For Immediate Release: February 3, 2022

Media Contact: Michelle.Sherwood@sen.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) introduced Senate Bill 920 – The Patient Transparency and Protection Act--to increase the transparency and accessibility of the Medical Board of California. SB 920 will remove barriers that exist for the board to investigate complaints, and help elevate patient voices. She released the following statement:

“Across California, many people that have lost a loved one or were medically injured have made efforts to have a voice at the Medical Board,” said Senator Hurtado. “We should all be interested in ensuring every patient is protected in every way and as human beings we must come together to renew this state agency. As policymakers, it is our moral obligation to make sure government is working to protect people and we should also have the political courage to do the right thing for families.”

“It is not the intent of this bill to further create societal or political division, but instead to find solutions to existing health inequities that could hurt your family and mine. There is a lot of positive change that can come about when we work together towards a common goal.”

The Medical Board of California, created in 1876, is a state agency which licenses and disciplines medical doctors. The Board is made up of eight physicians, and seven public members, appointed by the Governor, with one member of the public being appointed by the Senate Rules Committee, and one member of the public being appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. The Board also provides public-record information regarding physicians licensed in California, as well as investigation of complaints against physicians.

The Medical Board of California is limited in its ability to inspect and review a licensee’s medical records in response to a complaint, often times slowing down the investigative process. Existing law allows a complainant the opportunity to provide a statement to the Deputy Attorney from the Health Quality Enforcement Section, but does not allow for considerations in the adjudication of the case. This prevents the adjudication panel of the Medical Board from accessing all relevant information.

SB 920—The Patient Transparency and Protection Act-- will remove barriers that delay and prevent the Board from investigating complaints into licensed California physicians, elevating consideration of complainant statements from patients and enhancing the Board’s authority to inspect records.  SB 920 will also create a timeline for requests from the Medical Board to pharmacists to be returned that mirror the standards required of them from the California State Board of Pharmacy.

About Senator Melissa Hurtado

Senator Melissa Hurtado represents a new generation of Latina leaders, as the youngest woman ever elected to the California State Senate and as a product of immigrant parents. Senator Hurtado represents the 14th Senate District and focuses on rural community issues that often go unheard — access to clean air and water, food insecurity and poverty, inequities in environmental policies, agriculture and access to health care. In July 2020, she was appointed to the national Biden Latino Leadership Committee alongside former Labor Secretary and current Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis – the only two California Latinas on the Committee.

For more information, visit Senator Hurtado’s Website here or find her on Twitter at @Senator_Hurtado

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