Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of physicians and surgeons and licensed midwives by the Medical Board of California. A violation of the act is a crime. Existing law authorizes the board to establish a Physician and Surgeon Health and Wellness Program to support a physician and surgeon in their rehabilitation from substance abuse to ensure the physician and surgeon remains able to practice medicine in a manner that will not endanger the public health and safety and that will maintain the integrity of the medical profession. Existing law requires the board to contract with a third party for the program's administration in accordance with specified provisions of the Public Contract Code. Existing law provides that participation in the program shall not be a defense to any disciplinary action that may be taken by the board. Existing law requires the program to comply with the Uniform Standards Regarding Substance-Abusing Healing Arts Licensees adopted by the Substance Abuse Coordination Committee of the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law establishes the Physician and Surgeon Health and Wellness Program Account in the Contingent Fund of the Medical Board of California for the support of the program. This bill would revise and recast those provisions and would instead authorize the board to establish a Physician Health and Wellness Program to support, treat, monitor, and rehabilitate physicians and surgeons and other professionals licensed by the board with impairing physical and mental health conditions that may impact their ability to practice their profession in a reasonably safe, competent, and professional manner. The bill would require the administering entity to be a nonprofit entity and would require the contract with the administering entity to include procedures on specified topics. The bill would exempt the program from the Uniform Standards Regarding Substance-Abusing Healing Arts Licensees. The bill would exempt program records relating to current or former program participants from disclosure under the California Public Records Act, except as specified. The bill would authorize the board to establish advisory committees to assist in carrying out the duties of the administering entity, and would establish duties and responsibilities authorized to be performed by a committee. The bill would rename the Physician and Surgeon Health and Wellness Program Account as the Physician Health and Wellness Program Account, and would authorize the board to seek and use grant funds and gifts from public or private sources to pay any cost associated with the program. The bill would require the board to annually report to the Legislature and make available to the public the amount and source of funds. The bill would require a licensee to report a license to the administering entity or the board if they believe the licensee is impaired. By expanding the scope of a crime under the Medical Practice Act, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would make a person who reports information or takes action in connection with the bill's provisions immune from civil liability for reporting information or taking the action, except as specified. The bill would make the program inapplicable to the Osteopathic Medical Board of California. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. 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 Medical Practice Act, establishes the Medical Board of California within the Department of Consumer Affairs and sets forth its powers and duties relating to the licensure and regulation of the practice of medicine by physicians and surgeons. Existing law generally prohibits the practice of medicine without a physician's and surgeon's certificate issued by the board. Existing law authorizes a health care provider to deliver health care via telehealth to a patient pursuant to specified protocols and conditions. Existing law defines "telehealth" as the delivery of health care services and public health via information and communication technologies to facilitate the diagnosis, consultation, treatment, education, care management, and self-management of a patient's health care, and that telehealth includes synchronous interactions and asynchronous store and forward transfers. Existing law authorizes an eligible out-of-state physician and surgeon, as defined, to deliver health care via telehealth to an eligible patient. Existing law defines "eligible patient" as a person who, among other requirements, has a life-threatening disease or condition, as defined, and has not been accepted to participate in the clinical trial nearest to their home for the immediately life-threatening disease or condition, as specified, or in the medical judgment of a physician and surgeon, as defined, it is unreasonable for the patient to participate in that clinical trial due to the patient's current condition and state of disease. This bill would also include within the definition of "eligible patient" a patient whose immediately life-threatening disease or condition is in remission and the patient is continuing care for that condition with the previously established eligible out-of-state physician and surgeon, and would provide that those patients are not subject to the clinical trial requirement, as specified.
Existing law, the Pharmacy Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of pharmacies by the California State Board of Pharmacy, and makes a violation of the Pharmacy Law a misdemeanor. This bill would prohibit a pharmacy from engaging in the retail sale of cigarettes or tobacco products. Because a violation of this provision would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law, the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act of 2023, requires a retailer to hold a license from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to engage in the sale of cigarettes or tobacco products for each retail location. Existing law requires the department to issue a license to a retailer upon receipt of a completed application and payment of required fees, unless certain circumstances apply. This bill would prohibit the department from issuing a license to a retailer if the retailer is a pharmacy or the application is for a retail location that contains a pharmacy. 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.
This Senate resolution expresses support for treating biological aging as a primary strategy to prevent and delay chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer. It calls for the state to invest in research grants and public-private partnerships aimed at developing therapies that slow, prevent, or reverse the aging process. Additionally, the resolution encourages state health and aging departments to integrate aging science into their prevention programs and fosters collaboration between universities, insurers, and biotech firms to test new interventions.
This bill designates the month of May 2026 as National Stroke Awareness Month. The primary effect is to officially recognize this time period for public education and awareness campaigns regarding stroke prevention and treatment. It does not alter laws, allocate funding, or impose new requirements on individuals or organizations. The measure serves as a symbolic gesture to highlight the importance of stroke awareness during the specified month.
This bill designates the week of May 25 to May 29 as Firefighter Mental Health Awareness Week. It directly affects the state by officially recognizing this specific time period to highlight the importance of mental health support for firefighters. The measure does not create new laws or funding but serves as a formal proclamation to raise awareness about the topic. Once enacted, it becomes part of the state statutes as a commemorative resolution.
This measure would recognize May 4, 2026, to May 8, 2026, inclusive, and every first full week of May thereafter, as Black Health Equity Advocacy Week and commend the California Black Health Network and other organizations throughout the state for their efforts to improve the health, well-being, and life expectancy of Black Californians.
This Senate resolution officially designates May 2026 as Lupus Awareness Month in California to highlight the chronic autoimmune disease that affects 1.5 million people in the United States. The bill specifically commends the California Lupus Foundation for its long-standing efforts in providing support, education, and medical care resources to patients and their families. By recognizing the foundation's leadership, the resolution aims to increase public understanding of the disease's symptoms and the importance of early diagnosis. This measure serves as a symbolic gesture rather than establishing new laws or funding requirements.
This bill designates May 2026 as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month to highlight the importance of mental health support for mothers. It serves as a symbolic proclamation rather than a law that changes regulations or imposes new requirements. The measure directly affects state officials who will recognize the month and may encourage public awareness campaigns during that time.
Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, establishes the Medical Board of California to license and regulate the practice of medicine. Existing law establishes within the act the Licensed Physicians from Mexico Program, which authorizes the board to issue a limited number of nonrenewable 3-year physician's and surgeon's licenses to physicians from Mexico who are licensed, certified, or recertified and in good standing in their medical specialty in Mexico and who meet specified other requirements. This bill would establish the Doctors from El Salvador Program for the purpose of permitting licensed physicians from El Salvador to practice medicine in California for up to 3 years. The bill would require the program to be developed in consultation with representatives from a community health clinic in California that has an established partnership and framework with specified universities in El Salvador and would require the program to, among other things, recruit and vet candidates and assist candidates for the program in El Salvador to meet all program requirements. The bill would require the board to issue a nonrenewable 3-year physician and surgeon's license to a person who is licensed, certified, or recertified, and in good standing in the applicable medical specialty in El Salvador and who meets other requirements of the program. This bill would require a licensee in the program to practice only in the nonprofit community health center that offered the licensee employment and the corresponding hospital. The bill would require a federally qualified health center employing a licensee in the program to take certain actions, including creating and maintaining medical quality assurance protocols for those licensees. The bill would also require the federally qualified health centers to work with a California medical school or residency program to conduct 10 secondary reviews of randomly selected patient encounters with each of those licensees every 6 months, as specified. The bill would also require the faculty from the medical school or residency program and federally qualified health center chief medical officers to jointly develop 2 quality assurance seminars to be attended by the licensees. This bill would require an evaluation of the program to be conducted 12 months after the program has commenced by one of specified universities in El Salvador and an unspecified medical school in southern California, except that if the evaluation does not begin within 18 months of commencement of the program, the bill would require the Director of Consumer Affairs to select an independent consultant to conduct the evaluation. The bill would require progress reports to be provided to the Legislature on achievable time intervals beginning in the 2nd year of implementation of the program. The bill would require the board to coordinate with the community health center, as specified, to ensure that the number of program participants that are issued a license does not exceed a certain number of licensees, based on the year in which the applicant applies. The bill would establish various fees to be deposited in the Contingent Fund of the Medical Board of California or the CURES Fund, as specified. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute.
