BILL ANALYSIS
AB 64
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 9, 2007
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mark Leno, Chair
AB 64 (Berg) - As Amended: April 18, 2007
Policy Committee: Business and
Professions Vote: 10 - 0
Health 17 - 0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill would allow healthcare and veterinary professionals to
voluntarily register their appropriate licenses and credentials
with the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) in
California so that they may be called on to provide appropriate
services and care during a state, local or health emergency or a
state of war. In addition, this bill provides that any
voluntary health practitioner who is providing services will be
considered an employee of this state for workers compensation
purposes.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Administrative costs of less than $100,000 to create and
administer the registry.
2)Unknown, but potentially significant, state workers
compensation costs to the extent that a voluntary health
practitioner is injured when providing assistance during an
emergency or traveling to or from an emergency.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . This bill is intended to significantly streamline the
process of credentialing health care professionals during an
emergency. Currently, the mechanics of qualifying interstate
recognition of health care volunteers varies from state to
state. By pre-registering volunteers and establishing
interstate agreements, health care practitioners can be
dispatched to emergencies in other states more quickly without
AB 64
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having to meet the other state's licensing requirements.
Likewise, as this is part of a national effort to create a
uniform system to recognize out-of-state health care
professionals and veterinarians who volunteer their services
during an emergency, this legislation will enable to governor
to enter into mutual aid agreements which will allow out of
state health care professionals to quickly begin assisting
California in case of an emergency.
The author states that the delayed response following
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita revealed that, although laws exist
to provide for the interstate recognition of licenses issued
to "federalized" healthcare workers and state public employees
(EMAC provides for the deployment of "state resources"), no
uniform and readily understood system exists to recognize
licenses issued to other health professionals traveling from
one state to another to assist during these disasters.
2)Workers' Compensation Coverage . The State of California, as an
employer, and many cities and counties are self-insured for
workers' compensation claims. Payments are treated in a pay as
you go manner. Therefore, any increase in workers'
compensation claims has a direct impact on state and local
funds. For non-self-insured employers, premiums are paid
through a private insurer or the State Compensation Insurance
Fund (SCIF).
Analysis Prepared by : Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)
319-2081