BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  SB 1236
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          Date of Hearing:   August 8, 2012

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                    SB 1236 (Price) - As Amended:  June 18, 2012 

          Policy Committee:                             Business and 
          Professions  Vote:                            9-0

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

           SUMMARY  

          This bill extends the sunset dates for, and implements numerous 
          recommendations that emerged from the legislative sunset review 
          of, the Board of Podiatric Medicine (BDM) and the Physician 
          Assistant Committee (PAC).

          Provisions related to the BPM include:

          1)Extending the sunset date from January 1, 2013 to January 1, 
            2017.
          2)Allowing the BPM to increase costs assessed to licensees found 
            guilty of unprofessional conduct, not to exceed the actual and 
            reasonable costs of the investigation and prosecution of the 
            case, if the BPM does not adopt the decision of the 
            administrative law judge and finds grounds for increasing the 
            costs to be assessed.  
          3)Repealing an obsolete provision prohibiting Doctors of 
            Podiatric Medicine from performing an admitting exam at 
            hospitals
          4)Several other clarifying and minor provisions.

          Provisions related to the PAC include:

          1)Extending the sunset date from January 1, 2013 to January 1, 
            2017.
          2)Changing the name of the Physician Assistant Committee to the 
            Physician Assistant Board, and conforming changes. Retains the 
            Physician Assistant Board within the jurisdiction of the 
            Medical Board. 
          3)Applying a number of standard licensure-related and 
            administrative provisions that currently apply to other 








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            healing arts boards, to the Physician Assistant Board. 
          4)Modifying the composition of the Physician Assistant Board 
            (previously Committee). 
          5)Authorizing the Physician Assistant Board to establish, by 
            regulation, a system for the placement of a license on a 
            retired status.
          6)Allowing the Board to proceed with investigation or 
            disciplinary action regardless of an expired, cancelled, 
            surrendered, or otherwise inactive licensure status. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)Annual fee-supported special fund costs associated with 
            continued operation of the following regulatory entities, as 
            follows:

             a)   BPM, of $1 million annually, until January 1, 2017.
             b)   Physician Assistant Committee, of $1.2 million annually, 
               until January 1, 2017. 

          1)Minor potential increased revenue that would offset the BPM's 
            costs of investigation and prosecution of disciplinary cases.  


          2)Potential minor regulatory and IT costs to the Physician 
            Assistant Board if it promulgates regulations to establish a 
            retired licensure status.  Any increased costs would be 
            covered by fee revenues.  

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  .  This bill extends to January 1, 2017, the 
            provisions establishing the California BPM and the PAC, and 
            makes other changes that emerged from legislative sunset 
            review hearings.

           2)Background  .  The BPM licenses and regulates doctors of 
            podiatric medicine (DPMs), also called podiatrists.  
            Podiatrists diagnose and treat disorders, diseases, and 
            injuries of the foot, ankle, and lower extremities. They can 
            specialize in areas such as sports medicine, surgery, 
            biomechanics, and diabetic foot care, among others.  About 
            2,000 podiatric medical doctors are licensed in California.

            The PAC within the Medical Board of California (MBC) regulates 








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            about 8,000 physician assistants. PAs perform a broad array of 
            primary medical care activities under the supervision of a 
            physician.  PA licensure was created in 1975 to address a 
            shortage and geographic maldistribution of health care 
            services in California.  The PAC has a cooperative 
            relationship with the MBC, and relies on the MBC for 
            investigative and other services.  

           3)Related Legislation  . Other sunset bills being heard in 
            committee today include SB 1237 (Price), which relates to the 
            Board of Pharmacy and the Court Reporters Board, among others; 
            SB 1238 (Price), which relates to the Board of Behavioral 
            Sciences and the Board of Psychology; and SB 1239 (Price), 
            which relates to the Acupuncture Board.

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