Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, restricts the employment of licensed physicians and surgeons and podiatrists by a corporation or other artificial legal entity, subject to specified exemptions, and makes it a crime to practice medicine without a license. Existing law establishes, until January 1, 2011, a pilot project to allow qualified district hospitals that, among other things, provide more than 50% of patient days to the care of Medicare, Medi-Cal, and uninsured patients, to employ a physician and surgeon, if the hospital does not interfere with, control, or otherwise direct the professional judgment of the physician and surgeon. The pilot project authorizes the direct employment of a total of 20 physicians and surgeons by those hospitals to provide medically necessary services in rural and medically underserved communities, and specifies that each qualified district hospital may employ up to 2 physicians and surgeons, subject to specified requirements. This bill would delete that pilot project and would instead, until January 1, 2021, authorize a health care district, as defined, and a clinic owned or operated by a health care district, as specified, to employ physicians and surgeons if the health care district's service area includes a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) or a Medically Underserved Population (MUP) , or has been federally designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) ; the district board conducts a public hearing and adopts a specified resolution declaring the need for the district to recruit and directly employ one or more physicians and surgeons; and the executive officer of the district provides specified documentation to the Medical Board of California. Upon receipt of that documentation, the bill would require the board to approve the employment of up to 5 primary or specialty care physicians and surgeons by the district, and, upon receipt of additional documentation after that employment, to approve an additional 5 primary or specialty care physicians and surgeons. The bill would provide that a district may, until December 31, 2020, enter into, renew, or extend any employment contract with a physician and surgeon for up to 10 years. The bill would require the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, in consultation with the State Department of Public Health and the board, to report to the Legislature by June 1, 2018, with regard to the efficacy of the employment of physicians and surgeons by health care districts, as specified.
Sponsored bills
Existing law regulates the sale, possession, and disposal of hypodermic needles and syringes, and requires, with certain exceptions, a prescription to purchase a hypodermic needle or syringe for human use. Existing law prohibits any person from possessing or having under his or her control any hypodermic needle or syringe, except in accordance with those regulatory provisions. This bill would delete the prohibition against any person possessing or having under his or her control any hypodermic needle or syringe, except in accordance with the aforementioned regulatory provisions. Existing law, until December 31, 2010, authorizes a county or city to authorize a licensed pharmacist to sell or furnish 10 or fewer hypodermic needles or syringes to a person 18 years of age or older for human use without a prescription if the pharmacist works for a pharmacy that is registered with a local health department in the Disease Prevention Demonstration Project, established by law to evaluate the long-term desirability of allowing licensed pharmacies to sell or furnish nonprescription hypodermic needles or syringes to prevent the spread of bloodborne pathogens, including HIV and hepatitis C. This bill would, instead, for the period beginning January 1, 2011, and ending December 31, 2018, permit a physician or pharmacist, without a prescription or a permit, to furnish 30 or fewer hypodermic needles and syringes for human use to a person 18 years of age or older and would permit a person 18 years of age or older, without a prescription or license, to obtain 30 or fewer hypodermic needles and syringes solely for personal use from a physician or pharmacist. This bill would make conforming changes, including the elimination of the Disease Prevention Demonstration Project. Under existing law, it is unlawful to possess an opium pipe or any device, contrivance, instrument, or paraphernalia used for unlawfully injecting or smoking specified controlled substances. Existing law, until December 31, 2010, provides that the above-described provisions, pursuant to authorization from a city or county, shall not apply to the possession solely for personal use of 10 or fewer hypodermic needles or syringes. This bill would, instead, provide that the above-described provisions making it unlawful to possess an opium pipe or any device, contrivance, instrument, or paraphernalia for unlawfully injecting or smoking certain controlled substances shall not apply for the period beginning January 1, 2011, and ending December 31, 2018, to possession solely for personal use of 30 or fewer hypodermic needles or syringes if acquired from a physician, pharmacist, hypodermic needle and syringe exchange program, or any other source that is authorized by law to provide sterile syringes or hypodermic needles without a prescription. This bill would require the state Office of AIDS to develop and maintain information on its Internet Web site to educate consumers at risk of bloodborne infections of opportunities to improve and protect the consumer's health, and to protect the public health and would also require the California State Board of Pharmacy to post, or post a link to, this information on its Internet Web site. The Pharmacy Law requires a pharmacist to keep detailed records of nonprescription sales of hypodermic needles and syringes. Existing law makes it a crime to knowingly violate any provision relating to the Pharmacy Law. This bill would amend the Pharmacy Law to require pharmacies that furnish nonprescription hypodermic needles and syringes to store the hypodermic needles and syringes in a manner that ensures that they are not accessible to unauthorized persons, and would require pharmacies to provide consumers with prescribed options for consumer disposal of hypodermic needles and syringes. This bill would also require the pharmacies to provide written information or verbal counseling at the time of furnishing or sale of nonprescription hypodermic needles or syringes, as specified. By changing the definition of an existing 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.
This measure would designate the first week of March of each year as Cuss Free Week.
Existing law specifies information that must be included in the statewide ballot pamphlet for each state measure to be voted upon. This bill would require the Secretary of State to include in the ballot pamphlet a list of the 5 highest contributors of $50,000 or more to each primarily formed committee supporting each state measure, as well as the total amount of their contributions, as of 110 days before election day. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, generally provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house and compliance with specified procedural requirements. The act also provides that, notwithstanding this requirement, the Legislature may amend specified provisions to add to the ballot pamphlet information regarding candidates or other information. This bill, which would permit or require additional information to be included in the ballot pamphlet, would therefore require a majority vote.
This measure would recognize the Lunar New Year 4708 celebration.
Existing law generally requires voters who wish to vote and who do not cast their ballots by mail to cast their ballot at the precinct polling place on election day. This bill would permit, until December 31, 2016, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the county elections officials, the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, to select 3 college campuses, one each within the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, to serve as vote by mail ballot dropoff locations for any precinct in the county's jurisdiction during at least one general election. The bill would require voluntary consent from the local elections official within whose jurisdiction a vote by mail ballot dropoff location would be located. The bill would require that the vote by mail ballot dropoff locations be available to receive votes on the 5 business days preceding election day. The bill would require each county elections official who has a vote by mail ballot dropoff location within his or her jurisdiction during an election to report to the Legislature and the Secretary of State regarding the use of the vote by mail ballot dropoff location within 6 months of the date of the election. The Secretary of State would then be required to report to the Legislature regarding an assessment of designated vote by mail ballot dropoff locations on college campuses by examining the participation in the program and the costs to the state for implementing the program.
This measure would recognize February 2010 as Black History Month, urge all residents to join in celebrating the accomplishments of African Americans during Black History Month, and encourage the people of California to recognize the many talents, achievements, and contributions that African Americans make to their communities.
This resolution would respectfully request that the International Maritime Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, adopt the North American Emission Control Area, as proposed by the United States, Canada, and France at the 60th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee, scheduled for March 2010.
Existing law provides that an employer may not ask an applicant for employment to disclose, and an employer may not utilize in an employment-related decision, information concerning an arrest or detention that did not result in a conviction. This bill, in addition, would prohibit an employer from denying an application for employment for the reason that the applicant has previously been convicted of a criminal offense unless the employer determines that there is a direct relationship between the prior conviction and the employment sought or the granting of employment would involve an unreasonable risk to property or persons. This bill would require the employer to consider specified factors when determining whether either of those 2 circumstances exist. Because this bill would create a new crime, it 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.
This measure would urge various state and private entities to withhold financial support of Arizona businesses in response to recent Arizona state laws relating to illegal immigration.