Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits the suspension of a medical license for performing an abortion procedure.

Highlights:

• Specifies that failure to comply with the Reproductive Privacy Act constitutes unprofessional behavior, and that a person is subject to certain repercussions if they perform an abortion procedure without a vaild, unrevoked, and unsuspended license to practice as a physician or surgeon (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits the Medical Board of California and the Osteopathic Medical Board of California from suspending or revoking a medical license or certificate from a physician or surgeon solely for performing an abortion, so long as the abortion was performed in accordance with existing medical standards, the Reproductive Privacy Act and other state law, and in accordance with the provisions of this bill given that the person has a valid and relevant medical license or certificate (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits the Board from suspending or revoking the certificate to practice of a nurse-midwife solely for performing an abortion, so long as all the same above requirements are met (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits the Board from suspending or revoking the certification or license of a nurse practitioner solely for performing an abortion, so long as all the same above requirements are met (Sec. 3).

• Specifies that the relevant medical standards for performing abortion procedures include by abortion medications or aspiration techniques in the first trimester (Sec. 1).

• Requires a physician assistant to either complete a training program approved by the Board or complete training to perform medical services that add to their current competency in order to be authorized by their supervising physician or surgeon to perform the relevant aspiration techniques in an abortion procedure (Sec. 4).

• Requires that a physician assistant must also comply with protocols that specify the extent of supervision by a trained physician or surgeon, procedures for transferring the care of the patient to the physician, surgeon, or hospital, procedures for getting assistance from the physician or surgeon, procedures for providing emergency care until the physician or surgeon is available, and the methods for reviewing said protocols periodically (Sec. 4).

• Specifies that training protocols established by the HWPP are sufficient for the above provisions (Sec. 4).

• Specifies that it is unprofessional conduct for a physician assistant to perform an abortion by aspiration techniques prior to varification of clinical competency (Sec. 4).

• Prohibits the Board from suspending the license of a physician assistant solely for performing an abortion, so long as all of the above requirements are met (Sec. 4).

Full Bill Text