Legislation

Bill Author Description Bill Status “Date Bill Last Amended”
AB 29 “Current law imposes specified requirements on an audit of pharmacy services provided to beneficiaries of a health benefit plan and defines a “pharmacy benefit manager” for those purposes as a person, business, or other entity that, pursuant to a contract or under an employment relationship with a carrier, health benefit plan sponsor, or other 3rd-party payer, either directly or through an intermediary, manages the prescription drug coverage provided by the carrier, plan sponsor, or other 3rd-party payer. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to pharmacy benefit managers.”
AB 40 Santiago Would require the Department of Justice to make the electronic history of controlled substances dispensed to an individual under a health care practitioner’s care, based on data contained in the CURES database, available to the practitioner through either an online Internet Web portal or an authorized health information technology system, as defined. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws. Calendar: 4/25/2017 9 a.m. – State Capitol, Room 126 ASSEMBLY PUBLIC SAFETY, JONES-SAWYER, Chair
AB 182 “Would require the State Department of Health Care Services, in consultation with specified entities, to develop, coordinate, implement, and oversee a comprehensive multicultural public awareness campaign, to be known as the “Heroin and Opioid Public Education (HOPE) Initiative.” The bill would require the initiative to provide for the coordinated and widespread public dissemination of individual case stories and other generalized information that is designed to describe the effects and warning signs of heroin use and opioid medication abuse, so as to better enable members of the public to determine when help is needed and identify the pathways that are available for individuals to seek help.”
AB 186 “Would authorize a city, county, or city and county to authorize the operation of supervised injection services programs for adults that satisfies specified requirements, including, among other things, a space supervised by healthcare professionals or other trained staff where people who use drugs can consume preobtained drugs, sterile consumption supplies, and access to referrals to addiction treatment. The bill would require any entity operating a program under its provisions to provide an annual report to the city, county, or city and county, as specified.”
AB 265 Wood Would expand the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law to prohibit, except as provided, a person who manufactures a prescription drug from offering in California any discount, repayment, product voucher, or other reduction in an individual’s out-of-pocket expenses associated with his or her insurance coverage, including, but not limited to, a copayment or deductible, for any prescription drug if a lower cost brand name or nonbrand name prescription drug is available that is designated as therapeutically equivalent to, or interchangeable with, the prescription drug manufactured by that person or if the active ingredients of the drug are available without prescription at a lower cost and are not otherwise contraindicated for the condition for which the prescription drug is approved.  4/18/2017 1:30 p.m. – State Capitol, Room 4202 ASSEMBLY HEALTH, WOOD, Chair 04/05/17
AB 315 Wood The Pharmacy Law provides for the licensure and regulation of pharmacists and pharmacies by the California State Board of Pharmacy. A violation of the Pharmacy Law is a crime. Current law also imposes requirements on audits of pharmacy services provided to beneficiaries of a health benefit plan, as specified. This bill would require pharmacy benefit managers, as defined, to be licensed by the California State Board of Pharmacy, as prescribed. The bill would make conforming changes to related provisions. Because a violation of these provisions under the Pharmacy Law would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 4/18/2017 9 a.m. – State Capitol, Room 4202 ASSEMBLY BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS, SALAS, Chair
AB 387 Thurmond This bill would expand the definition of “employer” for purposes of these provisions to include a person who directly or indirectly, or through an agent or any other person, employs or exercises control over the wages, hours, or working conditions of a person engaged in a period of supervised work experience to satisfy requirements for licensure, registration, or certification as an allied health professional, as defined. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (March 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
AB 395 “Would make legislative findings and declarations that it is in the best interest of the health and welfare of the people of this state to also coordinate medication-assisted treatments for substance abuse disorders. The bill would modify the specific controlled substances authorized for use in narcotic replacement therapy to include medication-assisted treatment and refer to medications, rather than controlled substances.”
AB 401   Would authorize a remote dispensing site pharmacy to use a telepharmacy system, as specified, and would require the board to issue a remote dispensing site pharmacy license to a remote dispensing site pharmacy that meets all the requirements for licensure. The bill would require a remote dispensing site pharmacy to be located in a medically underserved area, as defined, unless otherwise approved by the board. The bill would authorize a pharmacy located in this state to serve as a supervising pharmacy to provide telepharmacy services for up to 2 remote dispensing site pharmacies. Passed B&P committee 4/4/17  (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) referred to appropriations 03/21/17
AB 447 “The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed by, and funded pursuant to, federal Medicaid Program provisions. Existing law provides for a schedule of covered benefits under the Medi-Cal program. This bill would, to the extent that federal financial participation is available and any necessary federal approvals have been obtained, add continuous glucose monitors that are medically necessary for the management and treatment of diabetes to the schedule of benefits under the Medi-Cal program.”
AB 587 “Current law authorizes the Department of General Services to enter into exclusive or nonexclusive contracts on a bid or negotiated basis with manufacturers and suppliers of single-source or multisource drugs and to obtain from those manufacturers and suppliers, discounts, rebates, or refunds based on quantities purchased insofar as permissible under federal law. Current law authorizes the Department of General Services to explore additional strategies for managing prescription drug costs.This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to this provision.”
AB 602 “Would authorize the California State Board of Pharmacy to take disciplinary action against a licensee for unprofessional conduct involving the dispensing of a nonprescription diabetes device, as defined, pursuant to a prescription. The bill would require pharmacies that dispense nonprescription diabetes devices pursuant to prescriptions to retain records of acquisition and sale of those nonprescription diabetes devices for at least 3 years and keep those records open to inspection during business hours.”
AB 904 “Would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would address high prescription drug costs.”
AB 966
AB 1005 “Under current law, there is the Office of Professional Examination Services within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Current law provides for the licensure and regulation of various professions and vocations by boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs. This bill would require the office to conduct an occupational analysis of every professions and vocations license subject to examination in this state to determine the licenses with a need for the examination to be offered in languages other than English.”
AB 1048 “Current law provides for the licensure and regulation by the State Department of Public Health of health facilities. Current law requires a health facility to, as a condition of licensure, include pain as an item to be assessed at the same time vital signs are taken and to ensure that pain assessment is performed in a consistent manner that is appropriate to the patient.This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.”
AB 1204 This bill would authorize a licensed physician to prescribe a one-month supply of a life-saving medication, as described, to a patient to be stored for the use of that patient in case of a natural disaster or other emergency. Excludes pain medications from definition of “life-saving medication.” Comm on Health 03/21/17
AB 1512 The Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax Law imposes a tax on each gallon of motor vehicle fuel removed from a refinery or terminal rack in this state, entered or sold into this state and provides for the deposit of all moneys received under that law into a specified fund
AB 1539
AB 1589 “Current law prohibits a pharmacy with one pharmacist from having more than one pharmacy technician and prohibits the ratio of pharmacy technicians to any additional pharmacists from exceeding 2:1, except as specified. This bill would require the California State Board of Pharmacy to review that ratio on a biennial basis and would require the board to provide a report to the Legislature with legislative recommendations if the board decides a change is necessary.”
AB 1643 “Would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would create a blue ribbon commission that would study how the state can move toward ensuring health coverage for all Californians.”
SB 17 “Would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation requiring public and private purchasers of health care and health care coverage be given advance notice of price increases for the costs of prescription drugs in order to further the ability to predict and manage these costs and the public be given information about the justification, if any, for the prices of newly emerging medications and price increases for existing prescription drugs. This bill would include the findings and declarations of the Legislature in support of its intent.”
SB 43 “Current law designates the persons responsible for completing a certificate of death and the required contents of the certificate, including, but not limited to, the decedent’s name, sex, and birthplace, as well as the disease or conditions leading directly to death and antecedent causes. This bill would require the statement of the disease or conditions leading directly to death and antecedent causes on the certificate of death to include any occurrence of antimicrobial-resistant infection that was a factor in the death, in the professional judgment of the physician and surgeon last in attendance.”
SB 176 “Current law classifies controlled substances into 5 schedules and places the greatest restrictions and penalties on the use of those substances placed in Schedule I. The drug fentanyl, an opiate, is classified in Schedule II. Current law prohibits a person from possessing for sale or purchasing for purposes of sale specified controlled substances, including fentanyl, and provides for imprisonment in a county jail for 2, 3, or 4 years for a violation of this provision. This bill would classify carfentanil, an opiate, in Schedule II.”
SB 199 “Current law requires the California Health and Human Services Agency to research the options for developing a cost, quality, and equity data atlas. Current law requires the research to include certain topics, including, among others, identification of key data submitters and a comparative analysis of potential models used in other states. This bill would delete the above requirements and would instead require certain health care entities, including health care service plans, health insurers, and health care providers to provide specified information to the Secretary of California Health and Human Services, including, but not limited to, utilization data and health care pricing information.”
SB 212 “Current law, the Medical Waste Management Act, administered by the State Department of Public Health, regulates the management and handling of medical waste, as defined.This bill add to the act a definition of “home-generated pharmaceutical waste” as a prescription or over-the-counter human or veterinary home-generated pharmaceutical that is waste and is derived from a household, including, but not limited to, a multifamily residence or household.”
SB 247
SB 351 Would authorize the California State Board of Pharmacy to issue a license to a hospital satellite compounding pharmacy meeting specified requirements. The bill would make a license subject to a fee and an annual renewal fee, as specified. The bill would define a hospital satellite compounding pharmacy as an area licensed by the board to perform sterile compounding that is separately licensed by the board to perform that compounding and located outside of the hospital in another physical plant that is regulated as a general acute care hospital.  4/17/2017 10 a.m. – John L. Burton Hearing Room (4203) SENATE APPROPRIATIONS, LARA, Chair 04/04/17
SB 419 “Would prohibit a person from prescribing oxycodone, by whatever official, common, usual, chemical, or trade name designated, to a patient under 21 years of age. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.”
SB 443 “Would authorize a pharmacy or wholesaler to furnish dangerous drugs or dangerous devices into an emergency medical services automated drug delivery system, as defined, located within a county operated fire department if specified conditions are met, including that the county fire department obtain a license from the board to operate the system, and requires dangerous drugs and dangerous devices stored or maintained in an emergency medical services automated drug delivery system to be used for the sole purpose of restocking a secured emergency pharmaceutical supplies container.”
SB 496 “Current law provides for the licensure and regulation of various professions and vocations by boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Current law authorizes the Governor to remove from office any member of any board within the department appointed by him or her, on specific grounds, including continued neglect of duties required by law.This bill would specifically include the failure to attend meetings of the board as one example of continued neglect of duties required by law that the Governor can use as a reason to remove a member from a board.”
SB 510 “Under the Pharmacy Law, the California State Board of Pharmacy licenses and regulates the practice of pharmacy by pharmacists and pharmacy corporations in this state. That law prohibits a pharmacy from compounding sterile drug products unless the pharmacy has obtained a sterile compounding pharmacy license from the board. That law requires a pharmacy to compound sterile products from one or more nonsterile ingredients in prescribed environments. This bill would repeal that compounding environment provision and make conforming renumbering changes to other provisions.”
SB 528 “Current law authorizes a pharmacy to furnish a dangerous drug or dangerous device to a licensed health care facility for storage in a secured emergency pharmaceutical supplies container maintained within the facility in accordance with facility regulations of the State Department of Public Health and other existing law requirements, as specified. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the provisions authorizing a pharmacy to furnish a dangerous drug or dangerous device to a licensed health care facility for storage in that facility, as specified.”
SB 538
SB 562 “Would make findings and declarations with regard to the availability and affordability of health care coverage and would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would establish a comprehensive universal single-payer health care coverage program and a health care cost control system for the benefit of all residents of the state.”
SB 641 Lara   Under current law, data obtained from CURES may only be provided to appropriate state, local, and federal public agencies for disciplinary, civil, or criminal purposes and to other agencies or entities, as determined by the Department of Justice, for the purpose of educating practitioners and others in lieu of disciplinary, civil, or criminal actions. Current law allows data obtained from CURES to be provided to public or private entities for statistical or research purposes, as approved by the department. This bill would prohibit the release of data obtained from CURES to a law enforcement agency except pursuant to a valid court order, as specified, and allow the patient to receive a copy of the CURES report.  4/18/2017 8:30 a.m. – John L. Burton Hearing Room (4203) SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY, SKINNER, Chair 03/28/17
SB 716 ” This bill would increase the number of members of the California State Board of Pharmacy to 14 by adding one pharmacy technician appointed by the Governor. The bill would require this pharmacy technician board member to have at least 5 years of experience and to continue to work in California as a pharmacy technician. The bill would require the pharmacy technician board member to have specified work experience as a pharmacy technician and to have documented work experience in a variety of pharmacy procedures and practices, as specified.
Prefer not to substitute pharmacist member, rather than pharmacist member. Odd number of board members is not ideal, but low risk.”		 4/17/2017 1 p.m. and upon adjournment of Session – Room 3191 SENATE BUSINESS, PROFESSIONS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HILL, Chair 03/23/17