BILL NUMBER: AB 890	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 26, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Ridley-Thomas

                        FEBRUARY 26, 2015

    An act to amend Section 301 of the Business and
Professions Code, relating to consumers.   An act to add
Chapter 7.75 (commencing with Section 3550) to Division 2 of the
Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts. 


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 890, as amended, Ridley-Thomas.  Consumers. 
 Anesthesiologist assistants.  
   Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of
specified healing arts licensees, including, among others, physicians
and surgeons, physician assistants, nurses, and nurse anesthetists.
 
   This bill would enact the Anesthesiologist Assistant Practice Act,
which would make it unlawful for any person to hold himself or
herself out as an anesthesiologist assistant unless he or she meets
specified requirements. The bill would make it an unfair business
practice to violate these provisions. The bill would require an
anesthesiologist assistant to work under the direction and
supervision of an anesthesiologist, and would require the
anesthesiologist to be physically present on the premises and
available to the anesthesiologist assistant when medical services are
being rendered and to oversee the activities of, and accept
responsibility for, the medical services being rendered by the
anesthesiologist assistant. The bill would authorize an
anesthesiologist assistant to assist the supervising anesthesiologist
in developing and implementing an anesthesia care plan for a
patient.  
   Existing law states that it is the intent of the Legislature to
promote and protect the interests of the people as consumers, and
that the government advances the interests of consumers by, among
other things, protecting consumers from the sale of goods and
services through the use of deceptive methods, acts, or practices
that are inimical to the general welfare of consumers. 

   This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to this provision.

   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no
  yes  . State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Chapter 7.75 (commencing with Section
3550) is added to Division 2 of the   Business and
Professions Code   , to read:  
      CHAPTER 7.75.  ANESTHESIOLOGIST ASSISTANT


   3550.  This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the
Anesthesiologist Assistant Practice Act.
   3551.  For purposes of this section, the following definitions
shall apply:
   (a) "Anesthesiologist" means a physician and surgeon who has
completed a residency in anesthesiology approved by the American
Board of Anesthesiology or the American Osteopathic Board of
Anesthesiology and is licensed under Chapter 5 (commencing with
Section 2000).
   (b) "Anesthesiologist assistant" means a person who meets the
requirements of Section 3552.
   3552.  (a) A person shall not hold himself or herself out to be an
anesthesiologist assistant unless he or she meets the following
requirements:
   (1) Has graduated from an anesthesiologist assistant program
recognized by the American Medical Association's Committee on Allied
Health Education and Accreditation or by its successor agency.
   (2) Has passed the certifying examination and holds an active
certification by the National Commission on Certification of
Anesthesiologist Assistants.
   (b) It is an unfair business practice within the meaning of
Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 17200) of Part 2 of Division 7 for
any person to use the title "anesthesiologist assistant" or any
other term, including, but not limited to, "certified," "licensed,"
"registered," or "AA," that implies or suggests that the person is
certified as an anesthesiologist assistant, if the person does not
meet the requirements of subdivision (a).
   3553.  An anesthesiologist assistant shall work under the
direction and supervision of an anesthesiologist. The supervising
anesthesiologist shall do both of the following:
   (a) Be physically present on the premises and available to the
anesthesiologist assistant when medical services are being rendered.
   (b) Oversee the activities of, and accept responsibility for, the
medical services being rendered by the anesthesiologist assistant.
   3554.  Notwithstanding any other law, an anesthesiologist
assistant may assist the supervising anesthesiologist in developing
and implementing an anesthesia care plan for a patient. 

  SECTION 1.    Section 301 of the Business and
Professions Code is amended to read:
   301.  It is the intent of the Legislature and the purpose of this
chapter to promote and protect the interests of the people as
consumers. The Legislature finds that vigorous representation and
protection of consumer interests are essential to the fair and
efficient functioning of a free enterprise market economy. The
Legislature declares that government advances the interests of
consumers by facilitating the proper functioning of the free
enterprise market economy through (a) educating and informing the
consumer to ensure rational consumer choice in the marketplace; (b)
protecting the consumer from the sale of goods and services through
the use of deceptive methods, acts, or practices that are inimical to
the general welfare of consumers; (c) fostering competition; and (d)
promoting effective representation of consumers' interests in all
branches and levels of government.