BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair


          SB 1236 (Price) - Healing arts boards.
          
          Amended: April 17, 2012         Policy Vote: BP&ED 7-0
          Urgency: No                     Mandate: No
          Hearing Date: May 24, 2012      Consultant: Jennifer Douglas
          
          SUSPENSE FILE.
          
          
          Bill Summary: SB 1236 would extend the sunset of the California 
          Board of Podiatric Medicine until January 1, 2017 and specify 
          that the board is subject to review by the appropriate policy 
          committees of the Legislature.  This bill would rename the 
          Physician Assistant Committee of the Medical Board of California 
          as the Physician Assistant Board and extend the sunset of the 
          board until January 1, 2017 and specify that the board is 
          subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the 
          Legislature.  This bill would also expand specified reporting 
          requirements to additionally include physician assistants. 

          Fiscal Impact: 
              Estimated annual cost of $1.09 million from the Board of 
              Podiatric Medicine Fund (1110-0295) based on the 2010-11 
              Budget Act, all costs offset by existing fees.
              Estimated annual cost of $1.29 million from the Physician 
              Assistant Fund (1110-0280) based on the 2010-11 Budget Act, 
              all costs offset by existing fees.

          Background: Existing law provides for the certification and 
          regulation of podiatrists by the California Board of Podiatric 
          Medicine within the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of 
          California.  Under existing law the California Board of 
          Podiatric Medicine will be repealed on January 1, 2013 and is 
          required to be reviewed by the Joint Sunset Review Committee.

          Existing law also provides for the licensure and regulation of 
          physician assistants by the Physician Assistant Committee of the 
          Medical Board of California.  Under existing law the committee 
          will be repealed on January 1, 2013 and is required to be 
          reviewed by the Joint Sunset Review Committee.

          Existing law places specific reporting requirements upon 








          SB 1236 (Price)
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          specified health care licensing boards and licensees of those 
          boards.
          
          Related Legislation: Other sunset review bills include:
           SB 1237 (Price) relating to the Board of Pharmacy and the 
            Court Reporters Board.
           SB 1238 (Price) relating to the Board of Psychology and the 
            Board of Behavioral Sciences.
           SB 1239 (Price) relating to the Board of Acupuncture.

          Staff Comments: This bill is one of four sunset bills authored 
          by Senator Price as the Chair of the Senate Business, 
          Professions and Economic Development Committee.  In March 2012 
          the Committee conducted oversight hearings to review seven 
          regulatory boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs, 
          including the Board of Podiatric Medicine and the Physician 
          Assistant Committee.  This bill, and the accompanying sunset 
          bills, is intended to implement legislative changes as 
          recommended in the Committee's Background/Issue Papers for all 
          of the agencies reviewed by the Committee.  This bill is 
          necessary to extend the sunset date of the Board of Podiatric 
          Medicine and the Physician Assistant Committee in order to 
          continue the regulation of podiatric medicine and the practice 
          of physician assistants in California.