BILL NUMBER: AB 2283 CHAPTERED 09/29/06 CHAPTER 612 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 29, 2006 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 29, 2006 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 17, 2006 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY MAY 4, 2006 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 18, 2006 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 27, 2006 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Oropeza FEBRUARY 22, 2006 An act to amend Section 2425.3 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to medicine. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2283, Oropeza Physicians and surgeons: cultural background and foreign language proficiency. The Medical Practice Act provides for the licensure by the Medical Board of California of physicians and surgeons as well as other healing arts practitioners. The act requires each licensed physician to complete a questionnaire sent to him or her at the time of license renewal that seeks specified information. Existing law authorizes a physician to report to the board, and requires the board to collect, information regarding his or her cultural background and foreign language proficiency. Existing law permits this information to be placed on the board's Internet Web site. This bill would require the information regarding cultural background and foreign language proficiency to be aggregated on an annual basis based on categories utilized by the board in the collection of the data, and to be aggregated into both statewide totals and ZIP Code of primary practice location totals. The bill would also require this information to be compiled and reported on the board's Internet Web site on or before October 1 of each year. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to determine the number of physicians with cultural and linguistic competency who are practicing medicine in California. (b) Data on physicians serving any given area allows for the consistent determination of which areas of California are underserved by physicians with cultural or linguistic competency. SEC. 2. Section 2425.3 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 2425.3. (a) The Medical Board of California shall request that a licensed physician report to the board, at the time of license renewal, any specialty board certification he or she holds that is issued by a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties or approved by the Medical Board of California. (b) A licensed physician shall also report to the board, at the time of license renewal, his or her practice status, designated as one of the following: (1) Full-time practice in California. (2) Full-time practice outside of California. (3) Part-time practice in California. (4) Medical administrative employment that does not include direct patient care. (5) Retired. (6) Other practice status, as may be further defined by the Division of Licensing. (c) (1) A licensed physician may report to the board, at the time of license renewal, and the board shall collect, information regarding his or her cultural background and foreign language proficiency. (2) Information collected pursuant to this subdivision shall be aggregated on an annual basis based on categories utilized by the board in the collection of the data, and shall be aggregated into both statewide totals and ZIP Code of primary practice location totals. (3) Aggregated information under this subdivision shall be compiled annually and reported on the board's Internet Web site on or before October 1 of each year. (d) The information collected pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) may also be placed on the board's Internet Web site.