BILL NUMBER: AB 2342	CHAPTERED  09/14/06

	CHAPTER  276
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 14, 2006
	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 10, 2006
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 13, 2006

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Nakanishi

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2006

   An act to add Section 2023 to the Business and Professions Code,
relating to physicians and surgeons.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2342, Nakanishi  Voluntary services: malpractice insurance.
   Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, creates the Medical Board
of California and makes it responsible for issuing a physician and
surgeon's certificate to qualified applicants and for regulating the
practice of physicians and surgeons. Existing law waives the fee for
issuance and renewal of this certificate for a physician and surgeon
who provides voluntary unpaid services, as specified, to indigent
patients in medically underserved or critical need population areas
of the state.
   This bill would require the board, in conjunction with the Health
Professions Education Foundation, to study the issue of its providing
medical malpractice insurance for physicians and surgeons who
provide these services and report its findings to the Legislature on
or before January 1, 2008. The bill would make implementation of its
provisions contingent on an appropriation of funds for that purpose,
as specified.


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


  SECTION 1.  Section 2023 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, to read:
   2023.  (a) The board, in conjunction with the Health Professions
Education Foundation, shall study the issue of its providing medical
malpractice insurance to physicians and surgeons who provide
voluntary, unpaid services as described in subdivision (b) of Section
2083, and report its findings to the Legislature on or before
January 1, 2008.
   (b) The report shall include, but not be limited to, a discussion
of the following items:
   (1) The cost of administering a program to provide medical
malpractice insurance to the physicians and surgeons and the process
for administering the program.
   (2) The options for providing medical malpractice insurance to the
physicians and surgeons and for funding the coverage.
   (3) Whether the voluntary licensure surcharge fee assessed under
Section 2435.2 (as added by Chapter 293 of the Statutes of 2005) is
sufficient to fund the provision of medical malpractice insurance for
the physicians and surgeons.
   (c) This section shall be implemented only after the Legislature
has made an appropriation from the Contingent Fund of the Medical
Board of California to fund the study.