It is not unusual for the governor to sign a bill in the middle of a legislative cycle if the bill has gone through its customary course, but AB 35 had a different route—it had a swift passage through policy committee hearings and both Assembly and Senate floor votes by a mechanism legislators refer to as “Gut & Amend.” As the term suggests, “Gut & Amend,” is a quick, crafty method to advance a legislator's bill.

On May 13, 2022, Governor Newsom presented a revised FY2022-2023 state budget proposal to the Legislature, also known as the May Revision.

Over the past 40 years, CAP has staunchly opposed any changes to MICRA and has spent millions of dollars to ensure its protection. This year, alongside our traditional allies, CAP was prepared to defend MICRA once again and fight the Fairness for Injured Patients Act (FIPA) measure set to appear on the ballot this fall.

Over the past two and a half years, significant shifts have occurred in addressing of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health experts can rely on data trends that have emerged and will continue to emerge while the virus remains a public health and safety concern.

At the start of this year’s legislative cycle, a bill related to the Medical Board of California stood out immediately. Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Fresno) introduced SB 920, a bill that proposes to authorize a Board investigator and a medical consultant to inspect a physician's business location and records, including patient and client records.