' changed to 'themselves'). This is a stylistic modernization with no substantive policy effect.
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
4
Key actions
2
Committee
3
Apr 10, 2026
Lower · Passed
In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Committee
Referred to Com. on B. & P.
lower
Feb 19, 2026
Lower · Passed
From printer. May be heard in committee March 21.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Natasha Johnson
RRepublican
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