Healing Arts.

(1) Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California. Existing law requires the board to issue a license to an applicant who meets specified qualifications and requirements, including successfully completing a medical curriculum, as specified, in a medical school or schools located in the United States or Canada approved by the board, or in a medical school located outside the United States or Canada that otherwise meets specified requirements. Existing law requires the board to issue a license to an applicant who, among other things, (A) holds an unlimited license as a physician and surgeon in another state or states or a Canadian province or provinces, (B) has held an unrestricted license to practice medicine for at least 4 years, (C) has passed a written examination recognized by the board to be equivalent in context to that administered in California, (D) the board has determined has (i) not had disciplinary action taken against him or her, (ii) not been the subject of an adverse judgment or settlement, and (iii) has not committed any acts or crimes constituting grounds for denial of a certificate, in each case, as specified, (E) has completed specified postgraduate training, and (F) is board certified in a specialty, as specified. This bill would, upon review and recommendation, authorize the board to determine that an applicant for a physician and surgeon's certificate who acquired his or her medical education or a portion thereof at a foreign medical school that is not recognized or has been previously disapproved by the board is eligible for a certificate if the applicant (1) successfully completes a course of medical instruction leading to a degree of medical doctor, (2) holds an unlimited and unrestricted license in another state or federal territory and practiced for 10 or 20 years depending on whether the medical education was acquired from an unrecognized or previously disapproved foreign medical school, (3) is certified by a specified specialty board, (4) has successfully taken and passed specified examinations, (5) has not been the subject of specified disciplinary action or of adverse judgments or settlements, (6) has successfully completed 3 years of approved postgraduate training, (7) is not subject to denial of licensure under specified provisions, and (8) has not held a healing arts license and been subject to disciplinary action by specified healing arts boards. The bill would also authorize the board to adopt specified regulations concerning the acceptance of records when originals are not available and substitution of board certifications for years of practice or licensure when considering an application for a certificate pursuant to these provisions. (2) Existing law creates within the Department of Consumer Affairs the Board of Registered Nursing, and makes the board responsible for the licensure and regulation of registered nurses. Existing law requires the board to meet quarterly. This bill would require meetings of the board to be held in northern and southern California. (3) Existing law defines the term "approved school of nursing" and requires the board to approve and regulate registered nursing schools that are institutions of higher education or are affiliated with an institution of higher education, as specified. Existing law requires a school of nursing that is not affiliated with an institution of higher education to make an agreement with such an institution for purposes of awarding nursing degrees. This bill would delete the provisions requiring an agreement and would instead allow the board to approve a school of nursing that is affiliated with an institution of higher education, and that is subject to the requirements set forth in the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 to grant nursing degrees. The bill would specify that the term "approved school of nursing" includes an approved nursing program. The bill would subject all approved schools of nursing to specified fees for deposit into the Board of Registered Nursing Fund, a continuously appropriated fund. Because the bill adds a new source of revenue to a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation. The bill would require the board to have a memorandum of understanding with the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education to delineate the powers of the board and bureau, as specified. (4) Existing law provides that it is unlawful for anyone to conduct a school of nursing unless the school has been approved by the board. This bill would authorize the board to issue cease and desist orders to a school of nursing that is not approved by the board and would require the board to notify the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education and the office of the Attorney General of such a school. The bill would also provide that it is unprofessional conduct for any registered nurse to violate that provision.