California Assembly Bill AB1140 Introduced / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1140INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Niello FEBRUARY 27, 2009 An act to amend Section 680 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1140, as introduced, Niello. Healing arts. Existing law requires a health care practitioner, as defined, to disclose, while working, his or her name and license status on a specified name tag. However, existing law exempts from this requirement a health care practitioner, in a practice or office, whose license is prominently displayed. This bill would make a nonsubstantive, technical change to these provisions. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 680 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 680. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a health care practitioner shall disclose, while working, his or her name and practitioner's license status, as granted by this state, on a name tag in at least 18-point type. A health care practitioner in a practice or an office, whose license is prominently displayed, may opt to not wear a name tag. If a health care practitioner or a licensed clinical social worker is working in a psychiatric setting or in a setting that is not licensed by the state, the employing entity or agency shall have the discretion to make an exception from the name tag requirement for individual safety or therapeutic concerns. In the interest of public safety and consumer awareness, it shall be unlawful for any person to use the title "nurse" in reference to himself or herself and in any capacity, except for an individual who is a registered nurse or a licensed vocational nurse, or as otherwise provided in Section 2800. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a certified nurse assistant from using his or her title. (b) Facilities licensed by the State Department of Social Services, the State Department of Mental Health, or the State Department of  Public  Health  Services  shall develop and implement policies to ensure that health care practitioners providing care in those facilities are in compliance with subdivision (a). The State Department of Social Services, the State Department of Mental Health, and the State Department of  Public    Health  Services  shall verify through periodic inspections that the policies required pursuant to subdivision (a) have been developed and implemented by the respective licensed facilities. (c) For purposes of this article, "health care practitioner"  means   shall mean  any person who engages in acts that are the subject of licensure or regulation under this division or under any initiative act referred to in this division.