CANP LEGISLATIVE & REGULATORY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

 

2009 

• October/November-During the last several months there has been big changes to our bill SB 294 it has moved through the legislative process swiftly but during the time of the BRN upheaval, our language was amended into SB 819; an omnibus bill that is 131 pages in length. The Governor signed SB 819 on October 4thand this made SB 819 only one of seventy bills that were signed: There were a total of 700 bills before the Governor. Alternatively, SB 294 has now taken a different turn and will still be alive in January 2010; read more by Beth Haney, Health Policy Chair.  
  
• March-SB 294 SB 294, as amended, Negrete McLeod. Nurse practitioners. Existing law, the Nursing Practice Act, provides for the certification and regulation of nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives by the Board of Registered Nursing and specifies requirements for qualification or certification as a nurse practitioner click here to view more.

2008

• AB 1436 (Hernandez)Scope of Practice for Nurse Practitioners National Certification as entry into practice for all applicants after January 1, 2009 Hearing Vote Cancelled
  at the request of the author to be resubmitted to the legislature in 2009.
  
• ABX1 1 (Nunez) Healthcare Reform Defining Scope of practice for NP's, Requires Task Force to draft regulations to be promulgated by the Director of Consumer Affairs
  Fails in Senate Health Committee

2007                                                                                 

• CANP Sponsors AB 1436 (Hernandez): NP Scope of Practice. The intent is to define the scope of practice for NPs within CA law or regulation. AB 1436 (Hernandez) is a two-year bill.
  
• CANP Supports SB 102 (Migden): Blood Transfusions, which is passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor on 7/20/07. This bill authorizes a nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or nurse midwife to obtain consent for autologous blood and directed and non-directed homologous blood transfusions. This bill was sponsored by Senator Migden at the request of a nurse practitioner.
  
• CANP Supports AB 139 (Bass): Vehicles: school bus drivers: Medical examinations, was passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor on 7/30/07. This bill authorizes an advanced practice registered nurse who is authorized to perform physical examinations or a physician assistant to perform a medical examination required by the Department of Motor Vehicles for an original or renewal certificate to drive a school bus, school pupil activity bus, youth bus, general public paratransit vehicle, or farm labor vehicle. This bill was sponsored by the California Academy of Physician Assistants.
  
• CANP represents nurse practitioners within the broader context of healthcare reform during ongoing, year-long negotiations with the Governor’s office, Speaker Fabian Nunez, and Pro tem Don Perata. CANP drafts language affecting NP practice and scope in all venues.

2006   

• CANP Sponsors AB 1591 (Chan) authorizing all nationally-board certified nurse practitioners to apply for a Medi-Cal provider number and to bill Medi-Cal independently of a physician. This bill was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger on September 29, 2006; effective 1/07.
  
• CANP Sponsors AB 2120 (Liu) authorizing NPs, CNMs, and PAs to certify disability for the purposes of a disability placard or plate. This bill was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger 9/06; effective 1/07.
  
• CANP successfully lobbies Senator Figueroa on SB 1423 to prevent a new barrier to practice. CANP, along with CAPA and the American Medical Esthetic Nurses Association were successful in amending language to remove “on site” physician supervision requirement (contained in early drafts of this bill) and reinstating language which acknowledges the authority of the respective regulatory boards to investigate and promulgate regulations for practice in this area with a focus on patient safety.
  
• CANP supports SB 1245 (Figueroa): Health Care Coverage: Cervical Cancer Screening Test - This bill clarifies existing law by expressly requiring health plan coverage to include the HPV test, which assists in screening for cervical cancer in addition to the Pap test and the option of FDA-approved cervical cancer screening tests.  This bill was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in 9/06 and becomes effective 1/07.
  
• CANP supports AB 2251 (Evans) addressing confidentiality of personal information to protect the personal safety of reproductive health care providers and others by prohibiting the posting of such people’s personal information on the Internet. This bill eliminates the 1/08 sunset of current law. This bill was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger 9/06.

2005   

• Department of Health Services releases memo removing requirement of physician cosignature on all Medi-Cal patients’ charts seen by a NP or CNM. This regulatory change is a result of the passage of SB 358 (Figueroa).
   
• Physician Name on Prescription Pad Requirement Removed as a result of the passage of AB 2660 (Leno). BRN and Board of Pharmacy confirm that MD name and license number no longer have to be printed on a NP prescription pad.
  
• Governor Schwarzenegger appoints GR Director, Susanne Phillips, NP to the Board of Registered Nursing as the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Appointee to the Board, effective 6/1/05 – 6/1/09.

2004

• CANP sponsors AB 2226 (Spitzer). Requires that on or after January 1, 2008, in addition to other standing regulations, an initial applicant for a Nurse Practitioner certificate mustpossess a master's degree in nursing, a master's degree in a clinical field related to nursing, or a graduate degree in nursing. Bill passes and is signed by Governor; effective 1/05,
  
• CANP sponsors AB 2560 (Montañez). Removes the restriction of furnishing to “essentially healthy patients, family planning, and routine healthcare,” to include all patient types. B&P Code Section 2836.1 (a) now states “The drugs or devices are furnished or ordered by a nurse practitioner in accordance with standardized procedures or protocols developed by the nurse practitioner and the supervising physician and surgeon when the drugs or devices furnished or ordered are consistent with the practitioner's educational preparation or for which clinical competency has been established and maintained.” Bill was signed by Governor; effective 1/05.
  
• CANP supports AB 2660 (Leno) affecting prescription labels. Removes physician name requirement on prescription label when a NP, CNM, or PA writes the prescription. Sponsored by the Kaiser Permanente, this bill was signed into law by the Governor; effective 1/05.
  
• CANP successfully lobbies Assemblyman Yee on AB 3044 to include nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives within the language, which would have removed the NP and CNM’s authority to perform prenatal ultrasounds. NP and CNM language were successfully amended into the bill and the bill was signed by the Governor, effective 1/05.
  
• CANP successfully lobbies Assemblywoman Chan on AB 2367 relating to pupil health and asthma. Assemblywoman Chan accepted provider-neutral language amendments, however, the bill died in committee for reasons unrelated to provider status.
  
• CANP supports and successfully lobbies SB 921 (Kuehl) Single Payer Health Care Coverage. CANP’s amendments were included as requested, however, the bill died in committee. CANP will be working with Senator Kuehl next year on this issue.

2003

• CANP sponsors AB 1196 (Montañez). Authorizes NPs to furnish CS II medications in all settings. Requires NPs applying for CS II authority to complete a BRN-approved CE course on legal and ethical issues. Bill passes and is signed by Governor; effective 1/04
  
• CANP works with CNMA and CNA on SB 358 (Figueroa). Gives BRN sole authority to regulate the practice of nursing; defines Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in NPA as a NP, CNM, CRNA, or CNM; requires that one BRN Member be an advanced practice registered nurse. Following review of new administration, this bill will remove current Title 22 provisions that require all Medi-Cal charts to be cosigned by a physician. Bill passes and is signed by Governor; effective 1/04

2002

• CANP sponsors SB 1558 (Figueroa). Authorizes NPs, CNMs, and PAs to sign for the request and receipt of pharmaceutical samples. Bill passes and is signed by Governor; effective immediately.
  
• CNMA sponsors SB 993 (Figueroa). CANP works with CNMA to include NPs in language, removing the furnishing restriction from solo practice. Bill passes and is signed by Governor; effective 1/03
  
• CANP successfully lobbies Governor’s office to reinstate funding for CHDP program.
  
• CANP successfully lobbies for provider-neutral amendments to Senator Escutia’s SB 59 (CHDP Program), which in original draft did not have RN/NP on advisory board. Bill amended 6/02 as requested and Chaptered by Governor 9/02.
  
• Assemblyman Lou Correa submits question to Legislative Council on ordering of Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) as requested by CANP. Legislative Counsel returns an opinion that NPs MAY order MNT under current law. Previous Legislative Counsel opinion in 1994 did not allow NPs to order MNT.

2001

• CCNP successfully lobbies Assemblyman Dean Florez to prevent the removal of Nurse Practitioners as those healthcare providers who may perform DMV physical examinations.
  
• CCNP saves NPs from being cut from Vehicle Code as a provider authorized to perform certain DMV physical exams. Successfully amends SB 1048 (Speier) to place NP language back in statute (previously amended out 4/01).
  
• CCNP successfully amends AB 101 (Alquist) to include Geriatric Nurse Practitioners as those who may qualify for scholarships in geriatric health care.
  
• CCNP worked with CSAOHN and CAPA to pass AB 1194 (Correa) which amended the Insurance Code to include NPs and PAs as providers who may cosign the Doctor’s First Report of Injury and authorize 3 days disability. Bill signed by Governor; effective 1/02
  
• CCNP worked with Planned Parenthood Federation of California and CAPA on SB 111 (Alpert) to include NPs and PAs as those healthcare providers who may supervise medical assistants performing venipuncture and immunizations. SB 111 passed with provisions that NPs, CNMs and PAs may supervise MAs in limited settings. Bill signed by governor; effective 1/02

2000

• CCNP co-sponsors SB 88 (Sher) amending Section 512 of the California Labor Code, defining nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists as professional employees who may be exempt from mandatory overtime compensation if they meet the requirements of the exemption. This bill allows NPs, CNMs, and CRNAs to negotiate salaried positions without the requirement of mandatory overtime after 8 hours required for registered nurses pursuant to AB 60 (Knox). Bill signed by Governor; effective 1/01
  
• CCNP successfully negotiates amendments to SB 648 (Ortiz) to include NPs and CNMs as providers who may dispense, furnish or otherwise prescribe medication to partners of patients who test positive for chlamydia without an examination.

1999

• CCNP sponsors AB 1545 (Correa) with CAPA co-sponsor.Authorizes nurse practitioners to dispense medications and controlled substances regardless of site, authorizes nurse practitioners and physician assistants to receive and dispense sample medications, and authorizes pharmacists to include the NP or PA name on the medication label of prescription medications. Bill signed by Governor; effective 1/00
  
• CAPA sponsors SB 816 (Escutia) with CCNP as a co-sponsor. Authorizes physician assistants and nurse practitioners to apply for and receive a DEA number for use when prescribing controlled substances. Bill signed by Governor; effective 1/00
  
• CCNP successfully lobbies to include NPs in SB 585 (Chesbro) as providers who may perform CLIA’s Provider Performed Microscopy Procedures.

1996

• FNP/PNP Medi-Cal Primary Care Provider Status secured with the work of CCNP, CNMA, ANA/C and other organizations with interest in advanced practice nursing working together as the Nurse Provider Action Group. This change came following the presidential signing of the Federal Omnibus Reconciliation Act, allowing NPs to be listed as PCPs in the nation’s Medicaid system.
  
• SB 1798 (Killea) adds Section 1366.4 to the Health and Safety Code. Amended to include “nonphysician” providers as those who may contract with medical groups, physicians, and independent practice associations who are contracted with health care service plans; authorizes the licensed nonphysician provider to bill the plan directly; authorizes the plan to require a nonphysician provider to complete an appropriate credentialing process; permits the plan to list the nonphysician provider in any listing or directory of plan health care providers.
  
• CCNP sponsors first bill: AB 1077 (Hannigan). Authorizes nurse practitioners to furnish controlled substances scheduled III-V. Bill signed by Governor; effective 1/97