As Legislative Session Completes, Two CANP-backed Bills Headed to Governor's Desk
With the 2013-14 Legislative Session having come to a close, two CANP-supported bills are on their way to the Governor's desk, while the path forward for a third has reached its end. Meanwhile, talk is circulating about about 2015 bringing another monumental opportunity for California NPs.
AB 1841 by Assemblymember Kevin Mullin, now awaits action by Gov. Jerry Brown after having passed out of both houses of the Legislature without a single “no” vote. The measure would allow medical assistants to hand properly labeled and prepackaged prescription drugs, excluding controlled substances, to a patient. The bill is sponsored by Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC).
Also sailing through the process was AB 1667, by Assemblymember Das Williams, which would replace mandatory universal tuberculosis (TB) testing of school personnel with a TB risk assessment, which would identify high-risk personnel and require TB testing of only those individuals. CANP successfully advocated to include NPs among the school personnel eligible to administer the TB risk exam, which is consistent with CANP's mission to allow NPs to play a broader role in the healthcare system. Sponsored by the Health Officers Association of California, AB 1667 garnered just one vote in opposition while prevailing through five separate committee hearings and full floor votes in both houses.
A third bill supported by CANP did not survive the session. SB 492, by Senator Ed Hernandez was placed on the inactive file in the Assembly. The measure proposed to expand optometrists' scope of practice by allowing them to diagnose, treat and manage certain additional visual system conditions, as well as perform flu and shingles vaccinations, without a physician's supervision.
Sponsored by the California Optometric Association, this bill was part of the package of legislation introduced by Senator Hernandez last year to address the provider shortage by expanding NPs' scope of practice (SB 491, for which CANP strongly advocated) and allowing pharmacists to practice to the full extent of their education and training (SB 493, which was signed by the Governor last year).
The Governor has until September 30 to sign or veto all legislation passed this year. The 2015-16 Legislative Session officially commences on Decmber 1, with the first floor sessions slated for January 5, 2015.
Check CANP's online bill tracker to find more information about these bills and all of the bills that CANP is tracking.
An Eye Toward 2015
The success of CANP-backed bills in 2014 can be attributed in part to growing grassroots outreach on the part of members and allies, with a solid foundation for such efforts having been established via 2013's campaign in support of SB 491. Through participation in CANP Lobby Day and ongoing contact with legislators at the local level, members have continued the important process of familiarizing lawmakers with the role that NPs are trained and qualified to fill in the healthcare delivery system.
That effort continues amid the expectation that Hernandez will re-introduce legislation next year proposing full practice authority for California NPs. The anticipated "Daughter of 491" proposal would again seek to remove antiquated requirements for physician supervision while permitting NPs to practice to the full extent of their education, experience and expertise.
“SB 491 was the highest-profile legislation to date for California NPs, and it faced the most intense opposition from organized medicine to date,” CANP Legislative Advocate Kristy Wiese told attendees at CANP's 37th Annual Educational Conference in March. “Legislators who met with NPs were more likely to support the bill, but there remains a significant need for education about what NPs are and are not educated and trained to do.”
With the California Medical Association and other physician-backed groups having contributed millions of dollars in 2013 to defeat SB 491, the battle is only expected to intensify when the issue is revisited. Therefore, while grassroots outreach remains vital, just as critical is the ability to level the playing field through contributions to CANP's Political Action Committee.
"A well-funded PAC helps us show strength in numbers and enhances our ability to speak as a unified voice for all California NPs," said CANP President Donna Emanuele. "There has never been a more important time for nurse practitioners and CANP members to exercise their voice.”