Bill Text: CA SB425 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Chaptered


Bill Title: Health care practitioners: licensee’s file: probationary physician’s and surgeon’s certificate: unprofessional conduct.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-10-12 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 849, Statutes of 2019. [SB425 Detail]

Download: California-2019-SB425-Chaptered.html

Senate Bill No. 425
CHAPTER 849

An act to amend Sections 800, 2221, and 2234 of, and to add Section 805.8 to, the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts.

[ Approved by Governor  October 12, 2019. Filed with Secretary of State  October 12, 2019. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 425, Hill. Health care practitioners: licensee’s file: probationary physician’s and surgeon’s certificate: unprofessional conduct.
Existing law requires the Medical Board of California and specified other boards responsible for the licensure, regulation, and discipline of health care practitioners to separately create and maintain a central file of the names of all persons who hold a license, certificate, or similar authority from that board, including prescribed historical information for each licensee. Existing law makes the contents of any central file that are not public records confidential, except that the licensee or their counsel or a representative are authorized to inspect and have copies made of the licensee’s complete file other than the disclosure of the identity of an information source. Existing law authorizes a board to protect an information source by providing a copy of the material with only those deletions necessary to protect the identity of the source or by providing a comprehensive summary of the substance of the material.
This bill would delete the specification that the summary be comprehensive.
Existing law establishes a peer review process for certain healing arts licentiates, as defined, and requires the chief of staff of a medical or professional staff or other chief executive officer, medical director, or administrator of any peer review body and the chief executive officer or administrator of any licensed health care facility or clinic to report specified information, including the denial or revocation of staff privileges, as defined, for a medical disciplinary cause or reason, within 15 days of the denial or revocation to the relevant state licensing agency. Existing law makes a violation of this reporting requirement punishable by a civil fine.
This bill would require any health care facility, as defined, or other entity that makes any arrangement under which a healing arts licensee is allowed to practice or provide care for patients to report any allegation of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct, as defined, made against a healing arts licensee by a patient, if the patient or the patient’s representative makes the allegation in writing, to the relevant state licensing agency within 15 days of receiving the written allegation and would require the relevant agency to investigate the circumstances underlying a received report. The bill would require such a report to be kept confidential and, with certain exceptions, such a report would not be subject to discovery or disclosure in a disciplinary hearing. The bill would make a willful failure to file the report by a health care facility or other entity punishable by a civil fine not to exceed $100,000 per violation and any other failure to make that report punishable by a civil fine not to exceed $50,000 per violation, as specified. The bill would also prohibit a person, including an employee or individual contracted or subcontracted to provide health care services, a health care facility, or other entity from incurring civil or criminal liability as a result of making a report.
The Medical Practice Act establishes the Medical Board of California for the licensure, regulation, and discipline of physicians and surgeons.
The act authorizes the board to deny a physician’s and surgeon’s certificate to an applicant guilty of unprofessional conduct or of any cause that would subject a licensee to revocation or suspension of their license. The act authorizes the board in its sole discretion to issue a probationary physician’s and surgeon’s certificate to an applicant subject to terms and conditions.
This bill would require the board to disclose a probationary physician’s and surgeon’s certificate and the operative statement of issues to an inquiring member of the public and to post the certificate and statement on the board’s internet website for 10 years from issuance.
The act requires the board to take action against any licensee who is charged with unprofessional conduct and provides that unprofessional conduct includes the repeated failure by a certificate holder who is the subject of an investigation by the board, in the absence of good cause, to attend and participate in an interview by the board.
This bill would delete the condition that the failure to attend and participate in an interview by the board be repeated. The bill would also delete an obsolete provision.
This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 2234 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by SB 786 to be operative only if this bill and SB 786 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 800 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

800.
 (a) The Medical Board of California, the Podiatric Medical Board of California, the Board of Psychology, the Dental Board of California, the Dental Hygiene Board of California, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, the Board of Registered Nursing, the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians of the State of California, the State Board of Optometry, the Veterinary Medical Board, the Board of Behavioral Sciences, the Physical Therapy Board of California, the California State Board of Pharmacy, the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board, the California Board of Occupational Therapy, the Acupuncture Board, and the Physician Assistant Board shall each separately create and maintain a central file of the names of all persons who hold a license, certificate, or similar authority from that board. Each central file shall be created and maintained to provide an individual historical record for each licensee with respect to the following information:
(1) Any conviction of a crime in this or any other state that constitutes unprofessional conduct pursuant to the reporting requirements of Section 803.
(2) Any judgment or settlement requiring the licensee or the licensee’s insurer to pay any amount of damages in excess of three thousand dollars ($3,000) for any claim that injury or death was proximately caused by the licensee’s negligence, error or omission in practice, or by rendering unauthorized professional services, pursuant to the reporting requirements of Section 801 or 802.
(3) Any public complaints for which provision is made pursuant to subdivision (b).
(4) Disciplinary information reported pursuant to Section 805, including any additional exculpatory or explanatory statements submitted by the licentiate pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 805. If a court finds, in a final judgment, that the peer review resulting in the 805 report was conducted in bad faith and the licensee who is the subject of the report notifies the board of that finding, the board shall include that finding in the central file. For purposes of this paragraph, “peer review” has the same meaning as defined in Section 805.
(5) Information reported pursuant to Section 805.01, including any explanatory or exculpatory information submitted by the licensee pursuant to subdivision (b) of that section.
(b) (1) Each board shall prescribe and promulgate forms on which members of the public and other licensees or certificate holders may file written complaints to the board alleging any act of misconduct in, or connected with, the performance of professional services by the licensee.
(2) If a board, or division thereof, a committee, or a panel has failed to act upon a complaint or report within five years, or has found that the complaint or report is without merit, the central file shall be purged of information relating to the complaint or report.
(3) Notwithstanding this subdivision, the Board of Psychology, the Board of Behavioral Sciences, and the Respiratory Care Board of California shall maintain complaints or reports as long as each board deems necessary.
(c) (1) The contents of any central file that are not public records under any other provision of law shall be confidential except that the licensee involved, or the licensee’s counsel or representative, may inspect and have copies made of the licensee’s complete file except for the provision that may disclose the identity of an information source. For the purposes of this section, a board may protect an information source by providing a copy of the material with only those deletions necessary to protect the identity of the source or by providing a summary of the substance of the material. Whichever method is used, the board shall ensure that full disclosure is made to the subject of any personal information that could reasonably in any way reflect or convey anything detrimental, disparaging, or threatening to a licensee’s reputation, rights, benefits, privileges, or qualifications, or be used by a board to make a determination that would affect a licensee’s rights, benefits, privileges, or qualifications. The information required to be disclosed pursuant to Section 803.1 shall not be considered among the contents of a central file for the purposes of this subdivision.
(2) The licensee may, but is not required to, submit any additional exculpatory or explanatory statement or other information that the board shall include in the central file.
(3) Each board may permit any law enforcement or regulatory agency when required for an investigation of unlawful activity or for licensing, certification, or regulatory purposes to inspect and have copies made of that licensee’s file, unless the disclosure is otherwise prohibited by law.
(4) These disclosures shall effect no change in the confidential status of these records.

SEC. 2.

 Section 805.8 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

805.8.
 (a) As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(1) “Agency” means the relevant state licensing agency with regulatory jurisdiction over a healing arts licensee listed in paragraph (2).
(2) “Healing arts licensee” or “licensee” means a licensee licensed under Division 2 (commencing with Section 500) or any initiative act referred to in that division. “Healing arts licensee” or “licensee” also includes a person authorized to practice medicine pursuant to Sections 2064.5, 2113, and 2168.
(3) “Health care facility” means a clinic or health facility licensed or exempt from licensure pursuant to Division 2 (commencing with Section 1200) of the Health and Safety Code.
(4) “Other entity” includes, but is not limited to, a postsecondary educational institution as defined in Section 66261.5 of the Education Code.
(5) “Sexual misconduct” means inappropriate contact or communication of a sexual nature.
(b) A health care facility or other entity that makes any arrangement under which a healing arts licensee is allowed to practice or provide care for patients shall file a report of any allegation of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct made against a healing arts licensee by a patient, if the patient or the patient’s representative makes the allegation in writing, to the agency within 15 days of receiving the written allegation of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct. An arrangement under which a licensee is allowed to practice or provide care for patients includes, but is not limited to, full staff privileges, active staff privileges, limited staff privileges, auxiliary staff privileges, provisional staff privileges, temporary staff privileges, courtesy staff privileges, locum tenens arrangements, and contractual arrangements to provide professional services, including, but not limited to, arrangements to provide outpatient services.
(c) The report provided pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be kept confidential and shall not be subject to discovery, except that the information may be reviewed as provided in subdivision (c) of Section 800 and may be disclosed in any subsequent disciplinary hearing conducted pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
(d) A willful failure to file the report described in subdivision (b) shall be punishable by a fine, not to exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per violation, that shall be paid by the health care facility or other entity subject to subdivision (b). The fine may be imposed in any civil or administrative action or proceeding brought by or on behalf of any agency having regulatory jurisdiction over the licensee regarding whom the report was or should have been filed. If the person who is designated or otherwise required to file the report under this section is a licensed physician and surgeon, the action or proceeding shall be brought by the Medical Board of California. If the person who is designated or otherwise required to file the report required under this section is a licensed doctor of podiatric medicine, the action or proceeding shall be brought by the Podiatric Medical Board of California. The fine shall be paid to that agency, but not expended until appropriated by the Legislature. A violation of this subdivision may constitute unprofessional conduct by the licensee. A person who is alleged to have violated this subdivision may assert any defense available at law. As used in this subdivision, “willful” means a voluntary and intentional violation of a known legal duty.
(e) Except as provided in subdivision (c), any failure to file the report described in subdivision (b) shall be punishable by a fine, not to exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per violation, that shall be paid by the health care facility or other entity subject to subdivision (b). The fine may be imposed in any civil or administrative action or proceeding brought by or on behalf of any agency having regulatory jurisdiction over the person regarding whom the report was or should have been filed. If the person who is designated or otherwise required to file the report required under this section is a licensed physician and surgeon, the action or proceeding shall be brought by the Medical Board of California. If the person who is designated or otherwise required to file the report required under this section is a licensed doctor of podiatric medicine, the action or proceeding shall be brought by the Podiatric Medical Board of California. The fine shall be paid to that agency, but not expended until appropriated by the Legislature. The amount of the fine imposed, not exceeding fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per violation, shall be proportional to the severity of the failure to report and shall differ based upon written findings, including whether the failure to file caused harm to a patient or created a risk to patient safety; whether any person who is designated or otherwise required by law to file the report required under this section exercised due diligence despite the failure to file or whether the person knew or should have known that a report required under this section would not be filed; whether there has been a prior failure to file a report required under this section; and whether a report was filed with another state agency or law enforcement. The amount of the fine imposed may also differ based on whether a health care facility is a small or rural hospital, as defined in Section 124840 of the Health and Safety Code.
(f) A person, including an employee or individual contracted or subcontracted to provide health care services, a health care facility, or other entity shall not incur any civil or criminal liability as a result of making a report required by this section.
(g) The agency shall investigate the circumstances underlying a report received pursuant to this section.

SEC. 3.

 Section 2221 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2221.
 (a) The board may deny a physician’s and surgeon’s certificate to an applicant guilty of unprofessional conduct or of any cause that would subject a licensee to revocation or suspension of their license. The board, in its sole discretion, may issue a probationary physician’s and surgeon’s certificate to an applicant subject to terms and conditions, including, but not limited to, any of the following conditions of probation:
(1) Practice limited to a supervised, structured environment where the licensee’s activities shall be supervised by another physician and surgeon.
(2) Total or partial restrictions on drug prescribing privileges for controlled substances.
(3) Continuing medical or psychiatric treatment.
(4) Ongoing participation in a specified rehabilitation program.
(5) Enrollment and successful completion of a clinical training program.
(6) Abstention from the use of alcohol or drugs.
(7) Restrictions against engaging in certain types of medical practice.
(8) Compliance with all provisions of this chapter.
(9) Payment of the cost of probation monitoring.
(b) The board may modify or terminate the terms and conditions imposed on the probationary certificate upon receipt of a petition from the licensee. The board may assign the petition to an administrative law judge designated in Section 11371 of the Government Code. After a hearing on the petition, the administrative law judge shall provide a proposed decision to the board.
(c) The board shall deny a physician’s and surgeon’s certificate to an applicant who is required to register pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code. This subdivision does not apply to an applicant who is required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code solely because of a misdemeanor conviction under Section 314 of the Penal Code.
(d) An applicant shall not be eligible to reapply for a physician’s and surgeon’s certificate for a minimum of three years from the effective date of the denial of their application, except that the board, in its discretion and for good cause demonstrated, may permit reapplication after not less than one year has elapsed from the effective date of the denial.
(e) The board shall disclose a probationary physician’s and surgeon’s certificate issued pursuant to this section and the operative statement of issues to an inquiring member of the public and shall post the certificate and statement on the board’s internet website for 10 years from issuance.

SEC. 4.

 Section 2234 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2234.
 The board shall take action against any licensee who is charged with unprofessional conduct. In addition to other provisions of this article, unprofessional conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:
(a) Violating or attempting to violate, directly or indirectly, assisting in or abetting the violation of, or conspiring to violate any provision of this chapter.
(b) Gross negligence.
(c) Repeated negligent acts. To be repeated, there must be two or more negligent acts or omissions. An initial negligent act or omission followed by a separate and distinct departure from the applicable standard of care shall constitute repeated negligent acts.
(1) An initial negligent diagnosis followed by an act or omission medically appropriate for that negligent diagnosis of the patient shall constitute a single negligent act.
(2) When the standard of care requires a change in the diagnosis, act, or omission that constitutes the negligent act described in paragraph (1), including, but not limited to, a reevaluation of the diagnosis or a change in treatment, and the licensee’s conduct departs from the applicable standard of care, each departure constitutes a separate and distinct breach of the standard of care.
(d) Incompetence.
(e) The commission of any act involving dishonesty or corruption that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a physician and surgeon.
(f) Any action or conduct that would have warranted the denial of a certificate.
(g) The failure by a certificate holder, in the absence of good cause, to attend and participate in an interview by the board. This subdivision shall only apply to a certificate holder who is the subject of an investigation by the board.

SEC. 4.5.

 Section 2234 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2234.
 The board shall take action against any licensee who is charged with unprofessional conduct. In addition to other provisions of this article, unprofessional conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:
(a) Violating or attempting to violate, directly or indirectly, assisting in or abetting the violation of, or conspiring to violate any provision of this chapter.
(b) Gross negligence.
(c) Repeated negligent acts. To be repeated, there must be two or more negligent acts or omissions. An initial negligent act or omission followed by a separate and distinct departure from the applicable standard of care shall constitute repeated negligent acts.
(1) An initial negligent diagnosis followed by an act or omission medically appropriate for that negligent diagnosis of the patient shall constitute a single negligent act.
(2) When the standard of care requires a change in the diagnosis, act, or omission that constitutes the negligent act described in paragraph (1), including, but not limited to, a reevaluation of the diagnosis or a change in treatment, and the licensee’s conduct departs from the applicable standard of care, each departure constitutes a separate and distinct breach of the standard of care.
(d) Incompetence.
(e) The commission of any act involving dishonesty or corruption that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a physician and surgeon.
(f) Any action or conduct that would have warranted the denial of a certificate.
(g) The failure by a certificate holder, in the absence of good cause, to attend and participate in an interview by the board. This subdivision shall only apply to a certificate holder who is the subject of an investigation by the board.

SEC. 5.

 Section 4.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 2234 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by both this bill and Senate Bill 786. That section of this bill shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2020, (2) each bill amends Section 2234 of the Business and Professions Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Senate Bill 786, in which case Section 4 of this bill shall not become operative.
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