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SB-1271 • 2026

Midwifery: workforce data: availability to be a clinical preceptorship.

Midwifery: workforce data: availability to be a clinical preceptorship.

Education Healthcare
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Reyes
Last action
2026-04-24
Official status
Set for hearing May 4.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effectiveness of data collection and its impact on midwifery education programs remains uncertain as per the provided sources.

Midwifery Workforce Data: Clinical Preceptor Availability

The bill requires licensed midwives in California to provide information about their availability to serve as clinical preceptors for student midwives, and mandates the Medical Board of California and Department of Health Care Access and Information to collect and report this data.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires licensed midwives to give information on their ability to serve as clinical preceptors for student midwives enrolled in a midwifery education program.
  • Directs the Medical Board of California to gather this information from licensed midwives at least every three months.
  • Instructs the Department of Health Care Access and Information to receive workforce data from the board and use it for statewide planning, analysis, and public reporting.
  • Requires the department to submit a report by January 1, 2028, detailing findings based on the collected information.
  • Ensures that all collected information is kept confidential.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Licensed midwives in California
  • The Medical Board of California and Department of Health Care Access and Information

Terms To Know

Clinical preceptorship
A learning experience where a licensed professional guides and teaches a student or trainee.
Workforce planning
The process of forecasting future staffing needs to ensure there are enough qualified professionals in the healthcare field.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how the information will be used beyond statewide workforce planning.
  • Does not detail the consequences for midwives who do not comply with reporting requirements.
  • The effectiveness of the data collection and its impact on midwifery education programs is uncertain.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-24 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 4.

  2. 2026-04-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  3. 2026-04-15 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 22.

  4. 2026-04-13 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (April 13). Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

  5. 2026-04-09 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 13.

  6. 2026-04-08 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Coms. on B. P. & E.D. and HEALTH.

  7. 2026-03-25 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  8. 2026-03-04 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on RLS.

  9. 2026-02-23 California Legislative Information

    Read first time.

  10. 2026-02-23 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.

  11. 2026-02-20 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 1271, as amended, Reyes.
Health and care facilities: health care decisions.
Midwifery: workforce data: availability to be a clinical preceptorship.
Existing law, the Licensed Midwifery Practice Act of 1993, provides for the licensure of midwives by the Medical Board of California. Existing law requires specified boards, including the Medical Board of California, to request certain workforce data from their licensees, including midwives, for future workforce planning at least biennially or at the time of electronic license renewal, as applicable. Existing law establishes the Department of Health Care Access and Information, and requires the board to provide the individual licensee and registrant data it collects to the department, as specified.
This bill would additionally require the board to request
certain information from a licensed midwife related to their availability to serve as a clinical preceptor for student midwives enrolled in a midwifery education program, as specified. The bill would require the board to quarterly provide that information to the department for the purpose of statewide midwifery workforce planning, analysis, and public reporting. The bill would require the department to submit a report to the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2028, detailing the department’s findings based on that information. The bill would require the board and department to maintain the confidentiality of information collected or provided, as specified.
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.
Existing law establishes the Long-Term Care Patient Representative Program and the Office of the Long-Term Care Patient Representative in the California Department of Aging to train, certify, provide, and oversee patient representatives to protect the rights of nursing home residents, as specified.
Existing law requires that if the attending physician and surgeon of a resident in a skilled nursing facility or intermediate care facility prescribes or orders a medical intervention that requires that informed consent be obtained prior to administration of the medical intervention, but is unable to obtain informed consent because the physician and surgeon determines that the resident lacks capacity to provide informed consent, the physician and surgeon is required to document the determination that the resident lacks capacity and the basis for that
determination in the resident’s medical record. Existing law also requires the physician and surgeon to inform the skilled nursing facility or intermediate care facility of that determination.
Upon being notified by the attending physician of a determination that a resident lacks capacity to provide informed consent, existing law requires the skilled nursing facility or intermediate care facility to act promptly and identify, or use due diligence to search for, a legal decisionmaker, as defined. If no legal decisionmaker can be identified or located, existing law requires the facility to take further steps to promptly identify, or use due diligence to search for, a patient representative to participate in an interdisciplinary team review, as specified. Existing law requires the Long-Term Care Patient Representative Program to assign a public patient representative if no family member or friend is available to serve in that capacity and specified notice has been
provided. Existing law prohibits an interdisciplinary team review from occurring until a patient representative is available to participate and specified notice has been provided. If the Long-Term Care Patient Representative Program is not operational, existing law requires that all notices otherwise required to be provided to the Long-Term Care Patient Representative Program pursuant to these provisions be provided to the local long-term care ombudsman or any other person or entity as may be permitted by law.
This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to this provision.

Current Bill Text

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