Legislative Update

October 12, 2009

Governor signs/vetoes 704 Senate and Assembly Bills

After threatening a blanket veto the 704 bills on his desk last week, Governor Schwarzenegger began signing and vetoing bills Sunday, completing 704 by midnight last night. Here are the Governor’s actions on five bills of interest to ACP:

  • Vetoed – Assembly Bill 2 (De La Torre, D – South Gate)
    Dependent children: psychotropic medications
    Excerpts from the Governor’s message: “I have repeatedly indicated I would support a bill that provides strong statutory protections for consumers against inappropriate rescissions by health plans. However, this bill continues to have a provision that benefits trial lawyers rather than consumers. I remain comfortable sending this bill back for a second time without my signature because of the strong consumer protections the Department of Managed Health Care and Department of Insurance have successfully implemented over the past two years.”
  • Vetoed – Assembly Bill 120 (Hayashi, D – Hayward): Healing arts: peer review
    Excerpts from the Governor’s message: “This bill is contingent upon the enactment of Senate Bill 820. I have vetoed that bill, and am therefore unable to sign this measure.”
  • Signed – Assembly Bill 1422 (Bass, D – Los Angeles): Health care programs: California Children and Families Act of 1998
  • Vetoed – Senate Bill 303 (Alquist, D – Santa Clara): Nursing facility residents: informed consent
    Excerpts from the Governor’s message: “My Administration is concerned about the inappropriate use of psychotherapeutic medications, especially antipsychotics, in skilled nursing facilities. One recent study concluded that over half of the residents receiving antipsychotic therapy were being treated outside the current Center for Medicare and Medicaid Service guidelines.”
  • Signed – Senate Bill 470 (Corbett, D – San Leandro): Prescriptions

For more information about these and other bills as well as the links to complete veto messages, please visit the ACP Legislative Update.


Page updated: 11-16-09

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