(1) Existing law, the Nursing Practice Act, establishes the Board of Registered Nursing within the Department of Consumer Affairs, until January 1, 2027, and sets forth its powers and duties regarding the licensure and regulation of registered nurses. Existing law creates the Board of Registered Nursing Fund and makes all moneys in the fund available upon appropriation by the Legislature. A violation of the act is a crime. Existing law requires the board, until January 1, 2027, to appoint an executive officer to perform the duties delegated by the board and to be responsible to the board for the accomplishment of those duties, as specified. Existing law requires the board, for the purpose of transacting its business, to meet at least once every 3 months, at times and places it designates by resolution, and requires those meetings to be held in northern and southern California. This bill would extend those dates until January 1, 2031. The bill would remove the above-described location requirements for meetings held by the board, and, instead, require the board to meet at least once every 3 months in locations that are, to the extent practicable, geographically diverse. (2) Existing law specifies that an approved school of nursing, or an approved nursing program, is one that, among other things, gives a course of instruction approved by the board, as specified. Existing law requires the board to prepare and maintain a list of approved schools of nursing whose graduates are eligible to apply for a license to practice nursing, as provided. Existing law requires the board, through its executive officer, to inspect all schools of nursing in the state at the times the board deems necessary, as specified. This bill would require the board to make the list of approved schools of nursing available on its internet website. The bill would require the inspection criteria to be consistent with the 2020 Nursing Education Approval Guidelines established by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, or its successor, as specified. Existing law requires an approved school of nursing or a nursing program to meet a minimum of 500 direct patient care clinical hours in a board-approved clinical setting, as specified, and requires additional clinical hours required by the program for nursing education preparation in each nursing area as specified by the board to be identified and documented in the curriculum plan for each area. The bill would require any clinical practice hours that are not required to be in direct patient care and are provided using simulation experiences to be based on the best practices published by, among other specified entities, the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning, or based on any equivalent standards approved by the board. Existing law authorizes the director of an approved nursing program, until the end of the 2023–24 academic year, or whenever the Governor declares a state of emergency for a county in which an agency or facility used by an approved nursing program for direct patient care clinical practice is no longer available, to submit to a board nursing education consultant requests to, among other things, allow the program to reduce the required number of direct patient care hours to, among other requirements, 50% in geriatrics and medical-surgical, if certain conditions are met. Existing law prohibits the approval of that request after the 2023–24 academic year and makes an approved request expire at the end of that year. This bill would, instead, authorize a director to submit requests for the approved nursing program to reduce the required number of direct patient care hours to 200 hours in medical-surgical, as specified, if certain conditions are met. The bill would remove the prohibition of the approval of that request after the 2023–24 year and the provision making any an approved request expire at the end of that year. If the board requires the approval of the faculty or directors, as specified, existing law authorizes the board to approve an individual to serve as a member of the faculty, director, or assistant director of an approved school of nursing or nursing program. Existing law makes an individual approval valid for 5 years and authorizes an individual approval to be renewed if the individual demonstrates to the board that they continue to meet the requirements established by the board for faculty, directors, and assistant directors of an approved school of nursing or nursing program. This bill would, instead, make only an individual faculty approval valid for 5 years and authorize only an individual faculty approval to be renewed if the individual demonstrates to the board that they continue to meet the requirements established by the board for faculty of an approved school of nursing or nursing program. If an applicant for approval has a faculty position and does not meet a requirement established by the board for a different position, existing law authorizes the board to accept a remediation plan submitted by an approved school of nursing or nursing program to help the applicant meet the requirement, and if the board accepts the plan, to approve the applicant to instruct in theory under the mentorship and supervision of the content expert identified in the plan for up to one year. If an applicant for approval as an assistant director or director does not have a faculty position and does not meet a requirement established by the board for a different position, the bill would authorize the board to accept a remediation plan submitted by an approved school of nursing or nursing program to help the applicant meet the requirement, and if the board accepts the plan, to approve the applicant to serve in the role of the assistant director under the mentorship of a board-approved director or assistant director while completing the remediation plan for up to one year, as specified. (3) Existing law defines the practice of nursing to include specified activities, including the administration of medications ordered by a physician and surgeon, dentist, podiatrist, or clinical psychologist, as specified. This bill would expand the definition of the practice of nursing to include the administration of medications ordered by a nurse practitioner or certified nurse midwife and the administration of medications as directed by an advanced practice registered nurse to the extent allowable by the advanced practice registered nurse's scope of practice. (4) Existing law requires the board to issue a license as a registered nurse to each applicant who passes the examination and meets all other licensing requirements. Existing law requires all examinations to be written, but authorizes exams in the discretion of the board to be supplemented by an oral or practical examination in subjects the board determines. This bill would remove the requirement that all examinations be written, and the authorization for exams to be supplemented by an oral or practical examination in subjects the board determines. Existing law authorizes a registered nurse under current investigation by the board to request entry into an intervention program by contacting the board. Existing law requires each registered nurse who requests participation in an intervention program to agree to cooperate with the rehabilitation program designed by the intervention evaluation committee and approved by the program manager, as defined. This bill would require the committee, in developing the rehabilitation program, to determine whether a participant is required to practice nursing prior to completion of the program. Existing law requires each person renewing their license as a registered nurse to submit proof satisfactory to the board that, during the preceding 2-year period, they have been informed of the developments in the registered nurse field or in any special area of practice engaged in by the licensee, occurring since the last renewal thereof, either by pursuing a course or courses of continuing education in the registered nurse field or relevant to the practice of the licensee, as specified, or by other means deemed equivalent by the board. This bill would, beginning January 1, 2029, require the board to require each licensee to submit the above-described proof at the time of renewal and require the proof to include, but not be limited to, documentation verifying the completion of the continuing education requirements during the preceding renewal period or the preceding 2 years. Existing law authorizes a registered nurse whose license has been revoked or suspended or who has been placed on probation to petition the board for reinstatement or modification of penalty, as specified, subject to specified time periods. This bill would specify that no minimum time period applies if the registered nurse has had their license revoked by default for failure to submit a notice of defense. (5) Existing law requires the board to issue a certificate to practice nurse-midwifery to a person licensed as a registered nurse who meets specified qualifications. Existing law authorizes a certified nurse-midwife to attend cases of low-risk pregnancy and childbirth and to provide certain types of care, including prenatal care. Existing law generally authorizes a certified nurse-midwife to furnish drugs or devices incidentally to the provision of, among other things, the care and services described above. Existing law makes the furnishing or ordering of drugs or devices by a certified nurse-midwife conditional on the issuance by the board of a number to the applicant who has successfully completed certain requirements. Existing law authorizes the board to issue a furnishing number upon initial application and, if approved by the board, prohibits requiring the applicant from having to make a separate application. Existing law authorizes the board to charge an applicant a fee to cover all necessary costs to implement these provisions that is no more than $1,500 for an initial application or $1,000 for a renewal application, and to charge a penalty fee for failure to renew a furnishing number within the prescribed time that is no more than $500. This bill would authorize the board to also issue a furnishing number described above upon renewal application, and would remove the authorization for the board to charge a penalty fee for failure to renew a furnishing number within the prescribed time. The bill would specify that the initial application and renewal application are those for a certificate to practice nurse-midwifery. (6) Existing law, the Nurse Anesthetists Act, which is part of the Nursing Practice Act, requires the board to issue a certificate to practice nurse anesthesia to a person licensed as a registered nurse who meets specified qualifications. Existing law fixes the amounts of fees in connection with the issuance of certificates of nurse anesthetists, including that the fee to be paid upon the filing of an application for a certificate is fixed by the board at not less than $500 and no more than $1,500. This bill would remove the minimum fee amount for the above-described fees. (7) Existing law requires, on and after January 1, 2008, an applicant for initial qualification or certification as a nurse practitioner who has not been qualified or certified as a nurse practitioner in California or any other state to meet certain requirements, including holding a valid and active registered nursing license. Existing law generally authorizes a nurse practitioner to furnish drugs or devices when certain conditions are met, including that the nurse practitioner is functioning pursuant to standardized procedure, as defined, or protocol, as specified. Existing law makes the furnishing or ordering of drugs or devices by a nurse practitioner conditional on the issuance by the board of a number to an applicant who has successfully completed certain requirements. Existing law authorizes the board to issue a furnishing number upon initial application and, if approved by the board, prohibits requiring the applicant from having to make a separate application. Existing law authorizes the board to charge an applicant a fee to cover all necessary costs to implement these provisions that is no more than $1,500 for an initial application or $1,000 for a renewal application, and to charge a penalty fee for failure to renew a furnishing number within the prescribed time that is no more than $500. This bill would authorize the board to also issue a furnishing number described above upon renewal application, and would remove the authorization for the board to charge a penalty fee for failure to renew a furnishing number within the prescribed time. The bill would specify that the initial application and renewal application are those for the qualification or certification as a nurse practitioner. Existing law authorizes a nurse practitioner to perform certain functions, including conducting an advanced assessment, without standardized procedures in accordance with their education and training, as specified, if the nurse practitioner meets certain requirements, including that they have completed a transition to practice in California of a minimum of 3 full-time equivalent years of practice or 4600 hours, as specified. This bill would also authorize the completion of a transition to practice in another state, as described above, for purposes of that requirement. For purposes of a transition to practice completed in another state, the bill would require the board to, among other things, on or before January 1, 2028, identify states where practice experience would meet or exceed the requirements under specified provisions if obtained in this state. (8) Existing law requires a registered nurse applying to be a clinical nurse specialist for the evaluation of their qualifications to use that title to pay a nonrefundable fee of not less than $500 but not exceeding $1,500, and requires a fee to be paid for a temporary certificate to practice as a clinical nurse special to be not less than $30 but no more than $50. Existing law requires a biennial renewal fee to be paid upon submission of an application to renew the clinical nurse specialist certificate, and to be established by the board at no less than $150 and not more than $1,000. Existing law requires the penalty fee for failure to renew a certificate within the prescribed time to be 50% of the renewal fee in effect on the date of the renewal of the license to be not less than $75 and no more than $500. This bill would delete the minimum fee amounts prescribed above. (9) The bill would also make various nonsubstantive changes to various nursing related provisions.
Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Under existing law, to the extent required by the federal government and effective no sooner than required by the federal government, behavioral health treatment (BHT) is a covered service under the Medi-Cal program for individuals under 21 years of age. This bill would require the department, by July 1, 2027, to ensure that certain individuals providing BHT services under Medi-Cal undergo criminal background checks. The bill would require the department to utilize existing stakeholder forums to seek stakeholder feedback and offer stakeholder comment opportunities to inform changes to coverage and billing policy for BHT services. The bill would encourage the department to affirmatively reach out to specified stakeholders as appropriate based on the topic at issue to ensure adequate feedback. Under the bill, stakeholder feedback would include, among other topics, clinical guidelines for the provision of BHT services, treatment plan requirements, requirements for the provision of center-based services compared to services provided elsewhere, and supervision of unlicensed and uncertified professionals, as specified. The bill would require the department to maintain clear billing and coverage guidance for BHT services, as specified. The bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2029, to publish on its internet website utilization data for BHT services, a synopsis of changes made as a result of stakeholder feedback, and recommendations for actions necessary to ensure that Medi-Cal reimbursement practices align with federal Medicaid program integrity requirements.
Existing law establishes the University of California Kern County Medical Education Endowment Fund. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, existing law requires moneys in the endowment fund to be allocated to the University of California to support the annual operating costs for the development, operation, and maintenance of a branch campus of an existing University of California School of Medicine in the County of Kern, and to conduct a feasibility study related to that campus. This bill would require the University of California, on or before January 1, 2028, to complete a feasibility study, and reasonably attempt to consult with local stakeholders, to determine the steps necessary to establish a branch campus of an existing University of California medical school in the County of Kern, and to submit the feasibility study, including detailed findings, recommendations, and an implementation timeline, to the Governor and Legislature, as provided. The bill would require the feasibility study to include a comprehensive analysis of the requirements, challenges, and opportunities related to establishing a branch campus of an existing University of California medical school in the County of Kern, as provided. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing federal law, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, provides for the negotiation and execution of tribal-state gaming compacts for the purpose of authorizing certain types of gaming on Indian lands within a state. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to negotiate and conclude tribal-state gaming compacts, subject to ratification by the Legislature. Existing law expressly ratifies a number of tribal-state gaming compacts, and amendments of tribal-state gaming compacts, between the State of California and specified Indian tribes. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project, as defined, that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment, as defined, or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. This bill would ratify the amendment to the tribal-state gaming compact entered into between the State of California and the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation executed on June 23, 2026. The bill would provide that, in deference to tribal sovereignty, certain actions related to that amended compact are not projects for purposes of CEQA. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law defines "sexual orientation change efforts" as practices by mental health providers that seek to change an individual's sexual orientation, as specified. Existing law prohibits a mental health provider, as defined, from engaging in sexual orientation change efforts with a patient under 18 years of age, and provides that such efforts attempted by a mental health provider are considered unprofessional conduct and must subject the mental health provider to discipline by that provider's licensing entity. This bill would define "sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts" as any practices of a licensed mental health provider that seek, during the provision of mental health services, to direct a patient toward a predetermined sexual orientation or gender identity, as specified, and would apply the prohibitions described above to such efforts. The bill would exclude specified practices, including age-appropriate interventions to address unlawful conduct or unsafe practices that do not seek to direct the patient toward a particular sexual orientation or gender identity, from this definition.
Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, establishes the Medical Board of California within the Department of Consumer Affairs and charges it with administrative and enforcement duties related to the provision of medical services under the act. The act makes unprofessional conduct subject to discipline by the board the regular practice of medicine in a specified hospital having 5 or more physicians and surgeons on the medical staff without rules established by the board of directors to govern the operation of the hospital. The act requires the rules to include a provision for the organization of physicians and surgeons into a formal medical staff with staff appointments on an annual or biennial basis. This bill would revise that provision to instead require staff reappointments at least every 3 years. Existing law requires that physician and surgeon staff require members of the staff to demonstrate their ability to perform surgical and other procedures competently and to the satisfaction of an appropriate committee or committees of the staff at the time of original application for appointment to the staff and at least every 2 years thereafter. This bill would instead require physician and surgeon staff to require members of the staff to demonstrate their ability at least every 3 years thereafter. Existing law provides for the licensure and inspection of health facilities, including general acute care hospitals and acute psychiatric hospitals, by the State Department of Public Health and makes a violation of those provisions a crime. This bill would require the governing body of a general acute care hospital or an acute psychiatric hospital to require that medical staff establish controls that are designed to ensure the achievement and maintenance of high standards of professional ethical practices, including a requirement that all members of the medical staff be required to demonstrate their ability to perform surgical or other procedures competently and to the satisfaction of an appropriate medical staff committee or committees at the time of original application for appointment to the medical staff and every 3 years thereafter. The bill would prohibit the department from requiring an acute care hospital or acute psychiatric hospital to undertake routine reappointments more frequently than every 3 years. Because a violation of this requirement would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.
Existing law generally provides for the compensation of victims and derivative victims of specified types of crimes by the California Victim Compensation Board from the Restitution Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, for specified losses suffered as a result of those crimes. Existing law sets forth eligibility requirements and limits on the amount of compensation that the board may award, and requires the application for compensation to be verified under penalty of perjury. This bill would create a pilot program, the Trauma Healing and Resilience Investment for Victimized and Exposed Youth Act (T.H.R.I.V.E.) , to be administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the administration of grants to the County of Los Angeles to establish and administer a program to pay for mental health and counseling services for youth survivors of gun violence, as defined, who request those services and who reside in that county. The bill would require policies and procedures for distributing funds to meet certain requirements, including, among other things, allowing youth survivors of gun violence, or their parents or guardians for survivors who are minors, to attest to their experiences of gun violence without requiring external documentation of the gun violence incident. The bill would create the Trauma Healing and Resilience Investment for Victimized and Exposed Youth Fund to be used by the department for the purposes of this program, upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would make client information and records of mental health services provided to these provisions confidential. The bill would make implementation of these provisions contingent upon appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2032. 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.
Existing law establishes the California Reproductive and TGI Health Equity Program within the Department of Health Care Access and Information for the purpose of ensuring abortion, contraception, and gender-affirming care are affordable for and accessible to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, and to provide financial support for safety net providers of these services to offset the costs of providing uncompensated care to patients with low incomes who would otherwise lack access to care. Existing law authorizes a Medi-Cal enrolled provider to apply for a grant, and a continuation award after the initial grant, if they agree to provide abortion, contraception, and gender-affirming care services in accordance with specified requirements, including that the services are provided at no cost or a reduced cost to individuals with a household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level who are uninsured or have health care coverage that does not include both abortion and contraception or does not include gender-affirming care and are not otherwise eligible to receive both abortion and contraception care at no cost through the Medi-Cal and Family PACT programs or receive gender-affirming care at no cost through the Medi-Cal program. This bill would additionally authorize a Medi-Cal enrolled provider to apply for a grant or a continuation of a grant if they provide the above-described services to patients who are veterans, as defined, who are uninsured or have health care coverage that does not include both abortion and contraception and are not otherwise eligible to receive both abortion and contraception care at no cost through the Medi-Cal and Family PACT programs. The bill would make other conforming changes and would make related findings and declarations. Existing law establishes the Department of Veterans Affairs and vests the department with specified duties related to veterans in the state, including the development of a transition program to assist veterans in successfully transitioning from military to civilian life by providing information related to, among other things, health care programs and services. This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to publish a link to the State Department of Public Health's abortion information internet website on the women veterans resources page of its internet website.
Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of disability insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a health care service plan or disability insurer to allow an individual to enroll in or change their health benefit plan as a result of a specified triggering event. This bill would make pregnancy a triggering event for purposes of enrollment or changing a health benefit plan. Because a willful violation of this provision by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.
Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care, and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires coverage by health care service plans and health insurers for various screening and treatment services with respect to cancer. This bill would require a large group health care service plan contract or health insurance policy that is issued, amended, or renewed on and after January 1, 2027, to provide coverage for scalp cooling, when prescribed by a health care provider to reduce the incidence or severity of alopecia before, during, or after chemotherapy in which alopecia-inducing chemotherapeutic agents are used. The bill would define scalp cooling for these purposes. Because a violation of these provisions with respect to a health care service plan would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law also provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services pursuant to a schedule of benefits, including various cancer screenings and benefits relating to cancer treatment. Subject to the extent that federal financial participation is available and not otherwise jeopardized, and any necessary federal approvals have been obtained, this bill would expand the Medi-Cal schedule of benefits to include scalp cooling, when prescribed by a health care provider to reduce the incidence or severity of alopecia before, during, or after chemotherapy in which alopecia-inducing chemotherapeutic agents are used. The bill would subject scalp cooling to utilization controls and medical necessity. 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.
