Bill Text: CA AB508 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

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

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Bill Title: Health care practitioners: student loans.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2017-09-01 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 195, Statutes of 2017. [AB508 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB508-Introduced.html

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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 508

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Introduced by Assembly Member Santiago

February 13, 2017

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An act to repeal Section 685 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 508, as introduced, Santiago. Health care practitioners: student loans.

Existing law authorizes a board, defined as a licensing board or agency having jurisdiction over a licensee, as specified, to cite and fine a licensed health care practitioner who is in default on a United States Department of Health and Human Services education loan, including a Health Education Assistance Loan. Existing law authorizes the board to deny a license to an applicant to become a health care practitioner or deny renewal of a license if he or she is in default on a loan until the default is cleared or until the applicant or licensee makes satisfactory repayment arrangements. Existing law requires a board, prior to taking these actions, to take into consideration the population served by the health care practitioner and his or her economic status. Existing law requires that each board that issues citations and imposes fines retain the money from these fines for deposit into its appropriate fund.

This bill would repeal these provisions.

Digest Key

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

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Section 685 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.

685.

(a)(1)A board may cite and fine a currently licensed health care practitioner if he or she is in default on a United States Department of Health and Human Services education loan, including a Health Education Assistance Loan.

(2)Each board that issues citations and imposes fines shall retain the money from these fines for deposit into its appropriate fund.

(b)The board may deny a license to an applicant to be a health care practitioner or deny renewal of a license if he or she is in default on a United States Department of Health and Human Services education loan, including a Health Education Assistance Loan, until the default is cleared or until the applicant or licensee has made satisfactory repayment arrangements.

(c)In determining whether to issue a citation and the amount of the fine to a health care practitioner or to deny a license to an applicant to be a health care practitioner or to deny the renewal of a license, a board shall take into consideration the following:

(1)The population served by the health care practitioner.

(2)The health care practitioner’s economic status.

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

(1)“Board” means a licensing board or agency having jurisdiction of a licensee, but does not include the Board of Chiropractic Examiners.

(2)“Health care practitioner” means a person licensed or certified pursuant to this division or licensed pursuant to the Osteopathic Initiative Act.

(e)This section shall become operative on July 1, 2003.