BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 623
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 623 (Kehoe)
As Amended August 7, 2012
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :Vote not relevant
HEALTH 13-6 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Monning, Ammiano, Atkins, |Ayes:|Gatto, Blumenfield, |
| |Bonilla, Eng, Gordon, | |Bradford, |
| |Hayashi, | |Charles Calderon, Campos, |
| |Roger Hern�ndez, Bonnie | |Davis, Fuentes, Hall, |
| |Lowenthal, Mitchell, Pan, | |Hill, Cedillo, Mitchell, |
| |V. Manuel P�rez, Williams | |Solorio |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Logue, Garrick, Mansoor, |Nays:|Harkey, Donnelly, |
| |Nestande, Silva, Smyth | |Nielsen, Norby, Wagner |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires the Office of Statewide Health Planning and
Development (OSHPD) to extend until January 1, 2014, the Health
Workforce Pilot Project No. 171 (HWPP No. 171) to evaluate the
safety, effectiveness, and acceptability of nurse practitioners
(NP's), certified nurse-midwives (CNMs), and physician
assistants (PAs) in providing aspiration abortions.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires OSHPD to extend the HWPP No. 171 to evaluate the
safety, effectiveness, and acceptability of NPs, CNMs, and PAs
in providing aspiration abortions in order to provide the
sponsors an opportunity to achieve publication of the data in
a peer-reviewed journal, to maintain the competence of the
clinicians trained during the course of the project, and to
authorize training of additional clinicians in first-trimester
aspiration technique, as outlined in the project application.
2)Requires that the HWPP No. 171 continue to satisfy the
requirements of OSHPD.
3)Requires that the provisions in this bill remain in effect
SB 623
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only until January 1, 2014, and as of that date are repealed,
unless a later statute enacted before January 1, 2014, deletes
or extends that date.
4)Clarifies that it is the intent of the Legislature that HWPP
No. 171 continue without interruption.
5)Makes the following findings and declarations including, but
not limited to:
a) The Access through Primary Care Project, also known as
the HWPP No. 171, was approved in 2007 to teach new skills
to NPs, CNMs, and PAs, and to evaluate the safety and
efficacy of allowing NPs, CNMs, and PAs to use these new
skills to perform first trimester aspiration abortions;
b) The study investigators from the University of
California (UC) find, from the data submitted to OSHPD that
trainees of the HWPP No. 171 have achieved competency and
safely perform first trimester aspiration abortions using
the new skills acquired through the project. The study
investigators intend to undergo additional peer review of
the data by submitting the results for publication in a
nationally recognized, peer-reviewed journal; and,
c) It is necessary to extend the HWPP No. 171 to maintain
the competencies of clinicians trained to date and to
authorize continued training of new clinicians while the
larger peer review process is conducted, and because the
HWPP No. 171 is likely to increase the availability of
safe, early abortion care that is limited in many areas of
California.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Authorizes OSHPD to, among other functions, collect data and
disseminate information about California's health care
infrastructure, promote equitable distribution of health care
outcomes, and publish information about health care outcomes.
Establishes within OSHPD the HWPP to designate experimental
health workforce projects as approved projects where the
projects are sponsored by community hospitals or clinics,
nonprofit educational institutions, or government agencies
engaged in health or education activities.
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2)Establishes through regulations, the definitions and criteria
for administering the HWPP.
3)Specifies that a NP, CNM, and PA may legally perform a
"nonsurgical" abortion that includes termination of pregnancy
through the use of pharmacological agents.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, this bill would have negligible state fiscal impact.
COMMENTS : According to the author, OSHPD initially approved the
HWPP No. 171 based on arguments by reproductive health care
provider groups that access to early abortion services is
severely constrained throughout the state. The author maintains
that many counties have no accessible abortion providers. As a
result of these access challenges in those parts of the state,
the author asserts, patients who are seeking an abortion after
already having made their decision, not only experience
prohibitive wait times in their own communities, but they also
often confront grueling travels to areas that have more
accessible abortion providers. The author argues that this bill
will extend the HWPP No. 171 to allow the project to maintain
its momentum and study researchers from the UC to achieve
publication in a nationally-recognized peer-reviewed journal of
their study results, which find that trained clinicians may
safely provide first-trimester aspiration abortions.
Analysis Prepared by : Tanya Robinson-Taylor / HEALTH / (916)
319-2097
FN: 0005114