BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 507
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 11, 2011

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                   AB 507 (Hayashi) - As Amended:  April 27, 2011 

          Policy Committee:                             Business and 
          Professions  Vote:                            6-0
                       Health                           Vote: 13-4

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill changes two provisions governing the treatment of 
          pain.  Specifically, this bill:

          1)Repeals existing authorization for the Department of Justice 
            (DOJ) to employ a physician to interview and examine any 
            patient in connection with the prescription possession or use 
            of a controlled substance.

          2)Makes technical and conforming changes to existing law related 
            to severe chronic intractable pain and to the California 
            Intractable Pain Treatment Act (CIPT Act).

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Negligible state fiscal impact.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . The author states that while California has made 
            many important legislative and regulatory changes related to 
            pain management, some ambiguities and inconsistencies remain 
            in the law surrounding pain practice. These outdated practice 
            standards can unduly restrict healthcare practice and 
            interfere with patient access to effective pain treatment.  
            The author states that this bill will remove remaining legal 
            barriers to optimal pain management. 

           2)Pain and Policy Study Group (PPSG)  . According to the sponsor 
            of this bill, the American Cancer Society (ACS), the changes 








                                                                  AB 507
                                                                  Page  2

            to statute that this bill proposes were identified by PPSG. 
            PPSG is a non-profit entity primarily involved in the 
            collection and evaluation of state policies that govern pain 
            management.  PPSG promotes a balance between concerns about 
            abuse and addiction, and the ability of physicians to treat 
            adequately treat pain. PPSG reviewed every state's adherence 
            to this principle of balance using a peer reviewed evaluation, 
            and identified potential barriers to adequate patient pain 
            care as well as language that promotes safe and effective 
            treatment. 

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916) 319-2081