BILL NUMBER: AB 1896CHAPTERED BILL TEXT CHAPTER 119 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JULY 13, 2012 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR JULY 13, 2012 PASSED THE SENATE JULY 2, 2012 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY MAY 3, 2012 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 27, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Chesbro FEBRUARY 22, 2012 An act to amend the heading of Article 10 (commencing with Section 710) of Chapter 1 of Division 2 of, and to add Section 719 to, the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1896, Chesbro. Tribal health programs: health care practitioners. Under existing federal law, licensed health professionals employed by a tribal health program are required to be exempt, if licensed in any state, from the licensing requirements of the state in which the tribal health program performs specified services. A tribal health program is defined as an Indian tribe or tribal organization that operates any health program, service, function, activity, or facility funded, in whole or part, by the Indian Health Service. Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health care practitioners by various healing arts boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs. This bill would codify that federal requirement by specifying that a person who is licensed as a health care practitioner in any other state and is employed by a tribal health program is exempt from this state's licensing requirements with respect to acts authorized under the person's license where the tribal health program performs specified services. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The heading of Article 10 (commencing with Section 710) of Chapter 1 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: Article 10. Federal Personnel and Tribal Health Programs SEC. 2. Section 719 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read: 719. (a) A person who is licensed as a health care practitioner in any other state and is employed by a tribal health program, as defined in Section 1603 of Title 25 of the United States Code, shall be exempt from any licensing requirement described in this division with respect to acts authorized under the person's license where the tribal health program performs the services described in the contract or compact of the tribal health program under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. Sec. 450 et seq.). (b) For purposes of this section, "health care practitioner" means any person who engages in acts that are the subject of licensure or regulation under the law of any other state.