BILL NUMBER: SB 1217INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Stone FEBRUARY 18, 2016 An act to amend Sections 800, 801, 801.1, and 802 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1217, as introduced, Stone. Healing arts: reporting requirements: professional liability resulting in death or personal injury. Existing law establishes within the Department of Consumer Affairs various boards that license and regulate the practice of various professions and vocations, including those relating to the healing arts. Existing law requires each healing arts licensing board to create and maintain a central file containing an individual historical record on each person who holds a license from that board. Existing law requires that the individual historical record contain any reported judgment or settlement requiring the licensee or the licensee's insurer to pay over $3,000 in damages for any claim that injury or death was proximately caused by the licensee's negligence, error or omission in practice, or rendering unauthorized professional service. This bill would instead require the record to contain reported judgments or settlements with damages over $10,000. Existing law requires an insurer providing professional liability insurance to a physician and surgeon, a governmental agency that self-insures a physician and surgeon or, if uninsured, a physician and surgeon himself or herself, to report to the respective licensing board information concerning settlements over $30,000, arbitration awards in any amount, and judgments in any amount in malpractice actions to the practitioner's licensing board. Existing law provides that information concerning professional liability settlements, judgments, and arbitration awards of over $10,000 in damages arising from death or personal injury must be reported to the respective licensing boards of specified healing arts practitioners including, among others, licensed professional clinical counselors, licensed dentists, and licensed veterinarians. Existing law provides that, for other specified healing arts practitioners including, among others, licensed educational psychologists, licensed nurses, and licensed pharmacists, information concerning professional liability settlements, judgments, and arbitration awards of over $3,000 in damages arising from death or personal injury shall be reported to their respective licensing boards. This bill would raise the minimum dollar amount triggering those reporting requirements from $3,000 to $10,000. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 800 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 800. (a) The Medical Board of California, the Board of Psychology, the Dental Board of California, the Dental Hygiene Committee of California, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, the Board of Registered Nursing, the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians of the State of California, the State Board of Optometry, the Veterinary Medical Board, the Board of Behavioral Sciences, the Physical Therapy Board of California, the California State Board of Pharmacy, the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board, the California Board of Occupational Therapy, the Acupuncture Board, and the Physician Assistant Board shall each separately create and maintain a central file of the names of all persons who hold a license, certificate, or similar authority from that board. Each central file shall be created and maintained to provide an individual historical record for each licensee with respect to the following information: (1) Any conviction of a crime in this or any other state that constitutes unprofessional conduct pursuant to the reporting requirements of Section 803. (2) Any judgment or settlement requiring the licensee or his or her insurer to pay any amount of damages in excess ofthree thousand dollars ($3,000)ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for any claim that injury or death was proximately caused by the licensee's negligence, error or omission in practice, or by rendering unauthorized professional services, pursuant to the reporting requirements of Section 801 or 802. (3) Any public complaints for which provision is made pursuant to subdivision (b). (4) Disciplinary information reported pursuant to Section 805, including any additional exculpatory or explanatory statements submitted by the licentiate pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 805. If a court finds, in a final judgment, that the peer review resulting in the 805 report was conducted in bad faith and the licensee who is the subject of the report notifies the board of that finding, the board shall include that finding in the central file. For purposes of this paragraph, "peer review" has the same meaning as defined in Section 805. (5) Information reported pursuant to Section 805.01, including any explanatory or exculpatory information submitted by the licensee pursuant to subdivision (b) of that section. (b) (1) Each board shall prescribe and promulgate forms on which members of the public and other licensees or certificate holders may file written complaints to the board alleging any act of misconduct in, or connected with, the performance of professional services by the licensee. (2) If a board, or division thereof, a committee, or a panel has failed to act upon a complaint or report within five years, or has found that the complaint or report is without merit, the central file shall be purged of information relating to the complaint or report. (3) Notwithstanding this subdivision, the Board of Psychology, the Board of Behavioral Sciences, and the Respiratory Care Board of California shall maintain complaints or reports as long as each board deems necessary. (c) (1) The contents of any central file that are not public records under any other provision of law shall be confidential except that the licensee involved, or his or her counsel or representative, shall have the right to inspect and have copies made of his or her complete file except for the provision that may disclose the identity of an information source. For the purposes of this section, a board may protect an information source by providing a copy of the material with only those deletions necessary to protect the identity of the source or by providing a comprehensive summary of the substance of the material. Whichever method is used, the board shall ensure that full disclosure is made to the subject of any personal information that could reasonably in any way reflect or convey anything detrimental, disparaging, or threatening to a licensee's reputation, rights, benefits, privileges, or qualifications, or be used by a board to make a determination that would affect a licensee's rights, benefits, privileges, or qualifications. The information required to be disclosed pursuant to Section 803.1 shall not be considered among the contents of a central file for the purposes of this subdivision. (2) The licensee may, but is not required to, submit any additional exculpatory or explanatory statement or other information that the board shall include in the central file. (3) Each board may permit any law enforcement or regulatory agency when required for an investigation of unlawful activity or for licensing, certification, or regulatory purposes to inspect and have copies made of that licensee's file, unless the disclosure is otherwise prohibited by law. (4) These disclosures shall effect no change in the confidential status of these records. SEC. 2. Section 801 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 801. (a) Except as provided in Section 801.01 andsubdivisions (b), (c), and (d)subdivision (b) of this section, every insurer providing professional liability insurance to a person who holds a license, certificate, or similar authority from or under any agency specified in subdivision (a) of Section 800 shall send a complete report to that agency as to any settlement or arbitration award overthree thousand dollars ($3,000)ten thousand dollars ($10,000) of a claim or action for damages for death or personal injury caused by that person's negligence, error, or omission in practice, or by his or her rendering of unauthorized professional services. The report shall be sent within 30 days after the written settlement agreement has been reduced to writing and signed by all parties thereto or within 30 days after service of the arbitration award on the parties.(b) Every insurer providing professional liability insurance to a person licensed pursuant to Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 4980), Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 4990), or Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 4999.10) shall send a complete report to the Board of Behavioral Sciences as to any settlement or arbitration award over ten thousand dollars ($10,000) of a claim or action for damages for death or personal injury caused by that person's negligence, error, or omission in practice, or by his or her rendering of unauthorized professional services. The report shall be sent within 30 days after the written settlement agreement has been reduced to writing and signed by all parties thereto or within 30 days after service of the arbitration award on the parties.(c) Every insurer providing professional liability insurance to a dentist licensed pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 1600) shall send a complete report to the Dental Board of California as to any settlement or arbitration award over ten thousand dollars ($10,000) of a claim or action for damages for death or personal injury caused by that person's negligence, error, or omission in practice, or rendering of unauthorized professional services. The report shall be sent within 30 days after the written settlement agreement has been reduced to writing and signed by all parties thereto or within 30 days after service of the arbitration award on the parties.(d)(b) Every insurer providing liability insurance to a veterinarian licensed pursuant to Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 4800) shall send a complete report to the Veterinary Medical Board of any settlement or arbitration award over ten thousand dollars ($10,000) of a claim or action for damages for death or injury caused by that person's negligence, error, or omission in practice, or rendering of unauthorized professional service. The report shall be sent within 30 days after the written settlement agreement has been reduced to writing and signed by all parties thereto or within 30 days after service of the arbitration award on the parties.(e)(c) The insurer shall notify the claimant, or if the claimant is represented by counsel, the insurer shall notify the claimant's attorney, that the report required by subdivision(a), (b), or (c)(a) has been sent to the agency. If the attorney has not received this notice within 45 days after the settlement was reduced to writing and signed by all of the parties, the arbitration award was served on the parties, or the date of entry of the civil judgment, the attorney shall make the report to the agency.(f)(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no insurer shall enter into a settlement without the written consent of the insured, except that this prohibition shall not void any settlement entered into without that written consent. The requirement of written consent shall only be waived by both the insured and the insurer. This section shall only apply to a settlement on a policy of insurance executed or renewed on or after January 1, 1971. SEC. 3. Section 801.1 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 801.1.(a)Every state or local governmental agency that self-insures a person who holds a license, certificate, or similar authority from or under any agency specified in subdivision (a) of Section 800 (except a person licensed pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 1200) or Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) or the Osteopathic Initiative Act) shall send a complete report to that agency as to any settlement or arbitration award overthree thousand dollars ($3,000)ten thousand dollars ($10,000) of a claim or action for damages for death or personal injury caused by that person' s negligence, error, or omission in practice, or rendering of unauthorized professional services. The report shall be sent within 30 days after the written settlement agreement has been reduced to writing and signed by all parties thereto or within 30 days after service of the arbitration award on the parties.(b) Every state or local governmental agency that self-insures a person licensed pursuant to Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 4980), Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 4990), or Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 4999.10) shall send a complete report to the Board of Behavioral Science Examiners as to any settlement or arbitration award over ten thousand dollars ($10,000) of a claim or action for damages for death or personal injury caused by that person' s negligence, error, or omission in practice, or rendering of unauthorized professional services. The report shall be sent within 30 days after the written settlement agreement has been reduced to writing and signed by all parties thereto or within 30 days after service of the arbitration award on the parties.SEC. 4. Section 802 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 802.(a)Every settlement, judgment, or arbitration award overthree thousand dollars ($3,000)ten thousand dollars ($10,000) of a claim or action for damages for death or personal injury caused by negligence, error or omission in practice, or by the unauthorized rendering of professional services, by a person who holds a license, certificate, or other similar authority from an agency specified in subdivision (a) of Section 800 (except a person licensed pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 1200) or Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) or the Osteopathic Initiative Act) who does not possess professional liability insurance as to that claim shall, within 30 days after the written settlement agreement has been reduced to writing and signed by all the parties thereto or 30 days after service of the judgment or arbitration award on the parties, be reported to the agency that issued the license, certificate, or similar authority. A complete report shall be made by appropriate means by the person or his or her counsel, with a copy of the communication to be sent to the claimant through his or her counsel if the person is so represented, or directly if he or she is not. If, within 45 days of the conclusion of the written settlement agreement or service of the judgment or arbitration award on the parties, counsel for the claimant (or if the claimant is not represented by counsel, the claimant himself or herself) has not received a copy of the report, he or she shall himself or herself make the complete report. Failure of the licensee or claimant (or, if represented by counsel, their counsel) to comply with this section is a public offense punishable by a fine of not less than fifty dollars ($50) or more than five hundred dollars ($500). Knowing and intentional failure to comply with this section or conspiracy or collusion not to comply with this section, or to hinder or impede any other person in the compliance, is a public offense punishable by a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) nor more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).(b) Every settlement, judgment, or arbitration award over ten thousand dollars ($10,000) of a claim or action for damages for death or personal injury caused by negligence, error or omission in practice, or by the unauthorized rendering of professional services, by a marriage and family therapist, a clinical social worker, or a professional clinical counselor licensed pursuant to Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 4980), Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 4990), or Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 4999.10), respectively, who does not possess professional liability insurance as to that claim shall within 30 days after the written settlement agreement has been reduced to writing and signed by all the parties thereto or 30 days after service of the judgment or arbitration award on the parties be reported to the agency that issued the license, certificate, or similar authority. A complete report shall be made by appropriate means by the person or his or her counsel, with a copy of the communication to be sent to the claimant through his or her counsel if he or she is so represented, or directly if he or she is not. If, within 45 days of the conclusion of the written settlement agreement or service of the judgment or arbitration award on the parties, counsel for the claimant (or if he or she is not represented by counsel, the claimant himself or herself) has not received a copy of the report, he or she shall himself or herself make a complete report. Failure of the marriage and family therapist, clinical social worker, or professional clinical counselor or claimant (or, if represented by counsel, his or her counsel) to comply with this section is a public offense punishable by a fine of not less than fifty dollars ($50) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500). Knowing and intentional failure to comply with this section, or conspiracy or collusion not to comply with this section or to hinder or impede any other person in that compliance, is a public offense punishable by a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) nor more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).