BILL NUMBER: SB 279	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JUNE 15, 2005
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 16, 2005
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 27, 2005

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Cedillo
   (Principal coauthor: Senator Runner)

                        FEBRUARY 16, 2005

   An act to add Article 18.5 (commencing with Section 2418) to
Chapter 5 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code,
relating to physicians and surgeons.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 279, as amended, Cedillo.  Physicians and surgeons: locum
tenens services.
   Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, provides for the licensing
and regulation of physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of
California.
   This bill would prohibit a locum tenens agency, defined as an
agency that arranges for licensees to perform locum tenens services
and meets other requirements, from employing a licensee to perform
temporary professional medical services or from interfering with, or
attempting to influence the clinical judgment of, such a licensee.
The bill would provide that the relationship between a licensee and
either a  local   locum  tenens agency or a
client or customer of the agency shall not be considered to be an
employment relationship.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Article 18.5 (commencing with Section 2418) is added to
Chapter 5 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, to
read:

      Article 18.5.  Locum Tenens Services

   2418.
   (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the
following:
   (1) The State of California is facing a growing crisis in
physician supply due, in part, to difficulties in recruiting and
retaining physicians.
   (2) This crisis is particularly harsh for facilities operated by
the state and local governments due to the difficulties of funding
full-time medical staff.
   (3) Locum tenens physicians provide a critical source of medical
services that virtually all hospitals in California use at one time
or another every year.
   (4) The great majority of California hospitals, and many medical
groups and other providers, including many state-supported
facilities, use locum tenens agencies either continuously or from
time to time to help fill their medical staffing needs.
   (5) Most locum tenens agencies are general purpose business
entities and, thus, do not employ the physicians whose locum tenens
services they arrange.
   (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a "locum tenens
agency" shall not be deemed to be an employer, employment agency,
employment counseling service, job listing service, nurse's registry,
temporary services employer, or leasing employer of a licensee.
   (c) A locum tenens agency is an individual or entity that meets
all of the following requirements:
   (1) Contracts with clients or customers to identify licensees
willing to perform locum tenens services and to arrange for the
licensees to perform locum tenens services for the clients or
customers.
   (2) Arranges for the licensees to perform locum tenens services
only to those clients and customers that are legally authorized to
enter into independent contractor arrangements with licensees.
   (3) Does not determine the rates of payment made to a licensee
providing locum tenens services.
   (4) Receives payment directly from its clients or customers for
its services which, to the degree that the payment includes payment
for the locum tenens services, remits the payment for the locum
tenens services in full directly to the licensee.
   (5) Charges fees that are reasonably related to the value of the
services that the locum tenens agency provides its clients and
customers, and that are in no way related to the quantity or value of
locum tenens services provided by the licensee. This section does
not prohibit a locum tenens agency from charging its clients and
customers based on the number of days or hours  that  the
locum tenens services are provided or based on the particular
speciality of the locum tenens services.
   (d) A locum tenens agency shall not employ a licensee to perform
locum tenens services, nor shall it interfere with or attempt to
influence the clinical judgment of a licensee providing locum tenens
services.
   (e) The relationship between the client or customer of the locum
tenens agency and the licensee providing locum tenens services shall
not be considered one of employment for any purpose.
   (f) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the
following meanings:
   (1) "Licensee" means a physician and surgeon licensed under this
chapter.
   (2) "Locum tenens services" means the professional medical
services of a licensee who provides the services either:
   (A) On a temporary basis in place of another licensee who is
regularly scheduled to provide professional medical services but is
unable to do so for reasons including, but not limited to, vacation,
illness, continuing education, or family emergency.
   (B) On any basis, other than a permanent basis, to otherwise meet
the medical staffing needs of the client or customer of the locum
tenens agency.
   (g) It is the intent of the Legislature that this section confirm
and be declaratory of, rather than change, existing law.  
   (h) Nothing in this section shall apply to a category of health
care professionals other than those specified.