AB 2053, Gonzalez. Primary care clinics.
Under existing law, the State Department of Public Health licenses and regulates primary care clinics, as defined. A violation of those provisions is a crime under existing law. Existing law authorizes a clinic corporation, on behalf of a primary care clinic that has held a valid, unrevoked, and unsuspended license for at least the immediately preceding 5 years, with no demonstrated history of repeated or uncorrected violations of specified provisions that pose immediate jeopardy to a patient, and that has no pending action to suspend or revoke its license, to file an affiliate clinic application to establish a primary care clinic at an additional site. Existing law provides that no application for licensure is required if a licensed primary care clinic adds a service that is not a special service, as defined, or remodels or modifies an existing primary care clinic site, but requires the clinic to notify the department of these events, as specified.
This bill would, among other things, expand that exception from licensure, and that notice requirement, to include a licensed primary care clinic or affiliate clinic that adds an additional physical plant maintained and operated on separate premises. The bill would require the department, upon written notification by a primary care clinic or affiliate clinic of its intent to add an additional physical plant maintained and operated on separate premises and upon payment of a licensing fee for each additional physical plant added, to review the information provided in the notification, and if the information submitted is in compliance with specified requirements, require the department to approve the additional physical plant within 30 days of all information being submitted, and to amend the primary care clinic or affiliate clinic’s license to include the additional physical plant as part of a single consolidated license. Because the bill would create a new crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 1212 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
(a) Any person, firm, association, partnership, or corporation desiring a license for a clinic or a special permit for special services under the provisions of this chapter, shall file with the department a verified application on forms prescribed and furnished by the department, containing the following:
(1) Evidence satisfactory to the department that the applicant is of reputable and responsible character. If the applicant is a firm, association, partnership, trust, corporation, or other artificial or legal entity, like evidence shall be submitted as to the members, partners, trustees or shareholders, directors, and officers thereof and as to the person who is to be the administrator of, and exercise control, management, and direction of the clinic for which application is made.
(2) If the applicant is a partnership, the name and principal business address of each partner, and, if any partner is a corporation, the name and principal business address of each officer and director of the corporation and name and business address of each stockholder owning 10 percent or more of the stock thereof.
(3) If the applicant is a corporation, the name and principal business address of each officer and director of the corporation, and if the applicant is a stock corporation, the name and principal business address of each stockholder holding 10 percent or more of the applicant’s stock and, if any stockholder is a corporation, the name and principal business address of each officer and director of the corporate stockholder.
(4) Evidence satisfactory to the department of the ability of the applicant to comply with the provisions of this chapter and rules and regulations promulgated under this chapter by the department.
(5) The name and address of the clinic, and if the applicant is a professional corporation, firm, partnership, or other form of organization, evidence that the applicant has complied with the requirements of the Business and Professions Code governing the use of fictitious names by practitioners of the healing arts.
(6) The name and address of the professional licentiate responsible for the professional activities of the clinic and the licentiate’s license number and professional experience.
(7) The class of clinic to be operated, the character and scope of advice and treatment to be provided, and a complete description of the building, its location, facilities, equipment, apparatus, and appliances to be furnished and used in the operation of the clinic.
(8) Sufficient operational data to allow the department to determine the class of clinic that the applicant proposes to operate and the initial license fee to be charged.
(9) Any other information as may be required by the department for the proper administration and enforcement of this chapter, including, but not limited to, evidence that the clinic has a written policy relating to the dissemination of the following information to patients:
(A) A summary of current state laws requiring child passenger restraint systems to be used when transporting children in motor vehicles.
(B) A listing of child passenger restraint system programs located within the county, as required by Section 27360 or 27362 of the Vehicle Code.
(C) Information describing the risks of death or serious injury associated with the failure to utilize a child passenger restraint system.
(b) (1) No application is required if a licensed primary care clinic adds a service that is not a special service, as defined in Section 1203, or any regulation adopted under that section, or remodels or modifies, or adds an additional physical plant maintained and operated on separate premises to, an existing primary care clinic site. However, the clinic shall notify the department, in writing, of the change in service or physical plant no less than 60 days prior to adding the service or remodeling or modifying, or adding an additional physical plant maintained and operated on a separate premises to, an existing primary care clinic site. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to limit the authority of the department to conduct an inspection at any time pursuant to Section 1227, in order to ensure compliance with, or to prevent a violation of, this chapter, or any regulation adopted under this chapter.
(2) If applicable city, county, or state law obligates the primary care clinic to obtain a building permit with respect to the remodeling or modification to be performed by the clinic, or the construction of a new physical plant, the primary care clinic shall provide a signed certification or statement as described in Section 1226.3 to the department within 60 days following completion of the remodeling, modification, or construction project covered by the building permit.
(c) In the course of fulfilling its obligations under Section 1221.09, the department shall ensure that any application form utilized by a primary care clinic, requiring information of the type specified in paragraph (1), (4), (8), or (9) of subdivision (a), is consistent with the requirements of Section 1225, including the requirement that rules and regulations for primary care clinics be separate and distinct from the rules and regulations for specialty clinics. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the department to issue a separate application form for primary care clinics.
(d) (1) The department, upon written notification by a primary care clinic or an affiliate clinic of its intent to add an additional physical plant maintained and operated on separate premises, as described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) and upon payment of a licensing fee for each additional physical plant added, shall review the information provided in the notification, and if the information submitted is in compliance with the requirements specified in this subdivision, the department shall approve the additional physical plant within 30 days of all information being submitted and shall amend the primary care clinic or affiliate clinic’s license to include the additional physical plant as part of a single consolidated license. If the notification does not include the information required by this subdivision, the department shall notify the licensee of the need for additional information and shall not amend the license to add the additional physical plant until the additional information is received and reviewed by the department.
(2) Written notification shall include evidence that the primary care clinic or affiliate clinic is licensed in good standing and otherwise meets the criteria specified in this subdivision. In issuing the single consolidated license, the department shall specify the location of each physical plant.
(3) The written notification shall demonstrate compliance with all of the following criteria:
(A) There is a single governing body for all the facilities maintained and operated by the licensee.
(B) There is a single administration for all the facilities maintained and operated by the licensee.
(C) There is a single medical director for all the facilities maintained and operated by the licensee, with a single set of bylaws, rules, and regulations.
(D) The additional physical plant meets minimum construction standards of adequacy and safety for clinics found in the most recent version of the California Building Standards Code and prescribed by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, as required in subdivision (b) of Section 1226. Compliance with the minimum construction standards of adequacy and safety may be established as specified in Section 1226.3.
(E) The additional physical plant meets fire clearance standards.
(4) The written notification required to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall include all of the following documentation:
(A) The name and address of the licensee’s corporation administrative office, including the name and contact information for the corporation’s chief executive officer or executive director.
(B) The name and address of, and the hours of operation and services provided by, the additional physical plant.
(C) A copy of any document confirming the corporation’s authority to control the additional physical plant. Examples of acceptable documentation include, but shall not be limited to, a lease or purchase agreement, grant deed, bill of sale, sublease, rental agreement, or memorandum of understanding between the owner of the property and the proposed licensee.
(5) A primary care clinic or an affiliate clinic may add additional physical plants pursuant to this section that are no more than one-half mile from the licensed clinic adding the additional physical plant under a consolidated license.
(6) Upon renewal of a consolidated license approved pursuant to this subdivision, a licensee fee shall be required for each additional physical plant approved on the license.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.
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