BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



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          Date of Hearing:  April 12, 2016


                   ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS


                                  Rudy Salas, Chair


          AB 2193  
          (Salas) - As Amended April 5, 2016


          SUBJECT:  California Board of Podiatric Medicine:  Physician  
          Assistant Board:  extension.


          SUMMARY:  Extends the operation of the Board of Podiatric  
          Medicine (BPM), the operation of the Physician Assistant Board  
          (PAB), and the PAB's authority to appoint an executive officer  
          until January 1, 2021.  


          EXISTING LAW:


          1)Establishes the BPM within the jurisdiction of the Medical  
            Board of California (MBC) until January 1, 2017.  Provides  
            that the repeal of the enacting statute renders the BPM  
            subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the  
            Legislature.  (Business and Professions Code (BPC) § 2460)
          2)Establishes the PAB within the jurisdiction of the MBC until  
            January 1, 2017.  Provides that the repeal of the enacting  
            statute renders the PAB subject to review by the appropriate  
            policy committees of the Legislature.  (BPC § 3504)


          3)Requires, until January 1, 2017, and except as provided in BPC  
            §§ 159.5 and 2020, the PAB to employ within the limits of the  








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            Physician Assistant Fund all personnel necessary to carry out  
            the provisions of the Physician Assistant Practice Act,  
            including an executive officer who shall be exempt from civil  
            service.  Requires the MBC and PAB to make all necessary  
            expenditures to carry out the provisions of the Physician  
            Assistant Practice Act from the Physician Assistant Fund.   
            (BPC § 3512) 


          THIS BILL:


          1)Extends the sunset dates for the BPM and the PAB until January  
            1, 2021.
          2)Extends the PAB's authority to appoint an executive officer  
            until January 1, 2021.


          FISCAL EFFECT:  Unknown.  This bill is keyed fiscal by the  
          Legislative Counsel.


          COMMENTS:


          Purpose.  Unless legislation is carried this year to extend the  
          sunset dates for the BPM and the PAB, they will be repealed on  
          January 1, 2017.  The legislative changes reflected in this bill  
          are solutions to issues raised in the Assembly Committee on  
          Business and Professions' staff Background Paper and during the  
          sunset review hearing held on March 9, 2016.  In addition, this  
          bill will extend the BPM and PAB's authority to appoint an  
          executive officer.


          Background.  In March of 2016, the Senate Business and  
          Professions Committee and the Assembly Business and Professions  
          Committee (Committees) conducted several joint oversight  
          hearings to review 11 regulatory entities, including the BPM and  








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          the PAB.  This bill and the accompanying sunset bills are  
          intended to implement legislative changes as recommended by the  
          committee staff Background Papers prepared for each entity  
          reviewed.


          Continued Regulation of Physician Assistants by the PAB.  The  
          PAB is one of the several licensing entities under the DCA.  The  
          PAB licenses and regulates physician assistants (PAs).  PAs  
          provide health care services under the supervision of a  
          physician and surgeon.   PA functions include performing  
          diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive, and health maintenance  
          services.  Currently, the PAB has over 10,000 licensed PAs.  The  
          PAB was last reviewed by the Committees in 2012.


          Since its last review, the PAB has shown a commitment to improve  
          its overall efficiency and effectiveness, and has worked  
          cooperatively with the Legislature and the Committees to bring  
          about necessary changes.  Therefore, this bill extends the  
          sunset date of the PAB for four years so that the Legislature  
          may once again review whether the issues and recommendations the  
          Background Paper addressed.


          Continued Regulation of Doctors of Podiatric Medicine by the  
          BPM.  The BPM is also one of several licensing entities under  
          the DCA.  The BPM licenses and regulates doctors of podiatric  
          medicine (DPMs).  In the Medical Practice Act, a license to  
          practice podiatric medicine is called a "certificate," but it is  
          indistinguishable from other professional licenses.  It is a  
          misdemeanor to practice podiatric medicine or use the title DPM,  
          podiatrist, or similar designation without a license. 


          The Practice Act defines "podiatric medicine" as all medical  
          treatment of the foot, ankle, and tendons that insert into the  
          foot, including diagnosis, surgery, and the nonsurgical  
          treatment of the muscles and tendons of the leg governing the  








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          functions of the foot.  Therefore, a DPM's scope of practice is  
          similar to that of a physician and surgeon who specializes in  
          the foot and ankle.  However, unlike a physician and surgeon,  
          whose scope is only limited by the licensee's own area of  
          competence, a DPM's scope is limited by the license to the foot  
          and ankle.


          The BPM licenses approximately 2,000 DPMs.  On average, it  
          issues 106 licenses each year and renews on average 1,106  
          licenses each year.


          Since its last review, the BPM has also shown a commitment to  
          its mission and a willingness to work with the Legislature to  
          improve consumer protection.  Therefore, this bill extends the  
          BPM sunset date to January 1, 2021 so that the Legislature may  
          once again review whether the issues and recommendations the  
          Background Paper addressed.


          REGISTERED SUPPORT:  


          None on file.


          REGISTERED OPPOSITION:  


          None on file.




          Analysis Prepared by:Vincent Chee / B. & P. / (916) 319-3301











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