BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                     AB 941


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          Date of Hearing:  May 6, 2015


                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS


                                 Jimmy Gomez, Chair


          AB  
          941 (Wood) - As Introduced February 26, 2015


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          Urgency:  No  State Mandated Local Program:  NoReimbursable:  No


          SUMMARY:


          This bill exempts a clinic conducted, maintained, or operated by  
          a federally recognized Indian tribe or tribal organization from  
          licensure as a clinic by the California Department of Public  
          Health (CDPH).








                                                                     AB 941


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          FISCAL EFFECT:


          Minor annual revenue loss to DPH, to the extent tribal clinics  
          no longer pay approximately $700 per facility in licensing fees  
          per facility. DPH oversight workload will be reduced  
          commensurately with any reduction in licensure fees.  

          COMMENTS:
          


          1)Purpose. According to the author, this bill creates a single  
            licensing standard for  tribe-operated clinics, by clarifying  
            the exemption from clinic licensing in existing law for  
            clinics operated by federally recognized tribes applies to  
            clinics that are not located within Indian country.  The  
            author notes when tribe-operated health programs operate a  
            clinic on federal Indian trust land or in affiliation with an  
            institution of higher learning they are exempt from licensure.  
            However, other clinics tribes operate must be licensed.  

          2)Support. This bill is supported by numerous tribes, Latino  
            Coalition for a Healthy California, the California Primary  
            Care Association, and several other organizations.
             
          3)Opposition. The California Nurses Association (CNA) opposes  
            this bill, noting without licensing, clinics would not have to  
            comply with state building or state professional standards  
            which assure minimal protections for employees working in  
            clinics who may or may not be tribal members.  CNA believes  
            the exemption proposed by this bill does not assure any  
            minimum standards of care for tribal clinics operating within  
            California but not on tribal land.

          4)Previous Legislation. AB 2264 (Levine) of 2014, was  
            substantially similar to this bill.  AB 2264 was amended to  








                                                                     AB 941


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            address entirely different subject matter.






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