Official Summary Text
AB 1696, as amended, Stefani.
Department of Consumer Affairs: director: powers and duties.
Emergency services and care: nurse-midwives.
Existing law provides for the licensing and regulation of health facilities by the State Department of Public Health and makes a violation of those provisions a crime. 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 requires a health facility to provide emergency services and care upon request or when a person is in danger of loss of life or serious injury or illness, and requires a health care service plan to reimburse providers for emergency services and care. Existing law defines “emergency services and care” for these purposes to mean medical screening, examination, and evaluation by a physician and surgeon,
or other appropriate licensed persons under the supervision of a physician and surgeon, to determine if an emergency medical condition or active labor exists and, if it does, the care, treatment, and surgery, if within the scope of that person’s license, necessary to relieve or eliminate the emergency medical condition, within the capability of the facility, among other things.
This bill would specify that a nurse-midwife, as specified, does not require physician supervision when the nurse-midwife is providing emergency services and care within the scope of their authorized licensure.
By changing the scope of a crime, this 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.
Under existing law, the Department of Consumer Affairs is comprised of various boards, bureaus, commissions, committees, and similarly constituted agencies that license and regulate the practice of various professions and vocations. Existing law authorizes the director to create an interdepartmental committee to assist and advise the director in the implementation of the director’s duties, as provided.
This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.