BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 995
                                                                  Page  1

          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 995 (Block)
          As Amended July 23, 2009
          Majority vote
           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |     |(May 28, 2009)  |SENATE: |38-0 |(August 27,    |
          |           |     |                |        |     |2009)          |
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                     (vote not relevant)

          Original Committee Reference:    HEALTH  

           SUMMARY  :  Exempts from tissue bank licensing requirements a  
          licensed physician or podiatrist storing a human cell, tissue,  
          or cellular- or tissue-based medical device or biologic product,  
          as specified.  

           The Senate amendments  delete the Assembly version of this bill,  
          and instead: 

          1)Add to the list of exceptions from Department of Public Health  
            (DPH) tissue bank licensing requirements the storage of a  
            human cell, tissue, or cellular- or tissue-based medical  
            device or biologic product that is approved by the federal  
            government, as specified, by a licensed physician or  
            podiatrist acting within his or her scope of practice and in a  
            lawful setting, if the product was obtained from a California  
            licensed tissue bank and stored as directed by the  
            manufacturer, for use by the physician or podiatrist on his or  
            her own patient. 

          2)Require the entity or organization where the physician or  
            podiatrist practices to notify DPH of the following:  the  
            practitioner is licensed and working within the scope and  
            authority of his or her license and practice for the purpose  
            of direct patient care; a list of practitioners to whom the  
            notification applies; agreement of each listed practitioner to  
            strictly abide by the manufacturer's directions for storage  
            and other instructions and guidelines; and, acknowledgement  
            that the product will not be resold or distributed. 

           EXISTING LAW  defines a tissue bank as any place, establishment,  
          or institution that
          collects, processes, stores, or distributes tissue for  








                                                                  AB 995
                                                                  Page  2

          transplantation into human beings, and requires tissue banks to  
          be licensed by DPH, except as specified.  

           AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this bill deleted requirements that  
          DPH regulate tissue banks, and instead required tissue banks to  
          comply with the current standards of the American Association of  
          Tissue Banks, required DPH to evaluate and consider for adoption  
          future amendments to the AATB standards pursuant to a prescribed  
          process, and changed the civil administrative penalties DPH may  
          impose for noncompliance with the standards.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Senate Appropriations  
          Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.

           COMMENTS  :  The author states DPH regulations require podiatrists  
          to register as tissue banks if they store tissues for more than  
          24 hours.  According to the author, this additional licensing  
          requirement and fee for licensed practitioners who lawfully  
          obtain products from a California licensed tissue bank and use  
          and store them in accordance with existing federal laws and  
          manufacturer guidelines for direct patient care could jeopardize  
          access to advanced products, such as bioactive devices and  
          products.  The author states that newly developed bioactive  
          devices and products deliver living, cell-based products to  
          stimulate the body's own healing process, and are  approved by  
          the federal Food and Drug Administration to treat diabetic foot  
          ulcers and venous leg ulcers, which are painful, last many  
          years, and are the most frequently occurring chronic wounds  
          suffered by patients.  

          This bill was substantially amended in the Senate and the  
          Assembly-approved provisions of this bill were deleted.  This  
          bill, as amended in the Senate, is inconsistent with Assembly  
          actions.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Allegra Kim / HEALTH / (916) 319-2097 

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