Bill Text: CA AB1534 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Chaptered

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Bill Title: California State Board of Optometry: optometry: opticianry.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Passed) 2021-10-07 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 630, Statutes of 2021. [AB1534 Detail]

Download: California-2021-AB1534-Chaptered.html

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Assembly Bill No. 1534

CHAPTER 630

An act to amend Sections 27, 101, 130, 144, 208, 525, 526, 527, 656, 683, 800, 810, 2071, 2541.1, 2541.2, 2541.3, 2541.6, 2542, 2543, 2544, 2545, 2552, 2553, 2553.5, 2553.6, 2553.7, 2554, 2555, 2555.1, 2556.1, 2556.2, 2559.1, 2559.2, 2560, 2564.5, 2565, 2566, 2566.1, 2566.2, 2567, 3001, 3004, 3010.1, 3010.5, 3014.6, 3020, 3021, 3027, 3041.2, 3041.3, 3070.2, 3105, 3109, 3152, 3160, 4170, and 4175 of, to amend and renumber Sections 2546, 2546.1, 2546.3, 2546.4, 2546.5, 2546.6, 2546.7, 2546.8, 2546.9, 2546.10, 2551, and 2553.1 of, to amend, renumber, and add Section 2550 of, to amend, repeal, and add Section 655 of, to add Sections 2552.2, 2555.5, 2557.1, 2558.1, 2558.2, 2564.92, 2564.93, and 3112 to, to add the heading of Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 2564.70) to, and to add the heading of Article 2.7 (commencing with Section 2564.90) to, Chapter 5.5 of Division 2 of, to repeal Sections 2546.2, 2559.5, 2559.6, 2563, and 2569 of, to repeal the heading of Chapter 5.45 (commencing with Section 2546) of Division 2 of, and to repeal and add Section 2550.1 of, the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts.

[ Approved by Governor  October 07, 2021. Filed with Secretary of State  October 07, 2021. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1534, Committee on Business and Professions. California State Board of Optometry: optometry: opticianry.

(1) Existing law, the Optometry Practice Act, until January 1, 2022, establishes the California State Board of Optometry within the Department of Consumer Affairs and makes the board responsible for the licensure and regulation of the practice of optometry. Under existing law, the board is also responsible for the licensure and regulation of registered dispensing opticians, spectacle lens dispensers, contact lens dispensers, and nonresident contact lens sellers. Until January 1, 2022, existing law authorizes the board to appoint a person exempt from civil service who shall be designated as an executive officer.

This bill would extend the operation of the board to January 1, 2026. The bill would authorize the board to appoint an executive officer until January 1, 2026.

(2) Existing law prohibits an optometrist from having any membership, proprietary interest, coownership, or any profit-sharing arrangement, either by stock ownership, interlocking directors, trusteeship, mortgage, or trust deed, with any registered dispensing optician or any optical company. As an exception to this general prohibition, existing law permits an optometrist, a registered dispensing optician, an optical company, or a health plan to execute a lease or other written agreement giving rise to a direct or indirect landlord-tenant relationship with an optometrist if specified conditions are contained in a written agreement establishing the landlord-tenant relationship, including a requirement that the practice be owned by the optometrist and in every phase be under the optometrist’s exclusive control. Existing law authorizes the California State Board of Optometry to issue a citation containing an order of abatement, an order to pay an administrative fine, or both, to an optical company, an optometrist, or a registered dispensing optician for a violation of these provisions. Under existing law, a licensed optometrist who violates these provisions and any person who participates with a licensed optometrist in violation of these provisions is guilty of a misdemeanor.

This bill would, starting January 1, 2023, authorize a physician and surgeon, as defined, to execute a lease or other written agreement with an optometrist, pursuant to specified conditions contained in a written agreement establishing the landlord-tenant relationship, as described above. The bill would specify that an optometrist, a registered dispensing optician, a physician and surgeon, an optical company, or a health plan may also enter into a sublease with an optometrist. This bill would additionally authorize the Medical Board of California and the Osteopathic Medical Board of California to issue a citation containing an order of abatement, an order to pay an administrative fine, or both, to a physician and surgeon for a violation of these provisions. The bill would require complaints against a physician and surgeon to be referred to that physician and surgeon’s licensing board. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(3) Existing law prohibits a registered dispensing optician who fits, adjusts, or dispenses contact lenses, including plano contact lenses, to do so without the valid prescription of a physician and surgeon or optometrist, and without acting on the advice, direction, and responsibility of the physician and surgeon or optometrist. Existing law prohibits a registered dispensing optician from fitting contact lenses, including plano contact lenses, unless the prescription specifically refers to and authorizes contact lenses.

This bill would delete these prohibitions in regard to fitting and adjusting, and would apply the prohibitions only in connection with dispensing.

(4) Existing law prohibits anyone other than a physician and surgeon or optometrist from measuring the powers or range of human vision, determining the accommodative and refractive status of the human eye or the scope of its functions in general, or prescribing ophthalmic devices and regulates the prescription requirements for ophthalmic devices. Under existing law, a violation of these provisions is subject to a fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $2,500. Existing law assigns various responsibilities, such as adopting regulations and taking disciplinary action against licensees, to the Medical Board of California or the California State Board of Optometry to administer and enforce these and related provisions.

This bill would revise the amount of the above-described fine to be not less than $250 nor more than $35,000. The bill would also authorize the Osteopathic Medical Board of California to administer and enforce these and related provisions.

(5) Existing law, the Nonresident Contact Lens Seller Registration Act, prohibits a person located outside California from shipping, mailing, or delivering in any manner, contact lenses at retail to a patient at a California address unless the person is registered with the board. The act prescribes the requirements for an application for registration as a nonresident contact lens seller, including that the application contain the name under which the person proposes to do business and the location of the business. The act prohibits a nonresident dispenser from selling contact lenses without receipt of a written prescription and, if a written prescription is unavailable, requires the nonresident dispenser to confirm the prescription by direct communication with the prescriber, as specified. Under existing law, a violation of the act is subject to a fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $2,500.

This bill would rename the act the Nonresident Ophthalmic Lens Dispenser Registration Act and would revise and recast those provisions to, among other things, refer to nonresident ophthalmic lens dispensers instead of nonresident contact lens sellers. The bill would additionally prohibit a person located outside California from furnishing ophthalmic lenses to a patient at a California address, as described above. The bill would require an application for registration as a nonresident ophthalmic lens dispenser to contain a fictitious or assumed name, if applicable, under which the person proposes to do business, and the registration number issued by the board, if applicable. The bill would revise the circumstances under which, if a written prescription is unavailable, the prescription is deemed confirmed. The bill would increase the fine limit for a violation of the act to $35,000.

(6) Under existing law, a dispensing optician is an individual, corporation, or firm engaged in the business of filling prescriptions of physicians and surgeons or optometrists for prescription lenses and kindred products, and, as incidental to the filling of those prescriptions, doing specified acts, including taking facial measurements, fitting and adjusting those lenses, and fitting and adjusting spectacle frames. Existing law requires a dispensing optician to be registered with the board in order to be engaged in that business. A violation of these provisions is a crime.

This bill would revise the definition of a dispensing optician to mean an individual that is registered with the board as a spectacle lens dispenser, contact lens dispenser, nonresident ophthalmic lens dispenser, or registered dispensing ophthalmic business. The bill would require a dispensing optician to, among other things, post a citation issued for an order of abatement on the front of the registrant’s place of business until the violation has been corrected and to prominently post and make available its notice on any website it maintains that provides information about its services. The bill would specify requirements for the renewal of registration with the board. The bill would provide that these provisions do not apply to an individual who is acting under the direct responsibility and supervision of a physician and surgeon or optometrist, as specified, in any setting where optometry or ophthalmology is practiced. By imposing new requirements on dispensing opticians, the violation of which would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Existing law authorizes the board, in its discretion, to suspend or revoke a certificate if an individual certificate holder or persons having any proprietary interest who will engage in dispensing operations have been convicted of a crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions, and duties of a dispensing optician.

This bill would authorize the board to take action against any registrant who is charged with unprofessional conduct and deny an application for registration if the applicant has committed unprofessional conduct, including, but not limited to, violating these provisions, gross negligence, incompetence, and fraud. The bill would make it a misdemeanor for any individual, corporation, or firm operating as a registered dispensing optician to demonstrate a willful disregard for these provisions. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(7) Existing law requires a registered dispensing optician that is selling or transferring ownership of their place of business to comply with certain requirements, including returning the certificate of registration to the board no later than 10 calendar days after the change of ownership is completed.

This bill would revise and recast various provisions in connection with the licensure and regulation of dispensing opticians to, among other things, refer instead to a registered dispensing ophthalmic business. The bill would define a registered dispensing ophthalmic business as an individual, corporation, or firm engaged in the business of filling prescriptions of physicians and surgeons or optometrists for prescription lenses and kindred products, and would require a dispensing ophthalmic business to be registered with the board in order to be engaged in that business. The bill would apply the above-described provisions regulating the selling or transferring of ownership to a registered dispensing ophthalmic business and would require a registered dispensing ophthalmic business assuming ownership to apply for a new certificate of registration from the board no later than 10 calendar days after the change of ownership is completed.

(8) Existing law defines “mobile optometric clinic” to mean a trailer, van, or other means of transportation in which the practice of optometry is performed and which is not affiliated with an approved optometry school in California. Existing law requires the board, by January 1, 2022, to adopt regulations establishing a registry for mobile optometric clinics and to set a registration fee at an amount not to exceed the costs of administration.

This bill would prohibit the owner and operator of a mobile optometric office from operating more than 12 mobile optometric offices within the first renewal period of 2 years, as specified. The bill would require an owner and operator who has obtained approval from the board and wishes to operate a mobile optometric office to apply for a permit before beginning operation of each mobile optometric office and would prescribe a permit fee. The bill would authorize an owner and operator to apply for renewal of the mobile optometric office permit by attesting to compliance with specified requirements and paying a biennial renewal fee. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(9) Existing law, the Optometry Practice Act, authorizes the board to take action against all persons guilty of violating the act or any of the regulations adopted by the board pursuant thereto and makes a violation of the act a crime. The act authorizes the board to set fees and penalties in accordance with a specified schedule.

This bill would prohibit an optometrist from knowingly providing optometric services to any patient who scheduled their appointment through an individual, corporation, or firm engaged in the business of filling prescriptions that is not properly registered. The bill would also prohibit an optometrist from knowingly entering into a lease or other written agreement giving rise to a direct or indirect landlord-tenant relationship with an individual, corporation, or firm engaged in the business of filling prescriptions that is not properly registered. The bill would authorize the board to set an endorsement fee of $40 and to increase the fee as provided.

(10) This bill would make other conforming and nonsubstantive changes, including replacing gendered terms with nongendered terms, updating cross-references, and deleting obsolete provisions.

(11) 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.

(12) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 27 and 144 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by SB 826 to be operative only if this bill and SB 826 are enacted and this bill is enacted last, Section 2544 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by AB 407 to be operative only if this bill and AB 407 are enacted and this bill is enacted last, and Section 4170 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by AB 852 to be operative only if this bill and AB 852 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

Digest Key

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

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 27 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

27.

 (a) Each entity specified in subdivisions (c), (d), and (e) shall provide on the internet information regarding the status of every license issued by that entity in accordance with the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code) and the Information Practices Act of 1977 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1798) of Title 1.8 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code). The public information to be provided on the internet shall include information on suspensions and revocations of licenses issued by the entity and other related enforcement action, including accusations filed pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) taken by the entity relative to persons, businesses, or facilities subject to licensure or regulation by the entity. The information may not include personal information, including home telephone number, date of birth, or social security number. Each entity shall disclose a licensee’s address of record. However, each entity shall allow a licensee to provide a post office box number or other alternate address, instead of the licensee’s home address, as the address of record. This section shall not preclude an entity from also requiring a licensee, who has provided a post office box number or other alternative mailing address as the licensee’s address of record, to provide a physical business address or residence address only for the entity’s internal administrative use and not for disclosure as the licensee’s address of record or disclosure on the internet.

(b) In providing information on the internet, each entity specified in subdivisions (c) and (d) shall comply with the Department of Consumer Affairs’ guidelines for access to public records.

(c) Each of the following entities within the Department of Consumer Affairs shall comply with the requirements of this section:

(1) The Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists shall disclose information on its registrants and licensees.

(2) The Bureau of Automotive Repair shall disclose information on its licensees, including auto repair dealers, smog stations, lamp and brake stations, smog check technicians, and smog inspection certification stations.

(3) The Bureau of Household Goods and Services shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants, including major appliance repair dealers, combination dealers (electronic and appliance), electronic repair dealers, service contract sellers, service contract administrators, and household movers.

(4) The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau shall disclose information on its licensees, including cemetery brokers, cemetery salespersons, cemetery managers, crematory managers, cemetery authorities, crematories, cremated remains disposers, embalmers, funeral establishments, and funeral directors.

(5) The Professional Fiduciaries Bureau shall disclose information on its licensees.

(6) The Contractors State License Board shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants in accordance with Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 7000) of Division 3. In addition to information related to licenses as specified in subdivision (a), the board shall also disclose information provided to the board by the Labor Commissioner pursuant to Section 98.9 of the Labor Code.

(7) The Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education shall disclose information on private postsecondary institutions under its jurisdiction, including disclosure of notices to comply issued pursuant to Section 94935 of the Education Code.

(8) The California Board of Accountancy shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants.

(9) The California Architects Board shall disclose information on its licensees, including architects and landscape architects.

(10) The State Athletic Commission shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants.

(11) The State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology shall disclose information on its licensees.

(12) The Acupuncture Board shall disclose information on its licensees.

(13) The Board of Behavioral Sciences shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants.

(14) The Dental Board of California shall disclose information on its licensees.

(15) The California State Board of Optometry shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants.

(16) The Board of Psychology shall disclose information on its licensees, including psychologists, psychological assistants, and registered psychologists.

(17) The Veterinary Medical Board shall disclose information on its licensees, registrants, and permitholders.

(d) The State Board of Chiropractic Examiners shall disclose information on its licensees.

(e) The Structural Pest Control Board shall disclose information on its licensees, including applicators, field representatives, and operators in the areas of fumigation, general pest and wood destroying pests and organisms, and wood roof cleaning and treatment.

(f) “Internet” for the purposes of this section has the meaning set forth in paragraph (6) of subdivision (f) of Section 17538.

SEC. 1.5.

 Section 27 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

27.

 (a) Each entity specified in subdivisions (c), (d), and (e) shall provide on the internet information regarding the status of every license issued by that entity in accordance with the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code) and the Information Practices Act of 1977 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1798) of Title 1.8 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code). The public information to be provided on the internet shall include information on suspensions and revocations of licenses issued by the entity and other related enforcement action, including accusations filed pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) taken by the entity relative to persons, businesses, or facilities subject to licensure or regulation by the entity. The information may not include personal information, including home telephone number, date of birth, or social security number. Each entity shall disclose a licensee’s address of record. However, each entity shall allow a licensee to provide a post office box number or other alternate address, instead of the licensee’s home address, as the address of record. This section shall not preclude an entity from also requiring a licensee, who has provided a post office box number or other alternative mailing address as the licensee’s address of record, to provide a physical business address or residence address only for the entity’s internal administrative use and not for disclosure as the licensee’s address of record or disclosure on the internet.

(b) In providing information on the internet, each entity specified in subdivisions (c) and (d) shall comply with the Department of Consumer Affairs’ guidelines for access to public records.

(c) Each of the following entities within the Department of Consumer Affairs shall comply with the requirements of this section:

(1) The Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists shall disclose information on its registrants and licensees.

(2) The Bureau of Automotive Repair shall disclose information on its licensees, including auto repair dealers, smog stations, lamp and brake stations, smog check technicians, and smog inspection certification stations.

(3) The Bureau of Household Goods and Services shall disclose information on its licensees, registrants, and permitholders.

(4) The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau shall disclose information on its licensees, including cemetery brokers, cemetery salespersons, cemetery managers, crematory managers, cemetery authorities, crematories, cremated remains disposers, embalmers, funeral establishments, and funeral directors.

(5) The Professional Fiduciaries Bureau shall disclose information on its licensees.

(6) The Contractors State License Board shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants in accordance with Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 7000) of Division 3. In addition to information related to licenses as specified in subdivision (a), the board shall also disclose information provided to the board by the Labor Commissioner pursuant to Section 98.9 of the Labor Code.

(7) The Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education shall disclose information on private postsecondary institutions under its jurisdiction, including disclosure of notices to comply issued pursuant to Section 94935 of the Education Code.

(8) The California Board of Accountancy shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants.

(9) The California Architects Board shall disclose information on its licensees, including architects and landscape architects.

(10) The State Athletic Commission shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants.

(11) The State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology shall disclose information on its licensees.

(12) The Acupuncture Board shall disclose information on its licensees.

(13) The Board of Behavioral Sciences shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants.

(14) The Dental Board of California shall disclose information on its licensees.

(15) The California State Board of Optometry shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants.

(16) The Board of Psychology shall disclose information on its licensees, including psychologists, psychological assistants, and registered psychologists.

(17) The Veterinary Medical Board shall disclose information on its licensees, registrants, and permitholders.

(d) The State Board of Chiropractic Examiners shall disclose information on its licensees.

(e) The Structural Pest Control Board shall disclose information on its licensees, including applicators, field representatives, and operators in the areas of fumigation, general pest and wood destroying pests and organisms, and wood roof cleaning and treatment.

(f) “Internet” for the purposes of this section has the meaning set forth in paragraph (6) of subdivision (f) of Section 17538.

SEC. 2.

 Section 101 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

101.

 The department is comprised of the following:

(a) The Dental Board of California.

(b) The Medical Board of California.

(c) The California State Board of Optometry.

(d) The California State Board of Pharmacy.

(e) The Veterinary Medical Board.

(f) The California Board of Accountancy.

(g) The California Architects Board.

(h) The State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology.

(i) The Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.

(j) The Contractors State License Board.

(k) The Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education.

(l) The Bureau of Household Goods and Services.

(m) The Board of Registered Nursing.

(n) The Board of Behavioral Sciences.

(o) The State Athletic Commission.

(p) The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau.

(q) The Bureau of Security and Investigative Services.

(r) The Court Reporters Board of California.

(s) The Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians.

(t) The Landscape Architects Technical Committee.

(u) The Division of Investigation.

(v) The Bureau of Automotive Repair.

(w) The Respiratory Care Board of California.

(x) The Acupuncture Board.

(y) The Board of Psychology.

(z) The Podiatric Medical Board of California.

(aa) The Physical Therapy Board of California.

(ab) The Arbitration Review Program.

(ac) The Physician Assistant Board.

(ad) The Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board.

(ae) The California Board of Occupational Therapy.

(af) The Osteopathic Medical Board of California.

(ag) The Naturopathic Medicine Committee.

(ah) The Dental Hygiene Board of California.

(ai) The Professional Fiduciaries Bureau.

(aj) The State Board of Chiropractic Examiners.

(ak) The Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers.

(al) The Structural Pest Control Board.

(am) Any other boards, offices, or officers subject to its jurisdiction by law.

SEC. 3.

 Section 130 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

130.

 (a) Notwithstanding any other law, the term of office of any member of an agency designated in subdivision (b) shall be for a term of four years expiring on June 1.

(b) Subdivision (a) applies to the following boards or committees:

(1) The Medical Board of California.

(2) The Podiatric Medical Board of California.

(3) The Physical Therapy Board of California.

(4) The Board of Registered Nursing, except as provided in subdivision (c) of Section 2703.

(5) The Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians.

(6) The California State Board of Optometry.

(7) The California State Board of Pharmacy.

(8) The Veterinary Medical Board.

(9) The California Architects Board.

(10) The Landscape Architect Technical Committee.

(11) The Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

(12) The Contractors State License Board.

(13) The Board of Behavioral Sciences.

(14) The Court Reporters Board of California.

(15) The State Athletic Commission.

(16) The Osteopathic Medical Board of California.

(17) The Respiratory Care Board of California.

(18) The Acupuncture Board.

(19) The Board of Psychology.

(20) The Structural Pest Control Board.

SEC. 4.

 Section 144 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

144.

 (a) Notwithstanding any other law, an agency designated in subdivision (b) shall require an applicant to furnish to the agency a full set of fingerprints for purposes of conducting criminal history record checks. Any agency designated in subdivision (b) may obtain and receive, at its discretion, criminal history information from the Department of Justice and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(b) Subdivision (a) applies to the following:

(1) California Board of Accountancy.

(2) State Athletic Commission.

(3) Board of Behavioral Sciences.

(4) Court Reporters Board of California.

(5) Dental Board of California.

(6) California State Board of Pharmacy.

(7) Board of Registered Nursing.

(8) Veterinary Medical Board.

(9) Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians.

(10) Respiratory Care Board of California.

(11) Physical Therapy Board of California.

(12) Physician Assistant Committee.

(13) Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board.

(14) Medical Board of California.

(15) California State Board of Optometry.

(16) Acupuncture Board.

(17) Cemetery and Funeral Bureau.

(18) Bureau of Security and Investigative Services.

(19) Division of Investigation.

(20) Board of Psychology.

(21) California Board of Occupational Therapy.

(22) Structural Pest Control Board.

(23) Contractors State License Board.

(24) Naturopathic Medicine Committee.

(25) Professional Fiduciaries Bureau.

(26) Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.

(27) Podiatric Medical Board of California.

(28) Osteopathic Medical Board of California.

(29) California Architects Board, beginning January 1, 2021.

(30) Landscape Architects Technical Committee, beginning January 1, 2022.

(c) For purposes of paragraph (26) of subdivision (b), the term “applicant” shall be limited to an initial applicant who has never been registered or licensed by the board or to an applicant for a new licensure or registration category.

SEC. 4.5.

 Section 144 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

144.

 (a) Notwithstanding any other law, an agency designated in subdivision (b) shall require an applicant to furnish to the agency a full set of fingerprints for purposes of conducting criminal history record checks. Any agency designated in subdivision (b) may obtain and receive, at its discretion, criminal history information from the Department of Justice and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(b) Subdivision (a) applies to the following:

(1) California Board of Accountancy.

(2) State Athletic Commission.

(3) Board of Behavioral Sciences.

(4) Court Reporters Board of California.

(5) Dental Board of California.

(6) California State Board of Pharmacy.

(7) Board of Registered Nursing.

(8) Veterinary Medical Board.

(9) Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians of the State of California.

(10) Respiratory Care Board of California.

(11) Physical Therapy Board of California.

(12) Physician Assistant Board.

(13) Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board.

(14) Medical Board of California.

(15) California State Board of Optometry.

(16) Acupuncture Board.

(17) Cemetery and Funeral Bureau.

(18) Bureau of Security and Investigative Services.

(19) Division of Investigation.

(20) Board of Psychology.

(21) California Board of Occupational Therapy.

(22) Structural Pest Control Board.

(23) Contractors State License Board.

(24) Naturopathic Medicine Committee.

(25) Professional Fiduciaries Bureau.

(26) Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.

(27) Podiatric Medical Board of California.

(28) Osteopathic Medical Board of California.

(29) California Architects Board, beginning January 1, 2021.

(30) Landscape Architects Technical Committee, beginning January 1, 2022.

(31) Bureau of Household Goods and Services with respect to household movers as described in Chapter 3.1 (commencing with Section 19225) of Division 8.

(c) For purposes of paragraph (26) of subdivision (b), the term “applicant” shall be limited to an initial applicant who has never been registered or licensed by the board or to an applicant for a new licensure or registration category.

SEC. 5.

 Section 208 of the Business and Professions Code, as added by Section 2 of Chapter 359 of the Statutes of 2020, is amended to read:

208.

 (a) Beginning April 1, 2021, a Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) fee of eleven dollars ($11) shall be assessed annually on each of the licensees specified in subdivision (b) to pay the reasonable costs associated with operating and maintaining CURES for the purpose of regulating those licensees. The fee assessed pursuant to this subdivision shall be billed and collected by the regulating agency of each licensee at the time of the licensee’s license renewal. If the reasonable regulatory cost of operating and maintaining CURES is less than eleven dollars ($11) per licensee, the Department of Consumer Affairs may, by regulation, reduce the fee established by this section to the reasonable regulatory cost.

(b) (1) Licensees authorized pursuant to Section 11150 of the Health and Safety Code to prescribe, order, administer, furnish, or dispense Schedule II, Schedule III, or Schedule IV controlled substances or pharmacists licensed pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 4000) of Division 2.

(2) Licensees issued a license that has been placed in a retired or inactive status pursuant to a statute or regulation are exempt from the CURES fee requirement in subdivision (a). This exemption shall not apply to licensees whose license has been placed in a retired or inactive status if the licensee is at any time authorized to prescribe, order, administer, furnish, or dispense Schedule II, Schedule III, or Schedule IV controlled substances.

(3) Wholesalers, third-party logistics providers, nonresident wholesalers, and nonresident third-party logistics providers of dangerous drugs licensed pursuant to Article 11 (commencing with Section 4160) of Chapter 9 of Division 2.

(4) Nongovernmental clinics licensed pursuant to Article 13 (commencing with Section 4180) and Article 14 (commencing with Section 4190) of Chapter 9 of Division 2.

(5) Nongovernmental pharmacies licensed pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 4110) of Chapter 9 of Division 2.

(c) The funds collected pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be deposited in the CURES Fund, which is hereby created within the State Treasury. Moneys in the CURES Fund shall, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be available to the Department of Consumer Affairs to reimburse the Department of Justice for costs to operate and maintain CURES for the purposes of regulating the licensees specified in subdivision (b).

(d) The Department of Consumer Affairs shall contract with the Department of Justice on behalf of the Medical Board of California, the Dental Board of California, the California State Board of Pharmacy, the Veterinary Medical Board, the Board of Registered Nursing, the Physician Assistant Board, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the Naturopathic Medicine Committee of the Osteopathic Medical Board, the California State Board of Optometry, and the Podiatric Medical Board of California to operate and maintain CURES for the purposes of regulating the licensees specified in subdivision (b).

(e) This section shall become operative on April 1, 2021.

(f) This section shall remain in effect only until April 1, 2023, and as of that date is repealed.

SEC. 6.

 Section 208 of the Business and Professions Code, as added by Section 3 of Chapter 359 of the Statutes of 2020, is amended to read:

208.

 (a) Beginning April 1, 2023, a Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) fee of nine dollars ($9) shall be assessed annually on each of the licensees specified in subdivision (b) to pay the reasonable costs associated with operating and maintaining CURES for the purpose of regulating those licensees. The fee assessed pursuant to this subdivision shall be billed and collected by the regulating agency of each licensee at the time of the licensee’s license renewal. If the reasonable regulatory cost of operating and maintaining CURES is less than nine dollars ($9) per licensee, the Department of Consumer Affairs may, by regulation, reduce the fee established by this section to the reasonable regulatory cost.

(b) (1) Licensees authorized pursuant to Section 11150 of the Health and Safety Code to prescribe, order, administer, furnish, or dispense Schedule II, Schedule III, or Schedule IV controlled substances or pharmacists licensed pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 4000) of Division 2.

(2) Licensees issued a license that has been placed in a retired or inactive status pursuant to a statute or regulation are exempt from the CURES fee requirement in subdivision (a). This exemption shall not apply to licensees whose license has been placed in a retired or inactive status if the licensee is at any time authorized to prescribe, order, administer, furnish, or dispense Schedule II, Schedule III, or Schedule IV controlled substances.

(3) Wholesalers, third-party logistics providers, nonresident wholesalers, and nonresident third-party logistics providers of dangerous drugs licensed pursuant to Article 11 (commencing with Section 4160) of Chapter 9 of Division 2.

(4) Nongovernmental clinics licensed pursuant to Article 13 (commencing with Section 4180) and Article 14 (commencing with Section 4190) of Chapter 9 of Division 2.

(5) Nongovernmental pharmacies licensed pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 4110) of Chapter 9 of Division 2.

(c) The funds collected pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be deposited in the CURES Fund, which is hereby created within the State Treasury. Moneys in the CURES Fund shall, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be available to the Department of Consumer Affairs to reimburse the Department of Justice for costs to operate and maintain CURES for the purposes of regulating the licensees specified in subdivision (b).

(d) The Department of Consumer Affairs shall contract with the Department of Justice on behalf of the Medical Board of California, the Dental Board of California, the California State Board of Pharmacy, the Veterinary Medical Board, the Board of Registered Nursing, the Physician Assistant Board, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the Naturopathic Medicine Committee of the Osteopathic Medical Board, the California State Board of Optometry, and the Podiatric Medical Board of California to operate and maintain CURES for the purposes of regulating the licensees specified in subdivision (b).

(e) This section shall become operative on April 1, 2023.

SEC. 7.

 Section 525 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

525.

 No dispensing optician, optometrist, or physician and surgeon shall dispense, prescribe, or sell any eyeglasses for use of a person whose sight is limited to one eye, a person who is a member of the California Highway Patrol or of a county sheriff’s office, a city police officer, a person who is a firefighter employed by the fire department of a city, county, city and county, or fire protection district and who normally wears such glasses for on-duty employment, or a person who is under 18 years of age, unless such eyeglasses are made with case-hardened lenses, with lenses made of laminated glass, with lenses made of resin material, or with lenses made of any other material resistant to shattering and which shall not be installed in frames manufactured of flammable material.

SEC. 8.

 Section 526 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

526.

 A dispensing optician, optometrist, or physician and surgeon shall not be subject to disciplinary action under this article unless they are informed by the person obtaining the eyeglasses or they have personal knowledge that the eyeglasses are for a person whose sight is limited to one eye, a person who is a member of the California Highway Patrol or of a county sheriff’s office, a city police officer, or a firefighter employed by the fire department of a city, county, city and county, or fire protection district, or a person who is under 18 years of age.

A dispensing optician, optometrist, or physician and surgeon is not required under this article to make any independent investigation of the occupation of the person for whom eyeglasses are intended or as to whether or not the sight of such person is limited to one eye.

SEC. 9.

 Section 527 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

527.

 Any dispensing optician, optometrist, or physician and surgeon who violates this article is subject to disciplinary action by the board that issues their license, registration, or certificate to engage in practice.

SEC. 10.

 Section 655 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

655.

 (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) “Health plan” means a health care service plan licensed pursuant to the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code).

(2) “Optical company” means a person or entity that is engaged in the manufacture, sale, or distribution to physicians and surgeons, optometrists, health plans, or dispensing opticians of lenses, frames, optical supplies, or optometric appliances or devices or kindred products.

(3) “Optometrist” means a person licensed pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 3000) or an optometric corporation, as described in Section 3160.

(4) “Registered dispensing optician” means a person licensed pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550).

(5) “Therapeutic ophthalmic product” means lenses or other products that provide direct treatment of eye disease or visual rehabilitation for diseased eyes.

(b) No optometrist may have any membership, proprietary interest, coownership, or any profit-sharing arrangement, either by stock ownership, interlocking directors, trusteeship, mortgage, or trust deed, with any registered dispensing optician or any optical company, except as otherwise permitted under this section.

(c) (1) A registered dispensing optician or an optical company may operate, own, or have an ownership interest in a health plan so long as the health plan does not directly employ optometrists to provide optometric services directly to enrollees of the health plan, and may directly or indirectly provide products and services to the health plan or its contracted providers or enrollees or to other optometrists. For purposes of this section, an optometrist may be employed by a health plan as a clinical director for the health plan pursuant to Section 1367.01 of the Health and Safety Code or to perform services related to utilization management or quality assurance or other similar related services that do not require the optometrist to directly provide health care services to enrollees. In addition, an optometrist serving as a clinical director may not employ optometrists to provide health care services to enrollees of the health plan for which the optometrist is serving as clinical director. For the purposes of this section, the health plan’s utilization management and quality assurance programs that are consistent with the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code) do not constitute providing health care services to enrollees.

(2) The registered dispensing optician or optical company shall not interfere with the professional judgment of the optometrist.

(3) The Department of Managed Health Care shall forward to the State Board of Optometry any complaints received from consumers that allege that an optometrist violated the Optometry Practice Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 3000)). The Department of Managed Health Care and the State Board of Optometry shall enter into an Inter-Agency Agreement regarding the sharing of information related to the services provided by an optometrist that may be in violation of the Optometry Practice Act that the Department of Managed Health Care encounters in the course of the administration of the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code).

(d) An optometrist, a registered dispensing optician, an optical company, or a health plan may execute a lease or other written agreement giving rise to a direct or indirect landlord-tenant relationship with an optometrist, if all of the following conditions are contained in a written agreement establishing the landlord-tenant relationship:

(1) (A) The practice shall be owned by the optometrist and in every phase be under the optometrist’s exclusive control, including the selection and supervision of optometric staff, the scheduling of patients, the amount of time the optometrist spends with patients, fees charged for optometric products and services, the examination procedures and treatment provided to patients and the optometrist’s contracting with managed care organizations.

(B) Subparagraph (A) shall not preclude a lease from including commercially reasonable terms that: (i) require the provision of optometric services at the leased space during certain days and hours, (ii) restrict the leased space from being used for the sale or offer for sale of spectacles, frames, lenses, contact lenses, or other ophthalmic products, except that the optometrist shall be permitted to sell therapeutic ophthalmic products if the registered dispensing optician, health plan, or optical company located on or adjacent to the optometrist’s leased space does not offer any substantially similar therapeutic ophthalmic products for sale, (iii) require the optometrist to contract with a health plan network, health plan, or health insurer, or (iv) permit the landlord to directly or indirectly provide furnishings and equipment in the leased space.

(2) The optometrist’s records shall be the sole property of the optometrist. Only the optometrist and those persons with written authorization from the optometrist shall have access to the patient records and the examination room, except as otherwise provided by law.

(3) The optometrist’s leased space shall be definite and distinct from space occupied by other occupants of the premises, have a sign designating that the leased space is occupied by an independent optometrist or optometrists and be accessible to the optometrist after hours or in the case of an emergency, subject to the facility’s general accessibility. This paragraph shall not require a separate entrance to the optometrist’s leased space.

(4) All signs and displays shall be separate and distinct from that of the other occupants and shall have the optometrist’s name and the word “optometrist” prominently displayed in connection therewith. This paragraph shall not prohibit the optometrist from advertising the optometrist’s practice location with reference to other occupants or prohibit the optometrist or registered dispensing optician from advertising their participation in any health plan’s network or the health plan’s products in which the optometrist or registered dispensing optician participates.

(5) There shall be no signs displayed on any part of the premises or in any advertising indicating that the optometrist is employed or controlled by the registered dispensing optician, health plan, or optical company.

(6) Except for a statement that an independent doctor of optometry is located in the leased space, in-store pricing signs and as otherwise permitted by this subdivision, the registered dispensing optician or optical company shall not link its advertising with the optometrist’s name, practice, or fees.

(7) Notwithstanding paragraphs (4) and (6), this subdivision shall not preclude a health plan from advertising its health plan products and associated premium costs and any copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, or other forms of cost sharing, or the names and locations of the health plan’s providers, including any optometrists or registered dispensing opticians that provide professional services, in compliance with the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code).

(8) A health plan that advertises its products and services in accordance with paragraph (7) shall not advertise the optometrist’s fees for products and services that are not included in the health plan’s contract with the optometrist.

(9) The optometrist shall not be precluded from collecting fees for services that are not included in a health plan’s products and services, subject to any patient disclosure requirements contained in the health plan’s provider agreement with the optometrist or that are not otherwise prohibited by the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code).

(10) The term of the lease shall be no less than one year and shall not require the optometrist to contract exclusively with a health plan. The optometrist may terminate the lease according to the terms of the lease. The landlord may terminate the lease for the following reasons:

(A) The optometrist’s failure to maintain a license to practice optometry or the imposition of restrictions, suspension or revocation of the optometrist’s license, or if the optometrist or the optometrist’s employee is or becomes ineligible to participate in state or federal government-funded programs.

(B) Termination of any underlying lease where the optometrist has subleased space, or the optometrist’s failure to comply with the underlying lease provisions that are made applicable to the optometrist.

(C) If the health plan is the landlord, the termination of the provider agreement between the health plan and the optometrist, in accordance with the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code).

(D) Other reasons pursuant to the terms of the lease or permitted under the Civil Code.

(11) The landlord shall act in good faith in terminating the lease and in no case shall the landlord terminate the lease for reasons that constitute interference with the practice of optometry.

(12) Lease or rent terms and payments shall not be based on number of eye exams performed, prescriptions written, patient referrals or the sale or promotion of the products of a registered dispensing optician or an optical company.

(13) The landlord shall not terminate the lease solely because of a report, complaint, or allegation filed by the optometrist against the landlord, a registered dispensing optician, or a health plan, to the State Board of Optometry or the Department of Managed Health Care or any law enforcement or regulatory agency.

(14) The landlord shall provide the optometrist with written notice of the scheduled expiration date of a lease at least 60 days prior to the scheduled expiration date. This notice obligation shall not affect the ability of either party to terminate the lease pursuant to this section. The landlord may not interfere with an outgoing optometrist’s efforts to inform the optometrist’s patients, in accordance with customary practice and professional obligations, of the relocation of the optometrist’s practice.

(15) The State Board of Optometry may inspect, upon request, an individual lease agreement pursuant to its investigational authority, and if such a request is made, the landlord or tenant, as applicable, shall promptly comply with the request. Failure or refusal to comply with the request for lease agreements within 30 days of receiving the request constitutes unprofessional conduct and is grounds for disciplinary action by the appropriate regulatory agency. This section shall not affect the Department of Managed Health Care’s authority to inspect all books and records of a health plan pursuant to Section 1381 of the Health and Safety Code.

Any financial information contained in the lease submitted to a regulatory entity, pursuant to this paragraph, shall be considered confidential trade secret information that is exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code).

(16) This subdivision shall not be applicable to the relationship between any optometrist employee and the employer medical group, or the relationship between a medical group exclusively contracted with a health plan regulated by the Department of Managed Health Care and that health plan.

(e) No registered dispensing optician may have any membership, proprietary interest, coownership, or profit-sharing arrangement either by stock ownership, interlocking directors, trusteeship, mortgage, or trust deed, with an optometrist, except as permitted under this section.

(f) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a person licensed under Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) or its professional corporation from contracting with or employing optometrists, ophthalmologists, or optometric assistants and entering into a contract or landlord-tenant relationship with a health plan, an optical company, or a registered dispensing optician, in accordance with Sections 650 and 654 of this code.

(g) Any violation of this section constitutes a misdemeanor as to such person licensed under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 3000) of this division and as to any and all persons, whether or not so licensed under this division, who participate with such licensed person in a violation of any provision of this section.

(h) (1) Notwithstanding any other law and in addition to any action available to the State Board of Optometry, the State Board of Optometry may issue a citation containing an order of abatement, an order to pay an administrative fine, or both, to an optical company, an optometrist, or a registered dispensing optician for a violation of this section. The administrative fine shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per investigation. In assessing the amount of the fine, the board shall give due consideration to all of the following:

(A) The gravity of the violation.

(B) The good faith of the cited person or entity.

(C) The history of previous violations of the same or similar nature.

(D) Evidence that the violation was or was not willful.

(E) The extent to which the cited person or entity has cooperated with the board’s investigation.

(F) The extent to which the cited person or entity has mitigated or attempted to mitigate any damage or injury caused by the violation.

(G) Any other factors as justice may require.

(2) A citation or fine assessment issued pursuant to a citation shall inform the cited person or entity that if a hearing is desired to contest the finding of a violation, that hearing shall be requested by written notice to the board within 30 days of the date of issuance of the citation or assessment. If a hearing is not requested pursuant to this section, payment of any fine shall not constitute an admission of the violation charged. Hearings shall be held pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(3) The board shall adopt regulations to implement a system for the issuance of citations, administrative fines, and orders of abatement authorized by this section. The regulations shall include provisions for both of the following:

(A) The issuance of a citation without an administrative fine.

(B) The opportunity for a cited person or entity to have an informal conference with the executive officer of the board in addition to the hearing described in paragraph (2).

(4) The failure of a licensee to pay a fine within 30 days of the date of assessment, unless the citation is being appealed, may result in disciplinary action being taken by the board. Where a citation is not contested and a fine is not paid, the full amount of the assessed fine shall be added to the fee for renewal of the license. A license shall not be renewed without payment of the renewal fee and fine.

(5) Notwithstanding any other law, if a fine is paid to satisfy an assessment based on the finding of a violation, payment of the fine shall be represented as satisfactory resolution of the matter for purposes of public disclosure.

(i) Administrative fines collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Optometry Fund. It is the intent of the Legislature that moneys collected as fines and deposited in the fund be used by the board primarily for enforcement purposes.

(j) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2023, and as of that date is repealed.

SEC. 11.

 Section 655 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

655.

 (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) “Health plan” means a health care service plan licensed pursuant to the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code).

(2) “Optical company” means a person or entity that is engaged in the manufacture, sale, or distribution to physicians and surgeons, optometrists, health plans, or dispensing opticians of lenses, frames, optical supplies, or optometric appliances or devices or kindred products.

(3) “Optometrist” means a person licensed pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 3000) or an optometric corporation, as described in Section 3160.

(4) “Physician and surgeon” means a person licensed by the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California under Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) or a medical corporation that is authorized to render professional services, as defined in Section 13401 of the Corporations Code.

(5) “Registered dispensing optician” means a person or entity licensed pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550).

(6) “Therapeutic ophthalmic product” means lenses or other products that provide direct treatment of eye disease or visual rehabilitation for diseased eyes.

(b) No optometrist may have any membership, proprietary interest, coownership, or any profit-sharing arrangement, either by stock ownership, interlocking directors, trusteeship, mortgage, or trust deed, with any registered dispensing optician or any optical company, except as otherwise permitted under this section.

(c) (1) A registered dispensing optician or an optical company may operate, own, or have an ownership interest in a health plan so long as the health plan does not directly employ optometrists to provide optometric services directly to enrollees of the health plan, and may directly or indirectly provide products and services to the health plan or its contracted providers or enrollees or to other optometrists. For purposes of this section, an optometrist may be employed by a health plan as a clinical director for the health plan pursuant to Section 1367.01 of the Health and Safety Code or to perform services related to utilization management or quality assurance or other similar related services that do not require the optometrist to directly provide health care services to enrollees. In addition, an optometrist serving as a clinical director may not employ optometrists to provide health care services to enrollees of the health plan for which the optometrist is serving as clinical director. For the purposes of this section, the health plan’s utilization management and quality assurance programs that are consistent with the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code) do not constitute providing health care services to enrollees.

(2) The registered dispensing optician or optical company shall not interfere with the professional judgment of the optometrist.

(3) The Department of Managed Health Care shall forward to the California State Board of Optometry any complaints received from consumers that allege that an optometrist violated the Optometry Practice Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 3000)). The Department of Managed Health Care and the California State Board of Optometry shall enter into an Inter-Agency Agreement regarding the sharing of information related to the services provided by an optometrist that may be in violation of the Optometry Practice Act that the Department of Managed Health Care encounters in the course of the administration of the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code).

(d) An optometrist, a registered dispensing optician, a physician and surgeon, an optical company, or a health plan may execute a lease, sublease, or other written agreement with an optometrist, if all of the following conditions are contained in a written agreement establishing the landlord-tenant relationship:

(1) (A) The practice shall be owned by the optometrist and in every phase be under the optometrist’s exclusive control, including the selection and supervision of optometric staff, the scheduling of patients, the amount of time the optometrist spends with patients, fees charged for optometric products and services, the examination procedures and treatment provided to patients and the optometrist’s contracting with managed care organizations.

(B) Subparagraph (A) shall not preclude a lease from including commercially reasonable terms that: (i) require the provision of optometric services at the leased space during certain days and hours, (ii) restrict the leased space from being used for the sale or offer for sale of spectacles, frames, lenses, contact lenses, or other ophthalmic products, except that the optometrist shall be permitted to sell therapeutic ophthalmic products if the registered dispensing optician, physician and surgeon, health plan, or optical company located on or adjacent to the optometrist’s leased space does not offer any substantially similar therapeutic ophthalmic products for sale, (iii) require the optometrist to contract with a health plan network, health plan, or health insurer, or (iv) permit the landlord to directly or indirectly provide furnishings and equipment in the leased space.

(2) The optometrist’s records shall be the sole property of the optometrist. Only the optometrist and those persons with written authorization from the optometrist shall have access to the patient records and the examination room, except as otherwise provided by law.

(3) The optometrist’s leased space shall be definite and distinct from space occupied by other occupants of the premises, have a sign designating that the leased space is occupied by an independent optometrist or optometrists and be accessible to the optometrist after hours or in the case of an emergency, subject to the facility’s general accessibility. This paragraph shall not require a separate entrance to the optometrist’s leased space.

(4) All signs and displays shall be separate and distinct from that of the other occupants and shall have the optometrist’s name and the word “optometrist” prominently displayed in connection therewith. This paragraph shall not prohibit the optometrist from advertising the optometrist’s practice location with reference to other occupants or prohibit the optometrist or registered dispensing optician from advertising their participation in any health plan’s network or the health plan’s products in which the optometrist or registered dispensing optician participates.

(5) There shall be no signs displayed on any part of the premises or in any advertising indicating that the optometrist is employed or controlled by the registered dispensing optician, health plan, or optical company.

(6) Except for a statement that an independent doctor of optometry is located in the leased space, in-store pricing signs and as otherwise permitted by this subdivision, the registered dispensing optician or optical company shall not link its advertising with the optometrist’s name, practice, or fees.

(7) Notwithstanding paragraphs (4) and (6), this subdivision shall not preclude a health plan from advertising its health plan products and associated premium costs and any copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, or other forms of cost sharing, or the names and locations of the health plan’s providers, including any optometrists or registered dispensing opticians that provide professional services, in compliance with the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code).

(8) A health plan that advertises its products and services in accordance with paragraph (7) shall not advertise the optometrist’s fees for products and services that are not included in the health plan’s contract with the optometrist.

(9) The optometrist shall not be precluded from collecting fees for services that are not included in a health plan’s products and services, subject to any patient disclosure requirements contained in the health plan’s provider agreement with the optometrist or that are not otherwise prohibited by the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code).

(10) The term of the lease shall be no less than one year and shall not require the optometrist to contract exclusively with a health plan. The optometrist may terminate the lease according to the terms of the lease. The landlord may terminate the lease for the following reasons:

(A) The optometrist’s failure to maintain a license to practice optometry or the imposition of restrictions, suspension or revocation of the optometrist’s license, or if the optometrist or the optometrist’s employee is or becomes ineligible to participate in state or federal government-funded programs.

(B) Termination of any underlying lease where the optometrist has subleased space, or the optometrist’s failure to comply with the underlying lease provisions that are made applicable to the optometrist.

(C) If the health plan is the landlord, the termination of the provider agreement between the health plan and the optometrist, in accordance with the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code).

(D) Other reasons pursuant to the terms of the lease or permitted under the Civil Code.

(11) The landlord shall act in good faith in terminating the lease and in no case shall the landlord terminate the lease for reasons that constitute interference with the practice of optometry.

(12) Lease or rent terms and payments shall not be based on number of eye exams performed, prescriptions written, patient referrals or the sale or promotion of the products of a registered dispensing optician or an optical company.

(13) The landlord shall not terminate the lease solely because of a report, complaint, or allegation filed by the optometrist against the landlord, a registered dispensing optician, or a health plan, to the California State Board of Optometry or the Department of Managed Health Care or any law enforcement or regulatory agency.

(14) The landlord shall provide the optometrist with written notice of the scheduled expiration date of a lease at least 60 days prior to the scheduled expiration date. This notice obligation shall not affect the ability of either party to terminate the lease pursuant to this section. The landlord may not interfere with an outgoing optometrist’s efforts to inform the optometrist’s patients, in accordance with customary practice and professional obligations, of the relocation of the optometrist’s practice.

(15) The California State Board of Optometry may inspect, upon request, an individual lease agreement pursuant to its investigational authority, and if such a request is made, the landlord or tenant, as applicable, shall promptly comply with the request. Failure or refusal to comply with the request for lease agreements within 30 days of receiving the request constitutes unprofessional conduct and is grounds for disciplinary action by the appropriate regulatory agency. This section shall not affect the Department of Managed Health Care’s authority to inspect all books and records of a health plan pursuant to Section 1381 of the Health and Safety Code.

Any financial information contained in the lease submitted to a regulatory entity, pursuant to this paragraph, shall be considered confidential trade secret information that is exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code).

(16) This subdivision shall not be applicable to the relationship between any optometrist employee and the employer medical group, or the relationship between a medical group exclusively contracted with a health plan regulated by the Department of Managed Health Care and that health plan.

(e) No registered dispensing optician may have any membership, proprietary interest, coownership, or profit-sharing arrangement either by stock ownership, interlocking directors, trusteeship, mortgage, or trust deed, with an optometrist, except as permitted under this section.

(f) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a person licensed under Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) or its professional corporation from contracting with or employing optometrists, ophthalmologists, or optometric assistants and entering into a contract or landlord-tenant relationship with a health plan, an optical company, or a registered dispensing optician, in accordance with Sections 650 and 654 of this code.

(g) Any violation of this section constitutes a misdemeanor as to such person licensed under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 3000) of this division and as to any and all persons, whether or not so licensed under this division, who participate with such licensed person in a violation of any provision of this section.

(h) (1) Notwithstanding any other law and in addition to any action available to the California State Board of Optometry, the California State Board of Optometry may issue a citation containing an order of abatement, an order to pay an administrative fine, or both, to an optical company, an optometrist, or a registered dispensing optician for a violation of this section. The administrative fine shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per administrative action. Notwithstanding any other law and in addition to any action available to the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California may issue a citation containing an order of abatement, an order to pay an administrative fine, or both, to a physician and surgeon for a violation of this section. In assessing the amount of the fine, the board shall give due consideration to all of the following:

(A) The gravity of the violation.

(B) The good faith of the cited person or entity.

(C) The history of previous violations of the same or similar nature.

(D) Evidence that the violation was or was not willful.

(E) The extent to which the cited person or entity has cooperated with the board’s investigation.

(F) The extent to which the cited person or entity has mitigated or attempted to mitigate any damage or injury caused by the violation.

(G) Any other factors as justice may require.

(2) A citation or fine assessment issued pursuant to a citation shall inform the cited person or entity that if a hearing is desired to contest the finding of a violation, that hearing shall be requested by written notice to the board within 30 days of the date of issuance of the citation or assessment. If a hearing is not requested pursuant to this section, payment of any fine shall not constitute an admission of the violation charged. Hearings shall be held pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(3) The board shall adopt regulations to implement a system for the issuance of citations, administrative fines, and orders of abatement authorized by this section. The regulations shall include provisions for both of the following:

(A) The issuance of a citation without an administrative fine.

(B) The opportunity for a cited person or entity to have an informal conference with the executive officer of the board in addition to the hearing described in paragraph (2).

(4) The failure of a licensee to pay a fine within 30 days of the date of assessment, unless the citation is being appealed, may result in disciplinary action being taken by the board. Where a citation is not contested and a fine is not paid, the full amount of the assessed fine shall be added to the fee for renewal of the license. A license shall not be renewed without payment of the renewal fee and fine.

(5) Notwithstanding any other law, if a fine is paid to satisfy an assessment based on the finding of a violation, payment of the fine shall be represented as satisfactory resolution of the matter for purposes of public disclosure.

(i) Administrative fines collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the fund of the board that has issued the fine. It is the intent of the Legislature that moneys collected as fines and deposited in the fund be used by the board primarily for enforcement purposes.

(j) Any complaints against a physician and surgeon for violations of this section shall be referred to the physician and surgeon’s licensing board.

(k) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2023.

SEC. 12.

 Section 656 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

656.

 Whenever any person has engaged, or is about to engage, in any acts or practices that constitute, or will constitute, a violation of this article, the superior court in and for the county wherein the acts or practices take place, or are about to take place, may issue an injunction, or other appropriate order, restraining the conduct on application of the California State Board of Optometry, the Medical Board of California, the California Board of Podiatric Medicine, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the Attorney General, or the district attorney of the county.

The proceedings under this section shall be governed by Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 525) of Title 7 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

The remedy provided for in this section shall be in addition to, and not a limitation upon, the authority provided by any other provision of this code.

SEC. 13.

 Section 683 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

683.

 (a) A board shall report, within 10 working days, to the State Department of Health Care Services the name and license number of a person whose license has been revoked, suspended, surrendered, made inactive by the licensee, or placed in another category that prohibits the licensee from practicing their profession. The purpose of the reporting requirement is to prevent reimbursement by the state for Medi-Cal and Denti-Cal services provided after the cancellation of a provider’s professional license.

(b) “Board,” as used in this section, means the Dental Board of California, the Medical Board of California, the Board of Psychology, the California State Board of Optometry, the California State Board of Pharmacy, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, the Board of Behavioral Sciences, the California Board of Podiatric Medicine, and the California Board of Occupational Therapy.

(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2015.

SEC. 14.

 Section 800 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

800.

 (a) The Medical Board of California, the Podiatric Medical Board of California, the Board of Psychology, the Dental Board of California, the Dental Hygiene Board of California, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, the Board of Registered Nursing, the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians of the State of California, the California State Board of Optometry, the Veterinary Medical Board, the Board of Behavioral Sciences, the Physical Therapy Board of California, the California State Board of Pharmacy, the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board, the California Board of Occupational Therapy, the Acupuncture Board, and the Physician Assistant Board shall each separately create and maintain a central file of the names of all persons who hold a license, certificate, or similar authority from that board. Each central file shall be created and maintained to provide an individual historical record for each licensee with respect to the following information:

(1) Any conviction of a crime in this or any other state that constitutes unprofessional conduct pursuant to the reporting requirements of Section 803.

(2) Any judgment or settlement requiring the licensee or the licensee’s insurer to pay any amount of damages in excess of three thousand dollars ($3,000) for any claim that injury or death was proximately caused by the licensee’s negligence, error, or omission in practice, or by rendering unauthorized professional services, pursuant to the reporting requirements of Section 801 or 802.

(3) Any public complaints for which provision is made pursuant to subdivision (b).

(4) Disciplinary information reported pursuant to Section 805, including any additional exculpatory or explanatory statements submitted by the licentiate pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 805. If a court finds, in a final judgment, that the peer review resulting in the 805 report was conducted in bad faith and the licensee who is the subject of the report notifies the board of that finding, the board shall include that finding in the central file. For purposes of this paragraph, “peer review” has the same meaning as defined in Section 805.

(5) Information reported pursuant to Section 805.01, including any explanatory or exculpatory information submitted by the licensee pursuant to subdivision (b) of that section.

(b) (1) Each board shall prescribe and promulgate forms on which members of the public and other licensees or certificate holders may file written complaints to the board alleging any act of misconduct in, or connected with, the performance of professional services by the licensee.

(2) If a board, or division thereof, a committee, or a panel has failed to act upon a complaint or report within five years, or has found that the complaint or report is without merit, the central file shall be purged of information relating to the complaint or report.

(3) Notwithstanding this subdivision, the Board of Psychology, the Board of Behavioral Sciences, and the Respiratory Care Board of California shall maintain complaints or reports as long as each board deems necessary.

(c) (1) The contents of any central file that are not public records under any other provision of law shall be confidential except that the licensee involved, or the licensee’s counsel or representative, may inspect and have copies made of the licensee’s complete file except for the provision that may disclose the identity of an information source. For the purposes of this section, a board may protect an information source by providing a copy of the material with only those deletions necessary to protect the identity of the source or by providing a summary of the substance of the material. Whichever method is used, the board shall ensure that full disclosure is made to the subject of any personal information that could reasonably in any way reflect or convey anything detrimental, disparaging, or threatening to a licensee’s reputation, rights, benefits, privileges, or qualifications, or be used by a board to make a determination that would affect a licensee’s rights, benefits, privileges, or qualifications. The information required to be disclosed pursuant to Section 803.1 shall not be considered among the contents of a central file for the purposes of this subdivision.

(2) The licensee may, but is not required to, submit any additional exculpatory or explanatory statement or other information that the board shall include in the central file.

(3) Each board may permit any law enforcement or regulatory agency when required for an investigation of unlawful activity or for licensing, certification, or regulatory purposes to inspect and have copies made of that licensee’s file, unless the disclosure is otherwise prohibited by law.

(4) These disclosures shall effect no change in the confidential status of these records.

SEC. 15.

 Section 810 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

810.

 (a) It shall constitute unprofessional conduct and grounds for disciplinary action, including suspension or revocation of a license or certificate, for a health care professional to do any of the following in connection with their professional activities:

(1) Knowingly present or cause to be presented any false or fraudulent claim for the payment of a loss under a contract of insurance.

(2) Knowingly prepare, make, or subscribe any writing, with intent to present or use the same, or to allow it to be presented or used in support of any false or fraudulent claim.

(b) It shall constitute cause for revocation or suspension of a license or certificate for a health care professional to engage in any conduct prohibited under Section 1871.4 of the Insurance Code or Section 549 or 550 of the Penal Code.

(c) (1) It shall constitute cause for automatic suspension of a license or certificate issued pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 1600), Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000), Chapter 6.6 (commencing with Section 2900), Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 3000), or Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 4000), or pursuant to the Chiropractic Act or the Osteopathic Act, if a licensee or certificate holder has been convicted of any felony involving fraud committed by the licensee or certificate holder in conjunction with providing benefits covered by worker’s compensation insurance, or has been convicted of any felony involving Medi-Cal fraud committed by the licensee or certificate holder in conjunction with the Medi-Cal program, including the Denti-Cal element of the Medi-Cal program, pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000), or Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 14200), of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. The board shall convene a disciplinary hearing to determine whether or not the license or certificate shall be suspended, revoked, or some other disposition shall be considered, including, but not limited to, revocation with the opportunity to petition for reinstatement, suspension, or other limitations on the license or certificate as the board deems appropriate.

(2) It shall constitute cause for automatic suspension and for revocation of a license or certificate issued pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 1600), Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000), Chapter 6.6 (commencing with Section 2900), Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 3000), or Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 4000), or pursuant to the Chiropractic Act or the Osteopathic Act, if a licensee or certificate holder has more than one conviction of any felony arising out of separate prosecutions involving fraud committed by the licensee or certificate holder in conjunction with providing benefits covered by worker’s compensation insurance, or in conjunction with the Medi-Cal program, including the Denti-Cal element of the Medi-Cal program pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000), or Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 14200), of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. The board shall convene a disciplinary hearing to revoke the license or certificate and an order of revocation shall be issued unless the board finds mitigating circumstances to order some other disposition.

(3) It is the intent of the Legislature that paragraph (2) apply to a licensee or certificate holder who has one or more convictions prior to January 1, 2004, as provided in this subdivision.

(4) Nothing in this subdivision shall preclude a board from suspending or revoking a license or certificate pursuant to any other provision of law.

(5) “Board,” as used in this subdivision, means the Dental Board of California, the Medical Board of California, the California Board of Podiatric Medicine, the Board of Psychology, the California State Board of Optometry, the California State Board of Pharmacy, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, and the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners.

(6) “More than one conviction,” as used in this subdivision, means that the licensee or certificate holder has one or more convictions prior to January 1, 2004, and at least one conviction on or after that date, or the licensee or certificate holder has two or more convictions on or after January 1, 2004. However, a licensee or certificate holder who has one or more convictions prior to January 1, 2004, but who has no convictions and is currently licensed or holds a certificate after that date, does not have “more than one conviction” for the purposes of this subdivision.

(d) As used in this section, health care professional means any person licensed or certified pursuant to this division, or licensed pursuant to the Osteopathic Initiative Act, or the Chiropractic Initiative Act.

SEC. 16.

 Section 2071 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2071.

 The board shall adopt and administer regulations that establish standards for technical supportive services that may be performed by a medical assistant. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the board from amending or repealing regulations covering medical assistants. The board shall, prior to the adoption of any regulations, request recommendations regarding these standards from appropriate public agencies, including, but not limited to, the California State Board of Optometry, the Board of Registered Nursing, the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, the Laboratory Field Services division of the State Department of Public Health, those divisions of the State Department of Education that pertain to private postsecondary education and career and vocational preparation, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the California Board of Podiatric Medicine, the Physician Assistant Examining Committee, and the Physical Therapy Board of California. The board shall also request recommendations regarding these standards from associations of medical assistants, physicians and surgeons, nurses, doctors of podiatric medicine, physician assistants, physical therapists, laboratory technologists, optometrists, and others as the board finds appropriate, including, but not limited to, the California Optometric Association, the California Nurses Association, the California Medical Association, the California Society of Medical Assistants, the California Medical Assistants Association, and the California Physical Therapy Association. Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede or modify that portion of the Administrative Procedure Act that relates to the procedure for the adoption of regulations and which is set forth in Article 5 (commencing with Section 11346) of Chapter 3.5 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

SEC. 17.

 Section 2541.1 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2541.1.

 (a) A spectacle lens prescription shall include all of the following:

(1) The dioptric power of the lens. When the prescription needed by the patient has not changed since the previous examination, the prescriber may write on the prescription form “copy lenses currently worn” instead.

(2) The expiration date of the prescription.

(3) The date of the issuance of the prescription.

(4) The name, address, telephone number, prescriber’s license number, and signature of the prescribing optometrist or physician and surgeon.

(5) The name of the person to whom the prescription is issued.

(b) The expiration date of a spectacle lens prescription shall not be less than two years and shall not exceed four years from the date of issuance unless the patient’s history or current circumstances establish a reasonable probability of changes in the patient’s vision of sufficient magnitude to necessitate reexamination earlier than two years, or presence or probability of visual abnormalities related to ocular or systemic disease indicates, the need for reexamination of the patient earlier than two years. In no circumstances shall the expiration date be shorter than the period of time recommended by the prescriber for reexamination of the patient. Establishing an expiration date that is not consistent with this section shall be regarded as unprofessional conduct by the board that issued the prescriber’s certificate to practice.

(c) The prescriber of a spectacle lens shall orally inform the patient of the expiration date of a spectacle lens prescription at the time the prescription is issued. The expiration date of a prescription may be extended by the prescriber and transmitted by telephone, electronic mail, or any other means of communication. An oral prescription for a spectacle lens shall be reduced to writing and a copy of that writing shall be sent to the prescriber prior to the delivery of the lenses to the person to whom the prescription is issued.

(d) A prescriber of a spectacle lens shall abide by the rules pertaining to spectacle lens prescriptions and eye examinations adopted by the Federal Trade Commission found in Part 456 of Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(e) An expired prescription may be filled if all of the following conditions exist:

(1) The patient’s spectacles are lost, broken, or damaged to a degree that renders them unusable.

(2) Upon dispensing a prescription pursuant to this subdivision, the person dispensing shall recommend that the patient return to the optometrist or physician and surgeon who issued the prescription for an eye examination and provide the prescriber with a written notification of the prescription that was filled.

SEC. 18.

 Section 2541.2 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2541.2.

 (a) (1) The expiration date of a contact lens prescription shall not be less than one year and shall not exceed two years from the date of issuance, unless the patient’s history or current circumstances establish a reasonable probability of changes in the patient’s vision of sufficient magnitude to necessitate reexamination earlier than one year, or the presence or probability of visual abnormalities related to ocular or systemic disease indicate the need for reexamination of the patient earlier than one year. If the expiration date of a prescription is less than one year, the health-related reasons for the limitation shall be documented in the patient’s medical record. In no circumstances shall the prescription expiration date be less than the period of time recommended by the prescriber for reexamination of the patient.

(2) For the purposes of this subdivision, the date of issuance is the date the patient receives a copy of the prescription.

(3) Establishing an expiration date that is not consistent with this section shall be regarded as unprofessional conduct by the board that issued the prescriber’s license to practice.

(b) Upon completion of the eye examination or, if applicable, the contact lens fitting process for a patient as described in subdivision (f), a prescriber or a registered dispensing optician shall provide the patient with a copy of the patient’s contact lens prescription signed by the prescriber, unless the prescription meets the standards set forth in subdivision (c).

(c) A prescriber shall retain professional discretion regarding the release of the contact lens prescription for patients who wear the following types of contact lenses:

(1) Rigid gas permeables.

(2) Bitoric gas permeables.

(3) Bifocal gas permeables.

(4) Keratoconus lenses.

(5) Custom designed lenses that are manufactured for an individual patient and are not mass produced.

(d) If a patient places an order with a contact lens seller other than a physician and surgeon, an optometrist, or a registered dispensing optician, the prescriber or his or her authorized agent shall, upon request of the contact lens seller and in the absence of the actual prescription, attempt to promptly confirm the information contained in the prescription through direct communication with the contact lens seller.

(e) The contact lens prescription shall include sufficient information for the complete and accurate filling of a prescription, including, but not limited to, the power, the material or manufacturer or both, the base curve or appropriate designation, the diameter when appropriate, and an appropriate expiration date. When a provider prescribes a private label contact lens for a patient, the prescription shall include the name of the manufacturer, the trade name of the private label brand, and, if applicable, the trade name of the equivalent national brand.

(f) The contact lens fitting process begins after the initial comprehensive eye examination, and includes an examination to determine the lens specifications, an initial evaluation of the fit of the lens on the patient’s eye, except in the case of a renewal prescription of an established patient, and followup examinations that are medically necessary, and ends when the prescriber or registered dispensing optician determines that an appropriate fit has been achieved, or in the case of a prescription renewal for an established patient, the prescriber determines that there is no change in the prescription.

(g) The payment of professional fees for the eye exam, fitting, and evaluation may be required prior to the release of the prescription, but only if the prescriber would have required immediate payment from the patient had the examination revealed that no ophthalmic devices were required. A prescriber or registered dispensing optician shall not charge the patient any fee as a condition to releasing the prescription to the patient. A prescriber may charge an additional fee for verifying ophthalmic devices dispensed by another seller if the additional fee is imposed at the time the verification is performed.

(h) A prescriber shall not condition the availability of an eye examination, a contact lens fitting, or the release of a contact lens prescription on a requirement that the patient agree to purchase contact lenses from that prescriber. A registered dispensing optician shall not condition the availability of a contact lens fitting on a requirement that the patient agrees to purchase contact lenses from that registered dispensing optician.

(i) A prescriber or a registered dispensing optician shall not place on the contact lens prescription, deliver to the patient, or require a patient to sign a form or notice waiving or disclaiming the liability or responsibility of the prescriber or registered dispensing optician for the accuracy of the ophthalmic devices dispensed by another seller. This prohibition against waivers and disclaimers shall not impose liability on a prescriber or registered dispensing optician for the ophthalmic devices dispensed by another seller pursuant to the prescriber’s prescription.

(j) The willful failure or refusal of a prescriber to comply with the provisions of this section shall constitute grounds for professional discipline, including, but not limited to, the imposition of a fine or the suspension or revocation of the prescriber’s license. The Medical Board of California, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, and the California State Board of Optometry shall adopt regulations, to implement this subdivision, including, but not limited to, standards for processing complaints each receives regarding this subdivision.

(k) For the purposes of this section, “prescriber” means a physician and surgeon or an optometrist.

(l) Nothing in this section shall be construed to expand the scope of practice of a registered dispensing optician as defined in Sections 2542, 2543, and Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550).

SEC. 19.

 Section 2541.3 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2541.3.

 (a) The State Department of Public Health, the California State Board of Optometry, and the Medical Board of California shall prepare and adopt quality standards and adopt regulations relating to prescription ophthalmic devices, including, but not limited to, lenses, frames, and contact lenses. In promulgating these rules and regulations, the department and the boards shall adopt the current standards of the American National Standards Institute regarding ophthalmic materials. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the department and the boards from jointly adopting subsequent standards that are equivalent or more stringent than the current standards of the American National Standards Institute regarding ophthalmic materials.

(b) No individual or group that deals with prescription ophthalmic devices, including, but not limited to, distributors, registered dispensing opticians or ophthalmic businesses, manufacturers, laboratories, optometrists, or ophthalmologists shall sell, dispense, or furnish any prescription ophthalmic device that does not meet the minimum standards set by the State Department of Public Health, the California State Board of Optometry, or the Medical Board of California.

(c) Any violation of the regulations adopted by the State Department of Public Health, the California State Board of Optometry, or the Medical Board of California pursuant to this section shall be a misdemeanor.

(d) Any optometrist, ophthalmologist, or dispensing optician who violates the regulations adopted by the State Department of Public Health, the California State Board of Optometry, the Medical Board of California, or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California pursuant to this section shall be subject to disciplinary action by the individual’s licensing board.

(e) The California State Board of Optometry, the Medical Board of California, or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California may send any prescription ophthalmic device to the State Department of Public Health for testing as to whether or not the device meets established standards adopted pursuant to this section, which testing shall take precedence over any other prescription ophthalmic device testing being conducted by the department. The department may conduct the testing in its own facilities or may contract with any other facility to conduct the testing.

SEC. 20.

 Section 2541.6 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2541.6.

 No prescription ophthalmic device that does not meet the standards adopted by the State Department of Public Health, the California State Board of Optometry, the Medical Board of California, or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California under Section 2541.3 shall be purchased with state funds.

SEC. 21.

 Section 2542 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2542.

 A registered dispensing optician shall dispense contact lenses, including plano contact lenses, only on the valid prescription of a physician and surgeon or optometrist, and acting on the advice, direction, and responsibility of the physician and surgeon or optometrist. The registrant shall also comply with the requirements of Section 2560. A registered dispensing optician shall not dispense a contact lens or lenses, or a plano contact lens or lenses, unless the prescription specifically refers to and authorizes contact lenses. A registered dispensing optician shall not fit a generic type of contact lens or mode of wear for a contact lens contrary to the type or mode, if any, referred to in the prescription.

SEC. 22.

 Section 2543 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2543.

 (a) Except as provided in the Nonresident Ophthalmic Lens Dispenser Registration Act (Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 2564.70)), the right to dispense, sell, or furnish prescription ophthalmic devices at retail or to the person named in a prescription is limited exclusively to licensed physicians and surgeons, licensed optometrists, and registered dispensing opticians as provided in this division. This section shall not be construed to affect licensing requirements pursuant to Section 111615 of the Health and Safety Code.

(b) It shall be considered a deceptive marketing practice for:

(1) Any physician and surgeon, optometrist, or registered dispensing optician to publish or cause to be published any advertisement or sales presentation relating to contact lenses that represents that contact lenses may be obtained without confirmation of a valid prescription.

(2) Any individual or entity who offers for sale plano contact lenses, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 2541, to represent by any means that those lenses may be lawfully obtained without an eye examination or confirmation of a valid prescription, or may be dispensed or furnished to a purchaser without complying with the requirements of Section 2562, except as provided in Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 2564.70).

SEC. 23.

 Section 2544 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2544.

 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an assistant in any setting where optometry or ophthalmology is practiced who is acting under the direct responsibility and supervision of an optometrist or a physician and surgeon may fit prescription lenses. Under the direct responsibility and supervision of an optometrist or ophthalmologist, an assistant in any setting where optometry or ophthalmology is practiced may also do the following:

(1) Prepare patients for examination.

(2) Collect preliminary patient data, including taking a patient history.

(3) Perform simple noninvasive testing of visual acuity, pupils, and ocular motility.

(4) Perform automated visual field testing.

(5) Perform ophthalmic photography and digital imaging.

(6) Perform tonometry.

(7) Perform lensometry.

(8) Perform nonsubjective auto refraction in connection with subjective refraction procedures performed by an ophthalmologist or optometrist.

(9) Administer cycloplegiacs, mydriatics, and topical anesthetics that are not controlled substances, for ophthalmic purposes.

(10) Perform pachymetry, keratometry, A scans, B scans, and electrodiagnostic testing.

(b) For the purposes of this section, “setting” includes, but is not limited to, any facility licensed by the State Department of Public Health or the State Department of Social Services.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize activities that corporations and other artificial legal entities are prohibited from conducting by Section 2400.

SEC. 23.5.

 Section 2544 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2544.

 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an assistant in any setting where optometry or ophthalmology is practiced who is acting under the direct responsibility and supervision of an optometrist or a physician and surgeon may fit prescription lenses. Under the direct responsibility and supervision of an optometrist or ophthalmologist, an assistant in any setting where optometry or ophthalmology is practiced may also do the following:

(1) Prepare patients for examination.

(2) Collect preliminary patient data, including taking a patient history.

(3) Perform simple noninvasive testing of visual acuity, pupils, and ocular motility.

(4) Perform automated visual field testing.

(5) Perform ophthalmic photography and digital imaging.

(6) Perform tonometry.

(7) Perform lensometry.

(8) Perform nonsubjective auto refraction.

(9) Perform preliminary subjective refraction procedures in connection with finalizing subjective refraction procedures performed by an ophthalmologist or optometrist, subject to the following conditions:

(A) The assistant shall have at least 45 hours of documented training in subjective refraction procedures acceptable to the supervising ophthalmologist or optometrist.

(B) Any preliminary subjective refraction procedures shall be performed as follows:

(i) When the supervising physician and surgeon or optometrist is physically present at the location where the procedures are being performed, and not involving telehealth services.

(ii) In conjunction with an in-person examination being performed by the supervising physician and surgeon or optometrist.

(iii) With a supervisory ratio of no more than three assistants per supervising ophthalmologist or optometrist during the supervisor’s work shift.

(C) An assistant performing preliminary subjective refraction procedures may utilize appropriate related equipment, including, but not limited to, a phoropter, trial lenses, and a retinoscope, solely for the purpose of performing those procedures.

(D) An assistant may not prescribe glasses or contact lenses, and nothing in this section shall be interpreted as authorizing those activities.

(10) Administer cycloplegics, mydriatics, and topical anesthetics that are not controlled substances, for ophthalmic purposes.

(11) Perform pachymetry, keratometry, A scan and B scan ultrasound testing, and electrodiagnostic testing.

(b) For the purposes of this section, “setting” includes, but is not limited to, any facility licensed by the State Department of Public Health or the State Department of Social Services.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize activities that corporations and other artificial legal entities are prohibited from conducting by Section 2400.

SEC. 24.

 Section 2545 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2545.

 (a) Whenever a person or corporation has engaged, or is about to engage, in any acts or practices which constitute, or will constitute, an offense against this chapter, the superior court in and for the county wherein the acts or practices take place, or are about to take place, may issue an injunction, or other appropriate order, restraining the conduct on application of the California State Board of Optometry, the Medical Board of California, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the Attorney General, or the district attorney of the county.

The proceedings under this section shall be governed by Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 525) of Title 7 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(b) (1) A person or corporation who violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to a fine of not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) nor more than thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000) per violation. The fines collected pursuant to this section from licensed physicians and surgeons shall be available upon appropriation to the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California for the purposes of administration and enforcement. The fines collected pursuant to this section from licensed optometrists and registered dispensing opticians shall be deposited into the Optometry Fund and shall be available upon appropriation to the California State Board of Optometry for the purposes of administration and enforcement.

(2) The Medical Board of California, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, and the California State Board of Optometry shall adopt regulations implementing this section and shall consider the following factors, including, but not limited to, applicable enforcement penalties, prior conduct, gravity of the offense, and the manner in which complaints will be processed.

(3) The proceedings under this section shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

SEC. 25.

 The heading of Chapter 5.45 (commencing with Section 2546) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.

SEC. 26.

 Section 2546 of the Business and Professions Code is amended and renumbered to read:

2564.70.

 This act may be cited as the “Nonresident Ophthalmic Lens Dispenser Registration Act.”

SEC. 27.

 Section 2546.1 of the Business and Professions Code is amended and renumbered to read:

2564.71.

 (a) A person located outside California shall not ship, mail, furnish, or deliver in any manner, ophthalmic lenses at retail to a patient at a California address unless the person is registered with the California State Board of Optometry.

(b) With regard to any person subject to registration pursuant to this section, only spectacle lenses and replacement contact lenses provided pursuant to a valid prescription as described in Section 2564.76 may be shipped, mailed, furnished, or delivered directly to a patient.

SEC. 28.

 Section 2546.2 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.

SEC. 29.

 Section 2546.3 of the Business and Professions Code is amended and renumbered to read:

2564.73.

 The board may adopt, amend, or repeal any rules and regulations that are reasonably necessary to carry out this article.

SEC. 30.

 Section 2546.4 of the Business and Professions Code is amended and renumbered to read:

2564.74.

 (a) Application for registration as a nonresident ophthalmic lens dispenser shall be made on forms prescribed by the board, accompanied by the fee prescribed by this article, and shall bear the signature of the individual, or individuals if a copartnership, or the president or secretary if a corporation, and shall contain the name or fictitious or assumed name, if applicable, under which the person proposes to do business, location of the business, registration number issued by the board, if applicable, and the designation of an agent for service of process in California.

(b) The board shall be notified in writing within 30 days of any change of name or fictitious or assumed name, location of business, corporate officer, or agent of service.

SEC. 31.

 Section 2546.5 of the Business and Professions Code is amended and renumbered to read:

2564.75.

 In order to obtain and maintain registration, a nonresident ophthalmic lens dispenser shall:

(a) Be in good standing and either registered or otherwise authorized in the state or jurisdiction in which the selling facility is located and from which the ophthalmic lenses are sold.

(b) Comply with all directions and requests for information made by the board as authorized under this article.

(c) Maintain records of ophthalmic lenses shipped, mailed, furnished, or delivered to patients in California for a period of at least three years.

(d) Provide a toll-free telephone service for responding to patient questions and complaints during the applicant’s regular hours of operation, but in no event less than six days per week and 40 hours per week. The toll-free number shall be included in literature provided with each mailed ophthalmic lens prescription. All questions relating to eye care for the lens prescribed shall be referred back to the ophthalmic lens prescriber.

(e) Provide the following or a substantially equivalent written notification to the patient whenever contact lenses are supplied:

WARNING: IF YOU ARE HAVING ANY UNEXPLAINED EYE DISCOMFORT, WATERING, VISION CHANGE, OR REDNESS, REMOVE YOUR LENSES IMMEDIATELY AND CONSULT YOUR EYE CARE PRACTITIONER BEFORE WEARING YOUR LENSES AGAIN.

(f) Disclose in any price advertisement any required membership fees or enrollment fees and indicate that shipping costs may apply unless the advertisement specifically and clearly states otherwise.

(g) Provide a toll-free telephone number, facsimile line, and email address that are dedicated to prescribers and their authorized agents for the purposes of confirmation of ophthalmic lens prescriptions. These numbers, along with an email address, shall be included in any communication with the prescriber when requesting confirmation of an ophthalmic lens prescription.

(h) It shall be considered a deceptive marketing practice for any nonresident ophthalmic lens dispenser to publish or cause to be published any advertisement or sales presentation relating to ophthalmic lenses representing that ophthalmic lenses may be obtained without confirmation of a valid prescription.

SEC. 32.

 Section 2546.6 of the Business and Professions Code is amended and renumbered to read:

2564.76.

 (a) Ophthalmic lenses may be sold only upon receipt of a written prescription or a copy of a written prescription and may be sold in quantities consistent with the prescription’s established expiration date and the standard packaging of the manufacturer or vendor. If the written prescription or a copy of it is not available to the dispenser, the dispenser shall confirm the prescription by direct communication with the prescriber or the prescriber’s authorized agent before furnishing, shipping, mailing, or delivering any lens, and maintain a record of the communication. A prescription shall be deemed confirmed upon the occurrence of one of the following:

(1) The prescriber or the prescriber’s agent confirms the prescription by communication with the dispenser.

(2) The prescriber fails to communicate with the dispenser within eight business hours after the dispenser requests confirmation, or the prescriber fails to communicate with the dispenser by the next business day on or before the same time of day that the dispenser requested confirmation, whichever is sooner. For purposes of this paragraph, “business day” means each day except a Sunday or a federal holiday.

(b) If a prescriber communicates with a dispenser before the time period described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) elapses and informs the dispenser that the ophthalmic lens prescription is invalid, the dispenser shall not fill the prescription. The prescriber shall specify in the communication with the dispenser the basis for invalidating the prescription.

(c) A dispenser shall not alter any of the specifications of an ophthalmic lens prescription, other than the color, or substitute a different manufacturer, brand, or other physical property of the lens.

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, if the ophthalmic lens is manufactured by a company, but sold under multiple private labels by that same company to individual providers, the dispenser may fill the prescription with an ophthalmic lens manufactured by that company if the ophthalmic lens prescription and the related parameters are not substituted, changed, or altered for a different manufacturer or brand.

SEC. 33.

 Section 2546.7 of the Business and Professions Code is amended and renumbered to read:

2564.77.

 (a) A certificate may be denied, to the extent authorized by Section 480, or suspended, revoked, or otherwise subjected to discipline for any of the following:

(1) Incompetence, gross negligence, or repeated similar negligent acts performed by the registrant or any employee of the registrant.

(2) An act of dishonesty or fraud.

(3) Committing any act or being convicted of a crime constituting grounds for denial of licensure or registration under Section 480.

(4) Any violation of Section 2564.75 or 2564.76.

(b) The proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the board shall have all powers granted therein.

SEC. 34.

 Section 2546.8 of the Business and Professions Code is amended and renumbered to read:

2564.78.

 Every registration issued to a nonresident ophthalmic lens dispenser shall expire 24 months after the initial date of issuance. To renew an unexpired registration, the registrant shall, before the time at which the license would otherwise expire, apply for renewal on a form prescribed by the board, and pay the renewal fee prescribed by this article.

SEC. 35.

 Section 2546.9 of the Business and Professions Code is amended and renumbered to read:

2564.79.

 The amount of fees prescribed in connection with the registration of nonresident ophthalmic lens dispensers is that established by the following schedule:

(a) The application fee for a nonresident ophthalmic lens dispenser shall be a minimum of one hundred fifty dollars ($150) and shall not exceed two hundred dollars ($200).

(b) The initial registration fee shall be a minimum of two hundred dollars ($200) and shall not exceed three hundred dollars ($300).

(c) The renewal fee shall be a minimum of two hundred dollars ($200) and shall not exceed three hundred dollars ($300).

(d) The delinquency fee shall be a minimum of fifty dollars ($50) and shall not exceed seventy-five dollars ($75).

(e) The fee for replacement of a lost, stolen, or destroyed registration shall be twenty-five dollars ($25).

(f) The California State Board of Optometry may periodically revise and fix by regulation the fees specified in subdivisions (a), (b), (c), and (d), and these revised fees shall not exceed the reasonable regulatory cost.

(g) The fees collected pursuant to this chapter shall be deposited in the Optometry Fund, and shall be available, upon appropriation, to the California State Board of Optometry for the purposes of this chapter.

SEC. 36.

 Section 2546.10 of the Business and Professions Code is amended and renumbered to read:

2564.80.

 (a) Any person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000) per violation. The fines collected pursuant to this section shall be available upon appropriation to the California State Board of Optometry for the purposes of administration and enforcement.

(b) The California State Board of Optometry shall adopt regulations implementing this section and shall consider the following factors, including, but not limited to, applicable enforcement penalties, prior conduct, gravity of the offense, and the manner in which complaints will be processed.

(c) The proceedings under this section shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

SEC. 37.

 Section 2550 of the Business and Professions Code is amended and renumbered to read:

2564.90.

 Individuals, corporations, and firms engaged in the business of filling prescriptions of physicians and surgeons licensed by the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, or optometrists licensed by the California State Board of Optometry for prescription lenses and kindred products shall be known as dispensing ophthalmic businesses and shall not engage in that business unless registered with the California State Board of Optometry.

SEC. 38.

 Section 2550 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

2550.

 For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:

(a) “Adjust” and “adjusting” includes the following acts, either singly or in combination with others: adapting or manipulation of the ophthalmic device to fit the face of the consumer, pursuant and incidental to the filling of any prescription for lenses, spectacles, eyeglasses, contact lens, plano contact lens, and other ophthalmic devices as specified in Section 2541, and prescriptions.

(b) “Board” means the California State Board of Optometry.

(c) “Dispensing optician,” “registered dispensing optician,” and “registrant” mean any of the following individuals that are registered with the board:

(1) “Spectacle lens dispenser” means an individual who is registered with the board pursuant to Article 1.5 (commencing with Section 2559.1).

(2) “Contact lens dispenser” means an individual who is registered with the board pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 2560).

(3) “Nonresident ophthalmic lens dispenser” means an entity that is registered with the board pursuant to Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 2564.70) which offers, advertises, and performs optical services to the general public.

(4) “Registered dispensing ophthalmic business” means an entity that is registered with the board pursuant to Article 2.7 (commencing with Section 2564.90) that offers, advertises, and performs optical services for the general public.

(d) “Fit” and “fitting” mean doing any of the following acts, either singly or in combination with others, before the act of adjusting: designing, taking measurements to determine the size, shape, or specifications, and replacing the prescribed optical aids, pursuant and incidental to the filling of any prescription for lenses, spectacles, eyeglasses, contact lens, plano contact lens, and other ophthalmic devices as specified in Section 2541.

(e) “Ophthalmic lens” or “ophthalmic device” means any prescription lenses, spectacles, eyeglasses, contact lens, other ophthalmic devices that alter or change the visual powers of the human eye, or any prescription plano contact lens ordered by a physician and surgeon or optometrist.

(f) “Prescription” means an order made by a licensed physician and surgeon or licensed optometrist pursuant to Section 2541.1 or 2541.2.

(g) “Unregistered individual” means an individual who is not registered with the board pursuant to this chapter. The unregistered individual may perform any of the following:

(1) Fitting and adjusting of spectacle lenses under the direct responsibility and supervision of a duly registered spectacle lens dispenser pursuant to Section 2559.1.

(2) Fitting and adjusting of contact lenses under the direct responsibility and supervision of a duly registered contact lens dispenser pursuant to Section 2560.

SEC. 39.

 Section 2550.1 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.

SEC. 40.

 Section 2550.1 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

2550.1.

 The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to an individual who is acting under the direct responsibility and supervision of a physician and surgeon or optometrist, pursuant to Section 2544, in any setting where optometry or ophthalmology is practiced.

SEC. 41.

 Section 2551 of the Business and Professions Code is amended and renumbered to read:

2564.91.

 (a) Individuals, corporations, and firms shall make application for registration and shall not engage in that business defined in Section 2564.90 before being issued a certificate of registration.

(b) Application for that registration shall be on forms prescribed by the board, shall bear the signature of the individual, or general partners if a partnership, or the president or secretary if a corporation or firm, and shall contain the name under which they propose to do business and the business address.

(c) Corporations and firms shall be organized and exist pursuant to the General Corporation Law (Division 1 (commencing with Section 100) of Title 1 of the Corporations Code) and shall not be limited liability companies within the meaning of Title 2.6 of the Corporations Code.

(d) If applicable, the application shall include a list of officers in the corporation, firm, or partnership and a copy of the articles of incorporation submitted to the Secretary of State.

(e) Separate applications shall be made for each place of business and each application shall be accompanied by the application fee prescribed by Section 2565.

SEC. 42.

 Section 2552 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2552.

 (a) Each application made pursuant to this chapter shall be verified under oath by the person required to sign the application and shall designate the name, address, and direct business telephone number of the applicant’s employee who will be responsible for handling customer inquiries and complaints with respect to the business address for which registration is applied. An applicant shall report any changes to this information in writing to the board within 14 days.

(b) The applicant shall furnish such additional information or proof, oral or written, which the board may request, including information and proof relating to the provisions of Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475).

(c) The board shall promptly notify any applicant if, as of the 30th day following the submission of an application under this chapter, the application and supporting documentation are not substantially complete and in proper form. The notification shall be in writing, shall state specifically what documents or other information are to be supplied by the applicant to the board, and shall be sent to the applicant by certified, electronic, or registered mail. Within 30 days of the applicant’s submission of the requested documents or information to the board, the board shall notify the applicant by certified, electronic, or registered mail if the board requires additional documents or information.

SEC. 43.

 Section 2552.2 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

2552.2.

 (a) A citation issued for an order of abatement in accordance with Sections 1399.275 and 1399.277 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations shall be posted on the front of the place of business of the dispensing optician. The citation shall remain posted until the violation has been corrected. The dispensing optician must also prominently post and make available its notice on any internet website it maintains that provides information about its services.

(b) A dispensing optician that has been issued a citation for an order of abatement in accordance with Sections 1399.275 and 1399.277 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations shall notify all optometrists with which it has entered into a lease or other contract within 10 calendar days of being served with the order of abatement.

SEC. 44.

 Section 2553 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2553.

 Each certificate of registration shall be at all times displayed in a conspicuous place at the certified place of business. The certificate shall not be transferable, but on application to the board there may be registered a change of address of the certificate.

SEC. 45.

 Section 2553.1 of the Business and Professions Code is amended and renumbered to read:

2564.94.

 (a) If a registered dispensing ophthalmic business sells or transfers ownership of their place of business, both of the following requirements shall be satisfied:

(1) The registered dispensing ophthalmic business selling or transferring ownership of the business shall return the certificate of registration to the board no later than 10 calendar days after the change of ownership is completed. This registered dispensing ophthalmic business shall be responsible for complying with all laws relating to the dispensing ophthalmic business until the notice described in paragraph (2) is received by the board.

(2) The registered dispensing ophthalmic business assuming ownership of the business shall record with the board a written notice of the change of ownership, providing all information required by the board. This notice shall be filed with the board no later than 10 calendar days after the change of ownership is completed.

(3) The registered dispensing ophthalmic business assuming ownership of the business shall apply for a new certificate of registration from the board no later than 10 calendar days after the change of ownership is completed.

(b) This section does not apply to a change of location of business by a registered dispensing optician.

SEC. 46.

 Section 2553.5 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2553.5.

 (a) A registered dispensing optician may fit and adjust spectacle lenses and frames or take facial measurements in any of the following locations:

(1) A health facility as defined in Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code for a person admitted to that facility or an employee of that facility.

(2) A business location as defined in subdivision (f) for an employee or independent contractor of the person operating the business at that location.

(3) Any certified place of business pursuant to Section 2564.93.

(b) A registered dispensing optician who fits and adjusts spectacle lenses at a health facility or business location shall provide to the patient written information disclosing the registrant’s regular business address, certificate of registration number, phone number, and the name and phone number of the person designated by the licensee to receive complaints and inquiries, as specified in Section 2554.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to permit a registered dispensing optician or registered contact lens dispenser to fit or adjust contact lenses at a health facility or at a business location, as defined in subdivision (e).

(d) A registered spectacle lens dispenser may fit and adjust spectacle lenses at a health facility or at a business location, as defined in subdivision (e), only if the dispenser is in personal attendance at a certified place of business pursuant to Section 2564.93 at least 40 percent of the dispenser’s regular working hours each week.

(e) “Business location” means the place at which any business employs more than 25 persons at any single business address, but shall not include a health facility, as defined in Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code, or a certified place of business as specified in Section 2564.93.

(f) This section shall not affect the requirements regarding fitting and adjusting as set forth in Sections 2559.1 and 2560.

SEC. 47.

 Section 2553.6 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2553.6.

 (a) The board shall deny any application for registration under this chapter if any person licensed as a physician and surgeon, for whom the applicant, in accordance with Section 2564.90, proposes to fill any prescription, has any proprietary interest, or has designated or arranged for any other person to have any proprietary interest in or with the applicant.

(b) (1) The board may, in accordance with Section 2555, suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew the certificate of any individual or firm under this chapter, if such individual or firm, after the effective date of this section, fills, or has filled, while holding a certificate issued pursuant to this chapter, any prescription issued by any person licensed under Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) who has any proprietary interest, or has designated or arranged for any other person to have any proprietary interest, in or with such individual or firm.

(2) Such penalties shall be in addition to, and not to the exclusion of, any other remedies or penalties provided by law.

(3) “Proprietary interest,” for the purposes of this section, means any membership, coownership, stock ownership, legal or beneficial interest, any other proprietary interest, or profit-sharing arrangement, designated or arranged or held, directly or indirectly in any form, in or with any individual or firm applying for registration or registered under this chapter, except stock ownership in a corporation which is listed on a stock exchange regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission if the stock is acquired in a transaction conducted through such stock exchange.

(c) This section shall apply only to a dispensing optician required to be registered pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550) and shall not be construed to modify Section 2557, or to affect the fitting of prescription lenses by an assistant pursuant to Section 2544.

SEC. 48.

 Section 2553.7 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2553.7.

 (a) Registrations shall expire at midnight on the last day of the month in which the license was issued during the second year of a two-year term if not renewed.

(b) Except as otherwise provided by Section 114, any registration under this chapter may be renewed at any time within three years after its expiration by filing an application for renewal or reactivation on a form prescribed by the board, paying all accrued and unpaid renewal fees or reactivation fees as determined by the board and by paying any delinquency fees prescribed by the board. If the registration under this chapter is not renewed three years after its expiration, the registration shall be considered cancelled and may not be reinstated or renewed.

SEC. 49.

 Section 2554 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2554.

 Each registrant shall conspicuously and prominently display at each registered location the following consumer information:

“Eye doctors are required to provide patients with a copy of their ophthalmic lens prescriptions as follows:

Spectacle prescriptions: Release upon completion of exam.

Contact lens prescriptions: Release upon completion of exam or upon completion of the fitting process.

Patients may take their prescription to any eye doctor or registered dispensing optician to be filled.

The California State Board of Optometry regulates optometrists and registered dispensing opticians. The California State Board of Optometry receives and investigates all consumer complaints involving the practice of optometry and registered dispensing opticians. Complaints involving a California-licensed optometrist or a registered dispensing optician should be directed to:

California State Board of Optometry

Department of Consumer Affairs

2450 Del Paso Road, Suite 105

Sacramento, CA 95834

Phone: [phone] or [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Internet website: www.optometry.ca.gov”

SEC. 50.

 Section 2555 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2555.

 Certificates issued under this chapter may in the discretion of the board be suspended or revoked or subjected to terms and conditions of probation for violating or attempting to violate this chapter, Chapter 5.4 (commencing with Section 2540) or any regulation adopted under this chapter or, Chapter 5.4 (commencing with Section 2540), or Section 651, 654, or 655, or for incompetence, gross negligence, or repeated similar negligent acts performed by the registrant or by an employee of the registrant. The proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the board shall have all the powers granted therein.

SEC. 51.

 Section 2555.1 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2555.1.

 (a) In the discretion of the board, a certificate issued under this chapter may be suspended or revoked if an individual certificate holder or persons having any proprietary interest who will engage in dispensing operations, have been convicted of a crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions, and duties of a dispensing optician. The record of conviction or a certified copy thereof shall be conclusive evidence of the conviction.

(b) A plea or verdict of guilty or a conviction following a plea of nolo contendere made to a charge substantially related to the qualifications, functions, and duties of a dispensing optician is deemed to be a conviction within the meaning of this article. The board may order the certificate suspended or revoked, or may decline to issue a certificate, when the time for appeal has elapsed, or the judgment of conviction has been affirmed on appeal or when an order granting probation is made suspending the imposition of sentence, irrespective of a subsequent order under the provisions of Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code allowing such person to withdraw their plea of guilty and to enter a plea of not guilty, or setting aside the verdict of guilty, or dismissing the accusation, information, or indictment.

(c) The proceeding under this section shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the board shall have all the powers granted therein.

SEC. 52.

 Section 2555.5 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

2555.5.

 The board may take action against any registrant who is charged with unprofessional conduct and may deny an application for a registration if the applicant has committed unprofessional conduct. In addition to other provisions of this article, unprofessional conduct includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(a) Violating, attempting to violate, conspiring to violate, or directly or indirectly assisting in or abetting the violation of any provision of this chapter or any of the rules and regulations adopted by the board pursuant to this chapter.

(b) Gross negligence.

(c) Repeated negligent acts. To be repeated, there must be two or more negligent acts or omissions.

(d) Incompetence.

(e) The commission of fraud, misrepresentation, or any act involving dishonesty or corruption that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a registered optician.

(f) Any action or conduct that would have warranted the denial of a registration.

(g) The use of advertising relating to opticianry that violates Section 651 or 17500.

(h) Denial of licensure, revocation, suspension, restriction, or any other disciplinary action against a health care professional license, registration, or permit by another state or territory of the United States, by any other governmental agency, or by another California health care professional licensing board. A certified copy of the decision or judgment shall be conclusive evidence of that action.

(i) Procuring the registrant’s registration by fraud, misrepresentation, or mistake.

(j) Making or giving any false statement or information in connection with the application for issuance of a license.

(k) Conviction of a felony or of any offense substantially related to the qualifications, functions, and duties of a registered dispensing optician, in which event the record of the conviction shall be conclusive evidence thereof.

(l) Administering to oneself any controlled substance or using any of the dangerous drugs specified in Section 4022, or using alcoholic beverages to the extent, or in a manner, as to be dangerous or injurious to the person applying for a license or holding a registration under this chapter, or to any other person, or to the public, or, to the extent that the use impairs the ability of the person applying for or holding a license to conduct with safety to the public the practice authorized by the license, or the conviction of a misdemeanor or felony involving the use, consumption, or self-administration of any of the substances referred to in this subdivision, or any combination thereof.

(m) (1) Committing or soliciting an act punishable as a sexually related crime, if that act or solicitation is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of an optician.

(2) Committing any act of sexual abuse, misconduct, or relations with a patient. The commission of and conviction for any act of sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, or attempted sexual misconduct, whether or not with a patient, shall be considered a crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a registrant. This paragraph shall not apply to sexual contact between any person licensed under this chapter and the registrant’s spouse or person in an equivalent domestic relationship when that registrant provides optometry treatment to the registrant’s spouse or person in an equivalent domestic relationship.

(3) Conviction of a crime that requires the person to register as a sex offender pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 290) of Title 9 of Part 1 of the Penal Code. A conviction within the meaning of this paragraph means a plea or verdict of guilty or a conviction following a plea of nolo contendere. A conviction described in this paragraph shall be considered a crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a registrant.

(n) The failure to maintain adequate and accurate records relating to the provision of services to one’s patients.

(o) Performing, or holding oneself out as being able to perform, or offering to perform, any professional services beyond the scope of the license authorized by this chapter.

(p) The practice of functions defined in this chapter without a valid, unrevoked, unexpired registration.

(q) The employing, directly or indirectly, of any suspended or unregistered individual to perform any work for which an optician registration is required.

(r) Permitting another person to use the registration for any purpose.

(s) Altering with fraudulent intent a registration issued by the board, or using a fraudulently altered license, permit, certification, or any registration issued by the board.

(t) Except for good cause, the knowing failure to protect patients by failing to follow infection control guidelines of the board, thereby risking transmission of bloodborne infectious diseases from optician to patient, from patient to patient, or from patient to optician. In administering this subdivision, the board shall consider the standards, regulations, and guidelines of the State Department of Public Health developed pursuant to Section 1250.11 of the Health and Safety Code and the standards, guidelines, and regulations pursuant to the California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 (Part 1 (commencing with Section 6300) of Division 5 of the Labor Code) for preventing the transmission of HIV, hepatitis B, and other bloodborne pathogens in health care settings.

(u) Dispensing ophthalmic lenses without a current prescription.

SEC. 53.

 Section 2556.1 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2556.1.

 All licensed optometrists and registered dispensing opticians who are in a colocated setting shall report the business relationship to the California State Board of Optometry, as determined by the board. The California State Board of Optometry shall have the authority to inspect any premises at which the business of a registered dispensing optician is colocated with the practice of an optometrist, for the purposes of determining compliance with Section 655. The inspection may include the review of any written lease agreement between the registered dispensing optician and the optometrist or between the optometrist and the health plan. Failure to comply with the inspection or any request for information by the board may subject the party to disciplinary action. The board shall provide a copy of its inspection results, if applicable, to the Department of Managed Health Care.

SEC. 54.

 Section 2556.2 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2556.2.

 (a) Notwithstanding any other law, subsequent to the effective date of this section and until January 1, 2019, any individual, corporation, or firm operating as a registered dispensing optician under this chapter before the effective date of this section, or an employee of such an entity, shall not be subject to any action for engaging in conduct prohibited by Section 2556 or Section 655 as those sections existed prior to the effective date of this bill, except that a registrant shall be subject to discipline for duplicating or changing lenses without a prescription or order from a person duly licensed to issue the same.

(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to imply or suggest that a person registered under this chapter is in violation of or in compliance with the law.

(c) This section shall not apply to any business relationships prohibited by Section 2556 commencing registration or operations on or after the effective date of this section.

(d) Subsequent to the effective date of this section and until January 1, 2019, nothing in this section shall prohibit an individual, corporation, or firm operating as a registered dispensing optician from engaging in a business relationship with an optometrist licensed pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 3000) before the effective date of this section at locations registered with the Medical Board of California before the effective date of this section.

(e) This section does not apply to any administrative action pending, litigation pending, cause for discipline, or cause of action accruing prior to September 1, 2015.

(f) Any registered dispensing optician or optical company that owns a health plan that employs optometrists, subject to this section, shall comply with the following milestones:

(1) By January 1, 2017, 15 percent of its locations shall no longer employ an optometrist.

(2) By August 1, 2017, 45 percent of its locations shall no longer employ an optometrist.

(3) By January 1, 2019, 100 percent of its locations shall no longer employ an optometrist.

(g) Any registered dispensing optician or optical company that owns a health plan that employs optometrists shall report to the California State Board of Optometry in writing as to whether it has met each of the milestones in subdivision (f) within 30 days of each milestone. The California State Board of Optometry shall provide those reports as soon as it receives them to the director and the Legislature. The report to the Legislature shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(h) (1) Notwithstanding any other law and in addition to any action available to the California State Board of Optometry, the California State Board of Optometry may issue a citation containing an order of abatement, an order to pay an administrative fine, or both, to an optical company, an optometrist, or a registered dispensing optician for a violation of this section. The administrative fine shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000). In assessing the amount of the fine, the board shall give due consideration to all of the following:

(A) The gravity of the violation.

(B) The good faith of the cited person or entity.

(C) The history of previous violations of the same or similar nature.

(D) Evidence that the violation was or was not willful.

(E) The extent to which the cited person or entity has cooperated with the board’s investigation.

(F) The extent to which the cited person or entity has mitigated or attempted to mitigate any damage or injury caused by the violation.

(G) Any other factors as justice may require.

(2) A citation or fine assessment issued pursuant to a citation shall inform the cited person or entity that if a hearing is desired to contest the finding of a violation, that hearing shall be requested by written notice to the board within 30 days of the date of issuance of the citation or assessment. If a hearing is not requested pursuant to this section, payment of any fine shall not constitute an admission of the violation charged. Hearings shall be held pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(3) The board shall adopt regulations to implement a system for the issuance of citations, administrative fines, and orders of abatement authorized by this section. The regulations shall include provisions for both of the following:

(A) The issuance of a citation without an administrative fine.

(B) The opportunity for a cited person or entity to have an informal conference with the executive officer of the board in addition to the hearing described in paragraph (2).

(4) The failure of a licensee to pay a fine within 30 days of the date of assessment, unless the citation is being appealed, may result in disciplinary action being taken by the board. Where a citation is not contested and a fine is not paid, the full amount of the assessed fine shall be added to the fee for renewal of the license. A license shall not be renewed without payment of the renewal fee and fine.

(5) Notwithstanding any other law, if a fine is paid to satisfy an assessment based on the finding of a violation, payment of the fine shall be represented as satisfactory resolution of the matter for purposes of public disclosure.

(i) Administrative fines collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Optometry Fund. It is the intent of the Legislature that moneys collected as fines and deposited in the fund be used by the board primarily for enforcement purposes.

SEC. 55.

 Section 2557.1 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

2557.1.

 A certificate issued to a registered spectacle or contact lens dispenser may in the discretion of the board be suspended or revoked for violating or attempting to violate any provision of this chapter or any regulation adopted under this chapter, or for incompetence, gross negligence, or repeated similar negligent acts performed by the certificate holder. A certificate may also be suspended or revoked if the individual certificate holder has been convicted of a felony as provided in Section 2555.1.

Any proceedings under this section shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the board shall have all the powers granted therein.

SEC. 56.

 Section 2558.1 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

2558.1.

 A registered dispensing optician shall not dispense a spectacle lens or contact lens prescription unless the prescription meets the requirements of Section 2541.1. A registered dispensing optician shall not dispense a spectacle lens prescription after the expiration date of the prescription unless so authorized pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 2541.1. A person violating this section shall not be guilty of a misdemeanor pursuant to Section 2558. A violation of this section shall be considered unprofessional conduct by the board. A registered dispensing optician may defend this proceeding by establishing that the expiration date of the prescription was not established consistent with Section 2541.1. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize a registered dispensing optician to fill a prescription after the expiration date or to make any judgment regarding the appropriateness of the expiration date.

SEC. 57.

 Section 2558.2 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

2558.2.

 Any individual, corporation, or firm operating as a registered dispensing optician under this chapter who demonstrates a willful disregard for the provisions of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor.

SEC. 58.

 Section 2559.1 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2559.1.

 (a) An individual shall not fit and adjust spectacle lenses unless that individual complies with the registration requirement of Section 2564.90, and unless either of the following applies:

(1) The individual is a duly registered spectacle lens dispenser as provided in Section 2559.2.

(2) The individual is an unregistered individual who performs the fitting and adjusting under the direct responsibility and supervision of a duly registered spectacle lens dispenser whose certificate of registration is then conspicuously and prominently displayed on the premises.

(b) A supervising registered optician shall be physically present on the registered premises when an unregistered individual fits and adjusts spectacle lenses.

(c) The board shall not take action for a violation of subdivision (b) if either of the following apply:

(1) A supervising registered optician was not physically present on the registered premises due to reasonably unanticipated circumstances, including, but not limited to, illness, injury, family emergency, or the supervising registered optician’s termination or resignation, and reasonable action was taken to have another supervising registered optician be physically present on the registered premises.

(2) A supervising registered spectacle lens dispenser was not physically present due to a legally required employee meal or break period.

SEC. 59.

 Section 2559.2 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2559.2.

 (a) An individual shall apply for registration as a registered spectacle lens dispenser on forms prescribed by the board. The board shall register an individual as a registered spectacle lens dispenser upon satisfactory proof that the individual has passed the registry examination of the American Board of Opticianry or any successor agency to that board. In the event the board should determine, after hearing, that the registry examination is not appropriate to determine entry level competence as a spectacle lens dispenser or is not designed to measure specific job performance requirements, the board may thereafter prescribe or administer a written examination that meets those specifications. If an applicant for renewal has not engaged in the full-time or substantial part-time practice of fitting and adjusting spectacle lenses but has maintained their American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners registration or practiced within another state within the last three years then the board may require the applicant to take and pass the examination referred to in this section as a condition of registration. Any examination prescribed or administered by the board shall be given at least twice each year on dates publicly announced at least 90 days before the examination dates. The board is authorized to contract for administration of an examination.

(b) The board may deny registration where there are grounds for denial under the provisions of Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475).

(c) The board shall issue a certificate to each qualified individual stating that the individual is a registered spectacle lens dispenser.

(d) A registered spectacle lens dispenser is authorized to fit and adjust spectacle lenses at any place of business holding a certificate of registration under Section 2564.93 or at any location where the practice of ophthalmology or optometry is practiced. The certificate of the registered spectacle lens dispenser shall be displayed in a conspicuous place at the place of business where the registered dispenser is fitting and adjusting.

SEC. 60.

 Section 2559.5 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.

SEC. 61.

 Section 2559.6 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.

SEC. 62.

 Section 2560 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2560.

 An individual shall not fit and adjust contact lenses, including plano contact lenses, unless that individual complies with the registration requirement of Section 2564.90, and unless either of the following applies:

(a) The individual is a duly registered contact lens dispenser as provided in Section 2561.

(b) The individual is an unregistered individual who performs the fitting and adjusting under the direct responsibility and supervision of a duly registered contact lens dispenser who is then physically present on the registered premises. In no event shall a registered contact lens dispenser supervise more than three unregistered individuals.

SEC. 63.

 Section 2563 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.

SEC. 64.

 Section 2564.5 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2564.5.

 A registered dispensing optician fitting contact lenses shall maintain accessible handwashing facilities on the premises and those facilities shall be used before each fitting of contact lenses. For purposes of this section, “accessible handwashing facilities” means a clean and sanitary sink with clean running water, disinfectant soap, and adequate drying devices such as a towel or electric hand dryer, which is physically separate from a lavatory or bathroom and is accessible to all relevant persons.

SEC. 65.

 The heading of Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 2564.70) is added to Chapter 5.5 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, to read:

Article  2.5. Nonresident Ophthalmic Lens Dispensers

SEC. 66.

 The heading of Article 2.7 (commencing with Section 2564.90) is added to Chapter 5.5 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, to read:

Article  2.7. Registered Dispensing Ophthalmic Businesses

SEC. 67.

 Section 2564.92 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

2564.92.

 (a) Each application shall be verified under oath by the person required to sign the application and shall designate the name, address, and direct business telephone number of the applicant’s employee who will be responsible for handling customer inquiries and complaints with respect to the business address for which registration is applied. Any changes to this information shall be reported in writing to the board within 14 days.

(b) The applicant shall furnish such additional information or proof, oral or written, which the board may request, including information and proof relating to the provisions of Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475).

(c) The board shall promptly notify an applicant if, as of the 30th day following the submission of an application under this chapter, the application and supporting documentation are not substantially complete and in proper form. The notification shall be in writing, shall state specifically what documents or other information are to be supplied by the applicant to the board, and shall be sent to the applicant by certified, electronic, or registered mail. Within 30 days of the applicant’s submission of the requested documents or information to the board, the board shall notify the applicant by certified, electronic, or registered mail if the board requires additional documents or information.

SEC. 68.

 Section 2564.93 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

2564.93.

 (a) If the board, after investigation, approves the application, it shall register the applicant and issue to the applicant a certificate of dispensing ophthalmic business. A separate certificate of registration shall be required for each address where the business is to be conducted.

(b) A certificate authorizes the applicant, its agents, and employees, acting therefor, to engage in the business defined in Section 2564.90 provided that the fitting and adjusting of spectacle lenses is performed in compliance with Article 1.5 (commencing with Section 2559.1) and the fitting and adjusting of contact lenses is performed in compliance with Article 2 (commencing with Section 2560). Only individuals registered with the board pursuant to those sections shall perform those supervisory functions.

SEC. 69.

 Section 2565 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2565.

 The amount of fees prescribed in connection with the registration of dispensing ophthalmic businesses shall be as set forth in this section.

(a) The application fee for registration shall be a minimum of one hundred fifty dollars ($150) and shall not exceed two hundred dollars ($200).

(b) The initial registration fee shall be a minimum of two hundred dollars ($200) and shall not exceed three hundred dollars ($300).

(c) The renewal fee shall be a minimum of two hundred dollars ($200) and shall not exceed three hundred dollars ($300).

(d) The delinquency fee shall be a minimum of fifty dollars ($50) and shall not exceed seventy-five dollars ($75).

(e) The fee for replacement of a lost, stolen, or destroyed certificate shall be twenty-five dollars ($25).

(f) The California State Board of Optometry may periodically revise and fix by regulation the fees specified in subdivisions (a), (b), (c), and (d), and these revised fees shall not exceed the reasonable regulatory cost.

SEC. 70.

 Section 2566 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2566.

 The amount of fees prescribed in connection with certificates for contact lens dispensers is as follows:

(a) The application fee for a registered contact lens dispenser shall be a minimum of one hundred fifty dollars ($150) and shall not exceed two hundred dollars ($200).

(b) The initial registration fee shall be a minimum of two hundred dollars ($200) and shall not exceed three hundred dollars ($300).

(c) The biennial fee for the renewal of certificates shall be a minimum of two hundred dollars ($200) and shall not exceed three hundred dollars ($300).

(d) The delinquency fee shall be a minimum of fifty dollars ($50) and shall not exceed seventy-five dollars ($75).

(e) The California State Board of Optometry may by regulation provide for a refund of a portion of the application fee to applicants who do not meet the requirements for registration.

(f) The California State Board of Optometry may periodically revise and fix by regulation the fees specified in subdivisions (a), (b), (c), and (d), and these revised fees shall not exceed the reasonable regulatory cost.

(g) The fee for replacement of a lost, stolen, or destroyed certificate is twenty-five dollars ($25).

SEC. 71.

 Section 2566.1 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2566.1.

 The amount of fees prescribed in connection with certificates for spectacle lens dispensers shall be as set forth in this section:

(a) The application for registration fee shall be a minimum of one hundred fifty dollars ($150) and shall not exceed two hundred dollars ($200).

(b) The initial registration fee shall be a minimum of two hundred dollars ($200) and shall not exceed three hundred dollars ($300).

(c) The renewal fee shall be a minimum of two hundred dollars ($200) and shall not exceed three hundred dollars ($300).

(d) The delinquency fee shall be a minimum of fifty dollars ($50) and shall not exceed seventy-five dollars ($75).

(e) The fee for replacement of a lost, stolen, or destroyed certificate is twenty-five dollars ($25).

(f) The California State Board of Optometry may periodically revise and fix by regulation the fees specified in subdivisions (a), (b), (c), and (d), and these revised fees shall not exceed the reasonable regulatory cost.

SEC. 72.

 Section 2566.2 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2566.2.

 Every registration issued to a dispensing ophthalmic business, contact lens dispenser, and spectacle lens dispenser shall expire 24 months after the initial date of issuance or renewal. To renew an unexpired registration, the registrant shall, before the time at which the license would otherwise expire, apply for renewal on a form prescribed by the board, and pay the renewal fee prescribed by this chapter.

SEC. 73.

 Section 2567 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2567.

 (a) All fees collected from persons registered or seeking registration under this chapter shall be paid into the Optometry Fund, and shall be available, upon appropriation, to the California State Board of Optometry for the purposes of this chapter. Any moneys within the Contingent Fund of the Medical Board of California collected pursuant to this chapter shall be deposited in the Optometry Fund. Any moneys within the Dispensing Opticians Fund collected pursuant to this chapter shall be deposited in the Optometry Fund.

(b) The board may employ, subject to civil service regulations, whatever additional clerical assistance is necessary for the administration of this chapter.

SEC. 74.

 Section 2569 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.

SEC. 75.

 Section 3001 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

3001.

 As used in this chapter, an ophthalmic lens is any lens which has a spherical, cylindrical, or prismatic power or value.

SEC. 76.

 Section 3004 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

3004.

 (a) As used in this chapter, “board” means the California State Board of Optometry.

(b) Any reference in this code or any other code to the “State Board of Optometry” shall be deemed to refer to the “California State Board of Optometry.”

SEC. 77.

 Section 3010.1 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

3010.1.

 Protection of the public shall be the highest priority for the California State Board of Optometry in exercising its licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary functions. Whenever the protection of the public is inconsistent with other interests sought to be promoted, the protection of the public shall be paramount.

SEC. 78.

 Section 3010.5 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

3010.5.

 (a) There is in the Department of Consumer Affairs a California State Board of Optometry in which the enforcement of this chapter is vested. The board consists of 11 members, five of whom shall be public members and one of the nonpublic members shall be an individual registered as a dispensing optician, spectacle lens dispenser, or contact lens dispenser. The registered dispensing member shall be registered pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550) and in good standing with the board.

Six members of the board shall constitute a quorum.

(b) The board shall, with respect to conducting investigations, inquiries, and disciplinary actions and proceedings, have the authority previously vested in the board as created pursuant to former Section 3010. The board may enforce any disciplinary actions undertaken by that board.

(c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2026, and as of that date is repealed. Notwithstanding any other law, the repeal of this section renders the board subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.

SEC. 79.

 Section 3014.6 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

3014.6.

 (a) The board may appoint a person exempt from civil service who shall be designated as an executive officer and who shall exercise the powers and perform the duties delegated by the board and vested in him or her by this chapter.

(b) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2026, and as of that date is repealed.

SEC. 80.

 Section 3020 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

3020.

 (a) There shall be established under the California State Board of Optometry a dispensing optician committee to advise and make recommendations to the board regarding the regulation of dispensing opticians, spectacle lens dispensers, and contact lens dispensers, registered pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550). The committee shall consist of five members, one of whom shall be a registered dispensing optician registered pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550), one of whom shall be a spectacle lens dispenser or contact lens dispenser registered pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550), two of whom shall be public members, and one of whom shall be a member of the board. Initial appointments to the committee shall be made by the board. The board shall stagger the terms of the initial members appointed. The filling of vacancies on the committee shall be made by the board upon recommendations by the committee.

(b) The committee shall be responsible for:

(1) Recommending registration standards and criteria for the registration of dispensing opticians, nonresident contact lens sellers, spectacle lens dispensers, and contact lens dispensers.

(2) Reviewing of the disciplinary guidelines relating to registered dispensing opticians, nonresident contact lens sellers, spectacle lens dispensers, and contact lens dispensers.

(3) Recommending to the board changes or additions to regulations adopted pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550).

(4) Carrying out and implementing all responsibilities and duties imposed upon it pursuant to this chapter or as delegated to it by the board.

(c) The committee shall meet at least twice a year and as needed in order to conduct its business.

(d) Recommendations by the committee regarding scope of practice or regulatory changes or additions shall be approved, modified, or rejected by the board within 90 days of submission of the recommendation to the board. If the board rejects or significantly modifies the intent or scope of the recommendation, the committee may request that the board provide its reasons in writing for rejecting or significantly modifying the recommendation, which shall be provided by the board within 30 days of the request.

(e) After the initial appointments by the board pursuant to subdivision (a), the Governor shall appoint the registered dispensing optician members and the public members. The committee shall submit a recommendation to the board regarding which board member should be appointed to serve on the committee, and the board shall appoint the member to serve. Committee members shall serve a term of four years except for the initial staggered terms. A member may be reappointed, but no person shall serve as a member of the committee for more than two consecutive terms.

SEC. 81.

 Section 3021 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

3021.

 The board shall have rulemaking authority with respect to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550) in accordance with Section 3025. Regulations adopted pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 2550) by the Medical Board of California prior to the effective date of this section shall continue to be valid, except that any reference to the board or division contained therein shall be construed to mean the California State Board of Optometry, unless the context determines otherwise.

SEC. 82.

 Section 3027 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

3027.

 The board shall employ an executive officer and other necessary assistance in the carrying out of the provisions of this chapter.

The executive officer shall perform the duties delegated by the board and shall be responsible to it for the accomplishment of those duties. The executive officer shall not be a member of the board. With the approval of the Director of Finance, the board shall fix the salary of the executive officer. The executive officer shall be entitled to traveling and other necessary expenses in the performance of the executive officer’s duties.

SEC. 83.

 Section 3041.2 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

3041.2.

 The California State Board of Optometry shall, by regulation, establish educational and examination requirements for licensure to ensure the competence of optometrists to practice pursuant to this chapter. Satisfactory completion of the educational and examination requirements shall be a condition for the issuance of an original optometrist license or certifications pursuant to this chapter.

SEC. 84.

 Section 3041.3 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

3041.3.

 (a) In order to be certified to use therapeutic pharmaceutical agents and authorized to diagnose and treat the conditions listed in subdivisions (b) and (d) of Section 3041, an optometrist shall apply for a certificate from the board and meet all requirements imposed by the board.

(b) The board shall grant a therapeutic pharmaceutical agents (TPA) certification to any applicant who graduated from a California accredited school of optometry prior to January 1, 1996, is licensed as an optometrist in California, and meets all of the following requirements:

(1) Completes a preceptorship of no less than 65 hours, during a period of not less than two months nor more than one year, with either a TPA-certified optometrist in good standing or a physician and surgeon board-certified in ophthalmology in good standing. The training received during the preceptorship shall be on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of ocular and systemic disease. The preceptor shall certify completion of the preceptorship using a form approved by the board. The individual serving as the preceptor shall schedule no more than three optometrist applicants for each of the required 65 hours of the preceptorship program. This paragraph shall not be construed to limit the total number of optometrist applicants for whom an individual may serve as a preceptor, and is intended only to ensure the quality of the preceptorship by requiring that the preceptor schedule the training so that each applicant optometrist completes each of the 65 hours of the preceptorship while scheduled with no more than two other optometrist applicants.

(2) Successfully completes a minimum of 100 hours of directed and accredited education in ocular and systemic diseases within two years prior to meeting the requirements of paragraph (1).

(3) Passes the National Board of Examiners in Optometry’s “Treatment and Management of Ocular Disease” examination or, in the event this examination is no longer offered, its equivalent, as determined by the California State Board of Optometry.

(c) The board shall grant a therapeutic pharmaceutical agents certification to any applicant who graduated from a California accredited school of optometry on or after January 1, 1996, who is licensed as an optometrist in California, and who passes all sections of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry’s national board examination or its equivalent, as determined by the California State Board of Optometry.

(d) The board shall grant a therapeutic pharmaceutical agents certification to any applicant who is an optometrist who obtained their license outside of California if they meet all of the requirements for an optometrist licensed in California to be granted a therapeutic pharmaceutical agents certification.

(1) In order to obtain a therapeutic pharmaceutical agents certification, any optometrist who obtained their license outside of California and graduated from an accredited school of optometry prior to January 1, 1996, shall be required to fulfill the requirements set forth in subdivision (b). In order for the applicant to be eligible for therapeutic pharmaceutical agents certification, the education the applicant received at the accredited out-of-state school of optometry shall be equivalent to the education provided by any accredited school of optometry in California for persons who graduate before January 1, 1996. For those out-of-state applicants who request that any of the requirements contained in subdivision (b) be waived based on fulfillment of the requirement in another state, if the board determines that the completed requirement was equivalent to that required in California, the requirement shall be waived.

(2) In order to obtain a therapeutic pharmaceutical agents certification, any optometrist who obtained their license outside of California and who graduated from an accredited school of optometry on or after January 1, 1996, shall be required to fulfill the requirements set forth in subdivision (c). In order for the applicant to be eligible for therapeutic pharmaceutical agents certification, the education the applicant received by the accredited out-of-state school of optometry shall be equivalent to the education provided by any accredited school of optometry for persons who graduate on or after January 1, 1996. For those out-of-state applicants who request that any of the requirements contained in subdivision (c) be waived based on fulfillment of the requirement in another state, if the board determines that the completed requirement was equivalent to that required in California, the requirement shall be waived.

(3) The California State Board of Optometry shall decide all issues relating to the equivalency of an optometrist’s education or training under this subdivision.

SEC. 85.

 Section 3070.2 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

3070.2.

 (a) As used in this section, “mobile optometric office” means a trailer, van, or other means of transportation in which the practice of optometry, as defined in Section 3041, is performed and which is not affiliated with an approved optometry school in California.

(b) This section shall not apply to any of the following:

(1) Optometric services provided remotely by an approved optometry school in California that meets the requirements of Section 1507 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations.

(2) A licensee engaged in the practice of optometry at a facility defined in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 3070.1.

(3) A federally qualified health center, as defined in Section 1396d(l)(2)(B) of Title 42 of the United States Code.

(4) A nonprofit or charitable organization exempt from taxation pursuant to Section 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6)), which utilizes the volunteer services of licensees engaging in the temporary practice of optometry pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 3070.

(5) A free clinic, as defined in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 1204 of the Health and Safety Code, which is operated by a clinic corporation, as defined in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 1200 of the Health and Safety Code.

(6) A specialized vision health care service plan, as defined in subdivision (f) of Section 1345 of the Health and Safety Code, formed and existing pursuant to the provisions of the Nonprofit Corporation Law (Division 2 (commencing with Section 5000) of Title 1 of the Corporations Code).

(c) The ownership and operation of a mobile optometric office shall be limited to a nonprofit or charitable organization that is exempt from taxation pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) or Section 501(c)(4) of the United States Internal Revenue Code that provides optometric services to patients regardless of the patient’s ability to pay.

(1) The owner and operator of a mobile optometric office shall register with the board. The owner and operator of a mobile optometric office and the optometrist providing services shall not accept payment for services other than those provided to Medi-Cal beneficiaries.

(2) The medical operations of the mobile optometric office shall be directed by a licensed optometrist and in every phase shall be under the exclusive control of the licensed optometrist, including the selection and supervision of optometric staff, the scheduling of patients, the amount of time the optometrist or optician spends with patients, the fees charged for optometric products and services, the examination procedures, the treatment provided to patients, and the followup care pursuant to this section.

(3) The owner and operator of a mobile optometric office shall not operate more than 12 mobile optometric offices within the first renewal period of two years, but may operate more than 12 offices after the first renewal period is complete.

(d) An owner and operator who has obtained approval from the board pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) and wishes to operate a mobile optometric office shall apply for a permit from the board before beginning operation of each mobile optometric office. The application shall be made on a board-prescribed form which requests any information the board deems appropriate to register a mobile optometric office pursuant to this section. The form shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee of four hundred seventy-two dollars ($472). The board may increase the fee, as necessary to cover the reasonable regulatory costs of administration, to not more than six hundred dollars ($600).

(1) Upon approval of the permit, the board shall issue a unique identifying number for each mobile optometric office that shall be used in all reporting by the owner and operator to the board.

(2) Upon approval, the permit shall be valid until the next renewal date of the owner and operator registration.

(3) Mobile optometric office permits are specific to the vehicle registered with the board. Permits are not transferrable.

(4) An owner and operator may apply for renewal of the mobile optometric office permit by attesting to compliance with the requirements of this section and payment of the biennial renewal fee prescribed by the board.

(e) The owner and operator of the mobile optometric office registering with the board pursuant to subdivision (c) shall provide the following information to the board:

(1) The description of services to be rendered within the mobile optometric office.

(2) The names and optometry license numbers of optometrists, registration numbers of opticians, and names of any other persons who are providing patient care, as described in Section 2544.

(3) The dates of operation and cities or counties served.

(4) A description of how followup care will be provided.

(5) A catalog of complaints, if any.

(6) Articles of incorporation or acknowledgment of intent to operate and employer identification number demonstrating the owner and operator is a nonprofit or charitable organization that is exempt from taxation pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) or Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(7) Any other information the board deems appropriate to safeguard the public from substandard optometric care, fraud, or other violation of this chapter.

(f) The owner and operator of the mobile optometric office, on a form prescribed by the board, shall file a quarterly report containing the following information:

(1) A list of all visits made by each mobile optometric office, including dates of operation, address, care provided, and names and license numbers of optometrists and opticians who provided care.

(2) A summary of all complaints received by each mobile optometric office, the disposition of those complaints, and referral information.

(3) An updated and current list of licensed optometrists, registered opticians, and any other persons who have provided care within each mobile optometric office since the last reporting period.

(4) An updated and current list of licensed optometrists who are available for followup care as a result of a complaint on a volunteer basis or who accept Medi-Cal payments.

(5) Any other information the board deems appropriate to safeguard the public from substandard optometric care, fraud, or other violation of this chapter.

(g) The owner and operator of the mobile optometric office shall notify the board of any change to the information provided to the board pursuant to subdivision (d) within 14 days.

(h) (1) The owner and operator of the mobile optometric office shall provide each patient and, if applicable, the patient’s caregiver or guardian, a consumer notice prescribed by the board that includes the following:

(A) The name, license number, and contact information for the optometrist.

(B) Optometrists providing services at a mobile optometric office are regulated by the board and the contact information for filing a complaint with the board.

(C) Information on how to obtain a copy of the patient’s medical information.

(D) Information on followup care available for the patient, including a list of available Medi-Cal or volunteer optometrists. This list shall be updated every six months and is subject to the inspection by the board.

(E) Any other information the board deems appropriate to safeguard the public from substandard optometric care, fraud, or other violation of this chapter.

(2) The optometrist shall maintain a copy of the consumer notice described in paragraph (1) in the patient’s medical record.

(3) Upon request by the patient’s caregiver or guardian, a copy of the prescription made for the patient shall be provided.

(i) Any person who is employed by the owner and operator of the mobile optometric office to drive or transport the vehicle shall possess a valid driver’s license.

(j) By January 1, 2023, the board shall adopt regulations establishing a registry for the owners and operators of mobile optometric offices and shall set a registration fee at an amount not to exceed the reasonable regulatory costs of administration.

(k) The board may adopt regulations to conduct quality assurance reviews for the owner and operator of a mobile optometric office and optometrists engaging in the practice of optometry at a mobile optometric office.

(l) The board shall not bring an enforcement action against an owner and operator of a mobile optometric office based solely on its affiliation status with an approved optometry school in California for remotely providing optometric service before January 1, 2023.

(m) The owner and operator of a mobile optometric office shall maintain records in the following manner, which shall be made available to the board upon request for inspection:

(1) Records are maintained and made available to the patient in such a way that the type and extent of services provided to the patient are conspicuously disclosed. The disclosure of records shall be made at or near the time services are rendered and shall be maintained at the primary business office specified.

(2) The owner and operator of a mobile optometric office complies with all federal and state laws and regulations regarding the maintenance and protection of medical records, including, but not limited to, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 300gg).

(3) Pursuant to Section 3007, the owner and operator of the mobile optometric office keeps all necessary records for a minimum of seven years from the date of service in order to disclose fully the extent of services furnished to a patient. Any information included on a printed copy of an original document to a patient shall be certified by the owner and operator of the mobile optometric office as being true, accurate, and complete.

(4) If a prescription is issued to a patient, records shall be maintained for each prescription as part of the patient’s chart, including all of the following information about the optometrist:

(A) Name.

(B) Optometrist license number.

(C) The place of practice and the primary business office.

(D) Description of the goods and services for which the patient is charged and the amount charged. If no charge was made to the patient, a description of the goods and services provided.

(5) The owners and operators of the mobile optometric offices shall maintain accurate records of the mobile optometric offices, including vehicle registration numbers and the year, make, and model of each trailer or van.

(n) Any licensed optometrist who provides patient care in conjunction with a mobile optometric office shall obtain a statement of licensure pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 3070 with the mobile optometric office’s address as registered with the board. If the licensee is not practicing optometry at a location other than with the owner and operator of the mobile optometric office, then the licensee shall list as their primary address of record the owner and operator of the mobile optometric office’s address as registered with the board.

(o)  All examinations performed at the mobile optometric office shall be performed by a licensed optometrist who is certified to use therapeutic pharmaceutical agents pursuant to Section 3041.3.

(p) This section does not apply to optometry services defined in Section 3070.1.

(q) This section shall remain in effect only until July 1, 2025, and as of that date is repealed.

SEC. 86.

 Section 3105 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

3105.

 Altering or modifying the medical record of any person, with fraudulent intent, or creating any false medical record, with fraudulent intent, constitutes unprofessional conduct. In addition to any other disciplinary action, the California State Board of Optometry may impose a civil penalty of five hundred dollars ($500) for a violation of this section.

SEC. 87.

 Section 3109 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

3109.

 Directly or indirectly accepting employment to practice optometry from any person not having a valid, unrevoked license as an optometrist or from any company or corporation constitutes unprofessional conduct. Except as provided in this chapter, no optometrist may, singly or jointly with others, be incorporated or become incorporated when the purpose or a purpose of the corporation is to practice optometry or to conduct the practice of optometry.

The terms “accepting employment to practice optometry” as used in this section shall not be construed so as to prevent a licensed optometrist from practicing optometry upon an individual patient.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this section or the provisions of any other law, a licensed optometrist may be employed to practice optometry by a physician and surgeon who holds a license under this division or by a health care service plan pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code.

SEC. 88.

 Section 3112 is added to the Business and Professions Code, immediately following Section 3111, to read:

3112.

 (a) An optometrist shall not knowingly provide optometric services to any patient who scheduled their appointment for optometry services through any individual, corporation, or firm engaged in the business of filling prescriptions that is not properly registered with the California State Board of Optometry as required by Section 2564.90.

(b) An optometrist shall not knowingly enter into a lease or other written agreement giving rise to a direct or indirect landlord-tenant relationship with any individual, corporation, or firm engaged in the business of filling prescriptions that is not properly registered with the California State Board of Optometry as required by Section 2564.90.

SEC. 89.

 Section 3152 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

3152.

 The amounts of fees and penalties prescribed by this chapter shall be established by the board in amounts not greater than those specified in the following schedule:

(a) The fee for applicants applying for a license shall not exceed two hundred seventy-five dollars ($275).

(b) The fee for renewal of an optometric license shall not exceed five hundred dollars ($500).

(c) The annual fee for the renewal of a branch office license shall not exceed seventy-five dollars ($75).

(d) The fee for a branch office license shall not exceed seventy-five dollars ($75).

(e) The penalty for failure to pay the annual fee for renewal of a branch office license shall not exceed twenty-five dollars ($25).

(f) The fee for issuance of a license or upon change of name authorized by law of a person holding a license under this chapter shall not exceed twenty-five dollars ($25).

(g) The delinquency fee for renewal of an optometric license shall not exceed fifty dollars ($50).

(h) The application fee for a certificate to perform lacrimal irrigation and dilation shall not exceed fifty dollars ($50).

(i) The application fee for a certificate to treat glaucoma shall not exceed fifty dollars ($50).

(j) The fee for approval of a continuing education course shall not exceed one hundred dollars ($100).

(k) The fee for issuance of a statement of licensure shall not exceed forty dollars ($40).

(l) The fee for biennial renewal of a statement of licensure shall not exceed forty dollars ($40).

(m) The delinquency fee for renewal of a statement of licensure shall not exceed twenty dollars ($20).

(n) The application fee for a fictitious name permit shall not exceed fifty dollars ($50).

(o) The renewal fee for a fictitious name permit shall not exceed fifty dollars ($50).

(p) The delinquency fee for renewal of a fictitious name permit shall not exceed twenty-five dollars ($25).

(q) The fee for a retired license shall not exceed twenty-five dollars ($25).

(r) The fee for a retired license with volunteer designation shall not exceed fifty dollars ($50).

(s) The biennial renewal fee for a retired license with volunteer designation shall not exceed fifty dollars ($50).

(t) The application fee for a certificate to administer immunizations shall not exceed fifty dollars ($50).

(u) The application fee for a home residence permit is fifty dollars ($50). The board may increase the fee to not more than one hundred dollars ($100).

(v) The renewal fee for a home residence permit is fifty dollars ($50). The board may increase the fee to not more than one hundred dollars ($100).

(w) The delinquency fee for a home residence permit is twenty-five dollars ($25). The board may increase the fee to not more than one hundred dollars ($100).

(x) The endorsement fee is forty dollars ($40). The board may increase the fee, as necessary to cover the reasonable regulatory costs of administration, to not more than sixty dollars ($60).

SEC. 90.

 Section 3160 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

3160.

 An optometric corporation is a corporation that is authorized to render professional services, as described in Sections 13401 and 13401.5 of the Corporations Code, if that corporation and its shareholders, officers, directors, and employees rendering professional services who are physicians and surgeons, psychologists, registered nurses, optometrists, or podiatrists are in compliance with the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act as contained in Part 4 (commencing with Section 13400) of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code, the provisions of this article, and all other statutes and regulations now or hereafter enacted or adopted pertaining to the corporation and the conduct of its affairs. With respect to an optometric corporation, the governmental agency referred to in the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act is the California State Board of Optometry.

SEC. 91.

 Section 4170 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4170.

 (a) No prescriber shall dispense drugs or dangerous devices to patients in his or her office or place of practice unless all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The dangerous drugs or dangerous devices are dispensed to the prescriber’s own patient, and the drugs or dangerous devices are not furnished by a nurse or physician attendant.

(2) The dangerous drugs or dangerous devices are necessary in the treatment of the condition for which the prescriber is attending the patient.

(3) The prescriber does not keep a pharmacy, open shop, or drugstore, advertised or otherwise, for the retailing of dangerous drugs, dangerous devices, or poisons.

(4) The prescriber fulfills all of the labeling requirements imposed upon pharmacists by Section 4076, all of the recordkeeping requirements of this chapter, and all of the packaging requirements of good pharmaceutical practice, including the use of childproof containers.

(5) The prescriber does not use a dispensing device unless he or she personally owns the device and the contents of the device, and personally dispenses the dangerous drugs or dangerous devices to the patient packaged, labeled, and recorded in accordance with paragraph (4).

(6) The prescriber, prior to dispensing, offers to give a written prescription to the patient that the patient may elect to have filled by the prescriber or by any pharmacy.

(7) The prescriber provides the patient with written disclosure that the patient has a choice between obtaining the prescription from the dispensing prescriber or obtaining the prescription at a pharmacy of the patient’s choice.

(8) A certified nurse-midwife who functions pursuant to a standardized procedure or protocol described in Section 2746.51, a nurse practitioner who functions pursuant to a standardized procedure described in Section 2836.1, or protocol, a physician assistant who functions pursuant to Section 3502.1, or a naturopathic doctor who functions pursuant to Section 3640.5, may hand to a patient of the supervising physician and surgeon a properly labeled prescription drug prepackaged by a physician and surgeon, a manufacturer as defined in this chapter, or a pharmacist.

(b) The Medical Board of California, the California State Board of Optometry, the Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine, the Dental Board of California, the California Board of Podiatric Medicine, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the Board of Registered Nursing, the Veterinary Medical Board, and the Physician Assistant Committee shall have authority with the California State Board of Pharmacy to ensure compliance with this section, and those boards are specifically charged with the enforcement of this chapter with respect to their respective licensees.

(c) “Prescriber,” as used in this section, means a person, who holds a physician’s and surgeon’s certificate, a license to practice optometry, a license to practice naturopathic medicine, a license to practice dentistry, a license to practice veterinary medicine, or a certificate to practice podiatry, and who is duly registered by the Medical Board of California, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the California State Board of Optometry, the Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine, the Dental Board of California, the Veterinary Medical Board, or the California Board of Podiatric Medicine.

SEC. 91.5.

 Section 4170 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4170.

 (a) A prescriber shall not dispense drugs or dangerous devices to patients in the prescriber’s office or place of practice unless all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The dangerous drugs or dangerous devices are dispensed to the prescriber’s own patient, and the drugs or dangerous devices are not furnished by a nurse or physician attendant.

(2) The dangerous drugs or dangerous devices are necessary in the treatment of the condition for which the prescriber is attending the patient.

(3) The prescriber does not keep a pharmacy, open shop, or drugstore, advertised or otherwise, for the retailing of dangerous drugs, dangerous devices, or poisons.

(4) The prescriber fulfills all of the labeling requirements imposed upon pharmacists by Section 4076, all of the recordkeeping requirements of this chapter, and all of the packaging requirements of good pharmaceutical practice, including the use of childproof containers.

(5) The prescriber does not use a dispensing device unless the prescriber personally owns the device and the contents of the device, and personally dispenses the dangerous drugs or dangerous devices to the patient packaged, labeled, and recorded in accordance with paragraph (4).

(6) The prescriber, prior to dispensing, offers to give a written prescription to the patient that the patient may elect to have filled by the prescriber or by any pharmacy.

(7) The prescriber provides the patient with written disclosure that the patient has a choice between obtaining the prescription from the dispensing prescriber or obtaining the prescription at a pharmacy of the patient’s choice.

(8) A certified nurse-midwife who functions pursuant to a standardized procedure or protocol described in Section 2746.51, a nurse practitioner who functions pursuant to a standardized procedure described in Section 2836.1, or protocol, a physician assistant who functions pursuant to Section 3502.1, or a naturopathic doctor who functions pursuant to Section 3640.5, may hand to a patient of the supervising physician and surgeon a properly labeled prescription drug prepackaged by a physician and surgeon, a manufacturer as defined in this chapter, or a pharmacist.

(b) The Medical Board of California, the California State Board of Optometry, the Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine, the Dental Board of California, the Podiatric Medical Board of California, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the Board of Registered Nursing, the Veterinary Medical Board, and the Physician Assistant Committee shall have authority with the California State Board of Pharmacy to ensure compliance with this section, and those boards are specifically charged with the enforcement of this chapter with respect to their respective licensees.

(c) “Prescriber,” as used in this section, means a person, who holds a physician’s and surgeon’s certificate, a license to practice optometry, a license to practice naturopathic medicine, a license to practice dentistry, a license to practice veterinary medicine, a certificate to practice podiatry, or is a nurse practitioner practicing pursuant to Section 2837.103 or 2837.104, and who is duly registered by the Medical Board of California, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the California State Board of Optometry, the Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine, the Dental Board of California, the Veterinary Medical Board, the Podiatric Medical Board of California, or the Board of Registered Nursing.

SEC. 92.

 Section 4175 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4175.

 (a) The California State Board of Pharmacy shall promptly forward to the appropriate licensing entity, including the Medical Board of California, the Veterinary Medical Board, the Dental Board of California, the California State Board of Optometry, the California Board of Podiatric Medicine, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the Board of Registered Nursing, the Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine, or the Physician Assistant Committee, all complaints received related to dangerous drugs or dangerous devices dispensed by a prescriber, certified nurse-midwife, nurse practitioner, naturopathic doctor, or physician assistant pursuant to Section 4170.

(b) All complaints involving serious bodily injury due to dangerous drugs or dangerous devices dispensed by prescribers, certified nurse-midwives, nurse practitioners, naturopathic doctors, or physician assistants pursuant to Section 4170 shall be handled by the Medical Board of California, the Dental Board of California, the California State Board of Optometry, the California Board of Podiatric Medicine, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine, the Board of Registered Nursing, the Veterinary Medical Board, or the Physician Assistant Committee as a case of greatest potential harm to a patient.

SEC. 93.

 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.

SEC. 94.

 (a) Sections 1.5 and 4.5 of this bill incorporate amendments to Sections 27 and 144, respectively, of the Business and Professions Code proposed by both this bill and Senate Bill 826. Those sections of this bill shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2022, (2) each bill amends Sections 27 and 144 of the Business and Professions Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Senate Bill 826, in which case Sections 1 and 4 of this bill shall not become operative.

(b) Section 23.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 2544 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by both this bill and Assembly Bill 407. That section of this bill shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2022, (2) each bill amends Section 2544 of the Business and Professions Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Assembly Bill 407, in which case Section 23 of this bill shall not become operative.

(c) Section 91.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 4170 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by both this bill and Assembly Bill 852. That section of this bill shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2022, (2) each bill amends Section 4170 of the Business and Professions Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Assembly Bill 852, in which case Section 91 of this bill shall not become operative.

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