BILL NUMBER: AB 877	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 14, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Emmerson

                        FEBRUARY 26, 2009

   An act to  add Section 687 to the Business and Professions
Code,   relating to healing arts.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 877, as amended, Emmerson. Healing  arts. 
 arts: scope of practice.
   Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various
healing arts practitioners by boards within the Department of
Consumer Affairs and the department is under the control of the
Director of Consumer Affairs. 
   This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation authorizing the Director of Consumer Affairs to appoint a
specified committee of 7 members to perform occupational analyses,
as specified, and to prepare written reports on any bill that seeks
to expand the scope of a healing arts practice.  
   This bill would require the Director of Consumer Affairs to
appoint a scope of practice committee of 5 members, as specified, to
perform occupational analyses and prepare written reports, as
specified, on any bills seeking to substantively expand the scope of
a healing arts practice. The bill would require that the reasonable
cost of an analysis and report be paid by the affected licensing
board, as specified. 
   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.    It is the intent of the Legislature to
provide a procedure for objective review of proposed changes in the
scope of practice of health professionals licensed by the state in
order to ensure that the changes contribute to the improvement of the
overall health of the people of California. 
   SEC. 2.    Section 687 is added to the  
Business and Professions Code   , to read:  
   687.  (a) (1) The Director of Consumer Affairs shall appoint a
scope of practice committee to perform occupational analyses and
prepare written reports on any bills introduced in either house of
the Legislature that seek to substantively expand the scope of
practice of any person licensed under this division or under any
initiative act referred to in this division.
   (2) The committee shall be comprised of five members as follows:
   (A) Two academics, one representing each side of the scope of
practice issue.
   (B) Two practitioners, one representing each side of the scope of
practice issue.
   (C) One public member.
   (b) The Assembly Committee on Business and Professions or the
Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development,
upon notification of an introduced bill proposing to substantively
expand the scope of a healing arts practice, shall provide the bill
to the scope of practice committee for performance of the
occupational analysis pursuant to subdivision (a).
   (c) The committee shall, within 90 days of receipt of the bill,
prepare a written report of its analysis pursuant to subdivision (a).
The written report shall do all of the following:
   (1) Evaluate the education, training, and experience of all
healing arts practices that would be affected by the proposed
substantive expansion of the scope of practice.
   (2) Evaluate the quality and quantity of the training provided by
the health care professional degree curricula and postgraduate
training programs to health care practitioners in active practice
with regard to the increased scope of practice proposed.
   (3) Review other states that have a scope of practice for the
relevant healing arts practice that is identical or similar to the
proposed change and any available information on how that scope of
practice has affected the quality and cost of health care in those
states.
   (d) The reasonable cost of an occupational analysis and written
report shall be paid by the licensing board for the healing arts
practice that would be subject to the proposed expanded scope of
practice from funds made available to the board for that purpose.
 
  SECTION 1.    (a) It is the intent of the
Legislature to enact legislation that would authorize the Director of
Consumer Affairs to appoint a committee to perform occupational
analyses on various healing arts practices, to include, but not be
limited to, education, training, and experience, and to prepare a
written report on any bill introduced in either house of the
Legislature that seeks to expand the scope of a healing arts practice
as described in Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.
   (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the committee be
comprised of seven members as follows: two academics representing
each side of the scope of practice issue, one practitioner
representing each side of the scope of practice issue, and one public
member.
   (c) It is further the intent of the Legislature that the cost of
the occupational analyses and the written reports be borne on the
healing arts practice requesting the expanded scope of practice.