California Assembly Bill AB1570 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1570AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 15, 2010 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 29, 2010 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 17, 2010 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 28, 2010 AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 2, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 2, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 16, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Salas MARCH 16, 2009 An act to add and repeal Section 1620 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to dentistry  , and making an appropriation therefor  . LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1570, as amended, Salas. Malpractice insurance: volunteer dentists. Under existing law, the Dental Practice Act, the Dental Board of California is responsible for the licensure and regulation of dentists.  Licensure fees imposed upon dentists are deposited into the State Dentistry Fund for the purposes of administering the act and are subject to appropriation by the Legislature   Existing law provides for the Dental Corps Loan Repayment Program of 2002 in the Dental Board of California and the Dentally Underserved Account in the State Dentistry Fund for loan repayments to dentists serving in underserved areas  . This bill would require the board, in conjunction with the Health Professions Education Foundation, to study the issue of its providing malpractice insurance for dentists who provide these services and report its findings to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2012.  The bill would authorize the board to contract with an independent entity to conduct the study.  The bill would  make implementation of its provisions contingent on an appropriation of funds for that purpose, as specified   authorize the board to expend funds from the Dentally Underserved Account to fund the study. By authorizing the expenditure of those funds for a new purpose, the bill would make an appropriation  . Vote: majority. Appropriation:  no   yes  . Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 1620 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read: 1620. (a) The board, in conjunction with the Health Professions Education Foundation, shall study the issue of its providing malpractice insurance to dentists who provide voluntary, unpaid services, and report its findings to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2012. (b) The report shall include, but not be limited to, a discussion of the following items: (1) The cost of administering a program to provide malpractice insurance to the dentists and the process for administering the program. (2) The options for providing malpractice insurance to the dentists and for funding the coverage.  (c) This section shall be implemented only after the Legislature has made an appropriation from the State Dentistry Fund to fund the study.   (c) The board may expend funds from the Dentally Underserved Account, established pursuant to Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 1970), to fund the study.   (d) The board may contract with an independent entity to conduct the study.   (d) (1) A   (e)     (1)     The  report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code. (2) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this section is repealed on January 1, 2016.