BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 655 Page 1 CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS AB 655 (Hayashi) As Amended July 6, 2011 Majority vote ----------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: |70-0 |(May 12, 2011) |SENATE: |37-0 |(July 14, | | | | | | |2011) | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Original Committee Reference: B., P. & C.P. SUMMARY : Revises the medical peer review process by requiring a peer review body to respond to the request of another peer review body and produce specified information concerning a licentiate under review. The Senate amendments specify that: 1)Shared peer review information is limited to licentiates under review for a medical disciplinary cause or reason. 2)The responding peer review body is not obligated to produce peer review information unless: a) The licentiate provides a release, as specified, that is acceptable to the responding peer review body; and, b) The requesting peer review body signs a mutually agreeable peer review sharing agreement, as specified, with the responding peer review body. 3)All relevant peer review information produced shall be made available to the licentiate by the requesting peer review body in accordance with current law, as specified. EXISTING LAW provides for the professional review of specified healing arts licentiates through a peer review process conducted by peer review bodies, as specified. AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill required a peer review body to respond to the request of another peer review body and produce relevant peer review information about a licentiate that was subject to peer review by the responding peer review body, as specified. The bill specified certain limitations on the information produced AB 655 Page 2 and its use, contained certain liability protections for the responding peer review body, and required certain releases and sharing agreements of the requesting and responding peer review bodies and the licentiate under review. FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the Legislative Counsel. COMMENTS : This bill is substantially similar to the version passed by the Assembly, with the addition of provisions that limit shared peer review information to licentiates under review for a medical disciplinary cause or reason, specify that the responding peer review body is not obligated to produce peer review information unless a specified release and a sharing agreement are provided, and require peer review information produced to be made available to the licentiate. Analysis Prepared by : Angela Mapp / B.,P. & C.P. / (916) 319-3301 FN: 0001606