An act to amend Section 2290.5 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts.
Summary
AB 375 would amend the Medical Practice Act’s telehealth provisions to expand the definition of “health care provider” to include a qualified autism service paraprofessional certified by a national entity. As drafted, the bill updates Business and Professions Code Section 2290.5, which governs telehealth definitions, patient consent, confidentiality, professional standards, and hospital credentialing for telehealth services. The practical effect is to allow these autism service paraprofessionals to fall within the statute’s telehealth framework alongside other licensed or specially recognized providers.
The bill does not create a new telehealth program or change the basic rules for telehealth delivery. It preserves existing requirements that patients be informed of telehealth use and give consent, that telehealth not expand scope of practice, and that confidentiality and professional conduct rules continue to apply. It also leaves in place the existing hospital credentialing language and the exclusion for patients in correctional facilities. The measure includes a standard no-reimbursement clause, stating that no state reimbursement is required for local agencies or school districts.
The bill’s impact on state law is narrow but important for autism-related services: it broadens who is legally recognized as a telehealth “health care provider” under the Medical Practice Act. That change could affect which professionals may deliver telehealth services under the statute and how hospitals and telehealth entities credential those providers. Because violations of the underlying telehealth section are treated as unprofessional conduct and the act is a crime, the bill also touches a regulated area with enforcement consequences, though it does not otherwise alter criminal penalties.
Overall sentiment appears strongly favorable. The bill passed the Assembly with unanimous votes in committee and on the floor, and the available vote history shows no recorded opposition at any stage. Its referral to the Appropriations suspense file suggests there may be fiscal review concerns, but the legislative record provided does not show substantive opposition or debate. The lack of committee transcripts limits insight into detailed arguments, but the voting pattern indicates broad support.
No major policy controversy is evident from the materials provided. The main issue is the scope of the telehealth provider definition and whether qualified autism service paraprofessionals should be treated the same as other recognized providers for purposes of telehealth law. Any contention would likely center on regulatory scope, credentialing, or whether the expansion could indirectly affect professional standards or enforcement, but the bill text itself is carefully limited and expressly states it does not alter scope of practice.
Impact
AB 375 would amend Business and Professions Code Section 2290.5 to add qualified autism service paraprofessionals to the list of “health care provider” categories covered by California’s telehealth law. This would extend existing telehealth consent, confidentiality, professional conduct, and hospital credentialing rules to that provider class without changing the underlying scope of practice or authorizing services otherwise prohibited by law. The bill also includes a no-reimbursement provision and notes that any local costs are not reimbursable under the state mandate framework.
Sentiment
The available voting record shows unanimous support at each recorded stage, including committee votes of 17-0 and 15-0 and a 75-0 Assembly third reading vote. There are no committee transcripts or recorded floor objections in the materials provided, so the overall sentiment appears broadly positive and noncontroversial. The bill’s referral to the Appropriations suspense file suggests fiscal review occurred, but not visible opposition on policy grounds.
Contention
No significant contention is documented in the provided materials. The only potentially debatable issue is whether qualified autism service paraprofessionals should be included within the telehealth definition of health care provider, which could affect credentialing and regulatory treatment. However, the bill expressly states it does not expand scope of practice or authorize otherwise unauthorized care, which likely reduces opposition. Any remaining concern would likely come from stakeholders focused on licensing boundaries, telehealth oversight, or fiscal implications rather than from the substance of autism service access.
An act to add Article 10 (commencing with Section 1980) to Chapter 4 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts. amend Section 84513 of the Government Code, relating to the Political Reform Act of 1974.
An act to repeal and add Article 14 (commencing with Section 2340) of Chapter 5 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts.