BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 960 Page 1 Date of Hearing: July 2, 2014 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Mike Gatto, Chair SB 960 (Morrell) - As Amended: June 19, 2014 Policy Committee: Business and Professions Vote: 14-0 Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No SUMMARY This bill authorizes the Board of Pharmacy (BOP) to issue a letter of admonishment (LOA) to an applicant who has committed a violation that BOP deems worthy of caution, but does not merit a license denial or probationary status. FISCAL EFFECT Minor, absorbable costs to BOP. BOP estimates that if this bill passes, this option will likely be used less than a dozen times per year. Of these cases, some may be challenged and require an informal proceeding. COMMENTS 1)Purpose . This bill would allow BOP to issue an initial pharmacist or pharmacy technician license and concurrently issue a public LOA for cases in which there have been violations not significant enough to warrant a license denial. This step would allow the BOP to put the licensee, and potential employers, on notice that there was a question about the licensee's qualifications, while still permitting an otherwise qualified applicant to practice. The letter would remain public for three years and be expunged if there were no interim disciplinary actions. This bill is sponsored by BOP. According to the BOP, a LOA will protect the public and provide notice to an employer of facts and violations about a new licensee. It would also allow the board to document a licensee's history regarding an event that may have happened many years ago, when considering a disciplinary action for SB 960 Page 2 misconduct during the first three years of licensure. 2)Related legislation . AB 2131 (Morrell) of 2014 was a similar measure sponsored by BOP, modeled after the Medical Board of California's letter of reprimand. However, the bill's author moved to the Senate, and the language of AB 2131 was amended into SB 960 to use a LOA instead of a letter of reprimand. AB 2131 is currently in Senate Business, Professions, and Consumer Protection Committee, with no plans for a hearing. Analysis Prepared by : Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916) 319-2081