citation: BPC § 3510

text: The board may adopt, amend, and repeal regulations as may be necessary to enable it to carry into effect the provisions of this chapter. All regulations shall be in accordance with, and not inconsistent with, the provisions of this chapter. Such regulations shall be adopted, amended, or repealed in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 649, Sec. 34. (SB 806) Effective January 1, 2022.)

article: 2. Administration


kind: section

code: BPC

citation: BPC § 3511

text: Five members shall constitute a quorum for transacting any business. The affirmative vote of a majority of those present at a meeting of the board shall be required to carry any motion. The physician and surgeon who serves as an ex officio member shall not be counted for purposes of a quorum.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 332, Sec. 40. (SB 1236) Effective January 1, 2013.)

division: 2. HEALING ARTS

chapter: 7.7. Physician Assistants

article: 2. Administration

path: 2. HEALING ARTS > 7.7. Physician Assistants > 2. Administration


citation: BPC § 3513

text: The board shall recognize the approval of training programs for physician assistants approved by a national accrediting organization. Physician assistant training programs accredited by a national accrediting agency approved by the board shall be deemed approved by the board under this section.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 194, Sec. 13. (AB 1501) Effective January 1, 2026.)

article: 3. Certification and Approval

path: 2. HEALING ARTS > 7.7. Physician Assistants > 3. Certification and Approval


text: The board shall formulate by regulation guidelines for the consideration of applications for licensure as a physician assistant.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 194, Sec. 14. (AB 1501) Effective January 1, 2026.)

article: 3. Certification and Approval


citation: BPC § 3516

text:
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, a physician assistant licensed by the board shall be eligible for employment or supervision by a physician and surgeon who is not subject to a disciplinary condition imposed by the Medical Board of California prohibiting that employment or supervision.

(b) Except as provided in Section 3502.5, a physician and surgeon shall not supervise more than eight physician assistants at any one time.

(c) The Medical Board of California may restrict a physician and surgeon to supervising specific types of physician assistants including, but not limited to, restricting a physician and surgeon from supervising physician assistants outside of the field of specialty of the physician and surgeon.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 194, Sec. 15. (AB 1501) Effective January 1, 2026.)

article: 3. Certification and Approval


citation: BPC § 3517

text:
(a) The board shall require a written examination of physician assistants in the manner and under the rules and regulations as it shall prescribe, but the examination shall be conducted in that manner as to ensure that the identity of each applicant taking the examination will be unknown to all of the examiners until all examination papers have been graded. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, or by regulation, no physician assistant applicant shall receive approval under this chapter without first successfully passing an examination given under the direction of the board.

(b) Examinations for licensure as a physician assistant may be required by the board under a uniform examination system, and for that purpose the board may make those arrangements with organizations furnishing examination material as may, in its discretion, be desirable. The licensure examination for physician assistants shall be held by the board at least once a year with such additional examinations as the board deems necessary.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 649, Sec. 36. (SB 806) Effective January 1, 2022.)

article: 3. Certification and Approval


citation: BPC § 3518

text: The board shall keep a current register for licensed PAs, if applicable. The register shall show the name of each licensee, the licensee’s last known address of record, and the date of the licensee’s licensure. Any interested person is entitled to obtain a copy of the register in accordance with the Information Practices Act of 1977 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1798) of Title 1.8 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code) upon application to the board together with a sum as may be fixed by the board, which amount shall not exceed the cost of this list so furnished.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 707, Sec. 9. (SB 697) Effective January 1, 2020.)

article: 3. Certification and Approval


citation: BPC § 3519

text:
The board shall issue a license to all physician assistant applicants who meet all of the following requirements:

(a) Provide evidence of successful completion of an approved program.

(b) Pass any examination required under Section 3517.

(c) Not be subject to denial of licensure under Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475) or Section 3527.

(d) Pay all fees required under Section 3521.1.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 649, Sec. 37. (SB 806) Effective January 1, 2022.)

article: 3. Certification and Approval


text:
(a) The board may issue a probationary license to an applicant subject to terms and conditions, including, but not limited to, any of the following conditions of probation:

(1) Practice limited to a supervised, structured environment where the applicant’s activities shall be supervised by another physician assistant.

(2) Total or partial restrictions on issuing a drug order for controlled substances.

(3) Continuing medical or psychiatric treatment.

(4) Ongoing participation in a specified rehabilitation program.

(5) Enrollment and successful completion of a clinical training program.

(6) Abstention from the use of alcohol or drugs.

(7) Restrictions against engaging in certain types of medical services.

(8) Compliance with all provisions of this chapter.

(b) The board may modify or terminate the terms and conditions imposed on the probationary license upon receipt of a petition from the licensee.

(c) Enforcement and monitoring of the probationary conditions shall be under the jurisdiction of the board. These proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 649, Sec. 38. (SB 806) Effective January 1, 2022.)

article: 3. Certification and Approval


citation: BPC § 3520

text: Within 10 days after the beginning of each calendar month, the board shall report to the Controller the amount and source of all collections made under this chapter and at the same time pay all those sums into the State Treasury, where they shall be credited to the Physician Assistant Fund, which fund is hereby created. All money in the fund shall be available, upon appropriation of the Legislature, to carry out the purpose of this chapter.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 511, Sec. 16. (SB 1495) Effective January 1, 2023.)

article: 4. Revenue

path: 2. HEALING ARTS > 7.7. Physician Assistants > 4. Revenue


text:
The fees to be paid by physician assistants are to be set by the board as follows:

(a) An application fee charged to each physician assistant applicant shall be sixty dollars ($60) and may be increased to not more than eighty dollars ($80).

(b) An initial license fee charged to each physician assistant to whom a license is issued shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250) and may be increased to not more than five hundred dollars ($500).

(c) A biennial license renewal fee charged to each physician assistant who holds a license shall be three hundred dollars ($300) and may be increased to not more than five hundred dollars ($500).

(d) The delinquency fee is seventy-five dollars ($75).

(e) The duplicate license fee is ten dollars ($10).

(f) The fee for a letter of endorsement, letter of good standing, or letter of verification of licensure shall be fifty dollars ($50).

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 194, Sec. 16. (AB 1501) Effective January 1, 2026.)

article: 4. Revenue


text:
(a) The board may establish, by regulation, a system for the placement of a license on a retired status, upon application, for a physician assistant who is not actively engaged in practice as a physician assistant or any activity that requires them to be licensed by the board.

(b) No licensee with a license on a retired status shall engage in any activity for which a license is required.

(c) The board shall deny an applicant’s application for a retired status license if the license is canceled or if the license is suspended, revoked, or otherwise punitively restricted by the board or subject to disciplinary action under this chapter.

(d) Beginning one year from the effective date of the regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (a), if an applicant’s license is delinquent, the board shall deny an applicant’s application for a retired status license.

(e) The board shall establish minimum qualifications for a retired status license.

(f) The board may exempt the holder of a retired status license from the renewal requirements described in Section 3524.5.

(g) The board shall establish minimum qualifications for the restoration of a license in a retired status to an active status. These minimum qualifications shall include, but are not limited to, continuing education and payment of a fee as provided in subdivision (c) of Section 3521.1.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 332, Sec. 54. (SB 1236) Effective January 1, 2013.)

article: 4. Revenue


citation: BPC § 3523

text:
All physician assistant licenses shall expire at 12 midnight of the last day of the birth month of the licensee during the second year of a two-year term if not renewed.

The board shall establish by regulation procedures for the administration of a birthdate renewal program, including, but not limited to, the establishment of a system of staggered license expiration dates and a pro rata formula for the payment of renewal fees by physician assistants affected by the implementation of the program.

To renew an unexpired license, the licensee shall, on or before the date of expiration of the license, apply for renewal on an electronic form, or other form, provided by the board, accompanied by the prescribed renewal fee. Each application form shall contain a legal verification by the applicant certifying under penalty of perjury that the information provided by the applicant is true and correct.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 194, Sec. 18. (AB 1501) Effective January 1, 2026.)

article: 4. Revenue


citation: BPC § 3524

text: A license or approval that has expired may be renewed at any time within five years after its expiration by filing an application for renewal on a form prescribed by the board and payment of all accrued and unpaid renewal fees. If the license or approval is not renewed within 30 days after its expiration, the licensed physician assistant and approved supervising physician, as a condition precedent to renewal, shall also pay the prescribed delinquency fee, if any. Renewal under this section shall be effective on the date on which the application is filed, on the date on which all renewal fees are paid, or on the date on which the delinquency fee, if any, is paid, whichever occurs last. If so renewed, the license shall continue in effect through the expiration date provided in Section 3522 or 3523 which next occurs after the effective date of the renewal, when it shall expire, if it is not again renewed.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 649, Sec. 40. (SB 806) Effective January 1, 2022.)

article: 4. Revenue


text:
(a) The board may require a licensee to complete continuing education as a condition of license renewal under Section 3523 or 3524. The board shall not require more than 50 hours of continuing education every two years. The board shall, as it deems appropriate, accept certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), or another qualified certifying body, as determined by the board, as evidence of compliance with continuing education requirements.

(b) (1) The board shall adopt regulations to require that, on and after January 1, 2022, all continuing education courses for licensees under this chapter contain curriculum that includes the understanding of implicit bias.

(2) Beginning January 1, 2023, continuing education providers shall ensure compliance with paragraph (1).

(3) Beginning January 1, 2023, the board shall audit continuing education providers at least once every five years to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements, and shall withhold or rescind approval from any provider that is in violation of the regulatory requirements.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (b), a continuing education course dedicated solely to research or other issues that does not include a direct patient care component is not required to contain curriculum that includes implicit bias in the practice of physician assistants.

(d) In order to satisfy the requirements of subdivision (a), continuing education courses shall address at least one or a combination of the following:

(1) Examples of how implicit bias affects perceptions and treatment decisions of physician assistants, leading to disparities in health outcomes.

(2) Strategies to address how unintended biases in decisionmaking may contribute to health care disparities by shaping behavior and producing differences in medical treatment along lines of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics.

(e) (1) In determining its continuing education requirements, the board shall consider including a course in menopausal mental or physical health.

(2) In determining its continuing education requirements, the board shall consider including a course in maternal mental health.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 836, Sec. 3.5. (AB 2581) Effective January 1, 2025.)

article: 4. Revenue


text: A physician assistant who provides primary care to a patient population of which over 25 percent are 65 years of age or older shall complete at least 20 percent of all mandatory continuing education hours in a course in the field of geriatric medicine, the special care needs of patients with dementia, or the care of older patients.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2024, Ch. 336, Sec. 3. (SB 639) Effective January 1, 2025.)

article: 4. Revenue


text: In determining its continuing education requirements, the board shall consider including a course in infection-associated chronic conditions, including, but not limited to, long COVID, as defined by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, myalgic encephalomyelitis, and dysautonomia.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2024, Ch. 433, Sec. 4. (AB 3119) Effective January 1, 2025.)

article: 4. Revenue


text: Notwithstanding subdivision (e) of Section 3524.5, beginning July 1, 2027, a physician assistant who provides care to a patient population composed of adult women under 65 years of age who completes one or more continuing education courses in perimenopause, menopause, or postmenopausal care shall receive two hours towards the requirement in Section 3524.5 for each hour of a completed course, not to exceed eight hours.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2026, Ch. 27, Sec. 5. (SB 164) Effective June 29, 2026.)

article: 4. Revenue


citation: BPC § 3525

text:
A suspended license is subject to expiration and shall be renewed as provided in this chapter. However, such renewal does not entitle such holder, to practice or otherwise violate the order or judgment by which the license was suspended.

A revoked license is subject to expiration as provided in this chapter. If the license is reinstated after expiration, the license holder, as a condition to reinstatement, shall pay a reinstatement fee in an amount equal to the renewal fee in effect on the last preceding regular renewal date before the date on which it is reinstated.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1988, Ch. 1448, Sec. 1.7.)

article: 4. Revenue


citation: BPC § 3526

text:
A person who fails to renew their license or approval within five years after its expiration may not renew it, and it may not be reissued, reinstated, or restored after that time has elapsed, but that person may apply for and obtain a new license or approval if they:

(a) Have not committed any acts or crimes constituting grounds for denial of licensure under Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475).

(b) Take and pass the examination, if any, that would be required of them if application for licensure was being made for the first time, or otherwise establishes to the satisfaction of the board that, with due regard for the public interest, they are qualified to practice as a physician assistant.

(c) Pay all of the fees that would be required as if application for licensure was being made for the first time.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 18. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025.)

article: 4. Revenue


citation: BPC § 3527

text:
(a) The board may order the denial of an application for, or the issuance subject to terms and conditions of, or the suspension or revocation of, or the imposition of probationary conditions upon a PA license after a hearing as required in Section 3528 for unprofessional conduct that includes, but is not limited to, a violation of this chapter, a violation of the Medical Practice Act, or a violation of the regulations adopted by the board.

(b) The board may order the denial of an application for, or the suspension or revocation of, or the imposition of probationary conditions upon, an approved program after a hearing as required in Section 3528 for a violation of this chapter or the regulations adopted pursuant thereto.

(c) The board may order the denial of an application for, or the suspension or revocation of, or the imposition of probationary conditions upon, a PA license, after a hearing as required in Section 3528 for unprofessional conduct that includes, except for good cause, the knowing failure of a licensee to protect patients by failing to follow infection control guidelines of the board, thereby risking transmission of bloodborne infectious diseases from licensee to patient, from patient to patient, and from patient to licensee. In administering this subdivision, the board shall consider referencing the standards, regulations, and guidelines of the State Department of Public Health developed pursuant to Section 1250.11 of the Health and Safety Code and the standards, regulations, and guidelines pursuant to the California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 (Part 1 (commencing with Section 6300) of Division 5 of the Labor Code) for preventing the transmission of HIV, hepatitis B, and other bloodborne pathogens in health care settings. As necessary, the board shall consult with the Medical Board of California, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, the Podiatric Medical Board of California, the Dental Board of California, the Board of Registered Nursing, and the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians of the State of California to encourage appropriate consistency in the implementation of this subdivision.

The board shall seek to ensure that licensees are informed of the responsibility of licensees and others to follow infection control guidelines, and of the most recent scientifically recognized safeguards for minimizing the risk of transmission of bloodborne infectious diseases.

(d) The board may order the licensee to pay the costs of monitoring the probationary conditions imposed on the license.

(e) The expiration, cancellation, forfeiture, or suspension of a PA license by operation of law or by order or decision of the board or a court of law, the placement of a license on a retired status, or the voluntary surrender of a license by a licensee shall not deprive the board of jurisdiction to commence or proceed with any investigation of, or action or disciplinary proceeding against, the licensee or to render a decision suspending or revoking the license.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 649, Sec. 41. (SB 806) Effective January 1, 2022.)

article: 5. Denial, Suspension and Revocation

path: 2. HEALING ARTS > 7.7. Physician Assistants > 5. Denial, Suspension and Revocation


text:
(a) The board shall not suspend or revoke the license of a physician assistant solely for performing an abortion if the licensee performed the abortion in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and the Reproductive Privacy Act (Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 123460) of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 106 of the Health and Safety Code).

(b) Notwithstanding any other law, including, but not limited to, Sections 141, 480, 490, and 3527, the board shall not deny an application for licensure as a physician assistant, or suspend, revoke, or otherwise impose discipline upon a person licensed in this state as a physician assistant under either of the following circumstances:

(1) The person is licensed or certified to practice as a physician assistant in another state and was disciplined in that state solely for performing an abortion in that state.

(2) The person is licensed or certified to practice as a physician assistant in another state and was convicted in that state for an offense related solely to the performance of an abortion in that state.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 178, Sec. 2. (SB 385) Effective January 1, 2024.)

article: 5. Denial, Suspension and Revocation


citation: BPC § 3528

text: Any proceedings involving the denial, suspension, or revocation of the application for licensure or the license of a PA or the application for approval or the approval of an approved program under this chapter shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 707, Sec. 13. (SB 697) Effective January 1, 2020.)

article: 5. Denial, Suspension and Revocation


citation: BPC § 3529

text: The board may hear any matters filed pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 3527, or may assign the matter to a hearing officer. The Medical Board of California may hear any matters filed pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 3527, or may assign the matter to a hearing officer. If a matter is heard by the board or the Medical Board of California, the hearing officer who presided at the hearing shall be present during the board’s or the Medical Board of California’s consideration of the case, and, if requested, assist and advise the board or the Medical Board of California.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 332, Sec. 62. (SB 1236) Effective January 1, 2013.)

article: 5. Denial, Suspension and Revocation


citation: BPC § 3530

text:
(a) A person whose license or approval has been revoked or suspended, or who has been placed on probation, may petition the board for reinstatement or modification of penalty, including modification or termination of probation, after a period of not less than the following minimum periods has elapsed from the effective date of the decision ordering that disciplinary action:

(1) At least three years for reinstatement of a license or approval revoked for unprofessional conduct, except that the board may, for good cause shown, specify in a revocation order that a petition for reinstatement may be filed after two years.

(2) At least two years for early termination of probation of three years or more.

(3) At least one year for modification of a condition, or reinstatement of a license or approval revoked for mental or physical illness, or termination of probation of less than three years.

(b) The petition shall state any facts as may be required by the board. The petition shall be accompanied by at least two verified recommendations from physicians licensed either by the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board who have personal knowledge of the activities of the petitioner since the disciplinary penalty was imposed.

(c) The petition may be heard by the board. The board may assign the petition to an administrative law judge designated in Section 11371 of the Government Code. After a hearing on the petition, the administrative law judge shall provide a proposed decision to the board that shall be acted upon in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

(d) The board or the administrative law judge hearing the petition, may consider all activities of the petitioner since the disciplinary action was taken, the offense for which the petitioner was disciplined, the petitioner’s activities during the time the license was in good standing, and the petitioner’s rehabilitative efforts, general reputation for truth, and professional ability. The hearing may be continued, as the board or administrative law judge finds necessary.

(e) The board or administrative law judge, when hearing a petition for reinstating a license or approval or modifying a penalty, may recommend the imposition of any terms and conditions deemed necessary.

(f) No petition shall be considered while the petitioner is under sentence for any criminal offense, including any period during which the petitioner is on court-imposed probation or parole. No petition shall be considered while there is an accusation or petition to revoke probation pending against the person. The board may deny, without a hearing or argument, any petition filed pursuant to this section within a period of two years from the effective date of the prior decision following a hearing under this section.

(g) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to alter Sections 822 and 823.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 649, Sec. 42. (SB 806) Effective January 1, 2022.)

article: 5. Denial, Suspension and Revocation


citation: BPC § 3531

text: A plea or verdict of guilty or a conviction following a plea of nolo contendere made to a charge of a felony or of any offense that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of the business or profession to which the license was issued is deemed to be a conviction within the meaning of this chapter. The board may order the license suspended or revoked, or shall decline to issue a license when the time for appeal has elapsed, or the judgment of conviction has been affirmed on appeal or when an order granting probation is made suspending the imposition of sentence, irrespective of a subsequent order under Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code allowing that person to withdraw their plea of guilty and to enter a plea of not guilty, or setting aside the verdict of guilty, or dismissing the accusation, information, or indictment.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 19. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025.)

article: 5. Denial, Suspension and Revocation


citation: BPC § 3532

text: Any person who violates Section 3502, 3503, 3515, or 3516 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1983, Ch. 1092, Sec. 13. Effective September 27, 1983. Operative January 1, 1984, by Sec. 427 of Ch. 1092.)

article: 6. Penalties

path: 2. HEALING ARTS > 7.7. Physician Assistants > 6. Penalties


citation: BPC § 3533

text: Whenever any person has engaged in any act or practice which constitutes an offense against this chapter, the superior court of any county, on application of the board, may issue an injunction or other appropriate order restraining such conduct. Proceedings under this section shall be governed by Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 525) of Title 7 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The board may commence action in the superior court under the provisions of this section.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 649, Sec. 43. (SB 806) Effective January 1, 2022.)

article: 6. Penalties


citation: BPC § 3534

text: It is the intent of the Legislature that the board shall seek ways and means to identify and rehabilitate physician assistants whose competency is impaired due to abuse of dangerous drugs or alcohol so that they may be treated and returned to the practice of medicine in a manner which will not endanger the public health and safety.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 332, Sec. 66. (SB 1236) Effective January 1, 2013.)

path: 2. HEALING ARTS > 7.7. Physician Assistants > 6.5. Diversion of Impaired Physician Assistants


text: The board shall establish and administer a diversion program for the rehabilitation of physician assistants whose competency is impaired due to the abuse of drugs or alcohol. The board may contract with any other state agency or a private organization to perform its duties under this article. The board may establish one or more diversion evaluation committees to assist it in carrying out its duties under this article. As used in this article, “committee” means a diversion evaluation committee. A committee created under this article operates under the direction of the diversion program manager, as designated by the executive officer of the board. The program manager has the primary responsibility to review and evaluate recommendations of the committee.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 332, Sec. 67. (SB 1236) Effective January 1, 2013.)

article: 6.5. Diversion of Impaired Physician Assistants


text:
(a) Any committee established by the board shall have at least three members. In making appointments to a committee the board shall consider the appointments of persons who are either recovering of substance abuse and have been free from abuse for at least three years immediately prior to their appointment or who are knowledgeable in the treatment and recovery of substance abuse. The board also shall consider the appointment of a physician and surgeon who is board certified in psychiatry.

(b) Appointments to a committee shall be by the affirmative vote of a majority of members appointed to the board. Each appointment shall be at the pleasure of the board for a term not to exceed four years. In its discretion, the board may stagger the terms of the initial members so appointed.

(c) A majority of the members of a committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Any action requires an affirmative vote of a majority of those members present at a meeting constituting at least a quorum. Each committee shall elect from its membership a chairperson and a vice chairperson. Notwithstanding Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, relating to public meetings, a committee may convene in closed session to consider matters relating to any physician assistant applying for or participating in a diversion program, and a meeting which will be convened entirely in closed session need not comply with Section 11125 of the Government Code. A committee shall only convene in closed session to the extent it is necessary to protect the privacy of an applicant or participant. Each member of a committee shall receive a per diem and shall be reimbursed for expenses as provided in Section 103.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 332, Sec. 68. (SB 1236) Effective January 1, 2013.)


text:
Each committee has the following duties and responsibilities:

(a) To evaluate physician assistants who request participation in the program and to make recommendations to the program manager. In making recommendations, a committee shall consider any recommendations from professional consultants on the admission of applicants to the diversion program.

(b) To review and designate treatment facilities to which physician assistants in the diversion program may be referred, and to make recommendations to the program manager.

(c) The receipt and review of information concerning physician assistants participating in the program.

(d) To call meetings as necessary to consider the requests of physician assistants to participate in the diversion program, to consider reports regarding participants in the program, and to consider any other matters referred to it by the board.

(e) To consider whether each participant in the diversion program may with safety continue or resume the practice of medicine.

(f) To set forth in writing the terms and conditions of the diversion agreement that is approved by the program manager for each physician assistant participating in the program, including treatment, supervision, and monitoring requirements.

(g) To hold a general meeting at least twice a year, which shall be open and public, to evaluate the diversion program’s progress, to prepare reports to be submitted to the board, and to suggest proposals for changes in the diversion program.

(h) For the purposes of Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810) of Title 1 of the Government Code, any member of a committee shall be considered a public employee. No board or committee member, contractor, or agent thereof, shall be liable for any civil damage because of acts or omissions which may occur while acting in good faith in a program established pursuant to this article.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 332, Sec. 69. (SB 1236) Effective January 1, 2013.)


text:
(a) Criteria for acceptance into the diversion program shall include all of the following:

(1) The applicant shall be licensed as a physician assistant by the board and shall be a resident of California.

(2) The applicant shall be found to abuse dangerous drugs or alcoholic beverages in a manner that may affect their ability to practice medicine safely or competently.

(3) The applicant shall have voluntarily requested admission to the program or shall be accepted into the program in accordance with terms and conditions resulting from a disciplinary action.

(4) The applicant shall agree to undertake any medical or psychiatric examination ordered to evaluate the applicant for participation in the program.

(5) The applicant shall cooperate with the program by providing medical information, disclosure authorizations, and releases of liability as may be necessary for participation in the program.

(6) The applicant shall agree in writing to cooperate with all elements of the treatment program designed for them.

(b) An applicant may be denied participation in the program if the board, the program manager, or a committee determines that the applicant will not substantially benefit from participation in the program or that the applicant’s participation in the program creates too great a risk to the public health, safety, or welfare.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 20. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025.)


text:
(a) A participant may be terminated from the program for any of the following reasons:

(1) The participant has successfully completed the treatment program.

(2) The participant has failed to comply with the treatment program designated for them.

(3) The participant fails to meet any of the criteria set forth in paragraph (4).

(4) It is determined that the participant has not substantially benefited from participation in the program or that their continued participation in the program creates too great a risk to the public health, safety, or welfare.

(b) Whenever an applicant is denied participation in the program or a participant is terminated from the program for any reason other than the successful completion of the program, and it is determined that the continued practice of medicine by that individual creates too great a risk to the public health and safety, that fact shall be reported to the executive officer of the board and all documents and information pertaining to and supporting that conclusion shall be provided to the executive officer. The matter may be referred for investigation and disciplinary action by the board.

(c) Each physician assistant who requests participation in a diversion program shall agree to cooperate with the recovery program designed for them. Any failure to comply with that program may result in termination of participation in the program.

(d) The board shall inform each participant in the program of the procedures followed in the program, of the rights and responsibilities of a physician assistant in the program, and the possible results of noncompliance with the program.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 21. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025.)


text: In addition to the criteria and causes set forth in Section 3534.4, the board may set forth in its regulations additional criteria for admission to the program or causes for termination from the program.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 332, Sec. 72. (SB 1236) Effective January 1, 2013.)


text: All board and committee records and records of proceedings and participation of a physician assistant in a program shall be confidential and are not subject to discovery or subpoena.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 332, Sec. 73. (SB 1236) Effective January 1, 2013.)


text: A fee may be charged for participation in the program.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1988, Ch. 385, Sec. 2.)


text: If the board contracts with any other entity to carry out this section, the executive officer of the board or the program manager shall review the activities and performance of the contractor on a biennial basis. As part of this review, the board shall review files of participants in the program. However, the names of participants who entered the program voluntarily shall remain confidential, except when the review reveals misdiagnosis, case mismanagement, or noncompliance by the participant.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 332, Sec. 74. (SB 1236) Effective January 1, 2013.)


text: Participation in a diversion program shall not be a defense to any disciplinary action which may be taken by the board. This section does not preclude the board from commencing disciplinary action against a physician assistant who is terminated unsuccessfully from the program under this section. That disciplinary action may not include as evidence any confidential information.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 332, Sec. 75. (SB 1236) Effective January 1, 2013.)


citation: BPC § 3535

text:
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, physicians and surgeons licensed by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California may use or employ physician assistants provided (1) each physician assistant so used or employed is a graduate of an approved program and is licensed by the board, and (2) the scope of practice of the physician assistant is the same as that which is approved by the Division of Licensing of the Medical Board of California for physicians and surgeons supervising physician assistants in the same or similar specialty.

(b) Any person who violates subdivision (a) shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding six months, or by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.

(c) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2001.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 332, Sec. 76. (SB 1236) Effective January 1, 2013.)

article: 7. Osteopathic Physician Assistants

path: 2. HEALING ARTS > 7.7. Physician Assistants > 7. Osteopathic Physician Assistants


text:
(a) Subject to the other provisions of this article, the Department of Health Care Access and Information, hereafter in this article referred to as the department, shall coordinate the establishment of an international medical graduate physician assistant training program, to be conducted at an appropriate educational institution or institutions. The goal of the program shall be to place as many international medical graduate physician assistants in medically underserved areas as possible in order to provide greater access to care for the growing population of medically indigent and underserved. The method for accomplishing this goal shall be to train foreign medical graduates to become licensed as physician assistants at no cost to the participants in return for a commitment from the participants to serve full time in underserved areas for a four-year period.

(b) By February 1, 1994, or one month after federal funds to implement this article become available, whichever occurs later, the department shall establish a training program advisory task force. The task force shall be comprised of representatives from all of the following groups:

(1) Physician assistant program directors.

(2) Foreign medical graduates.

(3) The California Academy of Physician Assistants.

(4) Nonprofit community health center directors.

(5) Physicians.

(6) The board, at the board’s option.

The department may, instead, serve solely as a consultant to the task force.

(c) The task force shall do all of the following:

(1) Develop a recommended curriculum for the training program that shall be from 12 to 15 months in duration and shall, at a minimum, meet curriculum standards consistent with the board’s regulations. The program shall be subject to the board’s approval. By April 1, 1994, or three months after federal funds to implement this article become available, whichever occurs later, the curriculum shall be presented by the department to the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation of the American Medical Association, or its successor organization, for approval.

(2) Develop recommended admission criteria for participation in the pilot and ongoing program.

(3) Assist in development of linkages with academic institutions for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating the pilot program.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 511, Sec. 17. (SB 1495) Effective January 1, 2023.)

path: 2. HEALING ARTS > 7.7. Physician Assistants > 7.5. International Medical Graduate Physician Assistants


text:
(a) Before establishing an ongoing international medical graduate physician assistant training program, the Department of Health Care Access and Information shall coordinate the establishment of a pilot program commencing September 1, 1994, or eight months after federal funds to implement this article become available, whichever occurs later, to test the validity and effectiveness of the recommended training curriculum developed by the task force. The task force shall, with the advice and assistance of the academic institutions offering the pilot program curriculum, and subject to their approval, select 10 international medical graduates to participate in the pilot program.

(b) After two classes have graduated from the pilot program, the task force, with the advice and assistance of the academic institutions, shall evaluate the results of the pilot program, to determine whether a permanent program should be established. The department may modify curriculum as needed and make appropriate revisions in order to ensure program integrity and compliance with established standards. Any permanent international medical graduate physician assistant training program shall commence at the beginning of the year following the completion of the evaluation.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 511, Sec. 18. (SB 1495) Effective January 1, 2023.)

article: 7.5. International Medical Graduate Physician Assistants


text:
Any person who has satisfactorily completed the program established by this article shall be eligible for licensure by the board as a “physician assistant” if the person has complied with all of the following requirements:

(a) Has successfully completed the written examination required under Section 3517.

(b) Has successfully completed the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 332, Sec. 78. (SB 1236) Effective January 1, 2013.)


text: Both the pilot and the ongoing training program shall provide training at no cost to the participants in return for a written, enforceable agreement by the participants to, upon obtaining licensure under this article, serve a minimum of four years as a full-time physician assistant in an area of California designated by the Department of Health Care Access and Information as a medically underserved area pursuant to Section 3537.35.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 511, Sec. 19. (SB 1495) Effective January 1, 2023.)


text:
(a) The Legislature recognizes that the goal of this program would be compromised if participants do not observe their commitments under this program to provide the required service in a medically underserved area. The goal of this program would not be met if all that it accomplished was merely to license physician assistants that served populations that are not medically underserved.

(b) Since damages would be difficult or impossible to ascertain in the event of default by the participant, this section shall set forth the extent of liquidated damages that shall be recoverable by the program in the case of default.

(c) In the case of default by a participant who has successfully completed the program and has obtained licensure under this article, the program shall collect the following damages from the participant:

(1) The total cost expended by the program for the training of the applicant, and interest thereon from the date of default.

(2) The total amount needed for the program to seek cover as set forth in subdivision (b) of Section 3537.35.

(3) The costs of enforcement, including, but not limited to, the costs of collecting the liquidated damages, the costs of litigation, and attorney’s fees.

(d) The Attorney General may represent the department, or the board, or both in any litigation necessitated by this article, or, if the Attorney General declines, the department, or the board, or both may hire other counsel for this purpose.

(e) Funds collected pursuant to subdivision (c) shall be allocated as follows:

(1) Costs of training recovered pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) shall be allocated to the department to be used upon appropriation for the continuing training program pursuant to this article.

(2) Costs of seeking cover recovered pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) shall be deposited in the Physician Assistant Training Fund established pursuant to Section 3537.40 for the purposes of providing grants pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 3537.35.

(3) Costs of enforcement recovered pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) shall be allocated between the department, and the Attorney General, or other counsel, according to actual costs.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 511, Sec. 20. (SB 1495) Effective January 1, 2023.)


text:
The Department of Health Care Access and Information shall, in addition to other duties described in this article, do all of the following:

(a) Determine those areas of the state that are medically underserved in that they have a higher percentage of medically underserved and indigent persons and would benefit from the services of additional persons licensed as physician assistants.

(b) Determine the total cost of seeking cover as specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 3537.30. To determine the cost, the department shall study the market forces that are at work creating the scarcity of these physician assistants in these medically underserved areas, and determine the annual level of additional funding that would be required by a health facility, clinic, or other health care provider in those areas to motivate a physician assistant to serve full-time in those underserved areas. This amount shall be calculated so that when added to the prevailing rate for these services in the underserved area, would make these positions so attractive that physician assistants would be motivated to serve in those areas. This amount, which shall equal the cost to the department to place a qualified physician assistant in the underserved area, times four years shall be the total cost of seeking cover.

(c) Provide grants, as funds become available in the Physician Assistant Training Fund, to applicant health care providers that provide services in medically underserved areas for the purpose of funding additional full-time physician assistant positions in those areas to provide services in lieu of defaulting physician assistants. Participating providers shall use these grants to attract physician assistants that are from outside the area and shall demonstrate that the grant actually increases the number of physician assistants serving the underserved population. The grantee shall demonstrate that the grant did not merely shift a physician assistant from one medically underserved area to another, but rather, resulted in a net increase in the number of physician assistants serving the underserved population as a whole. Licensees under this article shall not directly or indirectly receive grants under this section.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 511, Sec. 21. (SB 1495) Effective January 1, 2023.)


text: The Physician Assistant Training Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury for the purpose of receipt of funds collected pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 3537.30. The Physician Assistant Training Fund shall be available to the Department of Health Care Access and Information for the purpose of providing grants pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 3537.35, upon appropriation by the Legislature.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 511, Sec. 22. (SB 1495) Effective January 1, 2023.)


text: The program established pursuant to this article shall not be funded, directly or indirectly, from an increase in the fees charged to physician assistants pursuant to Section 3521.1. This article does not excuse physician assistants trained pursuant to this article from paying the fees established pursuant to Section 3521.1.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 194, Sec. 19. (AB 1501) Effective January 1, 2026.)


text: No General Fund revenues shall be expended to carry out this article. The implementation of the pilot program and, if applicable, the permanent program established by this article shall be contingent upon the availability of federal funds, which do not divert or detract from funds currently utilized to underwrite existing physician assistant training programs or to fund existing functions of the board. The new funding shall be sufficient to cover the full additional cost to the educational institution or institutions that establish the program or programs, the cost of tuition and attendance for the students in the program or programs, and any additional costs, including enforcement costs, that the department or the board incurs as a result of implementing this article. This article does not impose any obligations upon the department, the board, or any physician assistant training program in the absence of adequate funding as described in this section. This article does not preclude applicants for the program established by this article from seeking state or federal scholarship funds, or state and federal loan repayment funds available to physician assistant students, or require any applicants be granted preference in the award of those funds. This article does not impair the autonomy of any institution that offers a physician assistant training program.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 511, Sec. 23. (SB 1495) Effective January 1, 2023.)


citation: BPC § 3540

text:
A physician assistants corporation is a corporation which is authorized to render professional services, as defined in Section 13401 of the Corporations Code, so long as that corporation and its shareholders, officers, directors, and employees rendering professional services who are certified physician assistants are in compliance with the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act, the provisions of this article, and all other statutes and regulations now or hereafter enacted or adopted pertaining to the corporation and the conduct of its affairs.

With respect to a physician assistants corporation, the governmental agency referred to in the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act (commencing with Section 13400) of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code is the board.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 332, Sec. 81. (SB 1236) Effective January 1, 2013.)

article: 8. Physicians’ Assistants Corporations

path: 2. HEALING ARTS > 7.7. Physician Assistants > 8. Physicians’ Assistants Corporations


citation: BPC § 3541

text: It shall constitute unprofessional conduct and a violation of this chapter for any person licensed under this chapter to violate, attempt to violate, directly or indirectly, or assist in or abet the violation of, or conspire to violate any provision or term of this article, the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act, or any regulations duly adopted under those laws.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1304, Sec. 2.)

article: 8. Physicians’ Assistants Corporations


citation: BPC § 3542

text: A physician assistant corporation shall not do or fail to do any act the doing of which or the failure to do which would constitute unprofessional conduct under any statute or regulation, now or hereafter in effect. In the conduct of its practice, it shall observe and be bound by these statutes and regulations to the same extent as a person holding a license under this chapter.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 26, Sec. 122. Effective March 30, 1994.)

article: 8. Physicians’ Assistants Corporations


citation: BPC § 3543

text: The name of a physician assistant corporation and any name or names under which it may render professional services shall contain the words “physician assistant,” and wording or abbreviations denoting corporate existence.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 26, Sec. 123. Effective March 30, 1994.)

article: 8. Physicians’ Assistants Corporations


citation: BPC § 3544

text: Except as provided in Sections 13401.5 and 13403 of the Corporations Code, each shareholder, director and officer of a physician assistant corporation, except an assistant secretary and an assistant treasurer, shall be a licensed person as defined in Section 13401 of the Corporations Code.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 26, Sec. 124. Effective March 30, 1994.)

article: 8. Physicians’ Assistants Corporations


citation: BPC § 3545

text: The income of a physician assistant corporation attributable to professional services rendered while a shareholder is a disqualified person, as defined in Section 13401 of the Corporations Code, shall not in any manner accrue to the benefit of the shareholder or their shares in the physician assistant corporation.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 22. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025.)

article: 8. Physicians’ Assistants Corporations


citation: BPC § 3575

text:
(a) For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) “Board” means the Medical Board of California.

(2) “Polysomnography” means the treatment, management, diagnostic testing, control, education, and care of patients with sleep and wake disorders. Polysomnography shall include, but not be limited to, the process of analysis, monitoring, and recording of physiologic data during sleep and wakefulness to assist in the treatment of disorders, syndromes, and dysfunctions that are sleep-related, manifest during sleep, or disrupt normal sleep activities. Polysomnography shall also include, but not be limited to, the therapeutic and diagnostic use of oxygen, the use of positive airway pressure including continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bilevel modalities, adaptive servo-ventilation, and maintenance of nasal and oral airways that do not extend into the trachea.

(3) “Supervision” means that the supervising physician and surgeon shall remain available, either in person or through telephonic or electronic means, at the time that the polysomnographic services are provided.

(b) (1) Within one year after the effective date of this chapter, the board shall promulgate regulations relative to the qualifications for the registration of individuals as certified polysomnographic technologists, polysomnographic technicians, and polysomnographic trainees. The qualifications for a certified polysomnographic technologist shall include all of the following:

(A) The applicant shall have valid, current credentials as a polysomnographic technologist issued by a national accrediting agency approved by the board.

(B) The applicant shall have graduated from a polysomnographic educational program that has been approved by the board.

(C) The applicant shall have passed a national certifying examination that has been approved by the board.

(2) An applicant for registration as a certified polysomnographic technologist may satisfy the qualifications described in paragraph (1) by submitting proof to the board that they have been practicing polysomnography for at least five years in a manner that is acceptable to the board. However, beginning three years after the effective date of this chapter, all individuals seeking to obtain certification as a polysomnographic technologist shall have passed a national certifying examination that has been approved by the board.

(c) (1) In accordance with Section 2042, any person seeking registration from the board as a certified polysomnographic technologist, a polysomnographic technician, or a polysomnographic trainee shall be subject to a state- and federal-level criminal offender record information search conducted through the Department of Justice as specified in paragraph (2).

(2) The board shall submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information required by the Department of Justice of all applicants for registration as a certified polysomnographic technologist, a polysomnographic technician, or a polysomnographic trainee, as defined by this section, to determine whether the applicant has a criminal conviction record in this state or in any other jurisdiction, including foreign countries, pursuant to Section 2042. The Department of Justice shall provide a state- and federal-level response pursuant to subdivision (p) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code for the board to determine whether the applicant is subject to denial of licensure under the provisions of Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475).

(d) An individual may use the title “certified polysomnographic technologist” and may engage in the practice of polysomnography only under the following circumstances:

(1) The individual is registered with the board and has successfully undergone a state- and federal-level criminal offender record information search pursuant to subdivision (c).

(2) The individual works under the supervision and direction of a licensed physician and surgeon.

(3) The individual meets the requirements of this chapter.

(e) Within one year after the effective date of this chapter, the board shall adopt regulations that establish the means and circumstances in which a licensed physician and surgeon may employ polysomnographic technicians and polysomnographic trainees. The board may also adopt regulations specifying the scope of services that may be provided by a polysomnographic technician or polysomnographic trainee. Any regulation adopted pursuant to this section may specify the level of supervision that polysomnographic technicians and trainees are required to have when working under the supervision of a certified polysomnographic technologist or licensed health care professional.

(f) This section shall not apply to California licensed allied health professionals, including, but not limited to, respiratory care practitioners, working within the scope of practice of their license.

(g) Nothing in this chapter shall be interpreted to authorize a polysomnographic technologist, technician, or trainee to treat, manage, control, educate, or care for patients other than those with sleep disorders or to provide diagnostic testing for patients other than those with suspected sleep disorders.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 113, Sec. 14. (SB 160) Effective September 17, 2025.)

chapter: 7.8. Polysomnographic Technologists

path: 2. HEALING ARTS > 7.8. Polysomnographic Technologists


text: Each application for registration as a polysomnographic technologist, technician, or trainee shall be made upon an online electronic form, or other form, provided by the board, and each application form shall contain a legal verification by the applicant certifying under penalty of perjury that the information provided by the applicant is true and correct and that any information in supporting documents provided by the applicant is true and correct.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 649, Sec. 45. (SB 806) Effective January 1, 2022.)


citation: BPC § 3576

text:
(a) A registration under this chapter may be denied, suspended, revoked, placed on probation, or otherwise subjected to discipline for any of the following by the holder:

(1) Incompetence, gross negligence, or repeated similar negligent acts performed by the registrant.

(2) An act of dishonesty or fraud.

(3) Committing any act or being convicted of a crime constituting grounds for denial of licensure or registration under Section 480.

(4) Violating or attempting to violate this chapter or any regulation adopted under this chapter.

(b) Proceedings under this section shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the board shall have all powers granted therein.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 303, Sec. 12. (AB 2745) Effective January 1, 2017.)


text:
(a) A person whose registration has been voluntarily surrendered while under investigation or while charges are pending or whose registration has been revoked or suspended or placed on probation, may petition the board for reinstatement or modification of penalty, including modification or termination of probation.

(b) The person may file the petition after a period of not less than the following minimum periods have elapsed from the effective date of the surrender of the registration or the decision ordering that disciplinary action:

(1) At least three years for reinstatement of a registration surrendered or revoked for unprofessional conduct, except that the board may, for good cause shown, specify in a revocation order that a petition for reinstatement may be filed after two years.

(2) At least two years for early termination of probation of three years or more.

(3) At least one year for modification of a condition, or reinstatement of a registration surrendered or revoked for mental or physical illness, or termination of probation of less than three years.

(c) The petition shall state any facts as may be required by the board. The petition shall be accompanied by at least two verified recommendations from polysomnographic technologists registered in any state who have personal knowledge of the activities of the petitioner since the disciplinary penalty was imposed.

(d) The petition may be heard by a panel of the board. The board may assign the petition to an administrative law judge designated in Section 11371 of the Government Code. After a hearing on the petition, the administrative law judge shall provide a proposed decision to the board, which shall be acted upon in accordance with Section 2335.

(e) The panel of the board or the administrative law judge hearing the petition may consider all activities of the petitioner since the disciplinary action was taken, the offense for which the petitioner was disciplined, the petitioner’s activities during the time the registration was in good standing, and the petitioner’s rehabilitative efforts, general reputation for truth, and professional ability. The hearing may be continued from time to time as the administrative law judge designated in Section 11371 of the Government Code finds necessary.

(f) The administrative law judge designated in Section 11371 of the Government Code reinstating a registration or modifying a penalty may recommend the imposition of any terms and conditions deemed necessary.

(g) No petition shall be considered while the petitioner is under sentence for any criminal offense, including any period during which the petitioner is on court-imposed probation or parole. No petition shall be considered while there is an accusation or petition to revoke probation pending against the person. The board may deny without a hearing or argument any petition filed pursuant to this section within a period of two years from the effective date of the prior decision following a hearing under this section.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 303, Sec. 13. (AB 2745) Effective January 1, 2017.)


text:
(a) Except as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c), the board shall revoke the registration of any person who has been required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal for conduct that occurred on or after January 1, 2017.

(b) This section shall not apply to a person who is required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code solely because of a misdemeanor conviction under Section 314 of the Penal Code.

(c) This section shall not apply to a person who has been relieved under Section 290.5 of the Penal Code of his or her duty to register as a sex offender, or whose duty to register has otherwise been formally terminated under California law.

(d) A proceeding to revoke a registration pursuant to this section shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 303, Sec. 14. (AB 2745) Effective January 1, 2017.)


text:
(a) The board may suspend or revoke the registration of a polysomnographic technologist, polysomnographic technician, or polysomnographic trainee for unprofessional conduct as described in this section.

(b) The use of any controlled substance or the use of any of the dangerous drugs specified in Section 4022, or of alcoholic beverages, to the extent, or in such a manner as to be dangerous or injurious to the registrant, or to any other person or to the public, or to the extent that this use impairs the ability of the registrant to practice safely or more than one misdemeanor or any felony conviction involving the use, consumption, or self-administration of any of the substances referred to in this section, or any combination thereof, constitutes unprofessional conduct. The record of the conviction is conclusive evidence of this unprofessional conduct.

(c) A plea or verdict of guilty or a conviction following a plea of nolo contendere is deemed to be a conviction within the meaning of this section. The board may order discipline of the registrant in accordance with Section 2227 or may order the denial of the registration when the time for appeal has elapsed or the judgment of conviction has been affirmed on appeal or when an order granting probation is made suspending imposition of sentence, irrespective of a subsequent order under the provisions of Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code allowing this person to withdraw his or her plea of guilty and to enter a plea of not guilty, or setting aside the verdict of guilty, or dismissing the accusation, complaint, information, or indictment.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 303, Sec. 15. (AB 2745) Effective January 1, 2017.)


citation: BPC § 3577

text:
(a) Each person who applies for registration under this chapter shall pay into the Contingent Fund of the Medical Board of California a fee to be fixed by the board at a sum of one hundred twenty dollars ($120).

(b) Each person to whom registration is granted under this chapter shall pay into the Contingent Fund of the Medical Board of California a fee to be fixed by the board at a sum of one hundred twenty dollars ($120).

(c) The registration shall expire after two years. The registration may be renewed biennially at a fee which shall be paid into the Contingent Fund of the Medical Board of California. For registrations that expire on or after January 1, 2022, the fee amount shall be two hundred twenty dollars ($220).

(d) The fee for monitoring a registrant on probation shall be the cost of monitoring, as fixed by the board.

(e) The money in the Contingent Fund of the Medical Board of California that is collected pursuant to this section shall be used for the administration of this chapter.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 649, Sec. 46. (SB 806) Effective January 1, 2022.)


citation: BPC § 3578

text: Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit a clinic or health facility licensed pursuant to Division 2 (commencing with Section 1200) of the Health and Safety Code from employing a certified polysomnographic technologist.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 635, Sec. 1. (SB 132) Effective October 23, 2009.)


citation: BPC § 3579

text: Nothing in this chapter shall apply to diagnostic electroencephalograms conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society.


citation: BPC § 3600

text: The law governing licentiates of the Osteopathic Medical Board of California is found in the Osteopathic Act and in Chapter 5 of Division 2, relating to medicine.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 359, Sec. 28.)

chapter: 8. Osteopathic Medicine

path: 2. HEALING ARTS > 8. Osteopathic Medicine


citation: BPC § 3610

text: This chapter may be cited as the Naturopathic Doctors Act.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2003, Ch. 485, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2004. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

chapter: 8.2. Naturopathic Doctors Act

article: 1. General Provisions

path: 2. HEALING ARTS > 8.2. Naturopathic Doctors Act > 1. General Provisions


citation: BPC § 3612

text: The California Board of Naturopathic Medicine is hereby created within the Department of Consumer Affairs.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 414, Sec. 2. (AB 2685) Effective January 1, 2023. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 1. General Provisions


citation: BPC § 3613

text:
The following definitions apply for the purposes of this chapter:

(a) “Board” means the California Board of Naturopathic Medicine. Any reference in any law or regulation to the Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine or the Naturopathic Medicine Committee shall be deemed to refer to the California Board of Naturopathic Medicine.

(b) “Naturopathic childbirth attendance” means the specialty practice of natural childbirth by a naturopathic doctor that includes the management of normal pregnancy, normal labor and delivery, and the normal postpartum period, including normal newborn care.

(c) “Naturopathic medicine” means a distinct and comprehensive system of primary health care practiced by a naturopathic doctor for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of human health conditions, injuries, and disease.

(d) “Naturopathic doctor” means a person who holds an active license issued pursuant to this chapter.

(e) “Naturopathy” means a noninvasive system of health practice that employs natural health modalities, substances, and education to promote health.

(f) “Drug” means any substance defined as a drug by Section 11014 of the Health and Safety Code.

(g) “Naturopathic assistant” means a person who may be unlicensed, who performs basic administrative, clerical, and technical supportive services in compliance with this chapter for a licensed naturopathic doctor or naturopathic corporation and who is at least 18 years of age, and who has had at least the minimum amount of hours of appropriate training pursuant to standards established by the Medical Board of California for a medical assistant pursuant to Section 2069. The naturopathic assistant shall be issued a certificate by the training institution or instructor indicating satisfactory completion of the required training. A copy of the certificate shall be retained as a record by each employer or the naturopathic assistant.

(h) “Naturopathic technical supportive services” means simple routine medical tasks and procedures that may be safely performed by a naturopathic assistant who has limited training and who functions under the supervision of a licensed naturopathic doctor.

(i) “Specific authorization” means a specific written order prepared by the supervising naturopathic doctor authorizing the procedures to be performed on a patient, which shall be placed in the patient’s medical record, or a standing order prepared by the supervising naturopathic doctor authorizing the procedures to be performed. A notation of the standing order shall be placed on the patient’s medical record.

(j) “Supervision” means the supervision of procedures authorized under this section or Section 3640.2 by a naturopathic doctor, within their scope of practice, who is physically present in the treatment facility during the performance of those procedures.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 414, Sec. 3. (AB 2685) Effective January 1, 2023. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 1. General Provisions


citation: BPC § 3615

text: The provisions of this chapter are severable. If any provision of this chapter or its application is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this chapter that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.

article: 1. General Provisions


citation: BPC § 3620

text: The board shall enforce and administer this chapter and shall be solely responsible for the implementation of this chapter.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 23. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 2. Administration

path: 2. HEALING ARTS > 8.2. Naturopathic Doctors Act > 2. Administration


text: Protection of the public shall be the highest priority for the board in exercising its licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary functions. Whenever the protection of the public is inconsistent with other interests sought to be promoted, the protection of the public shall be paramount.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 24. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 2. Administration


citation: BPC § 3621

text:
(a) The board shall consist of nine members, consisting of seven members appointed by the Governor, one public member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and one public member appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. Members of the board shall include five members who are California-licensed naturopathic doctors, two members who are California-licensed physicians and surgeons, and two public members.

(b) A member of the board shall be appointed for a four-year term. A person shall not serve as a member of the board for more than two consecutive terms. A member shall hold office until the appointment and qualification of the member’s successor, or until one year from the expiration of the term for which the member was appointed, whichever first occurs. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment for unexpired terms.

(c) (1) A public member of the board shall be a resident of this state for at least five years preceding the public member’s appointment.

(2) A person shall not be appointed as a public member if the person or the person’s immediate family in any manner owns an interest in a college, school, or institution engaged in naturopathic education, or the person or the person’s immediate family has an economic interest in naturopathy or has any other conflict of interest. “Immediate family” means the public member’s spouse, domestic partner, parents, children, or children’s spouses or domestic partners.

(d) Each member of the board shall receive a per diem and expenses as provided in Section 103.

(e) The board may appoint a person exempt from civil service who shall be designated as an executive officer and who shall exercise the powers and perform the duties delegated by the board and vested in the executive officer by this chapter.

(f) Each appointing authority has power to remove from office at any time any member of the board appointed by that authority pursuant to Section 106.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 414, Sec. 4. (AB 2685) Effective January 1, 2023. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 2. Administration


text: The board shall meet at least two times each calendar year and shall conduct additional meetings in appropriate locations that are necessary to transact its business.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 25. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 2. Administration


citation: BPC § 3622

text:
(a) The board shall adopt regulations in order to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

(b) Unless contrary to this chapter, regulations adopted by the Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine and the Naturopathic Medicine Committee shall continue to apply to the board and its licensees.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 26. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 2. Administration


citation: BPC § 3623

text:
(a) The board shall approve a naturopathic medical education program accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education or an equivalent federally recognized accrediting body for the naturopathic medical profession that has the following minimum requirements:

(1) Admission requirements that include a minimum of three-quarters of the credits required for a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited or preaccredited college or university or the equivalency, as determined by the council.

(2) Program requirements for its degree or diploma of a minimum of 4,100 total hours in basic and clinical sciences, naturopathic philosophy, naturopathic modalities, and naturopathic medicine. Of the total requisite hours, not less than 2,500 hours shall consist of academic instruction, and not less than 1,200 hours shall consist of supervised clinical training approved by the naturopathic medical school.

(b) A naturopathic medical education program in the United States shall offer graduate-level full-time studies and training leading to the degree of Doctor of Naturopathy or Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine. The program shall be an institution, or part of an institution of, higher education that is either accredited or is a candidate for accreditation by a regional institutional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Secretary of Education and the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education, or an equivalent federally recognized accrediting body for naturopathic doctor education.

(c) To qualify as an approved naturopathic medical school, a naturopathic medical program located in Canada or the United States shall offer a full-time, doctoral-level, naturopathic medical education program with its graduates being eligible to apply to the board for licensure and to the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners that administers the naturopathic licensing examination.

(d) The naturopathic medical program shall evaluate an applicant’s education, training, and experience obtained in the armed services, pursuant to Section 35, and provide course credit where applicable.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 27. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 2. Administration


citation: BPC § 3624

text:
(a) The board may grant a certificate of registration to practice naturopathic medicine to a person who does not hold a naturopathic doctor’s license under this chapter and is offered a faculty position by the dean of a naturopathic medical education program approved by the board, if all of the following requirements are met to the satisfaction of the board:

(1) The applicant submits an application on a form prescribed by the board.

(2) The dean of the naturopathic medical education program demonstrates that the applicant has the requisite qualifications to assume the position to which they are to be appointed.

(3) The dean of the naturopathic medical education program certifies in writing to the board that the applicant will be under their direction and will not be permitted to practice naturopathic medicine unless incident to and a necessary part of the applicant’s duties as approved by the board.

(b) The holder of a certificate of registration issued under this section shall not receive compensation for, or practice, naturopathic medicine unless it is incidental to and a necessary part of the applicant’s duties in connection with the holder’s faculty position.

(c) A certificate of registration issued under this section is valid for two years.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 28. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 2. Administration


text:
(a) This chapter does not apply to a practitioner licensed as a naturopathic doctor in another state or country who meets both of the following requirements:

(1) The practitioner is in consultation with a licensed practitioner of this state, or is an invited guest of any of the following for the purpose of professional education through lectures, clinics, or demonstrations:

(A) The California Medical Association.

(B) The Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California.

(C) The California Podiatric Medical Association.

(D) The California Naturopathic Doctors Association.

(E) A component county society of subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D).

(2) The practitioner does not open an office, appoint a place to meet patients, receive calls from patients, give orders, or have ultimate authority over the care or primary diagnosis of a patient.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2009, 4th Ex. Sess., Ch. 18, Sec. 14. (AB 20 4x) Effective October 23, 2009. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 2. Administration


citation: BPC § 3626

text:
(a) The board may employ other officers and employees as necessary to discharge the duties of the board.

(b) The board shall employ a full-time staff position whose responsibilities shall include enforcement against violations of this chapter. This position shall be under the direction of the executive officer.

(c) The board shall not incur any costs as a result of changing the name of the Naturopathic Medicine Committee to the California Board of Naturopathic Medicine, as described in Sections 3612 and 3613, beyond what is absorbable within existing resources.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 414, Sec. 5. (AB 2685) Effective January 1, 2023. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 2. Administration


citation: BPC § 3627

text:
(a) The board shall establish a naturopathic formulary advisory subcommittee to determine a naturopathic formulary based upon a review of naturopathic medical education and training.

(b) The naturopathic formulary advisory subcommittee shall be composed of an equal number of representatives from the clinical and academic settings of physicians and surgeons, pharmacists, and naturopathic doctors.

(c) The naturopathic formulary advisory subcommittee shall review naturopathic education, training, and practice and make specific recommendations regarding the prescribing, ordering, and furnishing authority of a naturopathic doctor and the required supervision and protocols for those functions.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 29. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 2. Administration


citation: BPC § 3630

text:
An applicant for a license as a naturopathic doctor shall file an application with the board on a form provided by the board that shows, to the board’s satisfaction, compliance with all of the following requirements:

(a) The applicant has not committed an act or crime that constitutes grounds for denial of a license under Section 480 and has complied with the requirements of Section 144.

(b) The applicant has received a degree in naturopathic medicine from an approved naturopathic medical school where the degree substantially meets the educational requirements in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 3623.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 30. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 3. Licensure

path: 2. HEALING ARTS > 8.2. Naturopathic Doctors Act > 3. Licensure


citation: BPC § 3631

text:
(a) An applicant for licensure shall pass the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examination (NPLEX) or an equivalent examination approved by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners.

(b) In the absence of an examination approved by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners, the board may administer a substantially equivalent examination.

(c) The board may additionally require an applicant to pass any NPLEX elective examinations relevant to a licensee’s scope of practice in California.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 414, Sec. 6. (AB 2685) Effective January 1, 2023. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 3. Licensure


citation: BPC § 3633

text: The board may grant a license to an applicant who is licensed and in good standing as a naturopathic doctor in another state, jurisdiction, or territory in the United States, if the applicant has met the requirements of Sections 3630 and 3631.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 31. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 3. Licensure


text: The board may grant a license to an applicant who meets the requirements of Section 3630, but who graduated before 1986, before the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations, or NPLEX, and passed a state or Canadian Province naturopathic licensing examination. Applications under this section shall be received no later than December 31, 2007.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 32. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 3. Licensure


citation: BPC § 3634

text: A license issued under this chapter shall be subject to renewal biennially, as prescribed by the board, and shall expire unless renewed in that manner. The board may provide by regulation for the late renewal of a license.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 33. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 3. Licensure


citation: BPC § 3635

text:
(a) In addition to any other qualifications and requirements for licensure renewal, the board shall require the satisfactory completion of 60 hours of approved continuing education biennially. This requirement is waived for the initial license renewal. The continuing education shall meet the following requirements:

(1) At least 20 hours shall be in pharmacotherapeutics.

(2) No more than 15 hours may be in naturopathic medical journals or osteopathic or allopathic medical journals, or audio or videotaped presentations, slides, programmed instruction, or computer-assisted instruction or preceptorships.

(3) No more than 20 hours may be in any single topic.

(4) No more than 15 hours of the continuing education requirements for the specialty certificate in naturopathic childbirth attendance shall apply to the 60 hours of continuing education requirement.

(5) Course content shall pertain to the practice of naturopathic, osteopathic, or allopathic medicine.

(b) The continuing education requirements of this section may be met through continuing education courses approved by the board, the California Naturopathic Doctors Association, the North American Naturopathic Continuing Education Accreditation Council, the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, the California State Board of Pharmacy, or the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, or other courses that meet the standards for continuing education for licensed physicians and surgeons in California. All continuing education providers shall comply with Section 3635.2. Continuing education providers shall submit an annual declaration to the board that their educational activities satisfy the requirements described in Section 3635.2 and the board shall maintain a list of these providers on its internet website.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 414, Sec. 7. (AB 2685) Effective January 1, 2023. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 3. Licensure


text:
(a) A licensee shall retain certificates of continuing education course completion for six years.

(b) The committee may audit licensees’ continuing education records to ensure that continuing education requirements are met.

(c) It shall be unprofessional conduct for a licensee to furnish false or misleading information to the committee regarding continuing education.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 600, Sec. 7. (SB 796) Effective January 1, 2018. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 3. Licensure


text:
In addition to complying with subdivision (b) of Section 3635, the following shall apply to providers of continuing education:

(a) The content of continuing education courses and related materials shall provide balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor. All patient care recommendations from continuing education courses involving clinical medicine shall be based on evidence accepted by naturopathic doctors. All scientific research used to support patient care recommendations shall conform to generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis.

(b) A conflict of interest is created when an individual in a position to control the content of a continuing education course, or his or her spouse or partner, has a relevant personal financial relationship within the past 12 months with a commercial entity that produces, markets, resells, or distributes health care goods or services consumed by, or used on patients that benefits the individual in any financial amount and therefore, may bias his or her opinions and teachings with respect to the content of continuing education courses. This may include receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria, ownership interest such as stocks, stock options or other ownership interest, excluding diversified mutual funds, or other financial benefit. Financial benefits are generally associated with roles such as employment, a management position, or an independent contractor position, including contracted research and clinical trials, consulting, speaking and teaching, membership on advisory committees or review panels, board membership, and other activities for which remuneration is received or expected.

(c) Prior to a course being presented, continuing education providers shall identify, disclose, and resolve all conflicts of interest. Individuals who fail or refuse to disclose relevant financial relationships shall not be approved as a provider of continuing education as described in subdivision (b) of Section 3635.

(d) Conflicts of interests shall be resolved by one of the following mechanisms:

(1) Altering financial relationships. Individuals may change their relationships with commercial interests, such as discontinuance of contracted services, thereby eliminating any conflict of interest related to the continuing education content.

(2) Altering control over content. An individual’s control of continuing education content may be altered in several ways to remove the opportunity to affect content related to the products and services of a commercial interest. These include the following:

(A) Choose someone else to control that part of the content. If a proposed presenter or planner has a conflict of interest related to the content, someone else who does not have a relationship to the commercial interests related to the content may present or plan that part of the content.

(B) Change the focus of the continuing education activity so that the content is not about products or services of the commercial interest that is the basis of the conflict of interest.

(C) Change the content of the individual’s assignment so that it is no longer about products or services of the commercial interest. For example, an individual with a conflict of interest regarding products for treatment of a condition could address the pathophysiology or diagnosis of the condition, rather than therapeutics.

(D) Limit the content to a report without recommendations. If an individual has been funded by a commercial entity to perform research, the individual’s presentation may be limited to the data and results of the research. Someone else may be assigned to address broader implications and recommendations.

(E) Limit the sources for recommendations. Rather than having a person with a conflict of interest present personal recommendations or personally select the evidence to be presented, limit the role of the person to reporting recommendations based on formal structured reviews of the literature with the inclusion and exclusion criteria stated “evidence-based.”

(3) Conflict of interest may be resolved if the continuing education material is peer reviewed and both of the following are met:

(A) All the recommendations involving clinical medicine are based on evidence that is accepted within the profession of naturopathic medicine as adequate justification for indications and contraindications in the care of patients.

(B) All scientific research referred to, reported, or used in the continuing education activity in support or justification of patient care recommendations conforms to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 600, Sec. 8. (SB 796) Effective January 1, 2018. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 3. Licensure


citation: BPC § 3636

text:
(a) Upon a written request, the board may grant inactive status to a naturopathic doctor who is in good standing and who meets the requirements of Section 462.

(b) A person whose license is in inactive status may not engage in any activity for which a license is required under this chapter.

(c) A person whose license is in inactive status shall be exempt from continuing education requirements while their license is in that status.

(d) To restore a license to active status, a person whose license is in inactive status shall fulfill continuing education requirements for the two-year period before reactivation and be current with all licensing fees as determined by the board.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 34. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 3. Licensure


citation: BPC § 3637

text: Only an individual may be licensed under this chapter.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2003, Ch. 485, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2004. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 3. Licensure


citation: BPC § 3640

text:
(a) A naturopathic doctor may order and perform physical and laboratory examinations for diagnostic purposes, including, but not limited to, phlebotomy, clinical laboratory tests, speculum examinations, orificial examinations, and physiological function tests.

(b) A naturopathic doctor may order diagnostic imaging studies, including X-ray, ultrasound, mammogram, bone densitometry, and others, consistent with naturopathic training as determined by the board, but shall refer the studies to an appropriately licensed health care professional to conduct the study and interpret the results.

(c) A naturopathic doctor may dispense, administer, order, prescribe, and furnish or perform the following:

(1) Food, extracts of food, nutraceuticals, vitamins, amino acids, minerals, enzymes, botanicals and their extracts, botanical medicines, homeopathic medicines, all dietary supplements, and nonprescription drugs as defined by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. Sec. 301 et seq.) consistent with the routes of administration identified in subdivision (d).

(2) Hot or cold hydrotherapy; naturopathic physical medicine inclusive of the manual use of massage, stretching, resistance, or joint play examination but exclusive of small amplitude movement at or beyond the end range of normal joint motion; electromagnetic energy; colon hydrotherapy; and therapeutic exercise.

(3) Devices, including, but not limited to, therapeutic devices, barrier contraception, and durable medical equipment.

(4) Health education and health counseling.

(5) Repair and care incidental to superficial lacerations and abrasions, except suturing.

(6) Removal of foreign bodies located in the superficial tissues.

(d) A naturopathic doctor may utilize routes of administration that include oral, nasal, auricular, ocular, rectal, vaginal, transdermal, intradermal, subcutaneous, intravenous, and intramuscular.

(e) The board may establish regulations regarding ocular or intravenous routes of administration that are consistent with the education and training of a naturopathic doctor.

(f) Nothing in this section shall exempt a naturopathic doctor from meeting applicable licensure requirements for the performance of clinical laboratory tests, including the requirements imposed under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 1200).

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 35. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 4. Application of Chapter

path: 2. HEALING ARTS > 8.2. Naturopathic Doctors Act > 4. Application of Chapter


text:
(a) A naturopathic doctor may provide supervision and direction to a licensed vocational nurse in accordance with Sections 2859 and 2859.1.

(b) A naturopathic doctor shall not direct a licensed vocational nurse under their employment to take any action outside the scope of practice of the naturopathic doctor.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 713, Sec. 5. (SB 994) Effective January 1, 2023. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)

article: 4. Application of Chapter