BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2300 
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 28, 2010

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                   AB 2300 (Emmerson) - As Amended:  April 5, 2010 

          Policy Committee:                              Business &  
          Professions  Vote:                            11-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the California Department of Public Health  
          (DPH) to issue temporary licenses after July 1, 2011 to genetic  
          counselors meeting specified current law eligibility.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Fee-supported special fund workload in the range of $50,000 to  
          the Department of Public Health (DPH) to administer temporary  
          licenses. SB 1364 (Johnson), Chapter 941, Statutes of 2000  
          established genetic counselor licensing standards and  
          specifications. DPH has failed to promulgate related  
          regulations. Fee authority for licensure is established in  
          current law. 
           
          COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . This bill establishes a temporary genetic counselor  
            license to address the absence of a regulatory framework  
            established in legislation in 2000. 

           2)A technical amendment  to be adopted in committee replaces  
            "genetic counseling" with "as a licensed genetic counselor".  
           
           3)Background  . Genetic counselors interpret genetic tests,  
            explain options to families with certain genetic risks of  
            disease, and help connect individuals with supportive and  
            educational resources. Genetic counselors are trained to  
            translate complex genetic medicine into terms easily  
            understood. 









                                                                  AB 2300 
                                                                  Page  2



           Analysis Prepared by  :    Mary Ader / APPR. / (916) 319-2081