BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                     AB 655
                                                                     Page  1

        CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
        AB 655 (Hayashi)
        As Amended  July 6, 2011
        Majority vote
         
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        |ASSEMBLY:  |70-0 |(May 12, 2011)  |SENATE: |37-0 |(July 14,      |
        |           |     |                |        |     |2011)          |
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         Original Committee Reference:    B., P. & C.P.
         
         SUMMARY  :  Revises the medical peer review process by requiring a 
        peer review body to respond to the request of another peer review 
        body and produce specified information concerning a licentiate under 
        review.  

         The Senate amendments  specify that: 

        1)Shared peer review information is limited to licentiates under 
          review for a medical disciplinary cause or reason.

        2)The responding peer review body is not obligated to produce peer 
          review information unless:

           a)   The licentiate provides a release, as specified, that is 
             acceptable to the responding peer review body; and,

           b)   The requesting peer review body signs a mutually agreeable 
             peer review sharing agreement, as specified, with the 
             responding peer review body.

        3)All relevant peer review information produced shall be made 
          available to the licentiate by the requesting peer review body in 
          accordance with current law, as specified.

         EXISTING LAW  provides for the professional review of specified 
        healing arts licentiates through a peer review process conducted by 
        peer review bodies, as specified. 

         AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this bill required a peer review body to 
        respond to the request of another peer review body and produce 
        relevant peer review information about a licentiate that was subject 
        to peer review by the responding peer review body, as specified.  
        The bill specified certain limitations on the information produced 








                                                                     AB 655
                                                                     Page  2

        and its use, contained certain liability protections for the 
        responding peer review body, and required certain releases and 
        sharing agreements of the requesting and responding peer review 
        bodies and the licentiate under review.

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

         COMMENTS  :  This bill is substantially similar to the version passed 
        by the Assembly, with the addition of provisions that limit shared 
        peer review information to licentiates under review for a medical 
        disciplinary cause or reason, specify that the responding peer 
        review body is not obligated to produce peer review information 
        unless a specified release and a sharing agreement are provided, and 
        require peer review information produced to be made available to the 
        licentiate.


         Analysis Prepared by  :    Angela Mapp / B.,P. & C.P. / (916) 319-3301 
                                                          FN: 0001606