Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care. Existing law requires a health care service plan contract that includes terms requiring binding arbitration for dispute settlement to provide a specified disclosure to subscribers or enrollees. Existing law, the California Arbitration Act, provides a statutory framework for the enforcement of contractual arbitration under California law. Existing law establishes standards for arbitration, and requires a court to vacate an arbitration award if it makes certain findings. This bill would require the Attorney General to oversee compliance by health care service plans with specified provisions regulating the use of binding arbitration to settle disputes. The bill would authorize the Attorney General to require reports from health care service plans for this purpose. The bill would also require the Attorney General to notify the director of the department of any corrective action taken pursuant to these provisions.
Existing law, the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act (CARE Act) , authorizes specified persons, including a person with whom the respondent resides, family members, and first responders, among others, to petition a civil court to create a voluntary CARE agreement or a court-ordered CARE plan and implement services, to be provided by county behavioral health agencies, to provide behavioral health care, including stabilization medication, housing, and other enumerated services, to adults who are currently experiencing a severe mental illness and have a diagnosis identified in the disorder class schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, or bipolar I disorder with psychotic features, and who meet other specified criteria. Existing law requires the Judicial Council to develop a mandatory form for use to file a CARE process petition with the court and any other forms necessary for the CARE process, to be signed under the penalty of perjury, and requires the form to contain certain information, including either a specified affidavit of a licensed behavioral health professional or evidence the respondent was detained for a minimum of two intensive treatments pursuant to specified provisions of law. Existing law, the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act (LPS Act) , generally provides for the evaluation, treatment, and civil commitment of persons with mental health disorders and other specified persons. Existing law authorizes, under a superior court order, an evaluation of a person alleged, as a result of mental disorder, to be a danger to themselves or others or to be gravely disabled, and provides the forms to use for these evaluations. The CARE Act authorizes a court to terminate a respondent's participation in the CARE process if the court determines that the respondent is not participating in the CARE process or is not adhering to their CARE plan, as specified, and authorizes the court to order the court-ordered evaluation under the LPS Act. If the court finds the petitioner has made a prima facie showing that the respondent is, or may be, a person eligible for the CARE program, the court is required to order the county behavioral health agency, or their designee, as specified, to submit a written report to the court with specified information, including, but not limited to, a determination whether the respondent meets, or is likely to meet, the criteria for the CARE process and conclusions and recommendations about the respondent's ability to voluntarily engage in services. Existing law requires the court to, within 5 days of receiving the report, take one of several actions, including dismissing the petition if the court determines that voluntary engagement with the respondent is effective and the individual has enrolled, or is likely to enroll, in behavioral health treatment. This bill would require the written report to include conclusions about whether the respondent is likely to need a higher level of care than is available under the CARE Act and, if so, recommendations about the appropriate level of care and the necessary steps to obtain that level of care for the respondent and remove the authorization for a court to dismiss the petition if the respondent is only likely to enroll in behavioral health treatment. If the court intends to dismiss a petition because the respondent needs a higher level of services, the bill would authorize the court to order the county to conduct a prepetition screening and hold the CARE petition open until the screening is complete. The bill would also make other technical and conforming changes. By requiring a higher level of service on the county, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires all hearings regarding these provisions to occur in person unless the court, in its discretion, allows a party or witness to appear remotely. This bill would require the court to allow the hearings to be held remotely, unless otherwise ordered by the court or demanded by the respondent. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law provides for the regulation of various chemicals, including chemicals contained in drugs, dietary supplements, and food products. This bill would prohibit an entity, as defined, from manufacturing, distributing, or offering for sale in this state a product that contains tianeptine or that is marketed as containing tianeptine. The bill would make a violation of these provisions punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed $2,500 for a first violation and not to exceed $5,000 for each subsequent violation, upon an action brought by the Attorney General, a city attorney, or a county counsel. The bill would entitle a prevailing plaintiff to an award of reasonable attorney's fees and costs.
Existing law, the Physical Therapy Practice Act, establishes the Physical Therapy Board of California to license and regulate physical therapists and the practice of physical therapy. A violation of the act is a crime. Existing law defines the terms "physical therapist," "physical therapist assistant," and "physical therapy" and sets forth the scope of practice of a physical therapist. Existing law authorizes only a licensed physical therapist to use the title "physical therapist" or the letters "P.T." or any other words, letters, or figures indicating that the person is a licensed physical therapist. Existing law requires the board to define those doctoral degrees that are in a related health science for specified provisions of the Physical Therapy Practice Act. Existing law authorizes a licensed physical therapist who has received a doctoral degree in physical therapy or, after the adoption of the above-described definition by the board, a doctoral degree in a related health science to, among other things, use the initials "DPT," "PhD," or "EdD", as applicable, in a written communication following the licensee's name. Existing regulations define a physical therapy related health science for the purpose of the above-described authorization to include, among other things, biology, biomechanics, and exercise physiology. This bill, among other changes to the act, would redefine "physical therapy," "physical therapist," and "physical therapist assistant" for purposes of the act, as specified. The bill would, among other things, prohibit the use of any words, abbreviation, or insignia implying that physical therapy is provided unless those services are provided by or under the direction of a licensed physical therapist. The bill would delete the requirement on the board to define the doctoral degrees that are in a related health science described above and would update those provisions to, instead, specify that the doctoral degrees in a related health science are those specified by the board in regulation. The bill would additionally authorize a licensed physical therapist who has received a doctoral degree in physical therapy or a related health science to use the initials "DSc", as applicable, following the licensee's name. This bill would delete existing requirements for the performance of tissue penetration by a physical therapist and instead would include within the practice of physical therapy the use of electrode needles to perform tissue penetration for the purpose of evaluating and interpreting performance of the neuromusculoskeletal system. Existing law prohibits a physical therapist from supervising more than 2 physical therapist assistants at one time and establishes conditions for the initiation of services by a physical therapist directly, including providing a specified notice, orally and in writing, to a patient that is signed by the patient. This bill would increase the number of physical therapist assistants a physical therapist is authorized to supervise from 2 to 3. The bill would require a physical therapist to refer a patient to a physician and surgeon or other appropriately licensed health care provider when the situation or condition of the patient is beyond the scope of the education and training of the physical therapist. The bill would repeal the notice and other requirements for the provision of direct physical therapy treatment services. Because the bill would expand the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
(1) Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California and requires the board to adopt and administer standards for the continuing education of those licensees. Existing law requires the board, in determining its continuing education requirements, to consider including a course in menopausal mental or physical health. This bill would delete that requirement of the board. The bill would require, beginning July 1, 2026, and until July 1, 2032, a qualifying physician and surgeon, as defined, who completes continuing medical education courses in perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopausal care to receive 2 hours of credit for each hour completed of that coursework, as specified. Existing law, the Osteopathic Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of osteopathic physicians and surgeons by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California and requires the board to adopt and administer standards for the continuing education of those licensees. This bill would require osteopathic physicians and surgeons to receive the same credit as described above for completed coursework relating to perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopausal care. (2) Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law sets forth specified coverage requirements for health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies. This bill would require a health care service plan contract or health insurance policy that covers outpatient prescription drugs, except as specified, that is issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, to include coverage for evaluation and treatment options for symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. The bill would require a health care service plan or health insurer to annually provide clinical care recommendations, as specified, for hormone therapy to all contracted primary care providers who treat individuals with perimenopause and menopause. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law, the Nevaeh Youth Sports Safety Act, requires a youth sports organization to ensure, by January 1, 2027, that its athletes have access to an automated external defibrillator (AED) during any practice or match. Existing law requires the AED to be administered by a medical professional or other certified and qualified person designated by a youth sports organization. This bill would delay the requirement to have access to an AED until January 1, 2028, would remove the requirement that it be administered by a medical professional, and would also require, by January 1, 2027, a youth sports organization to ensure that its coaches are certified, as specified, to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and to operate an AED. The bill would require, by January 1, 2027, a youth sports organization to have a written emergency response plan that includes certain information, including the location and procedures to be followed during a sudden cardiac event. The bill would require, by January 1, 2028, a youth sports organization to properly maintain and test its AED, as specified.
