BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair

                                          SB 594 (Wolk)
          
          Hearing Date: 5/23/2011         Amended: 5/11/2011
          Consultant: Katie Johnson       Policy Vote: Health 6-3
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          ____
          BILL SUMMARY: SB 594 would require the California Department of 
          Public Health to promulgate regulations by January 1, 2013, that 
          would establish minimum requirements for laboratories that train 
          public health microbiologist-trainees, approve of and monitor a 
          program of continuing education for public health 
          microbiologists, and to require continuing education for public 
          health microbiologists as a condition for renewal of a 
          certificate issued by CDPH. The bill would also require CDPH to 
          develop an examination in consultation with California 
          Association of Public Health Laboratory Directors, make minor 
          changes to laws related to the relationship between local health 
          departments and public health laboratories and would codify 
          various definitions existing in regulation related to public 
          health laboratory staff.
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          ____
                            Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions         2011-12      2012-13       2013-14     Fund
           CDPH start-up costs    $15        $180        $0        Special*
          and regulations                                         

          *Clinical Laboratory Improvement Fund
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          ____

          STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the 
          Suspense File.
          
          This bill would:
             1)   Require the public health laboratory director to be 
               responsible to the appropriate local health officer;
             2)   Permit a local health department, after consulting with 
               the local health officer, to contract with any official 
               city or county public health laboratory or with the 
               laboratories of the California Department of Public Health 
               (CDPH) to provide services;








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             3)   Designate the laboratories of CDPH as the public health 
               laboratory for all local health department jurisdictions 
               that do not otherwise have access to local public health 
               laboratory service;
             4)   Require any city or county public health laboratory to 
               be certified by CDPH and to comply with specified 
               California regulations;
             5)   Codify the definitions of "public health laboratory 
               director," "public health microbiologist," and "public 
               health microbiologist-trainee";
             6)   Require the examination for public health 
               microbiologists to be developed by CDPH in consultation 
               with the California Association of Public Health Laboratory 
               Directors;
             7)   Require the California Department of Public Health 
               (CDPH) to adopt regulations by January 1, 2013, to 
               establish minimum requirements for laboratories that train 
               public health microbiologist-trainees, would require CDPH 
               to approve of and monitor a program of continuing education 
               for public health microbiologists, and would require 
               continuing education for public health microbiologists.

          This bill would codify a requirement in regulation for CDPH to 
          establish minimum requirements for laboratories that train 
          public health microbiologist-trainees that has been in existence 
          since the 1970s. It is unclear whether or not CDPH has developed 
          such minimum requirements. The costs to CDPH to promulgate 
          regulations to set minimum requirements and to approve and 
          monitor a program of continuing education would be approximately 
          $180,000 from the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Fund. 

          Additionally, ongoing costs for CDPH to develop the examination 
          in consultation with the Laboratory Directors and to monitor the 
          continuing education program would be minor and absorbable.

          It is unclear who would pay for the continuing education and 
          examinations. Staff recommends that this bill be amended to:
             1)   Permit CDPH to charge public health microbiologists an 
               amount sufficient to cover the costs of approving and 
               monitoring the continuing education program and providing 
               the education;
             2)   Prohibit fees from being levied upon local public health 
               laboratories or county or city health departments for 
               approval or renewal of any certificates or maintaining the 








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               continuing education program pursuant to these provisions.

          Staff recommends the bill be amended to require CDPH to adopt 
          regulations by January 1, 2014. The regulations would then be 
          spread over two years at approximately $90,000 in FY 2012-2013 
          and $90,000 in FY 2013-2014.