SB 144: Health.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

(1)Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various healing arts practitioners by boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law provides an exemption from these requirements for a health care practitioner licensed in another state who offers or provides health care for which the practitioner is licensed during a state of emergency, as defined, and upon request of the Director of the Emergency Medical Services Authority, as specified.

This bill would exempt health care practitioners licensed in another state, territory, or country from certain healing arts licensure, certification, or registration requirements, as described above, while providing professional services at Olympic and Paralympic activities, as defined, if the health care practitioner has been invited by the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games to provide those services and the committee provides specified information to the Director of Consumer Affairs. The bill would specify that the exemption applies while the health care practitioner is providing professional services at the invitation of the committee and only during the time sanctioned by the committee.

This bill would authorize the official team representative who is responsible for any member participating in Olympic and Paralympic activities to give consent to the furnishing of professional services to a team member who, due to age, disability, or injury, is not able to personally consent in the event the consent of a parent, guardian, or legal representative of a team member cannot be obtained. The bill would specify that in the case of emergency, the consent of the parent, guardian, or legal representative of the team member would not be necessary in order to authorize the performance of professional services.

(2)Existing law sets forth various powers and responsibilities for the State Department of Public Health concerning communicable disease prevention and control, in relation to persons, animals, and places, as necessary to protect or preserve the public health.

This bill would require that the list of immunizations, items, and services that were recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) that were in effect on January 1, 2025, serve as a baseline of recommendations and would authorize the State Department of Public Health, notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, to modify or supplement those baseline recommendations, as specified. The bill would require the department to publish recommendations and any updates, modifications, or supplements.

(3)Existing law authorizes various healing arts licensees, including dentists, doctors of podiatric medicine, optometrists, and pharmacists, to independently prescribe, initiate, or administer specified immunizations approved or authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration in compliance with specified recommendations, including those by the ACIP.

Sponsors

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. September 12, 2025Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET pursuant to Assembly Rule 97.
2. September 10, 2025Ordered to third reading.
3. September 10, 2025Withdrawn from committee.
4. September 10, 2025Assembly Rule 96 suspended. (Ayes 56. Noes 19. Page 3164.)
5. September 9, 2025From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET.
6. March 24, 2025Referred to Com. on BUDGET.
7. March 20, 2025In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
8. March 20, 2025Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 445.) Ordered to the Assembly.
9. March 18, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
10. March 17, 2025Ordered to second reading.
11. March 17, 2025Withdrawn from committee. (Ayes 27. Noes 10. Page 384.)
12. February 5, 2025Referred to Com. on B. & F. R.