Bill Text: CA AB890 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 890 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Nurse practitioners: scope of practice: practice without standardized procedures.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 21-2)

Status: (Passed) 2020-09-29 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 265, Statutes of 2020. [AB890 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB890-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 890

Introduced by Assembly Member Wood
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Aguiar-Curry, Eggman, Friedman, Gallagher, and Gipson)
(Coauthors: Senators Caballero, Hill, Leyva, and Stone)

February 20, 2019

An act to add Section 2837.1 to the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 890, as introduced, Wood. Nurse practitioners.

Existing law, the Nursing Practice Act, provides for the certification and regulation of nurse practitioners by the Board of Registered Nursing. Existing law authorizes the implementation of standardized procedures that authorize a nurse practitioner to perform certain acts, including certifying disability after performing a physical examination and collaboration with a physician and surgeon. A violation of the act is a misdemeanor.

This bill would authorize a nurse practitioner who holds a certification as a nurse practitioner from a national certifying body to practice without the supervision of a physician and surgeon if the nurse practitioner meets specified requirements, including having practiced under the supervision of a physician and surgeon for an unspecified number of hours. The bill would authorize a nurse practitioner to perform specified functions in addition to any other practices authorized by law, including ordering and interpreting diagnostic procedures, certifying disability, and prescribing, administering, dispensing, and administering controlled substances. 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.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 2837.1 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

2837.1.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, a nurse practitioner who holds a certification as a nurse practitioner from a national certifying body may practice under this section without supervision by a physician and surgeon if the nurse practitioner has practiced under the supervision of a physician and surgeon for at least ____hours.

(b) In addition to any other practices authorized by law, a nurse practitioner may do all of the following without supervision by a physician and surgeon:

(1) Conduct an advanced assessment.

(2) Order and interpret diagnostic procedures.

(3) Establish primary and differential diagnoses.

(4) Prescribe, order, administer, dispense, and furnish therapeutic measures, including, but not limited to, the following:

(A) Diagnose, prescribe, and institute therapy or referrals of patients to health care agencies, health care providers, and community resources.

(B) Prescribe, administer, dispense, and furnish pharmacological agents, including over-the-counter, legend, and controlled substances.

(C) Plan and initiate a therapeutic regimen that includes ordering and prescribing nonpharmacological interventions, including, but not limited to, durable medical equipment, medical devices, nutrition, blood and blood products, and diagnostic and supportive services, including, but not limited to, home health care, hospice, and physical and occupational therapy.

(5) After performing a physical examination, certify disability pursuant to Section 2708 of the Unemployment Insurance Code.

(6) Delegate tasks to a medical assistant pursuant to Sections 1206.5, 2069, 2070, and 2071, and Article 2 (commencing with Section 1366) of Chapter 3 of Division 13 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations.

(7) Perform additional acts that require education and training and that are recognized by the nursing profession as appropriate acts to be performed by a nurse practitioner.

(c) A nurse practitioner shall refer a patient to a physician and surgeon or other licensed health care provider if a situation or condition of a patient is beyond the scope of the education and training of the nurse practitioner.

(d) A nurse practitioner practicing under this section shall maintain professional liability insurance appropriate for the practice setting.

SEC. 2.

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.