Legislation Impacting the Physician Assistant Board
2022
These bills have been chaptered and have an effective date of January 1, 2023, unless stated otherwise. Detailed bill information may be found by selecting the links in the “Bill” column below.
| Bill | Author, Chapter, Statute Year | Statutory Reference | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| AB 657 Healing arts: expedited licensure process: applicants providing abortions |
Cooper, Chapter 560, Statutes of 2022 | Business and Professions Code section 870 | This bill requires the Medical Board of California, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the Board of Registered Nursing, and the Physician Assistant Board to expedite the licensure process of an applicant who can demonstrate that they intend to provide abortion services within their scope of practice and would specify the documentation an applicant would be required to provide to demonstrate their intent. An applicant may demonstrate their intent to provide abortion services by providing documentation, including a letter from an employer or health care entity indicating that the applicant has accepted employment or entered a contract to provide abortion services, the applicant’s starting date, and the location where the applicant will be providing abortion services, and that the applicant will be providing abortion services within the scope of practice of their license. |
| SB 731 Criminal records: relief |
Durazo, Chapter 814, Statutes of 2022 | Penal Code sections 851.93, 11105, 1203.41, and 1203.425 |
This bill, among other provisions, expands the types of arrest records that are eligible to be automatically sealed to include more types of felonies under specified circumstances. This bill also allows certain felony convictions that resulted in incarcerations to be automatically sealed as long as the individual has completed their sentence and has not been convicted of a new felony within four years. It also expands the date range for which arrests, and convictions are eligible to be automatically sealed. This bill became effective on July 1, 2022. |
| AB 852 Health care practitioners: electronic prescriptions |
Wood, Chapter 518, Statutes of 2022 | Business and Professions Code section 688 | This bill prohibits a pharmacy, pharmacist, or other practitioner authorized to dispense or furnish a prescription from refusing to dispense or furnish an electronic prescription solely because the prescription was not submitted via, or is not compatible with, their proprietary software. The bill would authorize a pharmacy, pharmacist, or other authorized practitioner to decline to dispense or furnish an electronic prescription submitted via software that fails to meet any one of specified criteria, including compliance with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. |
| AB 1120 Clinical laboratories: blood withdrawal |
Irwin, Chapter 685, Statutes of 2022 | Business and Professions Code section 1246 | This bill authorizes a certified phlebotomy technician to collect blood through a peripheral venous catheter under specified conditions, including that the blood collection is performed under the general supervision of a physician and surgeon, or a registered nurse and the blood collection procedure is performed using a device or devices approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. |
| SB 1237 Licenses: military service |
Newman, Chapter 386, Statutes of 2022 | Business and Professions Code section 114.3 | Existing law requires boards and bureaus to waive license renewal fees, continuing education requirements, and other renewal requirements as determined by the boards and bureaus, for any licensee or registrant who is called to active duty as a member of the United States Armed Forces or the California National Guard if certain requirements are met. This bill clarifies that military members on active duty with the California National Guard or members of the military on non-temporary assignments stationed outside California are eligible for a waiver of license renewal fees, continuing education requirements, and other license renewal requirements. |
| AB 2626 Medical Board of California: licensee discipline: abortion |
Calderon, Chapter 565, Statutes of 2022 | Business and Professions Code sections 2253, 2746.6, 2761.1, and 3502.4 |
This bill prohibits the Physician Assistant Board from suspending or revoking the certification or license of a physician assistant for performing an abortion so long as they performed the abortion in accordance with the provisions of the Physician Assistant Practice Act and the Reproductive Privacy Act. This was an urgency bill that went into effect immediately upon signing, on September 27, 2022. |