AB 235 — Emergency services and care.

Summary

(1) Existing law provides for the regulation of health facilities, including general acute care hospitals and acute psychiatric hospitals. A violation of these provisions is a crime. Existing law requires emergency services and care to be provided to any person requesting the services or care for any condition in which the person is in danger of loss of life. For purposes of these provisions, existing law defines emergency services and care to include additional screening, examination, and evaluation by a physician, or other personnel to the extent permitted by applicable law and within the scope of their licensure and clinical privileges, to determine if a psychiatric emergency medical condition exists, as provided. This bill would define psychiatric emergency medical condition, and would, for this purpose, include admission or transfer to a psychiatric unit within a general acute care hospital or to an acute psychiatric hospital within the care and treatment of this condition. This bill would, consistent with provisions of law relating to involuntary mental health services, also allow the transfer of a patient to a psychiatric unit within a general acute care hospital or to an acute psychiatric hospital for the purpose of providing care and treatment that is solely necessary to relieve or eliminate a psychiatric emergency medical condition if, in the opinion of the treating provider, the patient's psychiatric emergency medical condition is such that, within a reasonable medical probability, no material deterioration of the patient's condition is likely to result from, or occur during, the transfer of the patient. The bill would require a provider to notify the patient's health care service plan, or the health plan's contracting medical provider, of the need for the transfer, as provided. The bill would require a hospital that transfers a patient pursuant to these provisions to seek to obtain the name and contact information of the patient's health care service plan, would require the hospital to document its attempt to ascertain this information, and would require the hospital to notify the health care service plan or the health plan's contracting medical provider of specified information related to the transfer, as provided. The bill would also require a health care service plan to provide noncontracting hospitals with its contact information, as provided, and would require health care service plans to update this information as necessary, but no less than once a year. The bill would further require the hospital to which a patient is transferred pursuant to these provisions to notify the patient's health care service plan of the transfer, as provided. By creating new crimes, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Bill Text

• Chaptered 10/11/09 - Chaptered Current pdf October 11, 2009
• Enrolled 09/02/09 - Enrolled pdf September 02, 2009
• Amended 06/11/09 - Amended Senate pdf June 11, 2009
• Amended 04/14/09 - Amended Assembly pdf April 14, 2009
• Introduced 02/06/09 - Introduced pdf February 06, 2009
• AB235 View text html

Action History

1. October 11, 2009

   Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 423, Statutes of 2009.

2. October 11, 2009

   Approved by the Governor.

3. September 04, 2009

   Enrolled and to the Governor at 2 p.m.

4. August 31, 2009

   Senate amendments concurred in. To enrollment. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 2805.)

5. August 27, 2009

   In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. May be considered on or after August 30 pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.

6. August 27, 2009

   Read third time, passed, and to Assembly. (Ayes 34. Noes 3. Page 1962.)

7. July 01, 2009

   Read second time. To third reading.

8. June 30, 2009

   From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 10. Noes 1.) (June 29).

9. June 18, 2009

   From committee: Do pass, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. Re-referred. (Ayes 8. Noes 2.) (June 17).

10. June 11, 2009

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

11. May 21, 2009

    Referred to Com. on HEALTH.

12. May 11, 2009

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

13. May 11, 2009

    Read third time, passed, and to Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 1364.)

14. May 04, 2009

    Read second time. To Consent Calendar.

15. April 30, 2009

    From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (April 29).

16. April 15, 2009

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

17. April 14, 2009

    Read second time and amended.

18. April 13, 2009

    From committee: Amend, do pass as amended, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 19. Noes 0.) (March 31).

19. March 24, 2009

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

20. March 04, 2009

    Referred to Com. on HEALTH.

21. February 07, 2009

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 9.

22. February 06, 2009

    Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

• Hayashi · Primary

Votes

Subjects