Bill Text: CA AB444 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Health facilities: epidural and enteral feeding connectors.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Passed) 2015-08-13 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 198, Statutes of 2015. [AB444 Detail]
Download: California-2015-AB444-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 444 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 198
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE AUGUST 13, 2015
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR AUGUST 13, 2015
PASSED THE SENATE JULY 2, 2015
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY JULY 9, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 1, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Gipson
(Coauthor: Senator Pan)
FEBRUARY 23, 2015
An act to amend Section 1279.7 of the Health and Safety Code,
relating to health facilities.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 444, Gipson. Health facilities: epidural and enteral feeding
connectors.
Existing law, as of January 1, 2016, prohibits a health facility,
as defined, from using an epidural connector or an enteral feeding
connector, that would fit into a connector other than the type it was
intended for, unless an emergency or urgent situation exists and the
prohibition would impair the ability to provide health care.
Existing law also requires a health facility to develop a patient
safety plan and, until January 1, 2016, requires that plan to include
measures to prevent adverse events associated with misconnecting
enteral feeding and epidural lines. Violation of these provisions is
a misdemeanor.
This bill would make the provisions relating to an epidural
connector operative as of January 1, 2017, and would make the
provisions relating to an enteral feeding connector operative as of
July 1, 2016. The bill would make conforming changes.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 1279.7 of the Health and Safety Code is amended
to read:
1279.7. (a) A health facility, as defined in subdivision (a),
(b), (c), or (f) of Section 1250, shall implement a facility-wide
hand hygiene program.
(b) Commencing January 1, 2017, a health facility, as defined in
subdivision (a), (b), (c), or (f) of Section 1250, is prohibited from
using an epidural connector that would fit into a connector other
than the type it was intended for, unless an emergency or urgent
situation exists and the prohibition would impair the ability to
provide health care.
(c) Commencing January 1, 2016, a health facility, as defined in
subdivision (a), (b), (c), or (f) of Section 1250, is prohibited from
using an intravenous connector that would fit into a connector other
than the type it was intended for, unless an emergency or urgent
situation exists and the prohibition would impair the ability to
provide health care.
(d) Commencing July 1, 2016, a health facility, as defined in
subdivision (a), (b), (c), or (f) of Section 1250, is prohibited from
using an enteral feeding connector that would fit into a connector
other than the type it was intended for, unless an emergency or
urgent situation exists and the prohibition would impair the ability
to provide health care.
(e) The Advanced Medical Technology Association shall, on January
1 of each year until the standards are developed, provide the
Legislature with a report on the progress of the International
Organization for Standardization in developing new design standards
for connectors for intravenous, epidural, or enteral applications.
(f) A health facility that is required to develop a patient safety
plan pursuant to Section 1279.6 shall include in the patient safety
plan measures to prevent adverse events associated with misconnecting
intravenous, enteral feeding, and epidural lines. This subdivision
shall become inoperative as to epidural connectors upon the operative
date of subdivision (b), and as to intravenous connectors upon the
operative date of subdivision (c). and as to enteral feeding
connectors upon the operative date of subdivision (d).
